Search Results (398)

Duckweeds are small, fast-growing aquatic plants with high starch and protein content, making them promising candidates for next-generation plant biomass resources. Despite their importance, little is known about their interactions with microorganisms, particularly plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), which play key roles in enhancing plant productivity. In this study, we report the plant growth-promoting effects of strain LA-C6, a member of the phylum Armatimonadota, isolated from duckweed fronds. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis, this strain represents a novel genus-level lineage, and is referred to as Fimbriimonadaceae bacterium strain LA-C6. In axenic co-culture experiments, strain LA-C6 promoted duckweed growth, increasing the frond proliferation of four duckweed species (Lemna minor, Lemna aequinoctialis, Spirodela polyrhiza, and Landoltia punctata) by 1.8- to 4.0-fold compared with uninoculated controls. Importantly, three other phylogenetically distinct Armatimonadota species also exhibited significant plant growth-promoting effects on L. minor, increasing frond number by up to 2.3-fold and dry weight by up to 2.4-fold. This finding highlights the broader potential of diverse Armatimonadota members as PGP bacteria. A survey of the IMNGS database showed that strain LA-C6 and other Armatimonadota species are widely distributed across diverse plant-associated environments. Biochemical assays and gene prediction analyses revealed that strain LA-C6 produces indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) as a representative PGP trait, whereas no additional PGP-associated traits were detected. These results suggest that diverse bacterial lineages within the phylum Armatimonadota exert growth-promoting effects on aquatic plants, potentially through yet-to-be-identified mechanisms. Full article

Natural laccase is an environmentally friendly biocatalyst in the degradation of a broad range of toxic pollutants because its catalysis reaction does not require or produce toxic reactants and byproducts. However, its inherent limitations, such as operational sensitivity, poor stability, and difficulty in recovery/reusability, have significantly restricted its practical environmental applications. Consequently, in recent years, researchers have focused on the development of sustainable catalysts to mimic natural laccase. This review focuses on biomolecule-based laccase mimics, which are derived from nucleotides, nucleic acids, amino acids, peptides, and proteins, summarizing their environmental applications. These biomolecule-based laccase mimics not only overcome the limitations of natural laccase by offering advantages such as high stability, ease of recycling, and long-term storage but also exhibit excellent biodegradability, making them green and sustainable catalytic materials. This study aims to present recent progress in biomolecule-based laccase mimics, as well as their challenges, and to offer future directions in laccase-like catalysts for environmental applications. Full article

Prenylated aromatic compounds (PACs) are widely distributed in nature and have important applications in medicine, cosmetics, and food due to their antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities as well as role in the prevention of neurological diseases. Traditional methods of PAC production such as plant extraction and chemical synthesis remain constrained by the low content of these compounds in plants and the complexity of the chemical processes. PACs are synthesized from aromatic compound receptors and prenyl side chain donors, which are in turn synthesized via the shikimate pathway and 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate/mevalonic acid pathways, respectively. Increasing exploration and research on prenyltransferases (PTs), the key enzymes involved in PAC biosynthesis, have facilitated the emergence of microbial synthesis of PACs as a promising alternative to industrial production. The microbial biosynthesis of PACs is summarized herein, mainly from the perspective of screening and modification of the key enzymes PTs, selection of suitable host systems, and engineering the modification of microbial cell factories to enhance the yields of PACs. The future prospects and challenges of PAC biosynthesis are also discussed. Full article

Keratinous biomass, such as feathers, wool, and hair, poses environmental challenges due to its insoluble and recalcitrant nature. In this study, we identified, purified and comprehensively characterized a previously uncharacterized extracellular alkaline keratinase, KerFJ, secreted by Bacillus sp. FJ-3-16, with broad industrial application potential. KerFJ was produced at high yield (1800 U/mL) in an optimized cost-effective medium and purified to homogeneity using ion-exchange chromatography. The enzyme exhibited optimal activity at pH 9.5 and 55 °C, with remarkable alkaline and thermal stability, and high tolerance to surfactants, oxidants, and metal ions. Sequence analysis revealed that KerFJ is a member of the serine peptidase S8 family, with a molecular weight of ~27.5 kDa. It efficiently degraded native keratin substrates, achieving 70.3 ± 2.1% feather, 39.7 ± 1.8% wool, and 15.4 ± 1.2% hair degradation, and the resulting feather hydrolysates exhibited strong antioxidant activities. KerFJ also demonstrated excellent compatibility with commercial detergents and enabled effective stain removal from fabrics without damage. Moreover, both laboratory- and pilot-scale trials showed that KerFJ facilitated non-destructive dehairing of sheep, donkey, and pig skins while preserving collagen integrity. These results highlight KerFJ as a robust and multifunctional biocatalyst suitable for keratin waste valorization, eco-friendly leather processing, and detergent formulations. Full article

Rice is one of the most important staple foods for the human population, necessitating continuous monitoring for mycotoxin risk in particular in the sub-tropical area, such as India. In the present study, a total of eighty-one samples comprising brown (n = 36) and polished (white) rice (n = 45) intended for direct human consumption were collected from markets across various districts of Tamil Nadu, India, and analysed for ochratoxin A (OTA) and fungal contamination. Aspergillus ochraceus, an ochratoxigenic fungus belonging to Aspergillus section Circumdati, exhibits optimal growth and OTA production at temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 30 °C. Among the fungal isolates, Aspergillus niger and A. ochraceus were the most prevalent, occurring in 50 out of 81 samples (62%). A. ochraceus demonstrated a significantly higher OTA-producing capacity compared to A. niger, with an OTA concentration range of 12.3–196.8 µg/kg and 0.2–2.8 µg/kg. Chemical analysis of fifty fungal-contaminated market rice samples revealed that 76% (38/50) were contaminated with OTA. Further, detectable levels of OTA were observed in 83% of brown rice and 69% of polished rice samples, with the highest frequency falling within the range of 1–<3 µg/kg. However, none of the tested rice samples exceeded the acceptable OTA threshold set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) (20 µg/kg), with all concentrations falling below the national regulatory limit. This study represents further insight into OTA exposure in rice, with greater concern regarding brown rice than white rice, and emphasizes the necessity of implementing sound and safe storage practices, effective management strategies, and continuous monitoring programs to prevent OTA contamination throughout the Indian rice supply chain. Full article

Human stem cell research is entering a stage where disease modeling, translational applications, and clinical therapies are increasingly connected. This editorial provides an overview of the contributions included in this Special Issue, titled “Human Stem Cells in Disease Modelling and Treatment”, placing them within the wider landscape of stem cell science. We summarize advances in ovarian stem cells for infertility, mesenchymal stem cells for neurodegeneration, pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiovascular and kidney organoids, adipose-derived stem cells, and emerging immunomodulatory and neural progenitor approaches. These studies illustrate the breadth of stem cell research and its potential to inform clinical practice. At the same time, challenges remain in reproducibility, safety, scalability, and ethical oversight. Looking forward, collaborative work and harmonized global standards will be important to bring laboratory findings into therapies that are safe, effective, and accessible. This editorial closes the first edition of the Special Issue with a reflection on current progress and directions for the future. Full article

Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is a photosynthetic microbe with high potential for capturing excessive atmospheric carbon while generating valuable bioproducts, like glucose. Current cultivation technologies remain expensive, closed-source, and poorly suited for downstream processing. This study presents a low-cost, open-source bioreactor platform with integrated modules for Synechocystis cultivation and glucose extraction. The system incorporates a photobioreactor, a lysis module, and a pressure-driven filtration setup. Optical density was continuously monitored using a custom-built module, and glucose was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Under an incident light intensity of approximately 400 $\mathsf{\mu }\mathrm{m}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{l}$${\mathrm{m}}^{-2}$${\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$, cultures reached a biomass productivity of 90 mg ${\mathrm{L}}^{-1}{\mathrm{day}}^{-1}$, with a specific growth rate of $0.166{\mathrm{day}}^{-1}$ and glucose concentrations up to $5.08$$\mathrm{m}\mathrm{g}{\mathrm{L}}^{-1}$. A model was developed to predict the growth based on measured environmental parameters, achieving a strong predictive accuracy with a mean absolute error and variance of $0.0009\pm 0.0003$. The system demonstrates up to 65% reduction in cost compared to commercial alternatives. This modular platform provides an accessible solution for biomanufacturing research and serves as a template for sustainable cyanobacteria-derived glucose production. Full article

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an important source of blood biomarkers and are emerging as next-generation therapeutics. Demonstrating the purity of isolated EVs is essential for applications ranging from proteomics-based biomarker discovery to biomanufacturing. In this study, we systematically evaluated multiple EV isolation methods for plasma and developed a scoring method to identify the approach best suited for proteomics. Methods: Commonly used enrichment techniques, including size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and precipitation-based methods, were compared against the starting plasma in terms of particle yield and size, proteomic overlap, depletion of abundant plasma proteins, and enrichment of EV markers and unique proteins. To enable rigorous purity assessment, we established a targeted parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mass spectrometry assay that quantified key EV markers and contaminant proteins across preparations. Results: Among the methods tested, SEC showed the greatest enrichment of EV markers and unique proteins, with the lowest level of contaminants, resulting in the highest overall purity scores. SEC also allowed for the detection of EV-free proteins. Other methods, by contrast, performed sub-optimally and were less reliable for proteomics-driven biomarker discovery. Conclusions: SEC provides the most EV-enriched plasma isolates for proteomics information, with minimal contamination from plasma proteins. The PRM-based purity scoring offers an objective means of benchmarking EV preparations and may help standardize EV isolation quality for both biomarker discovery and therapeutic manufacturing. Full article

Ginsenosides, the primary bioactive components of Panax ginseng, exhibit diverse pharmacological properties, ranging from anticancer to neuroprotective effects. However, traditional production by ginseng cultivation faces limitations due to extended growth cycles, insufficient yields, intricate extraction processes, and significant environmental dependencies. Synthetic biology and synthetic metabolic engineering offer promising alternatives for sustainable manufacturing of essential bioactive compounds, including ginsenosides. First, this review describes the ginsenoside biosynthesis pathways, emphasizing crucial enzymes (e.g., HMG-CoA reductase, squalene epoxidase, dammarenediol-II synthase, amyrin synthase, and various UDP-glycosyltransferases) and their regulatory networks. Understanding these fundamental pathways enables rational engineering of production systems. Second, it examines current synthetic biology approaches, encompassing plant cell, tissue, and hairy root cultures, engineered microbial hosts including Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli, and cell-free enzymatic synthesis. Third, it evaluates the medicinal significance, market prospects, and industrial feasibility of these biomanufactured compounds. Finally, it analyzes the sustainability of production models and explores the emerging potential of engineered plant chassis. These advanced methodologies directly address traditional agricultural constraints and establish a robust framework for future ginsenoside synthesis. Full article

Background/Objectives: Ulcerative colitis (UC) incidence has risen alarmingly worldwide, posing significant clinical challenges due to limitations of therapeutic efficacy and side effects of current drugs. While Polygonatum kingianum polysaccharides (PKPs) exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, their anti-colitis potential remains unexplored. This study aimed to validate the protective effects of PKPs against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and elucidate its mechanisms. Methods: Acute UC was induced in C57BL/6J mice by 3% DSS. PKPs (125 mg/kg) were administered via gavage for 10 days. Integrated approaches included histopathology, tight junction protein (ZO-1/Occludin/Claudin-1) immunohistochemistry, inflammatory/oxidative markers (ELISA), Nrf2 pathway proteins (Western blot), 16S rRNA gut microbiota sequencing, fecal untargeted metabolomics (UHPLC-MS), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) analysis and combined analysis. Results: PKPs significantly alleviated colitis phenotypes: reduced weight loss, lowered disease activity index (DAI), and attenuated colon shortening. They restored intestinal barrier integrity by upregulating tight junction proteins and reducing plasma Diamine Oxidase (DAO)/D-lactate (D-Lac)/Endotoxin (ET). PKPs suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α/IL-1β/IL-6) while elevating IL-10, activated the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 antioxidant pathway, and reduced oxidative stress (MDA decreased, SOD/GSH increased). Multi-omics revealed PKPs enriched beneficial bacteria (Blautia, Odoribacter, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group), restored SCFAs (acetate/propionate/butyrate), and modulated metabolic pathways (sphingolipid/linoleic acid metabolism). Conclusions: PKPs ameliorate DSS-induced colitis through multi-target mechanisms: (1) preserving intestinal barrier function, (2) suppressing inflammation and oxidative stress via Nrf2 activation, (3) restoring gut microbiota balance and SCFA production, and (4) regulating host-microbiota metabolic interactions. These findings support PKPs as a promising dietary supplement for UC management. Full article

Terpenoids, which are essential pharmaceutical compounds, encounter significant production challenges due to their low yields in native plants and associated ecological concerns. This review summarizes recent advances in metabolic engineering strategies applied across three complementary platforms: native medicinal plants, microbial systems, and heterologous plant hosts. We present how the “Genomic Insights to Biotechnological Applications” paradigm, supported by multi-omics technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and related disciplines, contributes to advancing research in this field. These technologies enable the systematic identification of key biosynthetic genes and regulatory networks. CRISPR-based tools, enzyme engineering, and subcellular targeting are presented as pivotal transformative strategies in advancing metabolic engineering approaches. Strategic co-expression and optimization approaches have achieved substantial improvements in product yields, as demonstrated by a 25-fold increase in paclitaxel production and a 38% enhancement in artemisinin yield. Persistent challenges, such as metabolic flux balancing, cytotoxicity, and scale-up economics, are discussed in conjunction with emerging solutions, including machine learning and photoautotrophic chassis systems. We conclude by proposing a strategic roadmap for industrial translation that highlights the essential integration of systems biology and synthetic biology approaches to accelerate the transition of terpenoid biomanufacturing from discovery to commercial-scale application. Full article

Developing efficient, clean, and sustainable lignocellulose pretreatment technologies is essential for second-generation biofuel production. In this study, we attempted to use downstream-separated binary acetone-water, n-butanol-water, and ethanol-water solutions as the initial liquor for upstream organosolv pulping, in order to achieve the efficient and economic closed-circuit clean fractionation of the lignocelluloses for biological acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) production. Parameters, including concentration and temperature of the organosolv pulping, were optimized systematically. Results indicated that the 50 wt% ethanol and 30 wt% acetone aqueous solutions and pulping at 200 °C for 1 h exhibited better corn stover fractionation performances with higher fermentable sugar production. The total monosaccharide recovery (including glucose and xylose) was 50.92% and 50.89%, respectively, in subsequent enzymatic saccharification. While pulping corn stover using n-butanol solution as initial liquor showed higher delignification 86.16% (50 wt% of n-butanol and 200 °C for 1 h), the hydrolysate obtained by the organosolv pulps always exhibited good fermentability. A maximized 15.0 g/L of ABE with 0.36 g/g of yield was obtained in Ethanol-200 °C-50% group, corresponding to 112 g of ABE production from 1 kg of raw corn stover. As expected, the lignin specimens fractionated by closed-circuit organosolv pulping exhibited narrow molecule weight distribution, high purity, and high preservation of active groups, which supports further valorization. This novel strategy tightly bridges the upstream and downstream processes of second-generation ABE production, providing a new route for ‘energy-matter intensive’ and environmentally friendly lignocelluloses biorefineries. Full article

Live-attenuated vaccines face a critical challenge in balancing immunogenicity with safety. To address this, we engineered programmable finite-replicated organisms (FROs) by depositing a limited number of indispensable components (such as noncanonical amino acids, ncAAs) within the cell, consuming the coenabling precise control of bacterial replication capability while preserving antigenic breadth. Two strategies were adopted to achieve the following purposes: (1) encoding ncAA in essential genes; (2) encoding ncAA in antitoxin of toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems. As noncanonical amino acids, 3,5-dichlorotyrosine (Cl2Y) was encoded by the amber codon (TAG) and inserted into the essential genes (e.g., serS, murG, and dnaA) or antitoxin genes. After optimizing expression and the number of amber codons in the storage genes, the FRO cells can grow up to six generations, achieving amplification approaching 100 times after depletion of the ncAA in the growth medium. The escape frequencies are 10⁻⁵ to 10⁻⁷, which need to be optimized by combining multiple storage genes in the same genome in the future. This work holds the potential to amplify the amounts of antigens for vaccines, potentially accelerating the development of next-generation vaccines against antibiotic-resistant threats. Full article

This perspective article presents an innovative concept for a biomanufacturing Knowledge Hub (KH), designed as a data-driven learning platform supporting the entire lifecycle of biomedical products. By integrating advanced data sharing and processing technologies, the KH aspires to connect patients, bioengineers, clinicians, regulators, companies, and investors to accelerate product development, reduce redundancies, and ultimately fast-track the delivery of biomedical innovations to patients. We discuss current challenges in accessing and sharing data within biomanufacturing and outline novel approaches for building an ecosystem that links data stores, integrates digital twins, and leverages advanced analytics. The KH offers transformative capabilities, enabling the development of new products at a substantial increased speed. It is built as a secure, quantum-resistant platform that encrypts data and allows access through advanced algorithms, creating an intelligent, collaborative environment. Users can harness collective knowledge to enhance products, launch innovations, integrate technologies, and unlock revenue opportunities based on data quality and usage. This KH aims to revolutionize biomanufacturing, offering unprecedented opportunities for innovation, better patient outcomes, and commercialization with far reaching applications beyond biomanufacturing in the future. Full article