TY - JOUR A1 - Haeger, Gerrit A1 - Wirges, Jessika A1 - Tanzmann, Nicole A1 - Oyen, Sven A1 - Jolmes, Tristan A1 - Jaeger, Karl-Erich A1 - Schörken, Ulrich A1 - Bongaerts, Johannes A1 - Siegert, Petra T1 - Chaperone assisted recombinant expression of a mycobacterial aminoacylase in Vibrio natriegens and Escherichia coli capable of N-lauroyl-L-amino acid synthesis JF - Microbial Cell Factories N2 - Background Aminoacylases are highly promising enzymes for the green synthesis of acyl-amino acids, potentially replacing the environmentally harmful Schotten-Baumann reaction. Long-chain acyl-amino acids can serve as strong surfactants and emulsifiers, with application in cosmetic industries. Heterologous expression of these enzymes, however, is often hampered, limiting their use in industrial processes. Results We identified a novel mycobacterial aminoacylase gene from Mycolicibacterium smegmatis MKD 8, cloned and expressed it in Escherichia coli and Vibrio natriegens using the T7 overexpression system. The recombinant enzyme was prone to aggregate as inclusion bodies, and while V. natriegens Vmax™ could produce soluble aminoacylase upon induction with isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), E. coli BL21 (DE3) needed autoinduction with lactose to produce soluble recombinant protein. We successfully conducted a chaperone co-expression study in both organisms to further enhance aminoacylase production and found that overexpression of chaperones GroEL/S enhanced aminoacylase activity in the cell-free extract 1.8-fold in V. natriegens and E. coli. Eventually, E. coli ArcticExpress™ (DE3), which co-expresses cold-adapted chaperonins Cpn60/10 from Oleispira antarctica, cultivated at 12 °C, rendered the most suitable expression system for this aminoacylase and exhibited twice the aminoacylase activity in the cell-free extract compared to E. coli BL21 (DE3) with GroEL/S co-expression at 20 °C. The purified aminoacylase was characterized based on hydrolytic activities, being most stable and active at pH 7.0, with a maximum activity at 70 °C, and stability at 40 °C and pH 7.0 for 5 days. The aminoacylase strongly prefers short-chain acyl-amino acids with smaller, hydrophobic amino acid residues. Several long-chain amino acids were fairly accepted in hydrolysis as well, especially N-lauroyl-L-methionine. To initially evaluate the relevance of this aminoacylase for the synthesis of N-acyl-amino acids, we demonstrated that lauroyl-methionine can be synthesized from lauric acid and methionine in an aqueous system. Conclusion Our results suggest that the recombinant enzyme is well suited for synthesis reactions and will thus be further investigated. KW - Acyl-amino acids KW - Inclusion bodies KW - Chaperone co-expression KW - Vibrio natriegens KW - Aminoacylase Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-023-02079-1 SN - 1475-2859 N1 - Corresponding author: Petra Siegert IS - 22 SP - Article number: 77 (2023) PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Thoma, Andreas A1 - Thomessen, Karolin A1 - Gardi, Alessandro A1 - Fisher, A. A1 - Braun, Carsten T1 - Prioritising paths: An improved cost function for local path planning for UAV in medical applications JF - The Aeronautical Journal N2 - Even the shortest flight through unknown, cluttered environments requires reliable local path planning algorithms to avoid unforeseen obstacles. The algorithm must evaluate alternative flight paths and identify the best path if an obstacle blocks its way. Commonly, weighted sums are used here. This work shows that weighted Chebyshev distances and factorial achievement scalarising functions are suitable alternatives to weighted sums if combined with the 3DVFH* local path planning algorithm. Both methods considerably reduce the failure probability of simulated flights in various environments. The standard 3DVFH* uses a weighted sum and has a failure probability of 50% in the test environments. A factorial achievement scalarising function, which minimises the worst combination of two out of four objective functions, reaches a failure probability of 26%; A weighted Chebyshev distance, which optimises the worst objective, has a failure probability of 30%. These results show promise for further enhancements and to support broader applicability. KW - Path planning KW - Cost function KW - Multi-objective optimization Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/aer.2023.68 SN - 0001-9240 (Print) SN - 2059-6464 (Online) IS - First View SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Falkenberg, Fabian A1 - Kohn, Sophie A1 - Bott, Michael A1 - Bongaerts, Johannes A1 - Siegert, Petra T1 - Biochemical characterisation of a novel broad pH spectrum subtilisin from Fictibacillus arsenicus DSM 15822ᵀ JF - FEBS Open Bio N2 - Subtilisins from microbial sources, especially from the Bacillaceae family, are of particular interest for biotechnological applications and serve the currently growing enzyme market as efficient and novel biocatalysts. Biotechnological applications include use in detergents, cosmetics, leather processing, wastewater treatment and pharmaceuticals. To identify a possible candidate for the enzyme market, here we cloned the gene of the subtilisin SPFA from Fictibacillus arsenicus DSM 15822ᵀ (obtained through a data mining-based search) and expressed it in Bacillus subtilis DB104. After production and purification, the protease showed a molecular mass of 27.57 kDa and a pI of 5.8. SPFA displayed hydrolytic activity at a temperature optimum of 80 °C and a very broad pH optimum between 8.5 and 11.5, with high activity up to pH 12.5. SPFA displayed no NaCl dependence but a high NaCl tolerance, with decreasing activity up to concentrations of 5 m NaCl. The stability enhanced with increasing NaCl concentration. Based on its substrate preference for 10 synthetic peptide 4-nitroanilide substrates with three or four amino acids and its phylogenetic classification, SPFA can be assigned to the subgroup of true subtilisins. Moreover, SPFA exhibited high tolerance to 5% (w/v) SDS and 5% H₂O₂ (v/v). The biochemical properties of SPFA, especially its tolerance of remarkably high pH, SDS and H₂O₂, suggest it has potential for biotechnological applications. KW - Bacillaceae KW - Biotechnological application KW - Broad pH spectrum KW - Subtilases KW - Subtilisin Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.13701 SN - 2211-5463 N1 - Corresponding author: Petra Siegert VL - 13 IS - 11 SP - 2035 EP - 2046 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, NJ ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Falkenberg, Fabian A1 - Voß, Leonie A1 - Bott, Michael A1 - Bongaerts, Johannes A1 - Siegert, Petra T1 - New robust subtilisins from halotolerant and halophilic Bacillaceae JF - Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology N2 - The aim of the present study was the characterisation of three true subtilisins and one phylogenetically intermediate subtilisin from halotolerant and halophilic microorganisms. Considering the currently growing enzyme market for efficient and novel biocatalysts, data mining is a promising source for novel, as yet uncharacterised enzymes, especially from halophilic or halotolerant Bacillaceae, which offer great potential to meet industrial needs. Both halophilic bacteria Pontibacillus marinus DSM 16465ᵀ and Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus DSM 5271ᵀ and both halotolerant bacteria Metabacillus indicus DSM 16189 and Litchfieldia alkalitelluris DSM 16976ᵀ served as a source for the four new subtilisins SPPM, SPAH, SPMI and SPLA. The protease genes were cloned and expressed in Bacillus subtilis DB104. Purification to apparent homogeneity was achieved by ethanol precipitation, desalting and ion-exchange chromatography. Enzyme activity could be observed between pH 5.0–12.0 with an optimum for SPPM, SPMI and SPLA around pH 9.0 and for SPAH at pH 10.0. The optimal temperature for SPMI and SPLA was 70 °C and for SPPM and SPAH 55 °C and 50 °C, respectively. All proteases showed high stability towards 5% (w/v) SDS and were active even at NaCl concentrations of 5 M. The four proteases demonstrate potential for future biotechnological applications. KW - Biotechnological application KW - Bacillaceae KW - Subtilisin KW - Subtilases KW - Halotolerant protease Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-023-12553-w SN - 1432-0614 N1 - Corresponding author: Petra Siegert VL - 107 SP - 3939 EP - 3954 PB - Springer Nature CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rübbelke, Dirk A1 - Vögele, Stefan A1 - Grajewski, Matthias A1 - Zobel, Luzy T1 - Cross border adjustment mechanism: Initial data for the assessment of hydrogen-based steel production JF - Data in Brief N2 - Ambitious climate targets affect the competitiveness of industries in the international market. To prevent such industries from moving to other countries in the wake of increased climate protection efforts, cost adjustments may become necessary. Their design requires knowledge of country-specific production costs. Here, we present country-specific cost figures for different production routes of steel, paying particular attention to transportation costs. The data can be used in floor price models aiming to assess the competitiveness of different steel production routes in different countries (Rübbelke, 2022). KW - Energy-intensive industry KW - Steel industry KW - Competitiveness KW - Floor prices KW - Cross border adjustment mechanism Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2023.108907 SN - 2352-3409 VL - 47 IS - Article 108907 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cheenakula, Dheeraja A1 - Griebel, Kai A1 - Montag, David A1 - Grömping, Markus ED - Huang, Xiaowu T1 - Concept development of a mainstream deammonification and comparison with conventional process in terms of energy, performance and economical construction perspectives JF - Frontiers in Microbiology N2 - Deammonification for nitrogen removal in municipal wastewater in temperate and cold climate zones is currently limited to the side stream of municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTP). This study developed a conceptual model of a mainstream deammonification plant, designed for 30,000 P.E., considering possible solutions corresponding to the challenging mainstream conditions in Germany. In addition, the energy-saving potential, nitrogen elimination performance and construction-related costs of mainstream deammonification were compared to a conventional plant model, having a single-stage activated sludge process with upstream denitrification. The results revealed that an additional treatment step by combining chemical precipitation and ultra-fine screening is advantageous prior the mainstream deammonification. Hereby chemical oxygen demand (COD) can be reduced by 80% so that the COD:N ratio can be reduced from 12 to 2.5. Laboratory experiments testing mainstream conditions of temperature (8–20°C), pH (6–9) and COD:N ratio (1–6) showed an achievable volumetric nitrogen removal rate (VNRR) of at least 50 gN/(m3∙d) for various deammonifying sludges from side stream deammonification systems in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, where m3 denotes reactor volume. Assuming a retained Norganic content of 0.0035 kgNorg./(P.E.∙d) from the daily loads of N at carbon removal stage and a VNRR of 50 gN/(m3∙d) under mainstream conditions, a resident-specific reactor volume of 0.115 m3/(P.E.) is required for mainstream deammonification. This is in the same order of magnitude as the conventional activated sludge process, i.e., 0.173 m3/(P.E.) for an MWWTP of size class of 4. The conventional plant model yielded a total specific electricity demand of 35 kWh/(P.E.∙a) for the operation of the whole MWWTP and an energy recovery potential of 15.8 kWh/(P.E.∙a) through anaerobic digestion. In contrast, the developed mainstream deammonification model plant would require only a 21.5 kWh/(P.E.∙a) energy demand and result in 24 kWh/(P.E.∙a) energy recovery potential, enabling the mainstream deammonification model plant to be self-sufficient. The retrofitting costs for the implementation of mainstream deammonification in existing conventional MWWTPs are nearly negligible as the existing units like activated sludge reactors, aerators and monitoring technology are reusable. However, the mainstream deammonification must meet the performance requirement of VNRR of about 50 gN/(m3∙d) in this case. KW - anammox KW - energy efficiency KW - mainstream deammonification KW - nitrogen elimination KW - wastewater Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1155235 SN - 1664-302X VL - 14 IS - 11155235 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Frontiers ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grajewski, Matthias A1 - Kleefeld, Andreas T1 - Detecting and approximating decision boundaries in low-dimensional spaces JF - Numerical Algorithms N2 - A method for detecting and approximating fault lines or surfaces, respectively, or decision curves in two and three dimensions with guaranteed accuracy is presented. Reformulated as a classification problem, our method starts from a set of scattered points along with the corresponding classification algorithm to construct a representation of a decision curve by points with prescribed maximal distance to the true decision curve. Hereby, our algorithm ensures that the representing point set covers the decision curve in its entire extent and features local refinement based on the geometric properties of the decision curve. We demonstrate applications of our method to problems related to the detection of faults, to multi-criteria decision aid and, in combination with Kirsch’s factorization method, to solving an inverse acoustic scattering problem. In all applications we considered in this work, our method requires significantly less pointwise classifications than previously employed algorithms. KW - MCDA KW - Inverse scattering problem KW - Fault approximation KW - Fault detection Y1 - 2023 SN - 1572-9265 N1 - Corresponding author: Matthias Grajewski VL - 93 IS - 4 PB - Springer Science+Business Media CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ringers, Christa A1 - Bialonski, Stephan A1 - Ege, Mert A1 - Solovev, Anton A1 - Hansen, Jan Niklas A1 - Jeong, Inyoung A1 - Friedrich, Benjamin M. A1 - Jurisch-Yaksi, Nathalie T1 - Novel analytical tools reveal that local synchronization of cilia coincides with tissue-scale metachronal waves in zebrafish multiciliated epithelia JF - eLife N2 - Motile cilia are hair-like cell extensions that beat periodically to generate fluid flow along various epithelial tissues within the body. In dense multiciliated carpets, cilia were shown to exhibit a remarkable coordination of their beat in the form of traveling metachronal waves, a phenomenon which supposedly enhances fluid transport. Yet, how cilia coordinate their regular beat in multiciliated epithelia to move fluids remains insufficiently understood, particularly due to lack of rigorous quantification. We combine experiments, novel analysis tools, and theory to address this knowledge gap. To investigate collective dynamics of cilia, we studied zebrafish multiciliated epithelia in the nose and the brain. We focused mainly on the zebrafish nose, due to its conserved properties with other ciliated tissues and its superior accessibility for non-invasive imaging. We revealed that cilia are synchronized only locally and that the size of local synchronization domains increases with the viscosity of the surrounding medium. Even though synchronization is local only, we observed global patterns of traveling metachronal waves across the zebrafish multiciliated epithelium. Intriguingly, these global wave direction patterns are conserved across individual fish, but different for left and right noses, unveiling a chiral asymmetry of metachronal coordination. To understand the implications of synchronization for fluid pumping, we used a computational model of a regular array of cilia. We found that local metachronal synchronization prevents steric collisions, i.e., cilia colliding with each other, and improves fluid pumping in dense cilia carpets, but hardly affects the direction of fluid flow. In conclusion, we show that local synchronization together with tissue-scale cilia alignment coincide and generate metachronal wave patterns in multiciliated epithelia, which enhance their physiological function of fluid pumping. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.77701 SN - 2050-084X VL - 12 PB - eLife Sciences Publications ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Luft, Angela A1 - Bremen, Sebastian A1 - Luft, Nils T1 - A cost/benefit and flexibility evaluation framework for additive technologies in strategic factory planning JF - Processes N2 - There is a growing demand for more flexibility in manufacturing to counter the volatility and unpredictability of the markets and provide more individualization for customers. However, the design and implementation of flexibility within manufacturing systems are costly and only economically viable if applicable to actual demand fluctuations. To this end, companies are considering additive manufacturing (AM) to make production more flexible. This paper develops a conceptual model for the impact quantification of AM on volume and mix flexibility within production systems in the early stages of the factory-planning process. Together with the model, an application guideline is presented to help planners with the flexibility quantification and the factory design process. Following the development of the model and guideline, a case study is presented to indicate the potential impact additive technologies can have on manufacturing flexibility Within the case study, various scenarios with different production system configurations and production programs are analyzed, and the impact of the additive technologies on volume and mix flexibility is calculated. This work will allow factory planners to determine the potential impacts of AM on manufacturing flexibility in an early planning stage and design their production systems accordingly. KW - additive manufacturing KW - factory planning KW - manufacturing flexibility KW - volume flexibility KW - mix flexibility Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11071968 SN - 2227-9717 VL - 11 IS - 7 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - El Bergui, Omnia A1 - Abouabdillah, Aziz A1 - Bourioug, Mohamed A1 - Schmitz, Dominik A1 - Biel, Markus A1 - Aboudrare, Abdellah A1 - Krauss, Manuel A1 - Jomaa, Ahlem A1 - Romuli, Sebastian A1 - Müller, Joachim A1 - Fagroud, Mustapha A1 - Bouabid, Rachid T1 - Innovative solutions for drought: Evaluating hydrogel application on onion cultivation (Allium cepa) in Morocco JF - Water N2 - Throughout the last decade, and particularly in 2022, water scarcity has become a critical concern in Morocco and other Mediterranean countries. The lack of rainfall during spring was worsened by a succession of heat waves during the summer. To address this drought, innovative solutions, including the use of new technologies such as hydrogels, will be essential to transform agriculture. This paper presents the findings of a study that evaluated the impact of hydrogel application on onion (Allium cepa) cultivation in Meknes, Morocco. The treatments investigated in this study comprised two different types of hydrogel-based soil additives (Arbovit® polyacrylate and Huminsorb® polyacrylate), applied at two rates (30 and 20 kg/ha), and irrigated at two levels of water supply (100% and 50% of daily crop evapotranspiration; ETc). Two control treatments were included, without hydrogel application and with both water amounts. The experiment was conducted in an open field using a completely randomized design. The results indicated a significant impact of both hydrogel-type dose and water dose on onion plant growth, as evidenced by various vegetation parameters. Among the hydrogels tested, Huminsorb® Polyacrylate produced the most favorable outcomes, with treatment T9 (100%, HP, 30 kg/ha) yielding 70.55 t/ha; this represented an increase of 11 t/ha as compared to the 100% ETc treatment without hydrogel application. Moreover, the combination of hydrogel application with 50% ETc water stress showed promising results, with treatment T4 (HP, 30 kg, 50%) producing almost the same yield as the 100% ETc treatment without hydrogel while saving 208 mm of water. KW - water economy KW - yield KW - deficit irrigation KW - hydrogel KW - onion Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/w15111972 VL - 15 IS - 11 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hoffstadt, Kevin A1 - Cheenakula, Dheeraja A1 - Nikolausz, Marcell A1 - Krafft, Simone A1 - Harms, Hauke A1 - Kuperjans, Isabel T1 - Design and construction of a new reactor for flexible biomethanation of hydrogen JF - Fermentation N2 - The increasing share of renewable electricity in the grid drives the need for sufficient storage capacity. Especially for seasonal storage, power-to-gas can be a promising approach. Biologically produced methane from hydrogen produced from surplus electricity can be used to substitute natural gas in the existing infrastructure. Current reactor types are not or are poorly optimized for flexible methanation. Therefore, this work proposes a new reactor type with a plug flow reactor (PFR) design. Simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics ® showed promising properties for operation in laminar flow. An experiment was conducted to support the simulation results and to determine the gas fraction of the novel reactor, which was measured to be 29%. Based on these simulations and experimental results, the reactor was constructed as a 14 m long, 50 mm diameter tube with a meandering orientation. Data processing was established, and a step experiment was performed. In addition, a kLa of 1 h−1 was determined. The results revealed that the experimental outcomes of the type of flow and gas fractions are in line with the theoretical simulation. The new design shows promising properties for flexible methanation and will be tested. KW - methanation KW - plug flow reactor KW - bubble column KW - bio-methane KW - power-to-gas Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9080774 SN - 2311-5637 N1 - The article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentation Processes: Modeling, Optimization and Control VL - 9 IS - 8 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bialonski, Stephan A1 - Grieger, Niklas T1 - Der KI-Chatbot ChatGPT: Eine Herausforderung für die Hochschulen JF - Die neue Hochschule N2 - Essays, Gedichte, Programmcode: ChatGPT generiert automatisch Texte auf bisher unerreicht hohem Niveau. Dieses und nachfolgende Systeme werden nicht nur die akademische Welt nachhaltig verändern. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7533758 SN - 0340-448X VL - 2023 IS - 1 SP - 24 EP - 27 PB - HLB CY - Bonn ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Golland, Alexander A1 - Kelbch, Niklas T1 - Kartellrecht vs. Datenschutzrecht: Rechtsgrundlagen für die Datenverarbeitung in sozialen Netzwerken JF - DSB Datenschutz-Berater Y1 - 2023 SN - 0170-7256 IS - 9 SP - 247 EP - 249 PB - DFV Mediengruppe CY - Frankfurt a.M. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Janus, Kevin Alexander A1 - Achtsnicht, Stefan A1 - Drinic, Aleksander A1 - Kopp, Alexander A1 - Keusgen, Michael A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Transient magnesium-based thin-film temperature sensor on a flexible, bioabsorbable substrate for future medical applications JF - Applied Research N2 - In this work, the bioabsorbable materials, namely fibroin, polylactide acid (PLA), magnesium and magnesium oxide are investigated for their application as transient, resistive temperature detectors (RTD). For this purpose, a thin-film magnesium-based meander-like electrode is deposited onto a flexible, bioabsorbable substrate (fibroin or PLA) and encapsulated (passivated) by additional magnesium oxide layers on top and below the magnesium-based electrode. The morphology of different layered RTDs is analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The sensor performance and lifetime of the RTD is characterized both under ambient atmospheric conditions between 30°C and 43°C, and wet tissue-like conditions with a constant temperature regime of 37°C. The latter triggers the degradation process of the magnesium-based layers. The 3-layers RTDs on a PLA substrate could achieve a lifetime of 8.5 h. These sensors also show the best sensor performance under ambient atmospheric conditions with a mean sensitivity of 0.48 Ω/°C ± 0.01 Ω/°C. KW - Silk fibroin KW - Polylactide acid KW - Bioabsorbable KW - Resistive temperature detector Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/appl.202300102 SN - 2702-4288 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Michael Josef Schöning IS - Accepted manuscript PB - Wiley-VCH ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Janus, Kevin Alexander A1 - Achtsnicht, Stefan A1 - Tempel, Laura A1 - Drinic, Aleksaner A1 - Kopp, Alexander A1 - Keusgen, Michael A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Influence of fibroin membrane composition and curing parameters on the performance of a biodegradable enzymatic biosensor manufactured from Silicon-Free Carbon JF - Physica status solidi : pss. A, Applications and materials science N2 - Herein, fibroin, polylactide (PLA), and carbon are investigated for their suitability as biocompatible and biodegradable materials for amperometric biosensors. For this purpose, screen-printed carbon electrodes on the biodegradable substrates fibroin and PLA are modified with a glucose oxidase membrane and then encapsulated with the biocompatible material Ecoflex. The influence of different curing parameters of the carbon electrodes on the resulting biosensor characteristics is studied. The morphology of the electrodes is investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and the biosensor performance is examined by amperometric measurements of glucose (0.5–10 mM) in phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.4, at an applied potential of 1.2 V versus a Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Instead of Ecoflex, fibroin, PLA, and wound adhesive are tested as alternative encapsulation compounds: a series of swelling tests with different fibroin compositions, PLA, and Ecoflex has been performed before characterizing the most promising candidates by chronoamperometry. Therefore, the carbon electrodes are completely covered with the particular encapsulation material. Chronoamperometric measurements with H2O2 concentrations between 0.5 and 10 mM enable studying the leakage current behavior. KW - amperometric biosensors KW - biocompatible KW - biodegradabl KW - encapsulation materials KW - fibroin Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.202300081 SN - 1862-6300 (Print) SN - 1862-6319 (Online) N1 - Corresponding author: Michael J. Schöning VL - 220 IS - 22 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Berg-Postweiler, Julia A1 - Steuer-Dankert, Linda A1 - Leicht-Scholten, Carmen T1 - One size does not fit all: Applying antibias trainings in academia JF - The International Journal of Organizational Diversity N2 - Antibias training is increasingly demanded and practiced in academia and industry to increase employees’ sensitivity to discrimination, racism, and diversity. Under the heading of “Diversity Management,” antibias trainings are mainly offered as one-off workshops intending to raise awareness of unconscious biases, create a diversity-affirming corporate culture, promote awareness of the potential of diversity, and ultimately enable the reflection of diversity in development processes. However, coming from childhood education, research and scientific articles on the sustainable effectiveness of antibias in adulthood, especially in academia, are very scarce. In order to fill this research gap, the article aims to explore how sustainable the effects of individual antibias trainings on participants’ behavior are. In order to investigate this, participant observation in a qualitative pre–post setting was conducted, analyzing antibias training in an academic context. Two observers actively participated in the training sessions and documented the activities and reflection processes of the participants. Overall, the results question the effectiveness of single antibias trainings and show that a target-group adaptive approach is mandatory owing to the background of the approach in early childhood education. Therefore, antibias work needs to be adapted to the target group’s needs and realities of life. Furthermore, the study reveals that single antibias trainings must be embedded in a holistic diversity management approach to stimulate sustainable reflection processes among the target group. This article is one of the first to scientifically evaluate antibias training effectiveness, especially in engineering sciences and the university context. KW - Antibias KW - Diversity Management KW - Organizational Culture KW - Engineering Habitus Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.18848/2328-6261/CGP/v24i01/1-23 SN - 2328-6261 (Print) SN - 2328-6229 (Online) VL - 24 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 23 PB - Common Ground Research Networks ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hengsbach, Jan-Niklas A1 - Engel, Mareike A1 - Cwienczek, Marcel A1 - Stiefelmaier, Judith A1 - Tippkötter, Nils A1 - Ulber, Roland T1 - Scalable unseparated bioelectrochemical reactors by using a carbon fiber brush as stirrer and working electrode JF - ChemElectroChem N2 - The concept of energy conversion into platform chemicals using bioelectrochemical systems (BES) has gained increasing attention in recent years, as the technology simultaneously provides an opportunity for sustainable chemical production and tackles the challenge of Power-to-X technologies. There are many approaches to realize the industrial scale of BES. One concept is to equip standard bioreactors with static electrodes. However, large installations resulted in a negative influence on various reactor parameters. In this study, we present a new single-chamber BES based on a stirred tank reactor in which the stirrer was replaced by a carbon fiber brush, performing the functions of the working electrode and the stirrer. The reactor is characterized in abiotic studies and electro-fermentations with Clostridium acetobutylicum. Compared to standard reactors an increase in butanol production of 20.14±3.66 % shows that the new BES can be efficiently used for bioelectrochemical processes. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/celc.202300440 SN - 2196-0216 VL - 10 IS - 21 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sildatke, Michael A1 - Karwanni, Hendrik A1 - Kraft, Bodo A1 - Zündorf, Albert T1 - A distributed microservice architecture pattern for the automated generation of information extraction pipelines JF - SN Computer Science N2 - Companies often build their businesses based on product information and therefore try to automate the process of information extraction (IE). Since the information source is usually heterogeneous and non-standardized, classic extract, transform, load techniques reach their limits. Hence, companies must implement the newest findings from research to tackle the challenges of process automation. They require a flexible and robust system that is extendable and ensures the optimal processing of the different document types. This paper provides a distributed microservice architecture pattern that enables the automated generation of IE pipelines. Since their optimal design is individual for each input document, the system ensures the ad-hoc generation of pipelines depending on specific document characteristics at runtime. Furthermore, it introduces the automated quality determination of each available pipeline and controls the integration of new microservices based on their impact on the business value. The introduced system enables fast prototyping of the newest approaches from research and supports companies in automating their IE processes. Based on the automated quality determination, it ensures that the generated pipelines always meet defined business requirements when they come into productive use. KW - Architectural design KW - Model-driven software engineering KW - Software and systems modeling KW - Enterprise information systems KW - Information extraction Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-023-02256-4 SN - 2661-8907 N1 - Corresponding authors: Michael Sildatke, Hendrik Karwanni IS - 4, Article number: 833 PB - Springer Singapore CY - Singapore ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Niedermeier, Jana A1 - Penner, Crystal A1 - Usherovich, Samuel A1 - Bélanger-Champagne, Camille A1 - Paulßen, Elisabeth A1 - Hoehr, Cornelia T1 - Optical Fibers as Dosimeter Detectors for Mixed Proton/Neutron Fields - A Biological Dosimeter JF - electronics N2 - In recent years, proton therapy has gained importance as a cancer treatment modality due to its conformality with the tumor and the sparing of healthy tissue. However, in the interaction of the protons with the beam line elements and patient tissues, potentially harmful secondary neutrons are always generated. To ensure that this neutron dose is as low as possible, treatment plans could be created to also account for and minimize the neutron dose. To monitor such a treatment plan, a compact, easy to use, and inexpensive dosimeter must be developed that not only measures the physical dose, but which can also distinguish between proton and neutron contributions. To that end, plastic optical fibers with scintillation materials (Gd₂O₂S:Tb, Gd₂O₂S:Eu, and YVO₄:Eu) were irradiated with protons and neutrons. It was confirmed that sensors with different scintillation materials have different sensitivities to protons and neutrons. A combination of these three scintillators can be used to build a detector array to create a biological dosimeter. KW - biological dosimeter KW - Bragg peak KW - relative dosimetry KW - optical fibers KW - proton therapy KW - protons KW - neutrons Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12020324 SN - 2079-9292 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "Applications of Optical Fiber Sensors" VL - 12 IS - 2 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Haeger, Gerrit A1 - Grankin, Alina A1 - Wagner, Michaela T1 - Construction of an Aspergillus oryzae triple amylase deletion mutant as a chassis to evaluate industrially relevant amylases using multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 editing technology JF - Applied Research N2 - Aspergillus oryzae is an industrially relevant organism for the secretory production of heterologous enzymes, especially amylases. The activities of potential heterologous amylases, however, cannot be quantified directly from the supernatant due to the high background activity of native α-amylase. This activity is caused by the gene products of amyA, amyB, and amyC. In this study, an in vitro CRISPR/Cas9 system was established in A. oryzae to delete these genes simultaneously. First, pyrG of A. oryzae NSAR1 was mutated by exploiting NHEJ to generate a counter-selection marker. Next, all amylase genes were deleted simultaneously by co-transforming a repair template carrying pyrG of Aspergillus nidulans and flanking sequences of amylase gene loci. The rate of obtained triple knock-outs was 47%. We showed that triple knockouts do not retain any amylase activity in the supernatant. The established in vitro CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to achieve sequence-specific knock-in of target genes. The system was intended to incorporate a single copy of the gene of interest into the desired host for the development of screening methods. Therefore, an integration cassette for the heterologous Fpi amylase was designed to specifically target the amyB locus. The site-specific integration rate of the plasmid was 78%, with exceptional additional integrations. Integration frequency was assessed via qPCR and directly correlated with heterologous amylase activity. Hence, we could compare the efficiency between two different signal peptides. In summary, we present a strategy to exploit CRISPR/Cas9 for gene mutation, multiplex knock-out, and the targeted knock-in of an expression cassette in A. oryzae. Our system provides straightforward strain engineering and paves the way for development of fungal screening systems. KW - aspergillus KW - CRISPR/Cas9 KW - filamentous fungi KW - genome engineering Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/appl.202200106 SN - 2702-4288 IS - Early View SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Wiley-VCH ER -