羧基化碳纳米管载铂催化剂对微生物燃料电池阴极氧还原性能的影响

阴极催化剂是影响微生物燃料电池(microbial fuel cell,MFC)性能的关键要素.为了考察不同羧基化方法改性的碳纳米管(carbon nanotube,CNT)负载Pt的催化氧还原效率,分别在80℃和95℃条件下对CNT进行了羧基化,采用浸渍-沉淀法制备了Pt/CNT催化剂(Pt/CNT-80和Pt/CNT-95),并在空气阴极MFC体系中验证了其催化氧还原效果(MFC-80、MFC-95和MFC-C).结果表明,MFC-95和MFC-80的最大功率密度分别为568.8 mW.m-2和412.8 mW.m-2,内阻分别为204.7Ω和207.7Ω,开路电压分别为0.719 V和0.651 V.而对照MFC-C的最大功率密度仅为5.4 mW.m-2,内阻为826.2Ω.XPS和XRD分析结果显示,Pt/CNT-95催化氧还原效果优于Pt/CNT-80,原因可能是95℃羧基化过程在CNT表面引入了丰富的含氧基团.     

基于藻类荧光的毒性测试研究进展

毒性测试以微藻细胞为生物敏感元件,以叶绿素荧光变化为响应指标,在监测水体重金属和农药污染方面,具有检出限低、重复性好等优点。然而,实际水环境中藻类生长受众多因素的影响,此法仅能反应各种污染因子的综合毒性。近几年,众多学者致力于提高微藻生物监测的特异性以确定污染物种类,改善微藻固定技术以适应原位监测。文章介绍了基于微藻荧光的毒性测试研究进展,展望了未来的发展趋势。。     

铁氮掺杂碳纳米管/纤维复合物制备及其催化氧还原的效果

阴极催化剂是影响微生物燃料电池(microbial fuel cell,MFC)性能的关键因素.通过研究制备成本低廉、氧还原反应(ORR)催化活性高的阴极催化剂来替代Pt/C对于实现MFC规模化应用具有重大意义.研究采用化学气相沉淀法,以三聚氰胺作为碳氮前驱物、以黑珍珠2000或乙炔炭黑作为碳源,外加醋酸亚铁作为铁前驱物,合成了两种铁氮掺杂碳纳米管/纤维复合物(FeNCB和FeNCC),作为MFC的阴极催化剂.通过循环伏安法和旋转圆盘-环电极分析FeNCB、FeNCC和Pt/C的ORR催化活性的差异,并用MFC验证其差异.结果表明,FeNCB性能与Pt/C相当,优于FeNCC,其催化路径是通过4电子途径催化氧还原反应;MFC-FeNCB性能略优于MFC-Pt/C,显著优于MFC-FeNCB有助于MFC的扩大化,其最大功率密度为1 212.8mW·m~(-2),开路电压为0.875 V,电池稳定电压为(0.500±0.025)V.用X射线衍射、X射线光电子光谱、拉曼光谱等进一步分析显示,复合物中碳纳米管管径的大小、铁氮掺杂的类型和含量以及氧含量是引起制备的复合物催化氧还原性能差异的原因所在.     

单细胞凝胶电泳技术在环境污染物检测中的应用

主要介绍了单细胞凝胶电泳技术(SCGE),包括SCGE的原理、方法及其在环境污染物检测中的应用,该技术可用多种污染物的检测且灵敏度高,具有广阔的应用前景。即SCGE对大气污染物、重金属、醛类及辐射污染的检测,具有高度敏感性,是具有广阔应用前景的新技术。     

污泥为燃料的微生物燃料电池运行特性研究

实验采用单室无膜悬浮阴极微生物燃料电池(MFC),考察了运行特性对污泥为燃料的MFC(SMFC)的影响.研究表明,相对于未搅拌情况,搅拌时SMFC最大输出功率由45.94mW/m2分别增加到124.03mW/m2(1300r/min)和136.5mW/m2(2600 r/min),主要是由于搅拌有利于改善SMFC内物质的传递. 温度对SMFC的产电特性影响较明显,但在一定区间内(如20~25℃;30~40℃;45~50℃)变化不明显,说明产电微生物有一定的温度适应范围,这也可能是在不同温度下产电微生物不同导致.相对于采用未经处理的剩余污泥为燃料,微波处理后的污泥和微波处理过滤后的上清液做燃料时SMFC输出功率迅速增加,这主要是由于污泥中的微生物竞争作用引起.阴极面积的增加有利于降低阴极电势,降低SMFC内阻,从而促进功率密度的增加.     

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis of the fragile X syndrome by use of linked polymorphic markers

Fragile X syndrome is the most common cause of familial mental retardation. The most common mutation is expansion of a triplet (CGG)_n repeat in the 5′ untranslated region of the FMR1 gene on Xq27.3. The expansion is refractory to PCR due to preferential amplification of the smaller allele in heterozygous cells and the high GC content of the repeat and surrounding sequences. Direct detection of the normal parental alleles in preimplantation embryos has been used for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of this disorder. However, this approach is only suitable for approximately 63% of couples due to the heterozygosity of the repeat in the normal population. As an alternative we investigated the use of polymorphic markers flanking the mutation to track the normal and premutation carrying maternal chromosomes in preimplantation embryos. Using a panel of 11 polymorphisms, six (CA)_n repeats and five single nucleotide polymorphisms, diagnosis was developed for 90% of referred couples. Multiplex amplification of informative markers was tested in 300 single buccal cells from interested couples with efficiency and allele drop out (ADO) rates ranging from 69% to 96% and 6% to 18%, respectively. Use of this approach is accurate and applicable to a larger number of patients at risk of transmitting fragile X to their offspring. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

利用下水管网系统净化城市污水的中试研究

采用充纯氧及固定化细胞技术在２７５．５ｍ市政下水管网系统中进行了日处理１５００ｍ＾３污水的中试。对单纯充氧、充氧加固定化细胞二种工艺及不同 氧量刊物了比较研究。结果表明,在加固定化细胞条件下,充纯氧（Ｖ（Ｏ２）：Ｖ（Ｈ２Ｏ）＝０．０７８：１）可使流过此段管道的污水的污染物去除６５％以上,基本达到国家污水综合排放二级标准。     

A comparison of different lysis buffers to assess allele dropout from single cells for preimplantation genetic diagnosis

Single cell polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) requires high efficiency and accuracy. Allele dropout (ADO), the random amplification failure of one of the two parental alleles, remains the most significant problem in PCR-based PGD testing since it can result in serious misdiagnosis for compound heterozygous or autosomal dominant conditions. A number of different strategies (including the use of lysis buffers to break down the cell and make the DNA accessible) have been employed to combat ADO with varying degrees of success, yet there is still no consensus among PGD centres over which lysis buffer should be used (ESHRE PGD Consortium, 1999 ). To address this issue, PCR amplification of three genes (CFTR, LAMA3 and PKP1) at different chromosomal loci was investigated. Single lymphocytes from individuals heterozygous for mutations within each of the three genes were collected and lysed in either alkaline lysis buffer (ALB) or proteinase K/SDS lysis buffer (PK). PCR amplification efficiencies were comparable between alkaline lysis and proteinase K lysis for PCR products spanning each of the three mutated loci (ΔF508 in CFTR 90% vs 88%; R650X in LAMA3 82% vs 78%; and Y71X in PKP1 91% vs 87%). While there was no appreciable difference between ADO rates between the two lysis buffers for the LAMA3 PCR product (25% vs 26%), there were significant differences in ADO rates between ALB and PK for the CFTR PCR product (0% vs 23%) and the PKP1 PCR product (8% vs 56%). Based on these results, we are currently using ALB in preference to PK/SDS buffer for the lysis of cells in clinical PGD. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of oxygen tension on colony formation and cell proliferation of amniotic fluid cellsin vitro

The effects of reduced oxygen concentrations in the gas phase over the culture medium on colony formation and cell proliferation were investigated in high and low cell density primary and secondary cultures of amniotic fluid cells. Using two standard culture methods (25 cm² plastic flasks and Leighton type tubes) a significantly reduced culture time was observed at high cell density for mass cultures by incubation within a low oxygen tension gas phase (2.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent O₂) instead of conventional air (18 per cent O₂). At low cell density colony formation was significantly enhanced in cultures grown at reduced oxygen tension. Using gas permeable membranes as support, lowering the oxygen tension from 7.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent yielded an increase in plating efficiency of cells from approximately 5 per cent to 25 per cent, whereas plating efficiency was less than 2 per cent for cells grown at ambient 18 per cent O₂. It is suggested that low oxygen tension in the gas phase is an effective means of enhancing clonal growth in amniotic fluid cell cultures, thereby reducing both culture time and risk of culture failure.     

Fetal cells and DNA in maternal blood

Although fetal cells have been known to escape to the maternal circulation for a number of years, research attempts to use them for prenatal diagnosis have not had any consistent success. This review attempts to trace the history of such attempts and to document their progress and reasons for success or failure. The opinions of recent conferences including that of the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, a sponsor of major US research in the field, are reported and discussed. It is concluded that although basic work has demonstrated the biologic availability of both fetal cells and their free DNA representatives in the maternal circulation at gestational ages relevant to prenatal diagnosis, much work remains to develop practical technology for their consistent recovery and assay. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.