Keeping exotic species in captivity, like the okapi (Okapia johnstoni), is often problematic, especially concerning their nutrient requirements, since these per se have not been studied. The association of diets of okapis and some health problems in captivity has often been speculated. In 1998 a research …

Eight new primer sets were designed for PCR detection of (i) mono-oxygenase and dioxygenase gene sequences involved in initial attack of bacterial aerobic BTEX degradation and of (ii) catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene sequences responsible for meta-cleavage of the aromatic ring. The new primer sets allowed …

The exploitation of the metagenome for novel biocatalysts by functional screening is determined by the ability to express the respective genes in a surrogate host. The probability of recovering a certain gene thereby depends on its abundance in the environmental DNA used for library construction, the …

Inoculation of maize silage with Lactobacillus buchneri (5 × 105 c.f.u. g-1 of maize silage) prior to ensiling results in the formation of aerobically stable silage. After 9 months, lactic acid bacterium counts are approximately 1010 c.f.u. g-1 in these treated silages. An important subpopulation (5.9 …

Mycotoxins are small (MW approximately 700), toxic chemical products formed as secondary metabolites by a few fungal species that readily colonise crops and contaminate them with toxins in the field or after harvest. Ochratoxins and Aflatoxins are mycotoxins of major significance and hence there has …

Isolations of 3-chlorobenzoate (3CBA)-degrading aerobic bacteria under reduced O-2, partial pressures yielded organisms which metabolized 3CBA via the gentisate or the protocatechuate pathway rather than via the catechol route. The 3CBA metabolism of one of these isolates, L6, which,vas identified as …

Growth curve analysis of sedentary plant parasitic nematodes on different hosts and at different population densities is used to assess plant suitability including their resistance and tolerance. The estimated parameters of host suitability can be used in pest management programs for economic important …