Welcome to the 31st IUBS General Assembly and Conference on ...

The anaerobic, <strong>the</strong>rmophilic <strong>and</strong> ethanogenic
bacterium Clostridium <strong>the</strong>rmocellum has great
potential for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) <strong>to</strong>
make a more cost effective production of biofuels.
However, its application is still hindered by obstacles
such as end‐product inhibition. In this study, <strong>the</strong> copy
number of β‐glucosidase A (bglA) in C. <strong>the</strong>rmocellum
27405 was increased by expression from shuttle
vec<strong>to</strong>r pIBglA in attempts <strong>to</strong> increase cellulase
production <strong>and</strong> ethanol titre by lowering <strong>the</strong>
end‐product inhibition of cellulose. Using a modified
electrotransformation pro<strong>to</strong>col C. <strong>the</strong>rmocellum
transformant (+MCbglA) harbouring pIBglA was
successfully produced. The β‐glucosidase activity of
+MCbglA was 2.3‐ <strong>and</strong> 1.6‐fold greater than wild‐type
(WT) during late log <strong>and</strong> stationary phases of growth.
Similarly, <strong>to</strong>tal cellulase activity of +MCbglA was
shown <strong>to</strong> be 1.7‐, 2.3‐ <strong>and</strong> 1.6‐fold greater than WT
during, log, late log <strong>and</strong> stationary phases of growth.
However, <strong>the</strong>re was no significant correlation found
between increased cellulase production <strong>and</strong> increased
ethanol titres for +MCbglA compared <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> WT. We
suggest <strong>to</strong>xic end‐products (i.e. ethanol, actetate <strong>and</strong>
lactate) interfere with increased ethanol production.
None<strong>the</strong>less, we successfully increased <strong>to</strong>tal cellulase
activity by increased expression of bglA <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>reby
increased <strong>the</strong> productivity of C.<strong>the</strong>rmocellum during
<strong>the</strong> hydrolysis stage in CBP. Our work may also lend
insights in<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> complex metabolism of
C.<strong>the</strong>rmocellum for future improvement of this strain
in ethanol production.
Conservation of high altitude biodiversity at
<strong>the</strong> battlefield of India
Aishwarya MAHESHWARI
WWF‐India, 172‐B, Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003, India. Email:
amaheshwari@wwfindia.net
First base‐line surveys were conducted in Kargil, Ladakh
<strong>to</strong> document <strong>the</strong> occurrence <strong>and</strong> distribution of large
carnivores <strong>and</strong> presence of snow leopard confirmed from
<strong>the</strong> battlefield of India. Direct sightings were made of
snow leopard (n=1) <strong>and</strong> Tibetan wolf (n=2) <strong>and</strong>
associated species. Along 13 transects, habitat use by
<strong>the</strong>se carnivores was assessed through direct <strong>and</strong>
indirect evidence. Snow leopard used <strong>the</strong> eastern aspect
(n=11) significantly more (χ² = 9.18, P< 0.05) than
nor<strong>the</strong>rn (n=2) <strong>and</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn (n=3). The eastern aspect
was found significantly different. Very broken terrain
(n=13) was used more than smooth (n=2) <strong>and</strong> level
surface (n=1); <strong>and</strong> this difference was significant (χ² =
16.73, P< 0.05). The steep slopes (n=11) were used
more than middle (n=3) <strong>and</strong> lower (n=2). There was a
significant difference in <strong>the</strong> use of various slopes (χ² =
7.67, P< 0.05). Habitat use by Tibetan wolf was assessed
<strong>and</strong> found that <strong>the</strong>re was no significant difference in
<strong>the</strong> use of aspect (χ² = 2.43, P> 0.05). Similarly, <strong>the</strong>re
was no significant difference in use of various
l<strong>and</strong>forms i.e. not significant (χ² = 4.5, P> 0.05). Even
use of various slopes was not found significantly
different (χ² = 2.32, P> 0.05). Eight vantage points were
selected for estimating abundance of prey species;
overall density estimated 0.09/km² for Asiatic ibex <strong>and</strong>
for Ladakh urial 0.06/km² in areas surveyed of Kargil.
Cy<strong>to</strong>genetic assessment of cancer risk in
oral pre­malignant lesions of smokeless
<strong>to</strong>bacco users
Ch<strong>and</strong>irasekar RAMACHANDRAN
Department of Zoology Bharathiar University Coimba<strong>to</strong>re
641046, India. Email: genech<strong>and</strong>ru@gmail.com
Tobacco use is one of <strong>the</strong> leading <strong>and</strong> preventable
causes of morbidity <strong>and</strong> mortality in <strong>the</strong> world. It is
estimated that around 4.9 million deaths occur annually
due <strong>to</strong> <strong>to</strong>bacco, <strong>and</strong> expected <strong>to</strong> rise about 10 million by
2030. It substantiates that <strong>to</strong>bacco will cause more
deaths in <strong>the</strong> next 30 years than malaria, tuberculosis,
maternal <strong>and</strong> major childhood diseases all <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r,
<strong>to</strong>bacco‐related deaths are expected <strong>to</strong> occur in <strong>the</strong>
developing countries. Tobacco chemicals are <strong>to</strong>xic <strong>to</strong>
DNA that plays a key role in initiation <strong>and</strong> promotion of
oral cancer. We analyzed <strong>the</strong> cy<strong>to</strong>genetic <strong>and</strong> gene
polymorphism in <strong>the</strong> smokeless <strong>to</strong>bacco users <strong>and</strong>
associated it with cy<strong>to</strong>genetic parameters.
Underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>the</strong> biology of oral carcinogenesis using
premalignant lesions will yield important advances for
detecting high‐risk patients, moni<strong>to</strong>ring preventive
interventions <strong>and</strong> assessing cancer risk. The result of
our study revealed that <strong>to</strong>bacco users displayed varied
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