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Rapid global population growth has led to an exponential increase in the use of disposable materials with a short life span that accumulate in landfills. The use of non-biodegradable materials causes severe damage to the environment worldwide. Polymers derived from agricultural residues, wood, or other fiber crops are fully biodegradable, creating the potential to be part of a sustainable circular economy. Ideally, natural fibers, such as the extremely strong fibers from hemp, can be combined with matrix materials such as the core or hurd from hemp or kenaf to produce a completely renewable biomaterial. However, these materials cannot always meet all of the performance attributes required, necessitating the creation of blends of petroleum-based and renewable material-based composites. This article reviews composites made from natural and biodegradable polymers, as well as the challenges encountered in their production and use.
Ehsan Bari; Asghar Sistani; Jeffrey J. Morrell; Antonio Pizzi; Mohammad Reza Akbari; Javier Ribera. Current Strategies for the Production of Sustainable Biopolymer Composites. Polymers 2021, 13, 2878 .
AMA StyleEhsan Bari, Asghar Sistani, Jeffrey J. Morrell, Antonio Pizzi, Mohammad Reza Akbari, Javier Ribera. Current Strategies for the Production of Sustainable Biopolymer Composites. Polymers. 2021; 13 (17):2878.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEhsan Bari; Asghar Sistani; Jeffrey J. Morrell; Antonio Pizzi; Mohammad Reza Akbari; Javier Ribera. 2021. "Current Strategies for the Production of Sustainable Biopolymer Composites." Polymers 13, no. 17: 2878.
Beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) forests in Iran are one of the most important sources of the hardwood species used for lumber, furniture, and interior object design due to its hardness, wear resistance, strength, and excellent bending capabilities. Furthermore, Iran is third most important country for walnut wood production after China and United States. Therefore, in this study, we compared specific mechanical properties between beech wood obtained from Sangdeh (Iran) and Georgia and four different kinds of walnut woods in Iran. Physical and mechanical tests were performed according to ISO 3129 (2012) and ASTM (D143-14) standards. The moisture content of all samples was 12% during mechanical tests. The mean dry density of Sangdeh and Georgian beech obtained was 0.61 and 0.65 g/cm3, respectively, while the mean dry density of Noor, Shahrekord, Mashhad, and Mako walnut woods measured 0.62, 0.59, 0.62, and 0.57 g/cm3, respectively. The results showed significant differences among the properties of the Sangdeh and Georgian species and the four different walnut tree woods. Overall, the obtained strengths of Georgian timber were higher than that of the Iranian beech, which was attributed to the higher density of Georgian timber. Furthermore, due to the higher density of the walnut species in the Noor and Mashhad regions, the measured mechanical strengths of these trees were higher than those of other walnut species. The obtained results provide relevant information to determinate the future applications of each wood source.
Mohammad Najafian Ashrafi; Hooman Shaabani Asrami; Zeynolabedin Vosoughi Rudgar; Mohammad Ghorbanian Far; Ali Heidari; Esmail Rastbod; Hamed Jafarzadeh; Mohammad Salehi; Ehsan Bari; Javier Ribera. Comparison of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Beech and Walnut Wood from Iran and Georgian Beech. Forests 2021, 12, 801 .
AMA StyleMohammad Najafian Ashrafi, Hooman Shaabani Asrami, Zeynolabedin Vosoughi Rudgar, Mohammad Ghorbanian Far, Ali Heidari, Esmail Rastbod, Hamed Jafarzadeh, Mohammad Salehi, Ehsan Bari, Javier Ribera. Comparison of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Beech and Walnut Wood from Iran and Georgian Beech. Forests. 2021; 12 (6):801.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMohammad Najafian Ashrafi; Hooman Shaabani Asrami; Zeynolabedin Vosoughi Rudgar; Mohammad Ghorbanian Far; Ali Heidari; Esmail Rastbod; Hamed Jafarzadeh; Mohammad Salehi; Ehsan Bari; Javier Ribera. 2021. "Comparison of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Beech and Walnut Wood from Iran and Georgian Beech." Forests 12, no. 6: 801.
White-rot fungi can degrade all lignocellulose components due to their potent lignin and cellulose-degrading enzymes. In this study, five white-rot fungi, Trametes versicolor, Trametes pubescens, Ganoderma adspersum, Ganoderma lipsiense, and Rigidoporus vitreus were tested for endoglucanase, laccase, urease, and glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) production when grown with malt extract and nanocellulose in the form of TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical) oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). Results show that temperature plays a key role in controlling the growth of all five fungi when cultured with malt extract alone. Endoglucanase activities were highest in cultures of G. adspersum and G. lipsiense and laccase activities were highest in cultures of T. versicolor and R. vitreus. Urease activities were highest in cultures of G. adspersum, G. lipsiense, and R. vitreus. Glucose-6-phosphate levels also indicate that cells were actively metabolizing glucose present in the cultures. These results show that TEMPO-oxidized CNF and CNC do not inhibit the production of specific lignocellulose enzymes by these white-rot fungi. The apparent lack of enzymatic inhibition makes TEMPO-oxidized CNF and CNC excellent candidates for future biotechnological applications in combination with the white-rot fungi studied here.
Carolina Reyes; Alexandre Poulin; Gustav Nyström; Francis Schwarze; Javier Ribera. Enzyme Activities of Five White-Rot Fungi in the Presence of Nanocellulose. Journal of Fungi 2021, 7, 222 .
AMA StyleCarolina Reyes, Alexandre Poulin, Gustav Nyström, Francis Schwarze, Javier Ribera. Enzyme Activities of Five White-Rot Fungi in the Presence of Nanocellulose. Journal of Fungi. 2021; 7 (3):222.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarolina Reyes; Alexandre Poulin; Gustav Nyström; Francis Schwarze; Javier Ribera. 2021. "Enzyme Activities of Five White-Rot Fungi in the Presence of Nanocellulose." Journal of Fungi 7, no. 3: 222.
Producing electricity from renewable sources and reducing its consumption by buildings are necessary to meet energy and climate change challenges. Wood is an excellent “green” building material and, owing to its piezoelectric behavior, could enable direct conversion of mechanical energy into electricity. Although this phenomenon has been discovered decades ago, its exploitation as an energy source has been impaired by the ultralow piezoelectric output of native wood. Here, we demonstrate that, by enhancing the elastic compressibility of balsa wood through a facile, green, and sustainable fungal decay pretreatment, the piezoelectric output is increased over 55 times. A single cube (15 mm by 15 mm by 13.2 mm) of decayed wood is able to produce a maximum voltage of 0.87 V and a current of 13.3 nA under 45-kPa stress. This study is a fundamental step to develop next-generation self-powered green building materials for future energy supply and mitigation of climate change.
Jianguo Sun; Huizhang Guo; Gian Nutal Schädli; Kunkun Tu; Styfen Schär; Francis W.M.R. Schwarze; Guido Panzarasa; Javier Ribera; Ingo Burgert. Enhanced mechanical energy conversion with selectively decayed wood. Science Advances 2021, 7, eabd9138 .
AMA StyleJianguo Sun, Huizhang Guo, Gian Nutal Schädli, Kunkun Tu, Styfen Schär, Francis W.M.R. Schwarze, Guido Panzarasa, Javier Ribera, Ingo Burgert. Enhanced mechanical energy conversion with selectively decayed wood. Science Advances. 2021; 7 (11):eabd9138.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJianguo Sun; Huizhang Guo; Gian Nutal Schädli; Kunkun Tu; Styfen Schär; Francis W.M.R. Schwarze; Guido Panzarasa; Javier Ribera; Ingo Burgert. 2021. "Enhanced mechanical energy conversion with selectively decayed wood." Science Advances 7, no. 11: eabd9138.
The biotechnological potential of nine decay fungi collected from stored beech logs at a pulp and paper factory yard in Northern Iran was investigated. Beech blocks exposed to the fungi in a laboratory decay test were used to study changes in cell wall chemistry using both wet chemistry and spectroscopic methods. Pleurotus ostreatus, P. pulmonarius, and Lentinus sajor-caju caused greater lignin breakdown compared to other white-rot fungi, which led to a 28% reduction in refining energy. Trametesversicolor caused the greatest glucan loss, while P. ostreatus and L. sajor-caju were associated with the lowest losses of this sugar. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses indicated that white-rot fungi caused greater lignin degradation in the cell walls via the oxidation aromatic rings, confirming the chemical analysis. The rate of cellulose and lignin degradation by the T.versicolor and Pleurotus species was high compared to the other decay fungi analyzed in this study. Based on the above information, we propose that, among the fungi tested, P. ostreatus (27.42% lignin loss and 1.58% cellulose loss) and L. sajor-caju (29.92% lignin loss and 5.95% cellulose loss) have the greatest potential for biopulping.
Ehsan Bari; Katie Ohno; Nural Yilgor; Adya Singh; Jeffrey Morrell; Antonio Pizzi; Mohammad Tajick Ghanbary; Javier Ribera. Characterizing Fungal Decay of Beech Wood: Potential for Biotechnological Applications. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 247 .
AMA StyleEhsan Bari, Katie Ohno, Nural Yilgor, Adya Singh, Jeffrey Morrell, Antonio Pizzi, Mohammad Tajick Ghanbary, Javier Ribera. Characterizing Fungal Decay of Beech Wood: Potential for Biotechnological Applications. Microorganisms. 2021; 9 (2):247.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEhsan Bari; Katie Ohno; Nural Yilgor; Adya Singh; Jeffrey Morrell; Antonio Pizzi; Mohammad Tajick Ghanbary; Javier Ribera. 2021. "Characterizing Fungal Decay of Beech Wood: Potential for Biotechnological Applications." Microorganisms 9, no. 2: 247.
Soil conditions can directly influence the inoculum potential of wood decay fungi, which is likely to be a major factor in the premature failure of utility poles across Europe. The objective of our study was to assess the influence of soil pH, humic acid and iron on wood decay. For this purpose, we incubated Fe-impregnated wood specimens on artificial medium to evaluate the influence of the metal on the activity of brown rot fungi. Moreover, the impact of Cu-leaching from impregnated wood specimens that were exposed to humic acid solutions was measured. In addition, weight losses caused by brown rot fungi in impregnated wood pole segments and stiffness (Young’s modulus of Elasticity) of Cu-impregnated wood specimens were quantified. The pH measurements showed that the soil samples were slightly acid (pH = 6.7 ± 0.7). In comparison to non-impregnated controls, the Fe-impregnated samples significantly increased weight losses by brown rot fungi (>30–40%). In the presence of humic acid the release of copper from chromium-free wood preservatives (up to 143.34 mg L−1) was enhanced. Weight losses in impregnated wood segments by brown rot fungi ranged from 5.3 to 20.4%. The recorded reduction in stiffness by brown rot fungi ranged from approximately 3.96 to 55.52% for Cu-impregnated wood specimens after 12 weeks. Our study shows that the pH, humic acid, iron content and selected wood preservatives greatly influence susceptibility of impregnated wood to brown rot fungi during ground contact.
Javier Ribera; Elisabeth Michel; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze. Influence of Soil Characteristics on Wood Biodeterioration by Brown Rot Fungi. Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 8837 .
AMA StyleJavier Ribera, Elisabeth Michel, Francis W. M. R. Schwarze. Influence of Soil Characteristics on Wood Biodeterioration by Brown Rot Fungi. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (24):8837.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJavier Ribera; Elisabeth Michel; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze. 2020. "Influence of Soil Characteristics on Wood Biodeterioration by Brown Rot Fungi." Applied Sciences 10, no. 24: 8837.
Fungal wood decay strategies are influenced by several factors, such as wood species, moisture content, and temperature. This study aims to evaluate wood degradation characteristics of spruce, beech, and oak after exposure to the white-rot fungi Pleurotusostreatus and Trametesversicolor. Both fungi caused high mass losses in beech wood, while spruce and oak wood were more resistant to decay. The moisture content values of the decayed wood correlated with the mass losses for all three wood species and incubation periods. Combined microscopic and chemical studies indicated that the two fungi differed in their decay behavior. While T. versicolor produced a decay pattern (cell wall erosion) typical of white-rot fungi in all wood species, P. ostreatus caused cell wall erosion in spruce and beech and soft-rot type I (cavity formation) decay in oak wood. These observations suggest that P. ostreatus may have the capacity to produce a wider range of enzymes/radicals triggered by the chemical composition of wood cell walls and/or local compositional variability within the cell wall.
Ehsan Bari; Geoffrey Daniel; Nural Yilgor; Jong Sik Kim; Mohammad Ali Tajick-Ghanbary; Adya P. Singh; Javier Ribera. Comparison of the Decay Behavior of Two White-Rot Fungi in Relation to Wood Type and Exposure Conditions. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 1931 .
AMA StyleEhsan Bari, Geoffrey Daniel, Nural Yilgor, Jong Sik Kim, Mohammad Ali Tajick-Ghanbary, Adya P. Singh, Javier Ribera. Comparison of the Decay Behavior of Two White-Rot Fungi in Relation to Wood Type and Exposure Conditions. Microorganisms. 2020; 8 (12):1931.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEhsan Bari; Geoffrey Daniel; Nural Yilgor; Jong Sik Kim; Mohammad Ali Tajick-Ghanbary; Adya P. Singh; Javier Ribera. 2020. "Comparison of the Decay Behavior of Two White-Rot Fungi in Relation to Wood Type and Exposure Conditions." Microorganisms 8, no. 12: 1931.
Melanins are natural biopolymers that are known to contribute to different biological processes and to protect organisms from adverse environmental conditions. During the past decade, melanins have attracted increasing attention for their use in organic semiconductors and bioelectronics, drug delivery, photoprotection and environmental bioremediation. Although considerable advances in these fields have been achieved, real-world applications of melanins are still scarce, probably due to the limited and expensive source of natural melanin. Nevertheless, recent biotechnological advances have allowed for relatively large-scale production of microbial melanins, which could replace current commercial melanin. In this review, we first describe different melanin sources and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each production method. Our focus is on the microbial synthesis of melanins, including the methodology and mechanism of melanin formation. Applications of microbial melanins are also discussed, and an outlook on how to push the field forward is discussed.
Anh N. Tran-Ly; Carolina Reyes; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze; Javier Ribera. Microbial production of melanin and its various applications. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 2020, 36, 1 -9.
AMA StyleAnh N. Tran-Ly, Carolina Reyes, Francis W. M. R. Schwarze, Javier Ribera. Microbial production of melanin and its various applications. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2020; 36 (11):1-9.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnh N. Tran-Ly; Carolina Reyes; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze; Javier Ribera. 2020. "Microbial production of melanin and its various applications." World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 36, no. 11: 1-9.
Developing low-cost and biodegradable piezoelectric nanogenerators is of great importance for a variety of applications, from harvesting low-grade mechanical energy to wearable sensors. Many of the most widely used piezoelectric materials, including lead zirconate titanate (PZT), suffer from serious drawbacks such as complicated synthesis, poor mechanical properties (e.g., brittleness), and toxic composition, limiting their development for biomedical applications and posing environmental problems for their disposal. Here, we report a low-cost, biodegradable, biocompatible, and highly compressible piezoelectric nanogenerator based on a wood sponge obtained with a simple delignification process. Thanks to the enhanced compressibility of the wood sponge, our wood nanogenerator (15 × 15 × 14 mm3, longitudinal × radial × tangential) can generate an output voltage of up to 0.69 V, 85 times higher than that generated by native (untreated) wood, and it shows stable performance under repeated cyclic compression (≥600 cycles). Our approach suggests the importance of increased compressibility of bulk materials for improving their piezoelectric output. We demonstrate the versatility of our nanogenerator by showing its application both as a wearable movement monitoring system (made with a single wood sponge) and as a large-scale prototype with increased output (made with 30 wood sponges) able to power simple electronic devices (a LED light, a LCD screen). Moreover, we demonstrate the biodegradability of our wood sponge piezoelectric nanogenerator by studying its decomposition with cellulose-degrading fungi. Our results showcase the potential application of a wood sponge as a sustainable energy source, as a wearable device for monitoring human motions, and its contribution to environmental sustainability by electronic waste reduction.
Jianguo Sun; Hengyu Guo; Javier Ribera; Changsheng Wu; Kunkun Tu; Marco Binelli; Guido Panzarasa; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze; Zhong Lin Wang; Ingo Burgert. Sustainable and Biodegradable Wood Sponge Piezoelectric Nanogenerator for Sensing and Energy Harvesting Applications. ACS Nano 2020, 14, 14665 -14674.
AMA StyleJianguo Sun, Hengyu Guo, Javier Ribera, Changsheng Wu, Kunkun Tu, Marco Binelli, Guido Panzarasa, Francis W. M. R. Schwarze, Zhong Lin Wang, Ingo Burgert. Sustainable and Biodegradable Wood Sponge Piezoelectric Nanogenerator for Sensing and Energy Harvesting Applications. ACS Nano. 2020; 14 (11):14665-14674.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJianguo Sun; Hengyu Guo; Javier Ribera; Changsheng Wu; Kunkun Tu; Marco Binelli; Guido Panzarasa; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze; Zhong Lin Wang; Ingo Burgert. 2020. "Sustainable and Biodegradable Wood Sponge Piezoelectric Nanogenerator for Sensing and Energy Harvesting Applications." ACS Nano 14, no. 11: 14665-14674.
Natural melanin features many interesting properties, including the ability to shield electromagnetic radiation, to act as scavenger for radical and reactive oxygen species and the capacity to chelate different metal ions. For these reasons, melanin is becoming increasingly relevant for the development of functional materials, for potential applications such as cosmetics, drug delivery and water purification. However, the extraction and purification of melanin from conventional sources (e.g. sepia ink, hair and wool) is inefficient and not easily scalable, hence gaverting its technological applications. Some fungal species, and especially wood decay basidiomycetes, can be regarded as promising sources of melanin. In the present study, we screened different fungi in regard to their melanin biosynthesis ability, using L-tyrosine as a precursor and we found that the Armillaria cepistipes strain (Empa 655) produced the highest yield of melanin (27.98 g L-1). Physicochemical characterization of the obtained fungal melanin revealed a typical eumelanin structure. The method for the biosynthesis of fungal melanin we propose is efficient, scalable and sustainable and has the potential to provide support for further technological exploitation.
Javier Ribera; Guido Panzarasa; Annika Stobbe; Alina Osypova; Patrick Rupper; Daniel Klose; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze. Scalable Biosynthesis of Melanin by the Basidiomycete Armillaria cepistipes. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2018, 67, 132 -139.
AMA StyleJavier Ribera, Guido Panzarasa, Annika Stobbe, Alina Osypova, Patrick Rupper, Daniel Klose, Francis W. M. R. Schwarze. Scalable Biosynthesis of Melanin by the Basidiomycete Armillaria cepistipes. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2018; 67 (1):132-139.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJavier Ribera; Guido Panzarasa; Annika Stobbe; Alina Osypova; Patrick Rupper; Daniel Klose; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze. 2018. "Scalable Biosynthesis of Melanin by the Basidiomycete Armillaria cepistipes." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 67, no. 1: 132-139.
Lignin is one of the most available biomass products, but its potential for the development of functional materials has yet to be unleashed. Here, the modification of lignin and lignosulfonate with poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) [P(E-alt-MA)], a functional polymer of wide industrial use, is accomplished by means of a simple esterification reaction. As a result, hybrid adsorbent materials for water purification can be obtained, which were thoroughly characterized. The combination of P(E-alt-MA) with lignin increased hydrophilicity of the latter, making it dispersible in aqueous environments, while with lignosulfonate it gave rise to a water-insoluble, thus easily recoverable, product. The adsorption properties of the resulting products have been tested against a model water pollutant (methylene blue), demonstrating remarkable adsorption speed (in the order of minutes), adsorption efficiency and stability over a wide range of pH (2–12). Moreover, after the incorporation of magnetite nanoparticles by in situ synthesis, adsorbent materials able to be magnetically recovered were developed.
Guido Panzarasa; Alina Osypova; Javier Ribera; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze; Fiorenza Quasso; Giovanni Consolati. Hybrid Adsorbent Materials Obtained by the Combination of Poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) with Lignin and Lignosulfonate. Journal of Polymers and the Environment 2018, 26, 4293 -4302.
AMA StyleGuido Panzarasa, Alina Osypova, Javier Ribera, Francis W. M. R. Schwarze, Fiorenza Quasso, Giovanni Consolati. Hybrid Adsorbent Materials Obtained by the Combination of Poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) with Lignin and Lignosulfonate. Journal of Polymers and the Environment. 2018; 26 (11):4293-4302.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGuido Panzarasa; Alina Osypova; Javier Ribera; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze; Fiorenza Quasso; Giovanni Consolati. 2018. "Hybrid Adsorbent Materials Obtained by the Combination of Poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) with Lignin and Lignosulfonate." Journal of Polymers and the Environment 26, no. 11: 4293-4302.
A new approach for protecting wood materials from fungal degradation through a non-biocidal inorganic system of a TiO2/Ce xerogel.
Huizhang Guo; Erik Valentine Bachtiar; Javier Ribera; Markus Heeb; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze; Ingo Burgert. Non-biocidal preservation of wood against brown-rot fungi with a TiO2/Ce xerogel. Green Chemistry 2018, 20, 1375 -1382.
AMA StyleHuizhang Guo, Erik Valentine Bachtiar, Javier Ribera, Markus Heeb, Francis W. M. R. Schwarze, Ingo Burgert. Non-biocidal preservation of wood against brown-rot fungi with a TiO2/Ce xerogel. Green Chemistry. 2018; 20 (6):1375-1382.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHuizhang Guo; Erik Valentine Bachtiar; Javier Ribera; Markus Heeb; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze; Ingo Burgert. 2018. "Non-biocidal preservation of wood against brown-rot fungi with a TiO2/Ce xerogel." Green Chemistry 20, no. 6: 1375-1382.
Meeting the increasing demand of clean water requires the development of novel efficient adsorbent materials for the removal of organic pollutants. In this context the use of natural, renewable sources is of special relevance and sepia melanin, thanks to its ability to bind a variety of organic and inorganic species, has already attracted interest for water purification. Here we describe the synthesis of a material obtained by the combination of sepia melanin and poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (P(E-alt-MA)). Compared to sepia melanin, the resulting hybrid displays a high and fast adsorption efficiency towards methylene blue (a common industrial dye) for a wide pH range (from pH 2 to 12) and under high ionic strength conditions. It is easily recovered after use and can be reused up to three times. Given the wide availability of sepia melanin and P(E-alt-MA), the synthesis of our hybrid is simple and affordable, making it suitable for industrial water purification purposes.
Guido Panzarasa; Alina Osypova; Giovanni Consolati; Fiorenza Quasso; Guido Soliveri; Javier Ribera; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze. Preparation of a Sepia Melanin and Poly(ethylene-alt-maleic Anhydride) Hybrid Material as an Adsorbent for Water Purification. Nanomaterials 2018, 8, 54 .
AMA StyleGuido Panzarasa, Alina Osypova, Giovanni Consolati, Fiorenza Quasso, Guido Soliveri, Javier Ribera, Francis W. M. R. Schwarze. Preparation of a Sepia Melanin and Poly(ethylene-alt-maleic Anhydride) Hybrid Material as an Adsorbent for Water Purification. Nanomaterials. 2018; 8 (2):54.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGuido Panzarasa; Alina Osypova; Giovanni Consolati; Fiorenza Quasso; Guido Soliveri; Javier Ribera; Francis W. M. R. Schwarze. 2018. "Preparation of a Sepia Melanin and Poly(ethylene-alt-maleic Anhydride) Hybrid Material as an Adsorbent for Water Purification." Nanomaterials 8, no. 2: 54.
The gradual elimination of chromium from wood preservative formulations results in higher Cu leaching and increased susceptibility to wood decay fungi. Finding a sustainable strategy in wood protection has become of great interest among researchers. The objective of these in vitro studies was to demonstrate the effect of T-720-enriched organic charcoal (biochar) against five wood decay basidiomycetes isolated from strongly damaged poles. For this purpose, the antagonistic potential of Trichoderma harzianum (strain T-720) was confirmed among other four Trichoderma spp. against five brown-rot basidiomycetes in dual culture tests. T-720 was genetically transformed and tagged with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in order to study its antagonistic mechanism against wood decay basidiomycetes. It was also demonstrated that T-720 inhibits the oxalic acid production by basidiomycetes, a well-known mechanism used by brown-rot fungi to detoxify Cu from impregnated wood. Additionally, this study evaluated the effect of biochar, alone or in combination with T-720, on Cu leaching by different preservatives, pH stabilization and prevention of wood decay caused by five basidiomycetes. Addition of biochar resulted in a significant Cu binding released from impregnated wood specimens. T-720-enriched biochar showed a significant reduction of wood decay caused by four basidiomycetes. The addition of T-720-enriched biochar to the soil into which utility poles are placed may improve the efficiency of Cr-free wood preservatives.
Javier Ribera; Mónica Gandía; Jose F. Marcos; Maria Del Carmen Bas; Siegfried Fink; Francis Schwarze. Effect of Trichoderma-enriched organic charcoal in the integrated wood protection strategy. PLOS ONE 2017, 12, e0183004 -e0183004.
AMA StyleJavier Ribera, Mónica Gandía, Jose F. Marcos, Maria Del Carmen Bas, Siegfried Fink, Francis Schwarze. Effect of Trichoderma-enriched organic charcoal in the integrated wood protection strategy. PLOS ONE. 2017; 12 (8):e0183004-e0183004.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJavier Ribera; Mónica Gandía; Jose F. Marcos; Maria Del Carmen Bas; Siegfried Fink; Francis Schwarze. 2017. "Effect of Trichoderma-enriched organic charcoal in the integrated wood protection strategy." PLOS ONE 12, no. 8: e0183004-e0183004.
The production of new generation of wood preservatives (without addition of a co-biocide) in combination with an exchange of wood poles on identical sites with high fungal inoculum, has resulted in an increase of premature failures of wood utility poles in the last decades. Wood destroying basidiomycetes inhabiting sites where poles have been installed, have developed resistance against wood preservatives. The objective of the in vitro studies was to identify a Trichoderma spp. with a highly antagonistic potential against wood destroying basidiomycetes that is capable of colonizing Cu-rich environments. For this purpose, the activity of five Trichoderma spp. on Cu-rich medium was evaluated according to its growth and sporulation rates. The influence of the selected Trichoderma spp. on wood colonization and degradation by five wood destroying basidiomycetes was quantitatively analyzed by means of dry weight loss of wood specimens. Furthermore, the preventative effect of the selected Trichoderma spp. in combination with four Cu-based preservatives was also examined by mass loss and histological changes in the wood specimens. Trichoderma harzianum (T-720) was considered the biocontrol agent with higher antagonistic potential to colonize Cu-rich environments (up to 0.1% CuSO4 amended medium). T. harzianum demonstrated significant preventative effect on wood specimens against four wood destroying basidiomycetes. The combined effect of T. harzianum and Cu-based wood preservatives demonstrated that after 9 months incubation with two wood destroying basidiomycetes, wood specimens treated with 3.8 kg m-3 copper-chromium had weight losses between 55–65%, whereas containers previously treated with T. harzianum had significantly lower weight losses (0–25%). Histological studies on one of the wood destroying basidiomycetes revealed typical decomposition of wood cells by brown-rot fungi in Cu-impregnated samples, that were notably absent in wood specimens previously exposed to T. harzianum. It is concluded that carefully selected Trichoderma isolates can be used for integrated wood protection against a range of wood destroying basidiomycetes and may have potential for integrated wood protection in the field.
Javier Ribera; Siegfried Fink; Maria Del Carmen Bas; Francis Schwarze. Integrated control of wood destroying basidiomycetes combining Cu-based wood preservatives and Trichoderma spp. PLOS ONE 2017, 12, e0174335 .
AMA StyleJavier Ribera, Siegfried Fink, Maria Del Carmen Bas, Francis Schwarze. Integrated control of wood destroying basidiomycetes combining Cu-based wood preservatives and Trichoderma spp. PLOS ONE. 2017; 12 (4):e0174335.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJavier Ribera; Siegfried Fink; Maria Del Carmen Bas; Francis Schwarze. 2017. "Integrated control of wood destroying basidiomycetes combining Cu-based wood preservatives and Trichoderma spp." PLOS ONE 12, no. 4: e0174335.
In contact with soil, copper (Cu) formulations as preservatives are expected to inhibit wood decay by fungi and other soil-borne microorganisms. However, Cu-resistant brown-rot (BR) fungi lead to premature failures of utility poles at some sites. In this study, the service lives of 111 utility poles of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst) (73 from Switzerland and 38 from Germany) impregnated with Cu-based wood preservatives were investigated. Three segments of each utility pole were analyzed. The severity of decay was dependent on the preservative formulation. BR fungi and in particular Antrodia species were predominantly isolated from utility poles that were not treated with a co-biocide, e.g. boron (B). Cu-sensitivity of several isolated BR fungi was confirmed in studies on Cu-amended medium and in Cu-treated wood. Isolates of Fibroporia vaillantii and Serpula himantioides showed a higher Cu-tolerance than the highly Cu-tolerant Empa isolate Rhodonia placenta (Empa 45) or Antrodia serialis.
Javier Ribera; Mark Schubert; Siegfried Fink; Marco Cartabia; Francis Schwarze. Premature failure of utility poles in Switzerland and Germany related to wood decay basidiomycetes. Holzforschung 2017, 71, 241 -247.
AMA StyleJavier Ribera, Mark Schubert, Siegfried Fink, Marco Cartabia, Francis Schwarze. Premature failure of utility poles in Switzerland and Germany related to wood decay basidiomycetes. Holzforschung. 2017; 71 (3):241-247.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJavier Ribera; Mark Schubert; Siegfried Fink; Marco Cartabia; Francis Schwarze. 2017. "Premature failure of utility poles in Switzerland and Germany related to wood decay basidiomycetes." Holzforschung 71, no. 3: 241-247.