Background The entomopathogenic fungi are important microbial agents for their efficient performance as microbial biopesticides in pest control. The development of commercial products formulated with entomopathogenic fungi is in a promising market for biopesticides. However, the fungi can lose their viability when exposed to unfavorable conditions of temperature, humidity and ultraviolet radiat...

Bacterial isolates are often transported between laboratories for research and diagnostic purposes. Silica desiccant packets (SDPs), which are inexpensive and do not require freezing, were evaluated for storage and recovery of bacterial isolates. Conditions such as inoculum size, swab type and temperature of storage were investigated using ten Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates. The optimized pr...

With the aim of determining radon content in high humidity zones a two-step radon measuring device has been designed. The first step contains a certain amount of silica-gel as a desiccant agent, and the second one contains an activated charcoal specially adapted for radon adsorption. Both stages are modular, so that an analysis of both humidity and radon distribution can be made. For its design...

In inorganic 5,50-azobistetrazolate (C2N10 2 ; ZT) compounds, the energetic ZT moiety is usually stabilized by H-bonds to lattice H2O and/or coordination of an N-atom of the tetrazole ring to the metal ion. Here we present the synthesis and characterization of a novel, salt-like compound, [Dy(H2O)8]2ZT3, which constitutes a unique exception to the above rule. We used supercritical CO2 as an unc...

Protective mechanisms of casein-based microcapsules containing mannitol on Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris, changes in their secondary protein structures, and glass transition of the microcapsules were studied after sprayor freeze-drying and after 10 wk of storage in aluminum foil pouches containing different desiccants (NaOH, LiCl, or silica gel) at 25°C. An in s...

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are obligate parasites of insects. EPNs generally have a broad host range, easily mass reared, and can kill some insects within 48 h. safe for vertebrates, plants, other non-target organisms. However, disadvantages that make them less effective against foliar insect pests such as sensitivity to desiccation, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, high temperatures. The goa...

This paper describes a microfluidic device for dry preservation of biological specimens at room temperature that incorporates chemical stabilization matrices. Long-term stabilization of samples is crucial for remote medical analysis, biosurveillance, and archiving, but the current paradigm for transporting remotely obtained samples relies on the costly "cold chain" to preserve analytes within b...

^ In most laboratories in the North American Continent and in England, the older methods of Maintaining bacterial cultures by constant subculturing in suitable media have of recent years been largely superseded by the method of rapid freezing and dehydration in vacuo. As early as 1896, Martin suggested the possibility and Procedure involved in the preservation of guinea-pig complement in the dr...