Engineering of Bioenergy Crops: Dominant Genetic Approaches to Improve Polysaccharide Properties and Composition in Biomass.

Large-scale, sustainable production of lignocellulosic bioenergy from biomass will depend on a variety of dedicated bioenergy crops. Despite their great genetic diversity, prospective bioenergy crops share many similarities in the polysaccharide composition of their cell walls, and the changes needed to optimize them for conversion are largely universal. Therefore, biomass modification strategies that do not depend on genetic background or require mutant varieties are extremely valuable. Due to their preferential fermentation and conversion by microorganisms downstream, the ideal bioenergy crop should contain a high proportion of C6-sugars in polysaccharides like cellulose, callose, galactan, and mixed-linkage glucans. In addition, the biomass should be reduced in inhibitors of fermentation like pentoses and acetate. Finally, the overall complexity of the plant cell wall should be modified to reduce its recalcitrance to enzymatic deconstruction in ways that do no compromise plant health or come at a yield penalty. This review will focus on progress in the use of a variety of genetically dominant strategies to reach these ideals. Due to the breadth and volume of research in the field of lignin bioengineering, this review will instead focus on approaches to improve polysaccharide component plant biomass. Carbohydrate content can be dramatically increased by transgenic overexpression of enzymes involved in cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis. Additionally, the recalcitrance of the cell wall can be reduced via the overexpression of native or non-native carbohydrate active enzymes like glycosyl hydrolases or carbohydrate esterases. Some research in this area has focused on engineering plants that accumulate cell wall-degrading enzymes that are sequestered to organelles or only active at very high temperatures. The rationale being that, in order to avoid potential negative effects of cell wall modification during plant growth, the enzymes could be activated post-harvest, and post-maturation of the cell wall. A potentially significant limitation of this approach is that at harvest, the cell wall is heavily lignified, making the substrates for these enzymes inaccessible and their activity ineffective. Therefore, this review will only include research employing enzymes that are at least partially active under the ambient conditions of plant growth and cell wall development

The dream of ever-closer union is over. We need to rethink the EU’s model

The prize the EU offered – a single market offering opportunities to all – is increasingly at odds with people’s lived experience, says Henrik Scheller. But despite Brexit, established parties continue to push for more integration. Likewise, academic thinking is struggling to escape the dream of ever-closer union. We must start asking ourselves which model of society and the market could win public support

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymer for glucose binding

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) is an attractive technique for the synthesis of highly selective polymeric receptors having artificial generated recognition sites. These materials were synthesized with polymerizable functional monomers and crosslinker that were surrounded around the template molecule. After polymerization, a template molecule was removed leaving in the polymer selective recognition sites with shape, size and functionalities complementary to the template. This study presents a synthesis of MIP selectively for glucose binding. Glucose phosphate salt (GPS) was used as a template molecule with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAA.HCl) as a functional monomer. Three types of crosslinkers which are epichlorohydrin (EPI), ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EDGE) and glycerol diglycidyl ether (GDE) were studied during the MIP synthesis. MIP prepared using EPI as a crosslinking showed the highest glucose binding capacity around 0.84 mg glucose/mg dried gel. The binding capacity of MIP prepared using EGDE and GDE are 0.78 mg glucose/mg gel and 0.38 mg glucose/mg gel respectively. It is also found that the increase on GPS monomer concentration will contribute to increase in glucose bindin

X-ray diffraction analysis and in vitro characterization of the UAM2 protein from Oryza sativa

The role of seemingly non-enzymatic proteins in complexes interconverting UDP-arabinopyranose and UDP-arabinofuranose (UDP-arabinosemutases; UAMs) in the plant cytosol remains unknown. To shed light on their function, crystallographic and functional studies of the seemingly non-enzymatic UAM2 protein from Oryza sativa (OsUAM2) were undertaken. Here, X-ray diffraction data are reported, as well as analysis of the oligomeric state in the crystal and in solution. OsUAM2 crystallizes readily but forms highly radiation-sensitive crystals with limited diffraction power, requiring careful low-dose vector data acquisition. Using size-exclusion chromatography, it is shown that the protein is monomeric in solution. Finally, limited proteolysis was employed to demonstrate DTT-enhanced proteolytic digestion, indicating the existence of at least one intramolecular disulfide bridge or, alternatively, a requirement for a structural metal ion

Adding value by national reporting to sustainability approaches of the local-regional level: The case of Germany

Global socio-environmental challenges and local impacts, global agendas, and local implementation: multi-level governance has never been more important – or more complex. To keep track of progress and the challenges in sustainable urban development, monitoring systems at all levels are at different stages of development and in need of harmonisation. In this context, national reporting can link the global level with the local one by identifying and reviewing framework conditions, and setting indicator and data standards for cities, counties, and municipalities. This raises questions about the awareness of different issues, resource imbalances and, not least, the effectiveness of standardised monitoring. This paper provides valuable insights into the lessons learned from the preparation of the first national progress report on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The reflections could support further governance and monitoring efforts not only at the national level but also across all levels

Plant Glycosyltransferases Beyond CAZy: A Perspective on DUF Families

The carbohydrate active enzyme (CAZy) database is an invaluable resource for glycobiology and currently contains 45 glycosyltransferase families that are represented in plants. Glycosyltransferases (GTs) have many functions in plants, but the majority are likely to be involved in biosynthesis of polysaccharides and glycoproteins in the plant cell wall. Bioinformatic approaches and structural modeling suggest that a number of protein families in plants include GTs that have not yet been identified as such and are therefore not included in CAZy. These families include proteins with domain of unknown function (DUF) DUF23, DUF246, and DUF266. The evidence for these proteins being GTs and their possible roles in cell wall biosynthesis is discussed

Defizite bei der Bewältigung der Finanzkrise 2008/2009 und ihrer Folgen

In den vergangenen drei Jahren wurden umfangreiche Gesetzespakete in jeweils kürzester Frist von Bundestag und Bundesrat verabschiedet, um die Folgen der Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise fiskalpolitisch abzufedern. Die Art und Weise des politischen Krisenmanagements wird nicht nur zu einer Machtverschiebung im Verhältnis zwischen Legislative, Exekutive und Judikative führen, sondern durch eine Vertikalisierung der föderalen Finanzarchitektur auch den Bund gegenüber den Ländern stärken

Auf dem Weg zum fiskalischen Kontrollföderalismus? Leitbilder und Argumentationslinien als Verhandlungsrestriktionen im neuen Finanzausgleichsdiskurs

Als Folge der globalen Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise bestimmen Fragen der öffentlichen Verschuldung bis heute nahezu täglich die politische und mediale Debatte. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird mit Hilfe einer Diskursanalyse aufgezeigt, dass eine Vielzahl der Argumente aus diesem Kontext inzwischen auch in die neu angelaufene Diskussion über eine Reform des Finanzausgleichs zwischen Bund und Ländern "eingewandert" ist. Der Beitrag untersucht deshalb zum einen, von wem dieser neue Konnex wie argumentativ konstruiert wird. Zum anderen wird der Frage nach den Intentionen und Wirkungen dieser thematischen Verknüpfung nachgegangen. Dabei wird argumentiert, dass das neue finanz- und haushaltspolitische "Kontrollparadigma" nicht nur der im Grundgesetz normierten Logik des Finanzausgleichs zwischen Bund und Ländern entgegensteht. Vielmehr konterkariert es auch die Forderung nach einer grundlegenden Neuausrichtung der föderalen Transferströme innerhalb und außerhalb des Finanzausgleichssystems.Due to the global financial and economic crisis, matters of public debt are still a topic of daily political and media debates. Based on a discourse analysis this contribution wants to show that a large number of arguments from this context has now "migrated" into the newly discussion on a reform of the fiscal equalization scheme in Germany. For that purpose, the article examines by whom of the Bund’s and the Lander’s protagonists this new nexus is constructed in which way. Beyond, it is focusing possible intentions and impacts of this discursive linkage. The new "control paradigm" - so the main thesis - contravenes not only the logic of the fiscal equalization scheme as stipulated in the Basic Law. It rather contradicts demands for a fundamental reform of the federal transfer streams within and outside the equalization system

Open Data in German Municipalities – Between Added Value and Legit Concerns?

The corona pandemic has shown that open data can have an added value for cities in dealing with the global pandemic. In May 2020, we conducted a municipal survey in which officials responsible for data coordination and publication in cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants stated that open data could have an advantage in combating the corona pandemic, for example by informing its citizens and providing local open data to a wider public. Despite these positive assessments, the provision and use of open data in Germany still varies greatly in German municipalities. Against this background, the paper highlights the different perspectives of cities and municipalities on the topic of open data, including: (1) assessments of the opportunities and risks of open data in the municipality, (2) references to the political factors that have favoured or hindered the provision of open data, and (3) desired support for municipalities to conceptualize and implement their own open data strategy. Our research aims to provide suggestions for and perspectives on why the municipal level in Germany finds it so difficult to implement innovative approaches to data management as part of their digitization efforts

Die Reform des Bund-Länder-Finanzausgleichs - eine never ending story?

Der Finanzausgleich zwischen Bund und Ländern steht in regelmäßigen Abständen auf der politischen Agenda. Politische Verhandlungen dazu weisen einen fast schon vorhersagbaren Verlauf auf. Während die Geberländer sich durch die jährlichen Ausgleichspflichten über Gebühr belastet sehen, verweisen die Nehmerländer auf den in der Verfassung verankerten Grundsatz der "Herstellung gleichwertiger Lebensverhältnisse im gesamten Bundesgebiet". Der Beitrag stellt die verfassungsrechtlichen Grundlagen des Ausgleichssystems dar