Open Access

The quest for scientifically advanced and sustainable solutions is driven by growing environmental and economic issues associated with coal mining, processing, and utilization. Consequently, within the coal industry, there is a growing recognition of the potential of microbial applications in fostering innovative technologies. Microbial-based coal solubilization, coal beneficiation, and coal dust suppression are green alternatives to traditional thermochemical and leaching technologies and better meet the need for ecologically sound and economically viable choices. Surfactant-mediated approaches have emerged as powerful tools for modeling, simulation, and optimization of coal-microbial systems and continue to gain prominence in clean coal fuel production, particularly in microbiological co-processing, conversion, and beneficiation. Surfactants (surface-active agents) are amphiphilic compounds that can reduce surface tension and enhance the solubility of hydrophobic molecules. A wide range of surfactant properties can be achieved by either directly influencing microbial growth factors, stimulants, and substrates or indirectly serving as frothers, collectors, and modifiers in the processing and utilization of coal. This review highlights the significant biotechnological potential of surfactants by providing a thorough overview of their involvement in coal biodegradation, bioprocessing, and biobeneficiation, acknowledging their importance as crucial steps in coal consumption.

This study investigates the morphological, mechanical, and viscoelastic properties of bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrogels synthesized by the microbial consortium Medusomyces gisevii. BC gel films were produced under static (S) or bioreactor (BioR) conditions. Additionally, an anisotropic sandwich-like composite BC film was developed and tested, consisting of a rehydrated (S-RDH) BC film synthesized under static conditions, placed between two BioR-derived BC layers. Sample characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), rheometry, and uniaxial stretching tests. To our knowledge, this is the first study to combine uniaxial and rheological tests for BC gels. AFM and SEM revealed that the organization of BC fibrils (80±20 nm in diameter) was similar to that of collagen fibers (96±31 nm) found in human dura mater, suggesting potential implications for neurosurgical practice. Stretching tests demonstrated that the drying and rehydration of BC films resulted in a 2- to 8-fold increase in rigidity compared to other samples. This trend was consistent across both small and large deformations, regardless of direction. Mechanically, the composite (BioR+S-RDH) outperformed BC hydrogels synthesized under static and bioreactor conditions by approx. 26%. The composite material (BioR+S-RDH) exhibited greater anisotropy in the stretching tests compared to S-RDH, but less than the BioR-derived hydrogels, which had anisotropy coefficients ranging from 1.29 to 2.03. BioR+S-RDH also demonstrated the most consistent viscoelastic behavior, indicating its suitability for withstanding shear stress and potential use in prosthetic applications. These findings should provide opportunities for further research and medical applications.

The most of conventional methods of air purification use the power of a fan to draw in air and pass it through a filter. The problem of bacterial contamination of inner parts of such a type of air conditioners in some cases draws attention towards alternative air-cleaning systems. Some manufacturers offer to use the ozone's bactericidal and deodorizing effects, but the wide spreading of such systems is restricted by the fact that toxic effects of ozone in respect of human beings are well known. In 2000 Sharp Inc. introduced "Plasma Cluster Ions (PCI)" air purification technology, which uses plasma discharge to generate cluster ions (I 0-14 ). This technology has been developed for those customers that are conscious about health and hygiene. In our experiments, we focused on some principal aspects of plasma-generated ions application - time-dependency and irreversibility of bactericidal action, spatial and kinetic characteristics of emitted cluster particles, their chemical targets in the microbial cells.

The ”IceMole“ is a novel maneuverable subsurface ice probe for clean in-situ analysis and sampling of subsurface ice and subglacial water/brine. It is developed and build at FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences’ Astronautical Laboratory. A first prototype was successfully tested on the Swiss Morteratsch glacier in 2010. Clean sampling is achieved with a hollow ice screw (as it is used in mountaineering) at the tip of the probe. Maneuverability is achieved with a differentially heated melting head. Funded by the German Space Agency (DLR), a consortium led by FH Aachen currently develops a much more advanced IceMole probe, which includes a sophisticated system for obstacle avoidance, target detection, and navigation in the ice. We intend to use this probe for taking clean samples of subglacial brine at the Blood Falls (McMurdo Dry Valleys, East Antarctica) for chemical and microbiological analysis. In our conference contribution, we 1) describe the IceMole design, 2) report the results of the field tests of the first prototype on the Morteratsch glacier, 3) discuss the probe’s potential for the clean in-situ analysis and sampling of subsurface ice and subglacial liquids, and 4) outline the way ahead in the development of this technology.

We present the novel concept of a combined drilling and melting probe for subsurface ice research. This probe, named “IceMole”, is currently developed, built, and tested at the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences’ Astronautical Laboratory. Here, we describe its first prototype design and report the results of its field tests on the Swiss Morteratsch glacier. Although the IceMole design is currently adapted to terrestrial glaciers and ice shields, it may later be modified for the subsurface in-situ investigation of extraterrestrial ice, e.g., on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. If life exists on those bodies, it may be present in the ice (as life can also be found in the deep ice of Earth).