Background: Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) belongs to the Alphavirus group. Several species of this family are also pathogenic to humans and are recognized as potential agents of biological warfare and terrorism. The objective of this work was the generation of recombinant antibodies for the detection of VEEV after a potential bioterrorism assault or an natural outbreak of VEEV.

A biotechnological process concept for generation and in situ separation of natural β-ionone from β-carotene is presented. The process employs carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs), a plant-derived iron-containing nonheme enzyme family requiring only dissolved oxygen as cosubstrate and no additional cofactors. Organophilic pervaporation was found to be very well suited for continuous in situ separation of β-ionone. Its application led to a highly pure product despite the complexity of the reaction solution containing cell homogenates. Among three different pervaporation membrane types tested, a polyoctylmethylsiloxane active layer on a porous polyetherimide support led to the best results. A laboratory-scale demonstration plant was set up, and a highly pure aqueous-ethanolic solution of β-ionone was produced from β-carotene. The described process permits generation of high-value flavor and fragrance compounds bearing the desired label "natural" according to US and European food and safety regulations and demonstrates the potential of CCD enzymes for selective oxidative cleavage of carotenoids.

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Producing drinking water from raw waters like river bank filtrate nowadays requires the safe removal of ever new emerging organic substances. At present, in Germany perfluorinated organic compounds are heavily discussed. When it comes to trace organics removal, reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) are alternatives to conventional bank filtrate treatment technologies like ozonation and activated carbon adsorption. However, the trace organics removal capabilities of dense membranes are still under investigation. Questions about concentrate disposal strategies are still open. The paper presents results from lab-scale and pilot studies which were conducted for the project planning of a 1,100 m3/h NF plant treating river Rhine bank filtrate. Membranes from loose NF to dense RO were investigated spiking the raw waters with trace organic substances which usually pass the soil passage and to some extent even the conventional treatment process. The results showed high retention capabilities of the more dense membranes, even under ageing conditions.