This paper presents a case study of several DNAPL contaminated sites around the Severn Estuary (UK) where a combination of detailed observations, core dissections and physicochemical characterisation of alluvial clay–silt horizons have revealed the presence of fossil rootlet biopores which act and have the potential to act as conduits for contaminant migration through up to 13 m of clay–silt. T...

Solubility is a critical component of physicochemical characterisation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and an important parameter in their risk assessments. Standard testing methodologies are needed to estimate the dissolution behaviour and biodurability (half-life) of ENMs in biological fluids. The effect of pH, particle size and crystal form on dissolution behaviour of zinc metal, ZnO and ...

Characterisation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) represents an ongoing challenge due to their diverse 3-dimensional structures that can affect their stability, immunogenicity and/or toxicity. Although circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy provides rapid determinations of protein secondary structure in solutions, there is a pressing need for an improvement in current practices in applying the tec...

Thirty isolated fungal strains were screened for lipase production using Phenol Red plates, containing tributyrin as lipidic substrate, and a novel fungus identified genetically as Curvularia sp. DHE 5 was found as the most prominent strain. Various agro-industrial substrates were evaluated as inert supports for lipase production in solid-state fermentation. The highest yield of lipase ((83.4±2...

A microemulsion system containing Thai mango seed kernel extract (MSKE, cultivar "Fahlun") was developed and characterised for the purpose of topical skin delivery. The MSKE-loaded microemulsions were prepared by using the spontaneous emulsification method. Isopropyl myristate (IPM) was selected as the oil phase. A polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate and sorbitan monododecanoate (1:1, w/w) syst...

In this study, a number of abhesion promoting coatings were considered in terms of their physicochemical and release properties. The techniques used to further this study include; FEGSEM, AFM, profilometry, AFM, XPS, AES, SSIMS, FTIR and contact angle analysis for coating physical and chemical characterisation along with PF-AFM and other adhesion and mechanical tests to determine surface releas...

Nanotechnology is of increasing significance. Curation of nanomaterial data into electronic databases offers opportunities to better understand and predict nanomaterials' behaviour. This supports innovation in, and regulation of, nanotechnology. It is commonly understood that curated data need to be sufficiently complete and of sufficient quality to serve their intended purpose. However, assess...

The aim of this study was to determine the occurrences of the group A rotavirus (RVA), norovirus (NoV) and human adenovirus (HAdV) in the surface waters of an urban lagoon (Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon) in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During one year of surveillance, water samples were obtained from the lagoon and other interconnected ecosystems (river and beach). The samples were concentra...

Molecular function in cellular processes is governed by protein-protein interactions (PPIs) within biological networks. Selective yet specific association of these protein partners contributes to diverse functionality such as catalysis, regulation, assembly, immunity, and inhibition in a cell. Therefore, understanding the principles of protein-protein association has been of immense interest fo...