Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2017
Authors
Arne Henningsen Tomasz Gerard Czekaj Björn Forkman Mogens Lund Aske Schou NielsenAbstract
We propose a theoretical framework for the relationship between animal welfare and the economic performance of livestock farms. We empirically analyse this relationship based on a unique dataset of randomly sampled Danish pig herds that includes information from unannounced inspections of the compliance with the animal welfare legislation. We find large variations in economic performance and animal welfare. The relationship between these two indicators is rather weak, but tends to be slightly positive. A possible explanation for our results is that management has a major influence on both economic performance and animal welfare so that good farm managers are able to meet all animal welfare regulations, while achieving a high economic performance.
Authors
Ikram Belghit Josef Daiel Rasinger Svenja Heesch Irene Biancarosa Nina Sylvia Liland Bente Elisabeth Torstensen Rune Waagbø Erik-Jan Lock Christian Guido BrucknerAbstract
In-depth metabolic profiling, also termed metabolomics, provides detailed information about the biochemical phenotype of an organism. Besides improving our understanding of biochemical processes, metabolomics is used for environmental monitoring, natural product discovery, or even chemotaxonomy, among others. However, for marine macroalgae, comparative large-scale metabolomics studies are lacking, even though seaweeds belong to the most important aquatic primary producers. In this study, we present via a broad scale systematic metabolomics survey 391 metabolites from 21 seaweeds species, representing brown, red and green algae. We demonstrate clear differences in metabolite composition of these seaweeds, reflecting their taxonomic classification. We highlight these differences for amino acid, amino acid derivative and peptide metabolites, energy and carbohydrate metabolites, for lipid, fatty acid and sterol metabolites and for secondary metabolites, including selected metabolic pathways such as the urea cycle, the citrate cycle and the glyconeogenesis/glycolysis, besides others. Additionally, we link selected seaweed biochemical properties to potential pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.
Abstract
The extractive content of inner and outer heartwood of nine Scots pine trees from three different stands in Norway was determined by automated solvent extraction and biological screening tests were performed using basidiomycetes. The evaluation of mass spectra by means of a NIST library search shows that in the petroleum ether extracts α-pinene and carene as well as terpinene and cadinene derivatives are the main extractives found in both inner and outer heartwood. In the inner heartwood, however, these substance groups were found in lower quantities. These substances mainly have a hydrophobic effect. The screening tests indicate that also extractive-rich heartwood is extremely degraded by Poria placenta which corresponds to the analytical results of the petroleum ether extracts.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Mihaela-Olivia Dobrica Catalin Lazar Lisa Paruch Hanne Skomedal Hege Særvold Steen Sissel Haugslien Catalin Tucureanu Iuliana Caras Adrian Onu Sonya Ciulean Alexandru Branzan Jihong Liu Clarke Crina Stavaru Norica Branza-NichitaAbstract
Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection leads to severe liver pathogenesis associated with significant morbidity and mortality. As no curable medication is yet available, vaccination remains the most costeffective approach to limit HBV spreading and control the infection. Although safe and efficient, the standard vaccine based on production of the small (S) envelope protein in yeast fails to elicit an effective immune response in about 10% of vaccinated individuals, which are at risk of infection. One strategy to address this issue is the development of more immunogenic antigens. Here we describe a novel HBV antigen obtained by combining relevant immunogenic determinants of S and large (L) envelope proteins. Our approach was based on the insertion of residues 21-47 of the preS1 domain of the L protein (nomenclature according to genotype D), involved in virus attachment to hepatocytes, within the external antigenic loop of S. The resulting S/preS121-47 chimera was successfully produced in HEK293T and Nicotiana benthamiana plants, as a more economical recombinant protein production platform. Comparative biochemical, functional and electron microscopy analysis indicated assembly of the novel antigen into subviral particles in mammalian and plant cells. Importantly, these particles preserve both S- and preS1-specific epitopes and elicit significantly stronger humoral and cellular immune responses than the S protein, in both expression systems used. Our data promote this antigen as a promising vaccine candidate to overcome poor responsiveness to the conventional, S protein-based, HBV vaccine.
Authors
Ólöf Dóra Bartels Jónsdóttir Julia Schregel Snorre Hagen Camilla Tobiassen Siv Aarnes Albert ImslandAbstract
The potential for genetic contamination of stocks arising from translocation and subsequent release or escape of translocated and/or genetically mixed stocks may be a significant risk to wild populations. In this context, we undertook a population genetic survey of stocks of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) along the Norwegian coast to establish the existing genetic population structure, which will aid the development of policy of the species’ use as cleaner fish in salmonid aquaculture. This was done by using 14 microsatellite loci and 287 specimens collected at five fishing grounds, covering most of the Norwegian coastline from south to north, with additional 18 samples of first-generation reared fish from a fish farm outside Tromsø (North Norway). Overall, there was no indication of significant spatial genetic structuring or of positive correlation between geographic and genetic distance among the wild lumpfish samples. These results suggest that, should translocated individuals escape from aquaculture in Norway, this will probably have little to no impact on the genetic composition of the local fish population.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Claire CoutrisAbstract
The major fraction of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) released in the environment are transiting through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). How do the microorganisms responsible for the removal of nitrogen in WWTPs react when exposed to wastewater-borne ENMs? We investigated the potential for Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles (and their transformation products) to cause a decrease in the operational efficiency of WWTPs, more specifically on nitrogen removal by denitrification. To gain a mechanistic understanding of the potential effects of Ag and TiO2 NPs on denitrifying bacteria, we exposed pure cultures of bacteria isolated from activated sludge to various concentrations of NPs, and monitored gas kinetics during the transition from oxic to anoxic respiration. We also conducted similar exposure experiments on indigenous bacterial communities present in actively operating WWTPs. Results obtained with suspended and biofilm associated microorganisms will be presented, in order to complement eco-physiological studies on single organisms.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Xiaojie Liu Kenny Bogaert Aschwin H. Engelen Frederik Leliaert Michael Roleda Olivier De ClerckAbstract
Knowledge of life cycle progression and reproduction of seaweeds transcends pure academic interest. Successful and sustainable seaweed exploitation and domestication will indeed require excellent control of the factors controlling growth and reproduction. The relative dominance of the ploidy-phases and their respective morphologies, however, display tremendous diversity. Consequently, the ecological and endogenous factors controlling life cycles are likely to be equally varied. A vast number of research papers addressing theoretical, ecological and physiological aspects of reproduction have been published over the years. Here, we review the current knowledge on reproductive strategies, trade-offs of reproductive effort in natural populations, and the environmental and endogenous factors controlling reproduction. Given that the majority of ecophysiological studies predate the “-omics” era, we examine the extent to which this knowledge of reproduction has been, or can be, applied to further our knowledge of life cycle control in seaweeds.