Showing papers by "Nikolaus J. Sucher published in 2012"

DNA Fingerprinting, DNA Barcoding, and Next Generation Sequencing Technology in Plants

Abstract: DNA fingerprinting of plants has become an invaluable tool in forensic, scientific, and industrial laboratories all over the world. PCR has become part of virtually every variation of the plethora of approaches used for DNA fingerprinting today. DNA sequencing is increasingly used either in combination with or as a replacement for traditional DNA fingerprinting techniques. A prime example is the use of short, standardized regions of the genome as taxon barcodes for biological identification of plants. Rapid advances in "next generation sequencing" (NGS) technology are driving down the cost of sequencing and bringing large-scale sequencing projects into the reach of individual investigators. We present an overview of recent publications that demonstrate the use of "NGS" technology for DNA fingerprinting and DNA barcoding applications.

Photocatalytic water disinfection on oxide semiconductors: Part 1 – basic concepts of TiO2 photocatalysis

Abstract: Water disinfection (removal of microbial agents) using sunlight is an emerging technology, which has the capacity to address the global shortage of drinking water. Therefore, intensive investigations in many laboratories aim to develop photocatalyst for water disinfection. The research is focused on titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is the most promising candidate for high performance photocatalyst able to address the commercial requirements. The present work (Part 1) considers the effect of defect disorder on semiconducting and photocatalytic properties of TiO2 (rutile) in water disinfection using solar energy. It is shown that photocatalytic properties of TiO2 in water are closely related to the light induced reactivity of TiO2 with water leading to the formation of active species, such as OH*, H2O2 and , which have the capacity to oxidise microorganisms. It is also shown that the ability of TiO2 to form the active radicals is closely associated with the presence of point defects in the TiO2 lattice and th...

Photocatalytic water disinfection on oxide semiconductors: Part 2 – structure, functional properties and reactivity of microbial agents

Abstract: Worldwide, waterborne diseases resulting from ingestion of contaminated drinking water carrying infectious microbial agents kill some 2 million people annually. Disinfection of drinking water aimed at the removal and inactivation of microbiological agents typically requires the consumption of energy, which to date is mainly generated from fossil fuels. The titanium dioxide (TiO2) based photo-induced oxidising system (POS) is one of the most promising candidates for the disinfection of water using solar energy. Progress in photocatalytic water disinfection requires understanding both concepts of TiO2 semiconductors as well the biochemistry of microorganisms. The aim of the present study is to introduce workers in the solid state sciences to relevant basic concepts and terminology of microbial biochemistry. We review the structure of the bacterial cell envelope, which is the major target of the TiO2 based POS. We outline how attack by the POS leads to the production of additional reactive species commonly referred to in the biological literature as reactive oxygen species both at the surface and the inside of the cell and develop a unifying model of the molecular mechanisms underlying the biocidal activity of the TiO2 POS.

Genomic DNA extraction and barcoding of endophytic fungi.

Abstract: Endophytes live inter- and/or intracellularly inside healthy aboveground tissues of plants without causing disease. Endophytic fungi are found in virtually every vascular plant species examined. The origins of this symbiotic relationship between endophytes go back to the emergence of vascular plants. Endophytic fungi receive nutrition and protection from their hosts while the plants benefit from the production of fungal secondary metabolites, which enhance the host plants' resistance to herbivores, pathogens, and various abiotic stresses. Endophytic fungi have attracted increased interest as potential sources of secondary metabolites with agricultural, industrial, and medicinal use. This chapter provides detailed protocols for isolation of genomic DNA from fungal endophytes and its use in polymerase chain reaction-based amplification of the internal transcribed spacer region between the conserved flanking regions of the small and large subunit of ribosomal RNA for barcoding purposes.

Plant DNA Fingerprinting and Barcoding

Abstract: A brief history of taxonomy, for the most part plant oriented, is provided, which demonstrates the use of morphology early on, through the stages when different technologies became available at different times until the present use of genomic tools. Genomic authentication facilitates with greater precision than ever before the identifi cation of an organism or part thereof. In this chapter I made an attempt to stress that, in general, but more so for genomic authentication, the use of the variation inherent in taxa down to the lowest level of the hierarchy of classifi cation needs to be used to achieve a high degree of correct authentication.

Using GenBank® for genomic authentication: a tutorial.

Abstract: The GenBank(®) database is perhaps one of the most important repositories of genetic information. A researcher working in the field of genomic authentication must therefore be equipped with the skills needed to competently access the required information from this database whilst ultimately contributing their own data to it. This chapter presents a practical guide to using GenBank(®) to search for sequences, search and align unknown sequences using BLAST, and uploading and maintaining your own sequences. This chapter also details some other software helpful in sequence manipulation.