Making headway in understanding pine wilt disease: What do we perceive in the postgenomic era? Review Article
Ryoji Shinya, Hironobu Morisaka, Yuko Takeuchi, Kazuyoshi Futai, Mitsuyoshi Ueda

Current metabolomics: Technological advances Review Article
Sastia P. Putri, Shinya Yamamoto, Hiroshi Tsugawa, Eiichiro Fukusaki

Expression of an antibody-enzyme complex by the L-chain fusion method Original Research Article
Chungyong Han, Masaki Ihara, Hiroshi Ueda

Highlights

> A method is proposed for preparing enzyme-labeled antibodies from hybridoma cells. > Vectors for antibody light (L) chain-enzyme fusion proteins were transfected. > Secretion of functional IgM-enzyme complex from the transfected cells was confirmed. > The method was successfully applied to the detection of human lung carcinoma cells.

Two arginine residues in the substrate pocket predominantly control the substrate selectivity of thiocyanate hydrolase Original Research Article
Yasuaki Yamanaka, Takatoshi Arakawa, Toshinori Watanabe, Satoshi Namima, Masa Sato, Shota Hori, Akashi Ohtaki, Keiichi Noguchi, Yoko Katayama, Masafumi Yohda, Masafumi Odaka

Combinatorial parallel display of polypeptides using bacteriophage T7 for development of fluorescent nano-bioprobes Original Research Article
Mie Tsuboyama, Isamu Maeda

Expression of food-grade phytase in Lactococcus lactis from optimized conditions in milk broth Original Research Article
Yuzhi Miao, Hui Xu, Baojin Fei, Dairong Qiao, Yi Cao

TK1299, a highly thermostable NAD(P)H oxidase from Thermococcus kodakaraensis exhibiting higher enzymatic activity with NADPH Original Research Article
Muhammad Atif Nisar, Naeem Rashid, Qamar Bashir, Qurra-tul-Ann Afza Gardner, Muhammad Hassan Shafiq, Muhammad Akhtar

Effect of Lactobacillus brevis 119-2 isolated from Tsuda kabu red turnips on cholesterol levels in cholesterol-administered rats Original Research Article
Shinobu Watanabe, Takuya Katsube, Hideki Hattori, Hiromasa Sato, Tomoko Ishijima, Yuji Nakai, Keiko Abe, Kenji Sonomoto

Genetic manipulations restored the growth fitness of reduced-genome Escherichia coli Original Research Article
Yasutaka Hirokawa, Hiroaki Kawano, Kimie Tanaka-Masuda, Noriko Nakamura, Akira Nakagawa, Mikito Ito, Hideo Mori, Taku Oshima, Naotake Ogasawara

Regulation of central carbon metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by metabolic inhibitors Original Research Article
Fumio Matsuda, Tomokazu Shirai, Jun Ishii, Akihiko Kondo

Enhanced heterologous protein display on bacterial magnetic particles using a lon protease gene deletion mutant in Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 Original Research Article
Yuka Kanetsuki, Tsuyoshi Tanaka, Tadashi Matsunaga, Tomoko Yoshino

Genetic instability of constitutive acid phosphatase in shochu and sake yeast Original Research Article
Hideharu Takashita, Yasuhiro Kajiwara, Masahiko Shimoda, Masayoshi Matsuoka, Takahira Ogawa, Kazuhisa Ono

Competitive advantage and tolerance of selected shochu yeast in barley shochu mash Original Research Article
Hideharu Takashita, Emi Fujihara, Mihoko Furutera, Yasuhiro Kajiwara, Masahiko Shimoda, Masayoshi Matsuoka, Takahira Ogawa, Seiji Kawamoto, Kazuhisa Ono

Ethanol production from d-lactic acid by lactic acid-assimilating Saccharomyces cerevisiae NAM34-4C Original Research Article
Makoto Wakamatsu, Tatsunori Tani, Hisataka Taguchi, Masayoshi Matsuoka, Kenji Kida, Takashi Akamatsu

Gene cluster and regulation system for 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE) degradation in Janibacter sp. TYM3221 Original Research Article
Phuong Anh Thi Nguyen, Thu Hang Thi Trinh, Yuki Fukumitsu, Jun Shimodaira, Keisuke Miyauchi, Masahiro Tokuda, Daisuke Kasai, Eiji Masai, Masao Fukuda

Effect of thermal hydrolysis pre-treatment on anaerobic digestion of municipal biowaste: A pilot scale study in China Original Research Article
Yingjun Zhou, Masaki Takaoka, Wei Wang, Xiao Liu, Kazuyuki Oshita

Highlights

> 38.3% of VSS was hydrolyzed in thermal hydrolysis, with methane production rate increased 115%. > Thermal hydrolysis process using steam showed advantages over lab studies using electricity. > Digester performance was improved as a lag phase of 4-6 h was eliminated by thermal hydrolysis. > Reaction rate was improved by 134% and 57% under organic loading rates of 1.5 and 3 kg VS/(m3 d). > Energy for thermal hydrolysis can be partly recovered as viscosity and dewaterability changed.

Electricity producing property and bacterial community structure in microbial fuel cell equipped with membrane electrode assembly Original Research Article
Owen Rubaba, Yoko Araki, Shuji Yamamoto, Kei Suzuki, Hisatoshi Sakamoto, Atsunori Matsuda, Hiroyuki Futamata

Bio-electrochemical property and phylogenetic diversity of microbial communities associated with bioelectrodes of an electromethanogenic reactor
Hajime Kobayashi, Naoki Saito, Qian Fu, Hideo Kawaguchi, Javier Vilcaez, Tatsuki Wakayama, Haruo Maeda, Kozo Sato

Importance of a diffusion-dominant small volume to activate cell-secreted soluble factor signaling in embryonic stem cell culture in microbioreactors: A mathematical model based study Original Research Article
Mohammad Mahfuz Chowdhury, Teruo Fujii, Yasuyuki Sakai

Highlights

> We developed mathematical model for embryonic stem cell culture (ESC) in a membrane-based two-chambered microbioreactor (MB). > We estimated autocrine activity of BMP4 in an ESC colony in the MB and 6-well plate (6WP) cultures. > We elucidated how size of the MB or 6WP influenced autocrine activity.

Biodegradable porous sheet-like scaffolds for soft-tissue engineering using a combined particulate leaching of salt particles and magnetic sugar particles Original Research Article
Chengzhi Hu, Carlos Tercero, Seiichi Ikeda, Masahiro Nakajima, Hirotaka Tajima, Yajing Shen, Toshio Fukuda, Fumihito Arai

Highlights

> We report a particulate leaching of magnetic sugar particles and salt particles. > We encapsulate NdFeB particles inside sugar spheres for patterning and alignment. > We control the coating thickness of the magnetic sugar particle by magnetic field. > Spherical pores are generated inside the scaffolds. > NIH/3T3 fibroblasts grow on the fabricated scaffold.