Organic waste can be enzymatically degraded by microbes. In this study, the Bacillus species were isolated from soil and identified as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus macquariensis, Bacillus brevis, and Bacillus circulans which were optimized considering pH (5, 7, 9) and temperature (37°C, 45°C, 55°C) for the maximum production of amylase, gelatinase, lipase, and cellulase, principally for the degradation of organic waste. The maximum production of amylase was found at 37°C with pH 7 and 9, gelatinase and lipase at 37°C with pH 5,7,9 by almost all identified species. Similarly, the production of cellulase was shown by Bacillus licheniformis only at 45°C, pH 5. The degradation was confirmed by the analysis of the solid content of degraded waste. The maximum degradation of starch and lipid-containing waste was shown by Bacillus macquariensis whereas Bacillus circulans were able to degrade gelatin-containing waste effectively. Bacillus species showed a synergistic effect in biodegradation. Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis used in ratios 1:1 and 1:2 were found to be effective degraders of lipid and starch-containing waste respectively. Bacillus macquariensis, Bacillus brevis, and Bacillus circulans used in ratio 1:1:1 showed effective degradation of gelatin-containing waste. The degradation of the organic waste by multi-enzyme producer Bacillus species can be the most effective and eco-friendly method and their optimization for enzyme production can be beneficial for commercial enzyme production as well as for biotechnological applications. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 10(2): 104-111.

With rapid population growth, unmanaged urbanization, and industrialization, the holy river Bagmati, has become one of the most contaminated water sources in Kathmandu, Nepal. As a result, the river has lost its capacity for self-purification and became ideal habitat for many pathogenic microorganisms such as E. coli, Salmonella, Vibrio, etc. The study aimed to perform the antibiogram profile of Salmonella species. According to the findings, Salmonella was identified in excessively polluted areas with sewage. Out of total 55 samples, 34.45% were Salmonella positive among which, 10.5% were found to be S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi, and the remaining 79% were found to be other S. enterica serovar. S. enterica serovar was detected in abundance from site B1. Site B2 yielded Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi isolates. Furthermore, Salmonella Paratyphi was isolated from Site B3. The water samples from Site B6 were proven to be Salmonella-free. Antibiotic Susceptibility Test was performed for the positive samples and all the serovars were found sensitive to Amikacin whereas least sensitive to Ampicillin i.e., 86.67%, 100%, and 50% resistant in case of other S. enterica serovar, S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi respectively. All the Salmonella species isolates were sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, Streptomycin, Ofloxacin, and Nitrofurantoin but 100 % resistant to Ampicillin. However, there is not a single data reported as Multi-Drug Resistant Salmonella species in this study. The study emphasized the use of effective treatments against the disease and addresses the health danger to people, animals, and many other living species living nearby the river.

Lignocellulosic biomasses (LCB), second-generation biofuels are used as an alternative means to cope with the burning issues of depleting fossil fuels like petroleum products with the added advantage of renewability, lower emission, and lesser pollution. For the increment in the production of LCB biofuels, microbial pre-treatment processes are conducted which accelerates the degradation of organic polymers like lignin and hemicellulose with the activity of potential microorganisms. To increase the efficiency of degradation of hemicellulose, hemicellulolytic fungi including Trichoderma and Aspergillus and other bacteria produce multi-enzymatic complexes like cellulosomes. Similarly, organisms like Tinea versicolor, Dichomitus squalens, Phlebia floridensis, Daedalea flavida, and Phlebia radiata contain lignin-degrading auxiliary enzymes and lignin modifying enzymes like laccase and heme-containing peroxidase which aid in delignification process. Several factors are associated with pre-treatment processes like the type of strain, inoculum load, pH, temperature, fatty acids, C/N ratio, time, aeration, grindability, surface area, particle size, and supplements added. To enhance the pretreatment method, the combination of microbial with physical, chemical, and mechanical methods is suggested which leads to a synergistic effect and better yield of the final product. Overall, biofuels should be more employed and this review aims to bring light to the microbial pre-treatment approaches which can aid in the efficient production of biofuels that can directly contribute to environmental sustainability.

The hematopoietic cells are multipotent primitive cells, which differentiate into either common myeloid and lymphoid progenitor. However, if there an abnormality in this process of differentiation, condition of leukemia arises, which is the 11th leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide in the year 2018. These abnormalities are brought about by array of mutations occurring at cellular level. According to the two-hit model hypothesis, key oncogenic events are classified into two classes: class I mutations and class II mutations. Class I  mutations are those that causes activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), FLT3, c-kit (KIT), and Ras signaling pathways thereby increasing proliferation rate of progenitor cells. Class II mutations include recurrent chromosomal abnormalities such as t(8; 21), inv(16), and t(15; 17), which result in fusion transcripts of RUNX1/ETO, CBF/MYH11, and PML/RAR, respectively that eventually impair hematopoietic differentiation. The factors associated with leukemia can be biological, chemical or socio-economical. The advancement in the researches on the topic have aided to the development of various technologies such as detection of DNMT3A and xenografts assays, in order to detect these mutations in pre-leukemic cells. This review aims to provide an introduction to the condition, its types and provide brief summary on genes and mutations responsible for the condition. The factors associated with leukemia and technologies involved in the detection of leukemia are also reviewed.