A cellulase-producing bacterium was isolated from soil and identified as Cellulomonas sp. YJ5. Maximal cellulase activity was obtained after 48 h of incubation at 30 degrees C in a medium containing 1.0% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), 1.0% algae powder, 1.0% peptone, 0.24% (NH4)2SO4, 0.20% K2HPO4, and 0.03% MgSO(4).7H2O. The cellulase was purified after Sephacryl S-100 chromatography twice with a recovery of 27.9% and purification fold of 17.5. It was, with N-terminal amino acids of AGTKTPVAK, stable at pH 7.5-10.5 and 20-50 degrees C with optimal pH and temperature of 7.0 and 60 degrees C, respectively. Cu2+, Fe2+, Hg2+, Cr3+, and SDS highly inhibited, but cysteine and beta-mercaptoethanol activated, its activity. Substrate specificity indicated it to be an endo-beta-1,4-glucanase.

The intricate interplay of Biochemistry with well-established disciplines often blurs the identity of the subject. The issues are many. What is biochemical education? Who should be educated? What should be taught? What should the requirements be for Biochemistry major? What is a career in Biochemistry? The curriculum, course syllabus and application of Biochemistry are ever-evolving concerns. The challenges are particularly keen in the USA due to the diversity in its teaching modes, and in the composition of the student body. The constant changes in technologies also shift the needs of skill and knowledge of the graduates. This presentation is to examine the Biochemistry degree programs in the USA, particularly the curricula of private and public research universities, contrasting them with those of the liberal arts colleges. The goal is to sense the trends of changes, probing how the challenges are met, and to solicit and formulate recommendations as we approach a new millennium.

No abstract

No abstract