Bionics （the imitation or abstraction of the ＂inventions＂ of nature） and, to an even greater extent, syn- thetic biology, will be as relevant to engineering development and industry as the silicon chip was over th...Bionics （the imitation or abstraction of the ＂inventions＂ of nature） and, to an even greater extent, syn- thetic biology, will be as relevant to engineering development and industry as the silicon chip was over the last 50 years. Chemical industries already use so-called ＂white biotechnology＂ for new processes, new raw materials, and more sustainable use of resources. Synthetic biology is also used for the devel- opment of second-generation biofuels and for harvesting the sun＇s energy with the help of tailor-made microorganisms or biometrically designed catalysts. The market potential for bionics in medicine, en- gineering processes, and DNA storage is huge. ＂Moonshot＂ projects are already aggressively focusing on diseases and new materials, and a US-led competition is currently underway with the aim of creating a thousand new molecules. This article describes a timeline that starts with current projects and then moves on to code engineering projects and their implications, artificial DNA, signaling molecules, and biological circuitry. Beyond these projects, one of the next frontiers in bionics is the design of synthetic metabolisms that include artificial food chains and foods, and the bioengineering of raw materials; all of which will lead to new insights into biological principles. Bioengineering will be an innovation motor just as digitalization is today. This article discusses pertinent examples of bioengineering, particularly the use of alternative carbon-based biofuels and the techniques and perils of cell modification. Big data, analytics, and massive storage are important factors in this next frontier. Although synthetic biology will be as pervasive and transformative in the next 50 years as digitization and the Intemet are today, its ap- plications and impacts are still in nascent stages. This article provides a general taxonomy in which the development of bioengineering is classified in five stages （DNA analysis, bio-circuits, minimal genomes, protocells, xenobiology） from the familiar to the unknown, with implications for safety and security, in- dustrial development, and the development of bioengineering and biotechnology as an interdisciplinary field. Ethical issues and the importance of a public debate about the consequences of bionics and syn- thetic biology are discussed.展开更多
Through several waves of technological research and un‐matched innovation strategies,bio‐catalysis has been widely used at the industrial level.Because of the value of enzymes,methods for producing value‐added comp...Through several waves of technological research and un‐matched innovation strategies,bio‐catalysis has been widely used at the industrial level.Because of the value of enzymes,methods for producing value‐added compounds and industrially‐relevant fine chemicals through biological methods have been developed.A broad spectrum of numerous biochemical pathways is catalyzed by enzymes,including enzymes that have not been identified.However,low catalytic efficacy,low stability,inhibition by non‐cognate substrates,and intolerance to the harsh reaction conditions required for some chemical processes are considered as major limitations in applied bio‐catalysis.Thus,the development of green catalysts with multi‐catalytic features along with higher efficacy and induced stability are important for bio‐catalysis.Implementation of computational science with metabolic engineering,synthetic biology,and machine learning routes offers novel alternatives for engineering novel catalysts.Here,we describe the role of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering in catalysis.Machine learning algorithms for catalysis and the choice of an algorithm for predicting protein‐ligand interactions are discussed.The importance of molecular docking in predicting binding and catalytic functions is reviewed.Finally,we describe future challenges and perspectives.展开更多
Biology is a rich source of great ideas that can inspire us to find successful ways to solve the challenging problems in engineering practices including those in the chemical industry. Bio-inspired chemical engineerin...Biology is a rich source of great ideas that can inspire us to find successful ways to solve the challenging problems in engineering practices including those in the chemical industry. Bio-inspired chemical engineering(Bio Ch E)may be recognized as a significant branch of chemical engineering. It may consist of, but not limited to, the following three aspects: 1) Chemical engineering principles and unit operations in biological systems; 2) Process engineering principles for producing existing or developing new chemical products through living ‘devices';and 3) Chemical engineering processes and equipment that are designed and constructed through mimicking(does not have to reproduce one hundred percent) the biological systems including their physical–chemical and mechanical structures to deliver uniquely beneficial performances. This may also include the bio-inspired sensors for process monitoring. In this paper, the above aspects are defined and discussed which establishes the scope of BioChE.展开更多
Unsteady-state operation has been widely applied in chemical engineering, such as optimizing a process, increasing yield and saving energy, etc. But the knowledge of the flow characteristics in bubble column reactors(...Unsteady-state operation has been widely applied in chemical engineering, such as optimizing a process, increasing yield and saving energy, etc. But the knowledge of the flow characteristics in bubble column reactors(BCRs) under unsteady state control is far from enough. In order to study the flow structures in this operation, the volume of fluid (VOF) model and the standard k-ε model to simulate the evolution of gas-liquid flow in BCRs under the start-up state are combined. For both the symmetry and asymmetry flow, the layout of the gas-inlets, the gas-in velocity, the liquid viscosity and the aspect ratio of the BCR all have effects on the liquid velocity distribution. The simulation results could provide some information for the design and scale-up of the BCRs.展开更多
Curriculum system construction is the core of talent training plan and the key to school operations.This article carried on a more in-depth study and discussion to biological curriculum system construction project,des...Curriculum system construction is the core of talent training plan and the key to school operations.This article carried on a more in-depth study and discussion to biological curriculum system construction project,described the four aspects characteristics of the curriculum,and discussed in the course of system integration, comprehensive and updated curriculum, bilingual education and the strengthening of the four areas to carry out comprehensive, innovative experiments.展开更多
A mathematical model for enargite bioleaching at 70℃ by Sulfolobus BC in shake-flasks has been constructed. The model included （1） the indirect leaching by Fe^3＋ and Fe^3＋ regeneration by suspended Sulfolobus, a...A mathematical model for enargite bioleaching at 70℃ by Sulfolobus BC in shake-flasks has been constructed. The model included （1） the indirect leaching by Fe^3＋ and Fe^3＋ regeneration by suspended Sulfolobus, and （2） the direct leaching by the attached Sulfolobus. The model parameters were optimized using genetic algorithm （GA）. Simulations of the ferric leaching, and bioleaching processes were done using this model. The dynamic changes of the concentrations of Cu^2＋, As^3＋, As^5＋, Fe^3＋ and/or Fe^2＋, as well as ferric-arsenate precipitation were accurately predicted.展开更多
We have adapted and characterized electrolysis reactors to complement the conversion of regional- and community-scale quantities of waste into fuel or chemicals, The overall process must he able to contend with a wide...We have adapted and characterized electrolysis reactors to complement the conversion of regional- and community-scale quantities of waste into fuel or chemicals, The overall process must he able to contend with a wide range of feedstocks, must he inherently safe, and should not rely on external facilities for co-reactants or heat rejection and supply, Our current approach is based on the upgrading of hio-oil produced by the hydrothermal liquefaction （HTL） of carbon-containing waste feedstocks, HTL can convert a variety of feedstocks into a bio-oil that requires much less upgrading than the products of other ways of deconstructing hiomass, We are now investigating the use of electrochemical processes for the further conversions needed to transform the hio-oil from HTL into fuel or higher value chemicals, We, and others, have shown that electrochemical reduction can offer adequate reaction rates and at least some of the nec- essary generality, In addition, an electrochemical reactor necessarily both oxidizes （removes electrons） on one side of the reactor and reduces （adds electrons） on the other side, Therefore, the two types of reac- tions could, in principle, he coupled to upgrade the hio-oil and simultaneously polish the water that is employed as a reactant and a carrier in the upstream HTL, Here, we overview a notional process, the possible conversion chemistry, and the economics of an HTL-electrochemical process,展开更多
A treatability study of industrial wastewater containing chlorinated nitroaromatic compounds （CNACs） by a catalytic ozonation process （COP） with a modified Mn/Co ceramic catalyst and an aerobic sequencing batch re...A treatability study of industrial wastewater containing chlorinated nitroaromatic compounds （CNACs） by a catalytic ozonation process （COP） with a modified Mn/Co ceramic catalyst and an aerobic sequencing batch reactor （SBR） was investigated. A preliminary attempt to treat the diluted wastewater with a single SBR resulted in ineffective removal of the color, ammonia, total organic carbon （TOC） and chemical oxygen demand （COD）. Next, COP was applied as a pretreatment in order to obtain a bio-compatible wastewater for SBR treatment in a second step. The effectiveness of the COP pretreatment was assessed by evaluating wastewater biodegradability enhancement （the ratio of biology oxygen demand after 5 d （BOD5） to COD）, as well as monitoring the evolution of TOC, carbon oxidation state （COS）, average oxidation state （AOS）, color, and major pollutant concentrations with reaction time. In the COP, the catalyst preserved its catalytic properties even after 70 reuse cycles, exhibiting good durability and stability. The performance of SBR to treat COP effluent was also examined. At an organic loading rate of 2.0 kg COD/（m^3.d）, with hydraulic retention time （HRT）=10 h and temperature （30±2） ℃, the average removal efficiencies of NH3-N, COD, BOD5, TOC, and color in a coupled COP/SBR process were about 80%, 95.8%, 93.8%, 97.6% and 99.3%, respectively, with average effluent concentrations of 10 mg/L, 128 mg/L, 27.5 mg/L, 25.0 mg/L, and 20 multiples, respectively, which were all consistent with the national standards for secondary discharge of industrial wastewater into a public sewerage system （GB 8978-1996）. The results indicated that the coupling of COP with a biological process was proved to be a technically and economically effective method for treating industrial wastewater containing recalcitrant CNACs.展开更多
In view of the problem of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is introduced to the diagnosis and evaluation of the clinical effect of hepatitis. A new diagnosis and evaluation ...In view of the problem of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is introduced to the diagnosis and evaluation of the clinical effect of hepatitis. A new diagnosis and evaluation model of the TCM clinical effect standard was presented. The old disputed evaluation model by subjective analysis can be displaced by this objective method in its evaluation system. The foundation of this method is the fuzzy diagnosis model. This method has been realized to diagnose hepatitis and its values in practice has been validated through examples of clinical syndromes of post-hepatitic cirrhosis.展开更多
文摘Bionics （the imitation or abstraction of the ＂inventions＂ of nature） and, to an even greater extent, syn- thetic biology, will be as relevant to engineering development and industry as the silicon chip was over the last 50 years. Chemical industries already use so-called ＂white biotechnology＂ for new processes, new raw materials, and more sustainable use of resources. Synthetic biology is also used for the devel- opment of second-generation biofuels and for harvesting the sun＇s energy with the help of tailor-made microorganisms or biometrically designed catalysts. The market potential for bionics in medicine, en- gineering processes, and DNA storage is huge. ＂Moonshot＂ projects are already aggressively focusing on diseases and new materials, and a US-led competition is currently underway with the aim of creating a thousand new molecules. This article describes a timeline that starts with current projects and then moves on to code engineering projects and their implications, artificial DNA, signaling molecules, and biological circuitry. Beyond these projects, one of the next frontiers in bionics is the design of synthetic metabolisms that include artificial food chains and foods, and the bioengineering of raw materials; all of which will lead to new insights into biological principles. Bioengineering will be an innovation motor just as digitalization is today. This article discusses pertinent examples of bioengineering, particularly the use of alternative carbon-based biofuels and the techniques and perils of cell modification. Big data, analytics, and massive storage are important factors in this next frontier. Although synthetic biology will be as pervasive and transformative in the next 50 years as digitization and the Intemet are today, its ap- plications and impacts are still in nascent stages. This article provides a general taxonomy in which the development of bioengineering is classified in five stages （DNA analysis, bio-circuits, minimal genomes, protocells, xenobiology） from the familiar to the unknown, with implications for safety and security, in- dustrial development, and the development of bioengineering and biotechnology as an interdisciplinary field. Ethical issues and the importance of a public debate about the consequences of bionics and syn- thetic biology are discussed.
文摘Through several waves of technological research and un‐matched innovation strategies,bio‐catalysis has been widely used at the industrial level.Because of the value of enzymes,methods for producing value‐added compounds and industrially‐relevant fine chemicals through biological methods have been developed.A broad spectrum of numerous biochemical pathways is catalyzed by enzymes,including enzymes that have not been identified.However,low catalytic efficacy,low stability,inhibition by non‐cognate substrates,and intolerance to the harsh reaction conditions required for some chemical processes are considered as major limitations in applied bio‐catalysis.Thus,the development of green catalysts with multi‐catalytic features along with higher efficacy and induced stability are important for bio‐catalysis.Implementation of computational science with metabolic engineering,synthetic biology,and machine learning routes offers novel alternatives for engineering novel catalysts.Here,we describe the role of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering in catalysis.Machine learning algorithms for catalysis and the choice of an algorithm for predicting protein‐ligand interactions are discussed.The importance of molecular docking in predicting binding and catalytic functions is reviewed.Finally,we describe future challenges and perspectives.
文摘Biology is a rich source of great ideas that can inspire us to find successful ways to solve the challenging problems in engineering practices including those in the chemical industry. Bio-inspired chemical engineering(Bio Ch E)may be recognized as a significant branch of chemical engineering. It may consist of, but not limited to, the following three aspects: 1) Chemical engineering principles and unit operations in biological systems; 2) Process engineering principles for producing existing or developing new chemical products through living ‘devices';and 3) Chemical engineering processes and equipment that are designed and constructed through mimicking(does not have to reproduce one hundred percent) the biological systems including their physical–chemical and mechanical structures to deliver uniquely beneficial performances. This may also include the bio-inspired sensors for process monitoring. In this paper, the above aspects are defined and discussed which establishes the scope of BioChE.
文摘Unsteady-state operation has been widely applied in chemical engineering, such as optimizing a process, increasing yield and saving energy, etc. But the knowledge of the flow characteristics in bubble column reactors(BCRs) under unsteady state control is far from enough. In order to study the flow structures in this operation, the volume of fluid (VOF) model and the standard k-ε model to simulate the evolution of gas-liquid flow in BCRs under the start-up state are combined. For both the symmetry and asymmetry flow, the layout of the gas-inlets, the gas-in velocity, the liquid viscosity and the aspect ratio of the BCR all have effects on the liquid velocity distribution. The simulation results could provide some information for the design and scale-up of the BCRs.
文摘Curriculum system construction is the core of talent training plan and the key to school operations.This article carried on a more in-depth study and discussion to biological curriculum system construction project,described the four aspects characteristics of the curriculum,and discussed in the course of system integration, comprehensive and updated curriculum, bilingual education and the strengthening of the four areas to carry out comprehensive, innovative experiments.
基金Supported by the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China （2004CB619202） and the National Natural Science Foundation of China （50174034, 30170026）.
文摘A mathematical model for enargite bioleaching at 70℃ by Sulfolobus BC in shake-flasks has been constructed. The model included （1） the indirect leaching by Fe^3＋ and Fe^3＋ regeneration by suspended Sulfolobus, and （2） the direct leaching by the attached Sulfolobus. The model parameters were optimized using genetic algorithm （GA）. Simulations of the ferric leaching, and bioleaching processes were done using this model. The dynamic changes of the concentrations of Cu^2＋, As^3＋, As^5＋, Fe^3＋ and/or Fe^2＋, as well as ferric-arsenate precipitation were accurately predicted.
基金supported by the Laboratory Directed Research & Development program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
文摘We have adapted and characterized electrolysis reactors to complement the conversion of regional- and community-scale quantities of waste into fuel or chemicals, The overall process must he able to contend with a wide range of feedstocks, must he inherently safe, and should not rely on external facilities for co-reactants or heat rejection and supply, Our current approach is based on the upgrading of hio-oil produced by the hydrothermal liquefaction （HTL） of carbon-containing waste feedstocks, HTL can convert a variety of feedstocks into a bio-oil that requires much less upgrading than the products of other ways of deconstructing hiomass, We are now investigating the use of electrochemical processes for the further conversions needed to transform the hio-oil from HTL into fuel or higher value chemicals, We, and others, have shown that electrochemical reduction can offer adequate reaction rates and at least some of the nec- essary generality, In addition, an electrochemical reactor necessarily both oxidizes （removes electrons） on one side of the reactor and reduces （adds electrons） on the other side, Therefore, the two types of reac- tions could, in principle, he coupled to upgrade the hio-oil and simultaneously polish the water that is employed as a reactant and a carrier in the upstream HTL, Here, we overview a notional process, the possible conversion chemistry, and the economics of an HTL-electrochemical process,
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.50378082)the Key Project of Science and Technology Plan of Zhejiang Province (No.2004C23021),China
文摘A treatability study of industrial wastewater containing chlorinated nitroaromatic compounds （CNACs） by a catalytic ozonation process （COP） with a modified Mn/Co ceramic catalyst and an aerobic sequencing batch reactor （SBR） was investigated. A preliminary attempt to treat the diluted wastewater with a single SBR resulted in ineffective removal of the color, ammonia, total organic carbon （TOC） and chemical oxygen demand （COD）. Next, COP was applied as a pretreatment in order to obtain a bio-compatible wastewater for SBR treatment in a second step. The effectiveness of the COP pretreatment was assessed by evaluating wastewater biodegradability enhancement （the ratio of biology oxygen demand after 5 d （BOD5） to COD）, as well as monitoring the evolution of TOC, carbon oxidation state （COS）, average oxidation state （AOS）, color, and major pollutant concentrations with reaction time. In the COP, the catalyst preserved its catalytic properties even after 70 reuse cycles, exhibiting good durability and stability. The performance of SBR to treat COP effluent was also examined. At an organic loading rate of 2.0 kg COD/（m^3.d）, with hydraulic retention time （HRT）=10 h and temperature （30±2） ℃, the average removal efficiencies of NH3-N, COD, BOD5, TOC, and color in a coupled COP/SBR process were about 80%, 95.8%, 93.8%, 97.6% and 99.3%, respectively, with average effluent concentrations of 10 mg/L, 128 mg/L, 27.5 mg/L, 25.0 mg/L, and 20 multiples, respectively, which were all consistent with the national standards for secondary discharge of industrial wastewater into a public sewerage system （GB 8978-1996）. The results indicated that the coupling of COP with a biological process was proved to be a technically and economically effective method for treating industrial wastewater containing recalcitrant CNACs.
文摘In view of the problem of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is introduced to the diagnosis and evaluation of the clinical effect of hepatitis. A new diagnosis and evaluation model of the TCM clinical effect standard was presented. The old disputed evaluation model by subjective analysis can be displaced by this objective method in its evaluation system. The foundation of this method is the fuzzy diagnosis model. This method has been realized to diagnose hepatitis and its values in practice has been validated through examples of clinical syndromes of post-hepatitic cirrhosis.
