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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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33 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Irradiation of Mo-100 Targets and Testing Fe(ll)CI 2 Precipitation for Tc-99 Removal

The production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) is a critical step in the generation of technetium-99m (Tc-99m), a radioisotope widely used in medical imaging. NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC is planning to produce the important medical radioisotope Mo-99 through a photonuclear reaction on molybdenum-100 (Mo-100). Accelerator production of Mo-99 using enriched Mo-100 targets yields undesirable isotopes, such as niobium-95 (Nb-95) and zirconium-95 (Zr-95). Previous studies reported that Nb and Zr isotopes can be effectively removed from Mo-99 products through coprecipitation with Fe(III). To enable the potential utilization of the first milking of Tc-99m from a Mo-99/Tc-99m generator, it is desirable to remove long-lived Tc-99. This can be accomplished by substituting Fe(III) with Fe(II) during the precipitation step, without affecting the removal of Zr and Nb isotopes. Previous experiments demonstrated up to 99+% removal of Tc using this method. It was also observed that the presence of hydrogen peroxide significantly impacts Tc removal. This was evident in the processing of enriched Mo-100 targets, where only 25% of Tc was removed. To further investigate this, another irradiation of enriched Mo-100 disks was conducted, followed by Tc-99 removal using Fe(II). Prior to irradiation, experimental conditions for Tc removal were optimized through several test runs using Mo-100 disks spiked with Tc-99. The results of these tests are discussed in this report.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

A metagenome-level analysis of a microbial community fermenting ultra-filtered milk permeate

Fermentative microbial communities have the potential to serve as biocatalysts for the conversion of low-value dairy coproducts into renewable chemicals, contributing to a more sustainable global economy. To develop predictive tools for the design and operation of industrially relevant strategies that utilize fermentative microbial communities, there is a need to determine the genomic features of community members that are characteristic to the accumulation of different products. To address this knowledge gap, we performed a 282-day bioreactor experiment with a microbial community that was fed ultra-filtered milk permeate, a low-value coproduct from the dairy industry. The bioreactor was inoculated with a microbial community from an acid-phase digester. A metagenomic analysis was used to assess microbial community dynamics, construct metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), and evaluate the potential for lactose utilization and fermentation product synthesis of community members represented by the assembled MAGs. This analysis led us to propose that, in this reactor, members of the Actinobacteriota phylum are important in the degradation of lactose, via the Leloir pathway and the bifid shunt, and the production of acetic, lactic, and succinic acids. In addition, members of the Firmicutes phylum contribute to the chain-elongation-mediated production of butyric, hexanoic, and octanoic acids, with different microbes using either lactose, ethanol, or lactic acid as the growth substrate. We conclude that genes encoding carbohydrate utilization pathways, and genes encoding lactic acid transport into the cell, electron confurcating lactate dehydrogenase, and its associated electron transfer flavoproteins, are genomic features whose presence in Firmicutes needs to be established to infer the growth substrate used for chain elongation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Structural analysis and functional evaluation of the disordered ß–hexosyltransferase region from Hamamotoa (Sporobolomyces) singularis

Hamamotoa (Sporobolomyces) singularis codes for an industrially important membrane bound ß-hexosyltransferase (BHT), (BglA, UniprotKB: Q564N5) that has applications in the production of natural fibers such as galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and natural sugars found in human milk. When heterologously expressed by Komagataella phaffii GS115, BHT is found both membrane bound and soluble secreted into the culture medium. In silico structural predictions and crystal structures support a glycosylated homodimeric enzyme and the presence of an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) with membrane binding potential within its novel N-terminal region (1–110 amino acids). Additional in silico analysis showed that the IDR may not be essential for stable homodimerization. Thus, we performed progressive deletion analyses targeting segments within the suspected disordered region, to determine the N-terminal disorder region’s impact on the ratio of membrane-bound to secreted soluble enzyme and its contribution to enzyme activity. The ratio of the soluble secreted to membrane-bound enzyme shifted from 40% to 53% after the disordered N-terminal region was completely removed, while the specific activity was unaffected. Furthermore, functional analysis of each glycosylation site found within the C-terminal domain revealed reduced total secreted protein activity by 58%–97% in both the presence and absence of the IDR, indicating that glycosylation at all four locations is required by the host for the secretion of active enzyme and independent of the removed disordered N-terminal region. Overall, the data provides evidence that the disordered region only partially influences the secretion and membrane localization of BHT.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

System and method for collecting and isolating radiosotopes

A method for obtaining 225 AC from 225 Ra having the steps of assembling a column having an inorganic stationary phase; priming the column to immobilize 226 Ra 225 Ra and natural decay products therefrom; immobilizing the 226 Ra, 225 Ra, 224 Ra, and natural decay products therefrom onto a stationary phase within the column; and eluting the column containing the 225 Ra with an aqueous sulfate solution to obtain a milking effluent that contains 225 AC. Also provided is a method for obtaining pure 225 AC from its isotope parents, the method comprising assembling a column having a stationary phase comprising an inorganic material; priming the column with the isotope parents to immobilize 225 Ac, and natural decay products of 225 AC; immobilizing the 225 Ac, and natural decay products therefrom onto the stationary phase within the column 226 Ra, 225 Ra, 224 Ra; and eluting the column containing the 225 AC to obtain an effluent that contains the isotope parents.

Brown, Michael A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Metagenome-assembled genomes from microbial communities producing lactic acid from dairy residues

To advance the knowledge of microbial communities capable of fermenting agro-industrial residues into value-added products, we report metagenomes of microbial communities from four anaerobic bioreactors fed a mixture of ultra-filtered milk permeate and cottage cheese acid whey. This analysis produced 42 unique metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) that represent distinct taxa.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Comparison of metagenomes from fermentation of various agroindustrial residues suggests a common model of community organization

The liquid residue resulting from various agroindustrial processes is both rich in organic material and an attractive source to produce a variety of chemicals. Using microbial communities to produce chemicals from these liquid residues is an active area of research, but it is unclear how to deploy microbial communities to produce specific products from the different agroindustrial residues. To address this, we fed anaerobic bioreactors one of several agroindustrial residues (carbohydrate-rich lignocellulosic fermentation conversion residue, xylose, dairy manure hydrolysate, ultra-filtered milk permeate, and thin stillage from a starch bioethanol plant) and inoculated them with a microbial community from an acid-phase digester operated at the wastewater treatment plant in Madison, WI, United States. The bioreactors were monitored over a period of months and sampled to assess microbial community composition and extracellular fermentation products. We obtained metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) from the microbial communities in each bioreactor and performed comparative genomic analyses to identify common microorganisms, as well as any community members that were unique to each reactor. Collectively, we obtained a dataset of 217 non-redundant MAGs from these bioreactors. This metagenome assembled genome dataset was used to evaluate whether a specific microbial ecology model in which medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are simultaneously produced from intermediate products (e.g., lactic acid) and carbohydrates could be applicable to all fermentation systems, regardless of the feedstock. MAGs were classified using a multiclass classification machine learning algorithm into three groups, organisms fermenting the carbohydrates to intermediate products, organisms utilizing the intermediate products to produce MCFAs, and organisms producing MCFAs directly from carbohydrates. This analysis revealed common biological functions among the microbial communities in different bioreactors, and although different microorganisms were enriched depending on the agroindustrial residue tested, the results supported the conclusion that the microbial ecology model tested was appropriate to explain the MCFA production potential from all agricultural residues.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Metagenome-assembled genomes from microbiomes fermenting dairy coproducts

ABSTRACT To advance knowledge of microbial communities capable of fermenting agro-industrial residues into value-added products, we report metagenomes of microbial communities from six anaerobic bioreactors that were fed a mixture of ultra-filtered milk permeate and cottage cheese acid whey. These metagenomes produced 122 metagenome-assembled genomes that represent 34 distinct taxa.

Walters, Kevin A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

UFMP and CAW Bioreactor Metagenome

CSTR anaerobic bioreactors fed UltraFiltered Milk Permeate (UFMP) and Cottage cheese Acid Whey (CAW) were inoculated with acid sludge microbial communities and monitored overtime for lactic acid production. Samples were taken for metagenomics analyses.

bioreactor metagenome↗
DOE OSTI2025

Genetically pliable green algae for bioproduction of modified fatty acids, nutritional therapeutic oils, and biopharmaceuticals

Homologous recombination (HR) is an essential tool for complex metabolic engineering in yeast, but transgene integration into plant and green algal nuclear genomes predominantly occurs by non-homologous end-joining. Species of the closely related, oleaginous trebouxiophytes Auxenochlorella and Prototheca, are unusual among the green algae in that HR is the favored mechanism for DNA integration into the nuclear genome. This property enables locus-specific targeting of gene cassettes encoding multiple enzymes for manipulating existing biochemical pathways or introducing new functions. Genetic malleability, and regulatory approval for human consumption, coupled with robust fermentation performance at industrial scale, establishes Auxenochlorella and Prototheca as prime candidates for algal production of biochemicals and biomaterials. The examples presented here highlight strain improvement and engineering for synthesis of hydroxylated fatty acids for biomaterials, structured triglycerides resembling human milk fat for infant nutrition, very-long-chain mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids with nutraceutical or therapeutic potential, and cannabinoids for pharmacological applications.

Moseley, Jeffrey L. [University of California, Ber↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overexpression of the Mas1 gene mitigated LPS-induced inflammatory injury in mammary epithelial cells by inhibiting the NF-κB/MAPKs signaling pathways

Breast infection is the primary etiology of mastitis in dairy cows, leading to a reduction in the quality of dairy products and resulting in substantial economic losses for animal husbandry. Although antibiotic treatment can eliminate the pathogenic microorganisms that induce mastitis, it cannot repair the inflammatory damage of mammary epithelial cells and blood milk barrier. Mas1 is a G protein-coupled receptor, and its role in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced inflammatory injury to mammary epithelial cells has not been studied. LPS treatment of EpH4 EV cells led to a significant downregulation of Mas1 transcript levels, which attracted our great interest, suggesting that Mas1 may be an important target for the treatment of mastitis. Therefore, this study intends to verify the role of Mas1 in the inflammatory injury of EpH4 EV cells by gene overexpression technology and gene silencing technology. The findings demonstrated that the overexpression of the Mas1 gene effectively reversed the activation of the nuclear factor-κB/mitogen-activated protein kinase (NF-κB/MAPK) signaling pathways induced by LPS, while also suppressing the upregulation of pro-inflammatory mediators. Furthermore, overexpression of the Mas1 gene reversed the downregulation of zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1), Occludin, and Claudin-3 caused by LPS, suggesting that Mas1 could promote to repair the blood-milk barrier. However, the silencing of the Mas1 gene using siRNA resulted in a contrasting effect. These results indicated that Mas1 alleviated the inflammatory injury of mammary epithelial cells induced by LPS.

Yan, Shuping↗
DOE OSTI2022

Examination of Ac-225 production from Ra-226 using fast reactor JOYO

In this study, the authors investigated the method of producing the radionuclide Ac{sup 225} used for targeted alpha therapy (TAT). Currently, Ac{sup 225} is mainly generated from ORNL's Th{sup 229} generator, and the annual production amount is limited to about 63 GBq, and methods for generating it using accelerators are under development in each country. The method using an accelerator has the advantage of being able to generate Ac{sup 225} from a small amount of target nuclides with high efficiency but has the disadvantage of not being able to irradiate a large amount of target nuclides at once due to the small irradiation area. Therefore, the authors investigated a method to generate Ac{sup 225} by neutron irradiation of Ra{sup 226} as a target nuclide using the experimental fast reactor JOYO, which has abundant neutrons and a large loading region. Irradiation of Ra{sup 226} with fast neutrons causes a (n, 2n) reaction to generate Ra{sup 225}, and then decay to produce Ac{sup 225}. In addition, although harmful Ac{sup 227} is also produced at the same time by the (n,γ) reaction, first of all the actinium isotope is chemically separated and eliminated. Since the remaining Ra{sup 225} collapses and Ac{sup 225} is produced, pure Ac{sup 225} can be extracted by performing chemical separation again. As a result of the analysis, 1 g of Ra{sup 226} is irradiated with JOYO for 60 days, and milking is performed 4 times every 17.5 days. By doing these three times a year, it was found that about 50 GBq of Ac{sup 225} was generated. (authors)

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Microbiological, Physicochemical, and Immunological Analysis of a Commercial Cashew Nut-Based Yogurt

Nut-based milks and yogurts are gaining popularity, but may not offer the same benefits as dairy yogurts to consumers. Cashew nuts often cause severe allergic reactions, and cashew nut allergens are stable to several types of processing. To compare its characteristics to dairy yogurt and characterize the effects of fermentation on the Ana o 1–3 cashew nut allergens, a commercial yogurt made from cashew nuts (Cashewgurt) was evaluated for microbiological, physiochemical, and immunological properties. Average counts for lactobacilli and Streptococcus thermophilus were greater than 10 million colony forming units per milliliter, indicating the capacity to provide a health benefit. Cashewgurt pH and viscosity values were comparable to cow milk yogurts, and it was off white in color. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated a clear reduction in Ana o 1 and 2, and immuno-assay with polyclonal anti-cashew IgG antibody and cashew-allergic IgE indicated an overall reduction in allergen content. In contrast, SDS-PAGE, mass spectrometry, immunoblot, and ELISA all revealed that Ana o 3 was relatively unaffected by the fermentation process. In conclusion, Ana o 1 and Ana o 2 are sensitive to degradation, while Ana o 3 survives lactic acid bacterial fermentation during yogurt production. The analysis presented here indicates that cashew nut yogurt is not suitable for those with cashew nut allergy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Three-Dimensional Mass Spectrometric Imaging of Biological Structures Using a Vacuum-Compatible Microfluidic Device

Three-dimensional (3D) molecular imaging of biological structures is important for a wide range of research. In recent decades, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has been recognized as a powerful technique for both two-dimensional (2D) and 3D molecular imaging. Sample fixations (e. g., chemical fixation and cryogenic fixation methods) are necessary to adapt biological samples to the vacuum condition in the SIMS chamber, which has been demonstrated to be non-trivial and less controllable, thus limiting the wider application of SIMS on 3D molecular analysis of biological samples. Our group recently developed in situ liquid SIMS that offers great opportunities for the molecular study of various liquids and liquid interfaces. In this work, we demonstrate that a further development of the vacuum-compatible microfluidic device used in in situ liquid SIMS provides a convenient freeze-fixation of biological samples and leads to more controllable and convenient 3D molecular imaging. The special design of this new vacuum-compatible liquid chamber allows an easy determination of sputter rates of ice, which is critical for calibrating the depth scale of frozen biological samples. Sputter yield of a 20 keV Ar 1800 + ion on ice has been determined as 1500 (± 8%) water molecules per Ar 1800 + ion, consistent with our results from molecular dynamics simulations. Moreover, using the information of ice sputter yield, we successfully conduct 3D molecular imaging of frozen homogenized milk and observe network structures of interesting organic and inorganic species. Finally, taken together, our results will significantly benefit various research fields relying on 3D molecular imaging of biological structures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Microbial inoculum effects on the rumen epithelial transcriptome and rumen epimural metatranscriptome in calves

Manipulation of the rumen microbial ecosystem in early life may affect ruminal fermentation and enhance the productive performance of dairy cows. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dosing three different types of microbial inoculum on the rumen epithelium tissue (RE) transcriptome and the rumen epimural metatranscriptome (REM) in dairy calves. For this objective, 15 Holstein bull calves were enrolled in the study at birth and assigned to three different intraruminal inoculum treatments dosed orally once weekly from three to six weeks of age. The inoculum treatments were prepared from rumen contents collected from rumen fistulated lactating cows and were either autoclaved (control; ARF), processed by differential centrifugation to create the bacterial-enriched inoculum (BE), or through gravimetric separation to create the protozoal-enriched inoculum (PE). Calves were fed 2.5 L/d pasteurized waste milk 3x/d from 0 to 7 weeks of age and texturized starter until euthanasia at 9 weeks of age, when the RE tissues were collected for transcriptome and microbial metatranscriptome analyses, from four randomly selected calves from each treatment. The different types of inoculum altered the RE transcriptome and REM. Compared to ARF, 9 genes were upregulated in the RE of BE and 92 in PE, whereas between BE and PE there were 13 genes upregulated in BE and 114 in PE. Gene ontology analysis identified enriched GO terms in biological process category between PE and ARF, with no enrichment between BE and ARF. The RE functional signature showed different KEGG pathways related to BE and ARF, and no specific KEGG pathway for PE. We observed a lower alpha diversity index for RE microbiome in ARF (observed genera and Chao1 (p < 0.05)). Five microbial genera showed a significant correlation with the changes in host gene expression: Roseburia (25 genes), Entamoeba (two genes); Anaerosinus, Lachnospira, and Succiniclasticum were each related to one gene. sPLS-DA analysis showed that RE microbial communities differ among the treatments, although the taxonomic and functional microbial profiles show different distributions. Co-expression Differential Network Analysis indicated that both BE and PE had an impact on the abundance of KEGG modules related to acyl-CoA synthesis, type VI secretion, and methanogenesis, while PE had a significant impact on KEGGs related to ectoine biosynthesis and D-xylose transport. Our study indicated that artificial dosing with different microbial inocula in early life alters not only the RE transcriptome, but also affects the REM and its functions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Radiological Impact of 2020 Operations at the Savannah River Site

This report presents environmental dose assessment methods and the estimated potential doses to the public from 2020 Savannah River Site (SRS) atmospheric and liquid radioactive releases. It also documents potential doses from special-case exposure scenarios, such as the consumption of wildlife and/or goat milk. Unless noted, the generic term “dose,” as used in this report, includes both the committed effective dose (50-year committed dose) from internal deposition of radionuclides and the effective dose attributable to sources external to the body. Using the effective dose allows doses from different types of radiation and to different parts of the body to be expressed on the same basis. Humans, plants, and animals potentially receive radiation doses from natural and man-made occurrences. The average annual “background” dose for all people living in the United States is 625 mrem. This includes an average background dose of 311 mrem from naturally occurring radionuclides (found in our bodies and in the earth) and from cosmic radiation. Man-made sources include medical procedures (300 mrem), consumer products (13 mrem), and industrial and occupational exposures (less than 1 mrem).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗