University of Graz

About: University of Graz is a education organization based out in Graz, Steiermark, Austria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 17934 authors who have published 37489 publications receiving 1110980 citations. The organization is also known as: Carolo Franciscea Graecensis & Karl Franzens Universität.

Genome sequencing of four Aureobasidium pullulans varieties: biotechnological potential, stress tolerance, and description of new species

Abstract: Aureobasidium pullulans is a black-yeast-like fungus used for production of the polysaccharide pullulan and the antimycotic aureobasidin A, and as a biocontrol agent in agriculture. It can cause opportunistic human infections, and it inhabits various extreme environments. To promote the understanding of these traits, we performed de-novo genome sequencing of the four varieties of A. pullulans. The 25.43-29.62 Mb genomes of these four varieties of A. pullulans encode between 10266 and 11866 predicted proteins. Their genomes encode most of the enzyme families involved in degradation of plant material and many sugar transporters, and they have genes possibly associated with degradation of plastic and aromatic compounds. Proteins believed to be involved in the synthesis of pullulan and siderophores, but not of aureobasidin A, are predicted. Putative stress-tolerance genes include several aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins, large numbers of alkali-metal cation transporters, genes for the synthesis of compatible solutes and melanin, all of the components of the high-osmolarity glycerol pathway, and bacteriorhodopsin-like proteins. All of these genomes contain a homothallic mating-type locus. The differences between these four varieties of A. pullulans are large enough to justify their redefinition as separate species: A. pullulans, A. melanogenum, A. subglaciale and A. namibiae. The redundancy observed in several gene families can be linked to the nutritional versatility of these species and their particular stress tolerance. The availability of the genome sequences of the four Aureobasidium species should improve their biotechnological exploitation and promote our understanding of their stress-tolerance mechanisms, diverse lifestyles, and pathogenic potential.

Continuous Flow Organic Synthesis under High‐Temperature/Pressure Conditions

Abstract: Microreactor technology and continuous flow processing in general are key features in making organic synthesis both more economical and environmentally friendly. When preformed under a high-temperature/pressure process intensification regime many transformations originally not considered suitable for flow synthesis owing to long reaction times can be converted into high-speed flow chemistry protocols that can operate at production-scale quantities. This Focus Review summarizes the state of the art in high-temperature/pressure microreactor technology and provides a survey of successful applications of this technique from the recent synthetic organic chemistry literature.

Microhabitat Use, Trophic Patterns, and the Evolution of Brain Structure in African Cichlids

Abstract: The species assemblages of cichlids in the three largest African Great Lakes are among the richest concentrations of vertebrate species on earth. The faunas are broadly similar in terms of trophic div

Genome Analyses of >200,000 Individuals Identify 58 Loci for Chronic Inflammation and Highlight Pathways that Link Inflammation and Complex Disorders.

Abstract: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a sensitive biomarker of chronic low-grade inflammation and is associated with multiple complex diseases. The genetic determinants of chronic inflammation remain largely unknown, and the causal role of CRP in several clinical outcomes is debated. We performed two genome-wide association studies (GWASs), on HapMap and 1000 Genomes imputed data, of circulating amounts of CRP by using data from 88 studies comprising 204,402 European individuals. Additionally, we performed in silico functional analyses and Mendelian randomization analyses with several clinical outcomes. The GWAS meta-analyses of CRP revealed 58 distinct genetic loci (p < 5 × 10−8). After adjustment for body mass index in the regression analysis, the associations at all except three loci remained. The lead variants at the distinct loci explained up to 7.0% of the variance in circulating amounts of CRP. We identified 66 gene sets that were organized in two substantially correlated clusters, one mainly composed of immune pathways and the other characterized by metabolic pathways in the liver. Mendelian randomization analyses revealed a causal protective effect of CRP on schizophrenia and a risk-increasing effect on bipolar disorder. Our findings provide further insights into the biology of inflammation and could lead to interventions for treating inflammation and its clinical consequences.

Non?diffraction-limited light transport by gold nanowires

Abstract: We show that metal nanowires sustaining collective electron oscillations (surface plasmon polaritons) can be used as optical waveguides. Thereby, the use of a metal allows to overcome the limitations of miniaturization imposed on conventional dielectric waveguides due to diffraction. To demonstrate this effect we investigate a 200 nm wide and 50 nm high gold nanowire locally excited at a light wavelength of 800 nm. By direct imaging the optical near-field with subwavelength-resolution photon scanning tunneling microscopy we observe light transport along the nanowire over a distance of a few μm. Besides the realization of unprecedented integration densities of photonic devices, metal nanowires could be effectively used to optically address individual nanostructures or molecules.