We present a patterning method for hierarchically aligned assembly of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) using a combination of the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique and soft lithography. The LB technique allows one to control the alignment and the surface density of SWNTs by adjusting surface pressure of the film at the air-water interface. The aligned SWNT Langmuir films are successfully transferred onto the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or silicon substrate with unidirectional alignment, and SWNT patterns with various shapes are fabricated on silicon and flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates by contacting and peeling off the PDMS stamp from the substrates via microcontact printing or lift-up methods. The SWNT patterning technique using the combination of soft lithography and the LB method can be applied in various fields, such as flexible high-speed transistors, high-efficiency solar cells, and transparent electrodes.

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The antimicrobial resistance of food-borne pathogenic bacteria, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, has been reported globally, warranting the need to identify promising alternative antibiotics such as endolysins that originate from bacteriophages. In our previous study, we characterized a bacteriophage infecting V. parahaemolyticus, vB_VpaP_KF2, at the molecular level. In this study, an open reading frame encoding putative endolysin was cloned from the complete genome data and expressed in the Escherichia coli expression system. The recombinant endolysin, vB_VpaP_KF2_Lys, exhibited a novel lytic property against Gram-negative bacteria regardless of pretreatment with an outer-membrane permeabilizer. It was also stable over a wide range of temperatures, pH, and NaCl concentrations, and its hydrolytic spectrum was broader than that of the parent bacteriophage. From the results, vB_VpaP_KF2_Lys could be used as a biocontrol agent against food-borne pathogens in the field of food safety.

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-T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin, belong to type A trichothecences, are the most toxic mycotoxins among the trichothecene family. These mycotoxins are commonly found in cereals such as maize, wheat, barley, oats and rice, and their occurrence in food can be of concern. This review investigated the current trends of patents and researches on T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin pertaining to natural occurrence, toxicity, metabolism, risk assessment, analytical and screening methods, and reduction/detoxification techniques. As compared with other Fusarium mycotoxins, there are limited data for natural occurrence and risk assessment, and regulatory limit and official analytical methods on T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin in domestic and foreign countries. In particular, selective deacetylation at the C3 and/or C4 positions of T-2 toxin by carboxyesterase present in foods was reported to cause the disappearance of T-2 and the extremely high HT-2 recoveries. Currently, regulatory limits for T-2 and HT-2 are under discussion in EU. For enforcement purposes it is essential to have available precise and reliable analytical methods applicable at the regulatory levels for the T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin and relevant commodities. In addition, a further study on natural occurrence, risk assessment and reduction/detoxification techniques will be recommended.