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Metals and metalloids in soil could be transferred into reproductive organs and floral rewards of hyperaccumulator plants and influence their reproductive success, yet little is known whether non-hyperaccumulator plants can translocate heavy metals from soil into their floral organs and rewards (i.e., nectar and pollen) and, if so, whether plant reproduction will be affected. In our studies, summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L. cv. Golden Apple) was exposed to heavy-metal treatments during bud stage to investigate the translocation of soil-supplemented zinc, copper, nickel and lead into its floral organs (pistil, anther and nectary) and rewards (nectar and pollen) as well as floral metal accumulation effects on its reproduction. The results showed that metals taken up by squash did translocate into its floral organs and rewards, although metal accumulation varied depending on different metal types and concentrations as well as floral organ/reward types. Mean foraging time of honey bees to each male and female flower of squash grown in metal-supplemented soils was shorter relative to that of plants grown in control soils, although the visitation rate of honeybees to both male and female flowers was not affected by metal treatments. Pollen viability, pollen removal and deposition as well as mean mass per seed produced by metal-treated squash that received pollen from plants grown in control soils decreased with elevated soil-supplemented metal concentrations. The fact that squash could translocate soil-supplemented heavy metals into floral organs and rewards indicated possible reproductive consequences caused either directly (i.e., decreasing pollen viability or seed mass) or indirectly (i.e., affecting pollinators' visitation behavior to flowers) to plant fitness.

Trametes villosa Laccase (TVL) was immobilized through physical adsorption on SBA-15 mesoporous silica and the immobilized TVL was used in the oxidative coupling of trans-resveratrol. Higher loading and activity of the immobilized enzyme on SBA-15 were obtained when compared with the free enzyme. The effects of reaction conditions, such as buffer type, pH, temperature and substrate concentration were investigated, and the optimum conditions were screened and resulted in enzyme activity of up to 10.3 μmol/g·h. Furthermore, the oxidative couplings of the derivatives of trans-resveratrol were also catalyzed by immobilized TVL. The immobilized TVL was recyclable and could maintain 78% of its initial activity after reusing it four times.

Aeropyrum pernix esterase (APE1547) was successfully used to catalyze the enantioselective transesterification of (R/S)-2-methyl-1-butanol in an ionic liquid (IL). Effects of various reaction conditions on the synthetic activity of the enzyme as well as enantioselectivity, including the type of IL, acyl donor, temperature, water activity, and substrate molar ratio were inverstigated. APE1547 showed good catalytic performance (activity > 0.8 μmol/min/mg, E > 25), and the enzyme-IL mixture was recycled five times with only a slight decrease in catalytic performance.

The lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens (Lipase AK, AKL) was immobilized onto the magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles via hydrophobic interaction. Enzyme loading and immobilization yield were determined as 21.4 ± 0.5 mg/g and 49.2 ± 1.8 %, respectively. The immobilized AKL was successfully used for resolution of 2-octanol with vinyl acetate used as acyl donor. Effects of organic solvent, water activity, substrate ratio, and temperature were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the preferred isomer for AKL is the (R)-2-octanol and the highest enantioselectivity (E = 71.5 ± 2.2) was obtained with a higher enzyme activity (0.197 ± 0.01 μmol/mg/min). The results also showed that the immobilized lipase could be easily separated from reaction media by the magnetic steel and remained 89 % of its initial activity as well as the nearly unchanged enantioselectivity after five consecutive cycles, indicating a high stability in practical operation.