“
“An ionic liquid IAMIMICI was used to pretreat wheat straw with an aim to remarkably improve enzymatic hydrolysis rate

and yield of fermentable sugars. Some influence factors including dosage of straw, particle size of straw meal as well as pretreatment time and temperature were investigated. After optimization, the hydrolytic efficiency of regenerated straw increased obviously as compared to untreated materials, and the sugar yield of straw was 71.2% after pretreatment in IAMIMICI Bucladesine in vitro at 110 degrees C for 1.5 h with a 3 w/w% straw dosage, 3.6 times higher than that of untreated straw (19.6%). The reason behind the acceleration of enzymatic hydrolysis was discussed by the analysis of SEM, XRD and FTIR. The yield of bacterial cellulose obtained in straw hydrolysates was higher than that in glucose-based media. This may be due to the presence of other complex components GSI-IX in the hydrolysate that would enhance the formation of bacterial cellulose. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Two novel extremely acidophilic, iron-oxidizing actinobacteria were isolated, one

from a mine site in North Wales, UK (isolate T23(T)), and the other from a geothermal site in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA (Y005(T)). These new actinobacteria belong to the subclass Acidimicrobidae, and in contrast to the only other classified member of the subclass (Acidimicrobium ferrooxidans), both isolates were obligate heterotrophs. The mine site isolate was mesophilic and grew as small rods, while the Yellowstone isolate was a moderate thermophile and grew as long filaments, forming macroscopic flocs in liquid media. Both isolates accelerated the oxidative dissolution of pyrite in yeast extract-amended cultures, but neither was able to oxidize reduced forms of sulfur. Ferrous iron oxidation enhanced growth yields of the novel mesophilic actinobacterium T23(T) though this was not confirmed for the Yellowstone

isolate. Both isolates catalysed the dissimilatory reduction of ferric iron, using glycerol as electron donor, in oxygen-free medium. Based on comparative analyses of base compositions of selleck chemicals their chromosomal DNA and of their 16S rRNA gene sequences, the isolates are both distinct from each other and from Acidimicrobium ferrooxidans, and are representatives of two novel genera. The names Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum gen. nov., sp. nov. and Ferrithrix thermotolerans gen. nov., sp. nov. are proposed for the mesophilic and moderately thermophilic isolates, respectively, with the respective type strains T23(T) (=DSM 19497(T) ATCC BAA-1647(T)) and Y005(T) (=DSM 19514(T) = ATCC BAA-1645(T)).”
“Wurtzite structured ZnO is non-centrosymmetric and shows crystallographic polarity along the < 0001 > direction.