Cellulose producing bacterial strain was isolated from citrus fruit juice fungus. The isolated strain was identified as sp. gel_SEA623-2 based on several morphological characteristics, biochemical tests, and 16S rRNA conducted. Culture conditions for bacterial cellulose production by SEA623-2 were screened in static trays. Conditions were extensively optimized by varying the kind of fruit juice, pH, sugar concentration, and temperature for maximum cellulose production. SEA623-2 has a high productive capacity in citrus processing medium, but not in other fruits. The optimal combination of the media constituents for bacterial cellulose production is as follows: 10% citrus juice, 10% sucrose, 1% acetic acid, and 1% ethanol at 30 °C, pH 3.5. Bacterial cellulose produced by SEA623-2 has soft physical properties, high tensile strength, and high water retention value. The cellulose produced by the selected bacteria is suitable as a cosmetic and medical material.

Background: Hibernating bats exhibit ubiquitous winter activity in temperate zones, but there is considerable between-and within-species variety in their intensity and purpose. Bats may fly during winter for sustenance or travel to other hibernacula. This study compared inter-regional variation in the winter activity of the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum). We predicted that weather and hibernacula-environmental conditions would influence winter activity patterns. Results: Winter activity patterns differed between regions. In the Anseong area, we confirmed movement inside the hibernaculum, but in Hampyeong, we observed movement both inside and between hibernacula. The two regions differ by 4°C in average winter temperatures. Anseong experiences 22 days during which average daily temperatures exceeded 5°C, whereas Hampyeong experienced 50 such days. During the hibernating period, bat body weight decreased by approximately 17-20% in both regions. Conclusions: Ambient temperatures and winter-roost environments appear to be behind regional differences in hibernating bat activity. As winter temperatures in Korea do not favor insect activity, feeding probability is low for bats. However, bats may need to access water. At Anseong, underground water flows inside the hibernaculum when the reservoir outside is frozen. At Hampyeong, the hibernaculum does not contain a water source, but the reservoir outside does not freeze during winter. In conclusion, water-source location is the most likely explanation for regional variation in the winter activity of hibernating bats.

Background: Ikonnikov's whiskered bat (Myotis ikonnikovi) is found throughout the Korean Peninsula, as well as in Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, China, and Japan. It is small-sized and primarily inhabits old-growth forests. The decrease and fragmentation of habitats due to increased human activity may influence the genetic structure of bat populations. This study was designed to elucidate the population genetic structure of M. ikonnikovi using mitochondrial genes (cytochrome oxidase I and cytochrome b). Results:The results showed that M. ikonnikovi populations from Korea have high genetic diversity. Although genetic differentiation was not detected for the COI gene, strong genetic differentiation of the Cytb gene between Mt. Jeombong and Mt. Jiri populations was observed. Moreover, the results indicated that the gene flow of the maternal lineage may be limited.Conclusions: This study is the first to identify the genetic population structure of M. ikonnikovi. We suggest that conservation of local populations is important for sustaining the genetic diversity of the bat, and comprehensive studies on factors causing habitat fragmentation are required.

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The Eurasian oystercatcher ( Haematopus ostralegus ), Near Threatened in the IUCN red list, was designated classified endangered species II by the Ministry of Environment of Korea and a Natural Monument (No. 326) by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (16,798 bp) of H. ostralegus was determined for the first time, including 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 1 non-coding region. The overall base composition was A (31.4%), C (31.3%), G (13.8%), and T (23.5%), so the percentage of A and T (54.9%) was slightly higher than that of G and C. A phylogenetic analysis using concatenated mitogenomes revealed that the family Haematopodidae has a closer relationship with the family Recurvirostridae and H. ostralegus and H. ater clustered together. The results are expected to provide useful resources for species identification and further phylogenetic studies of genus Haematopus .