Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Andreas Ankenbauer, Robert Nitschel, Attila Teleki, Tobias Mueller, Lorenzo Favilli, Bastian Blombach, Ralf Takors
Summary: Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is considered a promising microbial host in biotechnological industry due to its resilience and substrate affinity, particularly suitable for producing next generation biofuels. The design of a two-stage bioprocess successfully scaled up isobutanol production to a 30 L bioreactor, achieving a yield of 3.35 g(isobutanol) L-1.
ENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
J. Rajesh Banu, G. Ginni, S. Kavitha, R. Yukesh Kannah, Vinod Kumar, S. Adish Kumar, M. Gunasekaran, Vinay Kumar Tyagi, Gopalakrishnan Kumar
Summary: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are natural polyesters synthesized by microbes using excess carbon and minimal nutrients. Despite being biodegradable and synthesized from renewable resources, the high manufacturing cost hinders its commercial application. This review provides insights into cost-effective substrates, strains for economical production, biosynthetic pathways, fermentative modes, feeding strategies, economic analysis, and future prospects for commercialization, aiming to make PHA production process sustainable and commercially viable.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Leonie Benninghaus, Tatjana Walter, Melanie Mindt, Joe Max Risse, Volker F. Wendisch
Summary: This study demonstrates the production of L-theanine using metabolic engineering techniques with Pseudomonas putida KT2440 from various carbon sources, showcasing the efficiency of the process utilizing heterologous enzymes. Fed-batch bioreactor cultures yielded significant titers of L-theanine, proving the feasibility of the approach for commercial production.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shota Isogai, Akira Nishimura, Naoyuki Murakami, Natsuki Hotta, Atsushi Kotaka, Yoichi Toyokawa, Hiroki Ishida, Hiroshi Takagi
Summary: This study identified a valine-accumulating sake yeast mutant and found a novel amino acid substitution. The mutant yeast accumulated valine and produced more isobutanol. This research provides insights for brewing distinctive Japanese sake by increasing the production of valine-derived compounds.
FEMS YEAST RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Piyatip Khuntayaporn, Krit Thirapanmethee, Mullika Traidej Chomnawang
Summary: Colistin, a last resort treatment for multidrug and extensively drug-resistant bacterial infections, was avoided in clinical settings due to its high toxicity from the 1970s to the 1990s. However, in 2015, a transmissible resistance mechanism called mobile colistin resistance (MCR) was discovered, leading to the spread of colistin resistance worldwide. Although few cases have been reported in Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp., monitoring the epidemiology of mcr genes in these pathogens is crucial.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Fatemeh Boshagh
Summary: The study reviews various methods of carbohydrates determination in the dark fermentative hydrogen production process, emphasizing the need for accurate, inexpensive, safe, and user-friendly measuring methods. It highlights the advantages and shortcomings of different techniques and their application in dark fermentative hydrogen production.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhan Fang, Junchen Pan, Yutong Zhao, Yuanyuan Wang, Hua Song
Summary: This study constructed a novel catalyst Fe3O4@Co-(x)-ZIF and applied it in the oxidation of isobutyraldehyde. The catalyst showed high activity and selectivity, achieving a high yield of isobutyric acid.
RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Jinglian Chen, Jiali Tang, Han Wang, Jiale Mei, Xinjie Wei, Xiangqing Qin, Qiuhua Lin, Zhongnan Huang, Weizhong Tang, Tao Luo
Summary: Colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis is important in disease progression. Isobutyric acid (IBA), a short-chain fatty acid found in high levels in serum of CRC patients, was shown to promote CRC metastasis. IBA interacts with RACK1 and activates downstream Akt and FAK signaling to enhance CRC metastasis. Targeting the IBA-RACK1 signaling axis may be an effective therapeutic strategy for controlling CRC metastasis.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Pengfei Gu, Shuo Zhao, Hao Niu, Chengwei Li, Shuixing Jiang, Hao Zhou, Qiang Li
Summary: A synthetic pathway for producing isobutanol from acetate as the sole carbon source was constructed in E. coli. Overexpression of specific genes and optimization of acetate supplementation concentration resulted in increased isobutanol production.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Evilus Rada, M. Sergio Moreno
Summary: This study applied a citrate-based route for the synthesis of Li8SiO6, finding that lower impurity levels can be achieved under specific synthesis conditions. The solid-state reaction method was also used to optimize the synthesis conditions and obtain higher purity Li8SiO6.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tobias Schwanemann, Maike Otto, Benedikt Wynands, Jan Marienhagen, Nick Wierckx
Summary: In this study, the researchers successfully enhanced the availability of malonyl-CoA in Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120, leading to increased production of polyketide compounds. The overexpression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase was found to play a key role in the production of polyketides, and its effectiveness depended on the strain-background and the impairment of downstream fatty acid synthesis.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Daniela Stefankova, Krystof Skrbek, Martin Pizl, Vilem Bartunk
Summary: Elemental selenium particles have been extensively researched for their catalytic, antimicrobial, and other properties. This study aimed to prepare and characterize these particles by a simple reduction reaction between sodium selenite and ascorbic acid. The reaction system was monitored by UV-VIS spectroscopy, and it was observed that lowering the pH of the reaction mixture increased the reaction rate. The particles were well-purified and characterized by various techniques, and their size distribution was measured to be between 65 and 159 nm. Storage time affected the morphology of the particles, with dried particles undergoing significant structure and color-change.
JOURNAL OF NON-CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Wolfram M. Brueck, Victor Daniel Diaz Escobar, Lindsay Droz-dit-Busset, Martine Baudin, Nancy Nicolet, Wilfried Andlauer
Summary: This study successfully liberated ellagic acid from ellagitannins through solid-state fermentation in walnut press cake. Walnut and press cake contain precursors for ellagic acid and urolithins, and the two molds traditionally used in Asia (A. oryzae and R. oligosporus) have the necessary enzymes to utilize the nutrients in the press cake.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hao Xie, Peter Lindblad
Summary: This study successfully expressed heterologous genes and synthesized isobutanol in cyanobacteria cells. By optimizing gene copy numbers and region composition, isobutanol production was significantly increased. This research provides a foundation for further investigation of continuous photosynthetic isobutanol production from solar energy and carbon dioxide.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yanan Yin, Weize Song, Jianlong Wang
Summary: This study examined the working mechanisms of acetic acid inhibition on dark fermentative hydrogen production. The results showed that undissociated acetic acid concentration was the critical factor in acetic acid inhibition. Acetic acid inhibited hydrogen production by altering the dominant microbial community and regulating the metabolic pathways. Controlling the undissociated acetic acid concentration would be an effective strategy to alleviate acetic acid inhibition.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Diego Salamanca, Katja Buehler, Karl-Heinrich Engesser, Andreas Schmid, Rohan Karande
Summary: This study investigates the use of an Acidovorax mutant as a whole-cell biocatalyst for converting cycloalkanes to omega-hydroxycarboxylic acids, showcasing high metabolic efficiency with an efficient enzyme cascade. The deletion of a specific enzyme in the metabolic pathway led to the production of short-chain omega-hydroxycarboxylic acids, demonstrating a high molar conversion rate above 98% within 6 hours.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bin Lai, Hans Schneider, Jenny Tschoertner, Andreas Schmid, Jens O. Kroemer
Summary: Biophotovoltaics (BPV) offers a promising solution for hydrogen supply by coupling light-driven water splitting to hydrogen formation using oxygenic photoautotrophic cyanobacteria. However, current limitations in photon-to-current efficiency and experimental equipment hinder research progress. By developing a new technical-scale BPV platform with optimized parameters and identifying interfering factors, reproducible and stable current output signals were achieved. The use of an optimized nBG11 medium helped minimize background interferences, allowing for reliable and quantitative investigation, optimization, and scale-up of BPV processes.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christian Dusny, Andreas Schmid
Summary: Novel cultivation technologies require adaptation of analytical concepts, such as metabolic flux analysis (MFA), which traditionally relies on stable-isotope labeling of biomass-bound protein. This study introduces a non-disruptive approach using secreted protein as an information carrier for C-13-based metabolic flux analysis. Results show faster incorporation of isotope information from labeled glucose into recombinant reporter protein compared to biomass-bound protein, suggesting potential for analyzing fast metabolic dynamics under isotopically nonstationary conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Konstantin Wink, Marie van Der Loh, Nora Hartner, Matthias Polack, Christian Dusny, Andreas Schmid, Detlev Belder
Summary: Chemically specific and quantifiable monitoring of biocatalytic transformations at the single-cell level has been achieved through the integration of droplet microfluidics, cell imaging, and mass spectrometry.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Marcel Grund, Torsten Jakob, Joerg Toepel, Andreas Schmid, Christian Wilhelm, Bruno Buehler
Summary: Previous studies have reported various effects of heterologous production of carbon-based molecules on photosynthetic and growth efficiency of cyanobacteria. However, the use of batch cultivation and continuously changing growth conditions hindered the clear differentiation between the impact of cultivation conditions on cell physiology and effects related to the specific nature of the product and its synthesis pathway. In this study, we employed a continuous cultivation system to maintain defined source/sink conditions and metabolic states, allowing for a systematic and quantitative analysis of the effect of lactate production on photosynthetic and growth efficiency. This approach enables a realistic evaluation of the biotechnological potential of engineered cyanobacterial strains.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesco Scarabotti, Katja Buehler, Matthias Schmidt, Falk Harnisch
Summary: This study analyzed the influence of thickness and roughness of AuPd electrodes on the physiological parameters of early-stage biofilms of G. sulfurreducens using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results showed that electrode preparation did not affect the maximum current density, lag time, and single cell yield coefficients of the biofilms, confirming the robustness of the experimental approach.
BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lisa Bretschneider, Ingeborg Heuschkel, Katja Buehler, Rohan Karande, Bruno Buehler
Summary: This study successfully constructed a strain of Pseudomonas taiwanensis that efficiently converts cyclohexane to adipic acid, laying the foundation for environmentally friendly production of adipic acid and related polymers.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Francesco Scarabotti, Anne Kuchenbuch, Rene Kallies, Katja Buehler, Falk Harnisch
Summary: This study demonstrates that physiological cellular parameters of electroactive microorganisms can be non-invasively and in real-time obtained during early-stage biofilm formation at electrodes using a microfluidic electrochemical flow-cell. Parameters for mixed culture biofilm anodes formed at +150 mV vs. Ag/AgCl sat. KCl include lagt, CPR, t(d), RGR, and Y-Ne.
FRONTIERS IN ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jorg Toepel, Rohan Karande, Bruno Buehler, Katja Buehler, Andreas Schmid
Summary: Hydrogen (H2) is a promising fuel for climate neutral energy carriers, and photosynthesis-driven H2 production, which relies on sunlight and water, has shown potential. Research has been conducted using cyanobacteria as biocatalysts in capillary biofilm photobioreactors (CBRs). The study found that biofilm formation and stability are influenced by light and CO2 availability, and H2 production rates vary between different cyanobacteria species. By adjusting light and O2 levels, biofilm formation and H2 production could be enhanced, with high stability lasting for weeks. Final biocatalyst titers reached up to 100 g l-1, and H2 production rates were up to 300 mu mol H2 l-1h-1 and 3 mu mol H2 gcdw-1h-1 in biofilms.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Rokas Garmasukis, Claudia Hackl, Christian Dusny, Christian Elsner, Ales Charvat, Andreas Schmid, Bernd Abel
Summary: This paper presents an innovative and low-cost method for rapid prototyping of microfluidic chips. The technique involves controlled deposition of aqueous microdroplets on a cooled surface to create printed ice microstructures, which are then coated with a UV-curable acrylic cover layer. The technology is applied to create a microfluidic chip for cell-customized optical-cell analysis, and the chip design is optimized for different cell types. The authors demonstrate the feasibility of using this chip for physiological analysis of different cell types.
MICROFLUIDICS AND NANOFLUIDICS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Mahir Bozan, Denny Popp, Rene Kallies, Ulisses Nunes da Rocha, Stephan Klaehn, Katja Buehler
Summary: Cyanobacteria have great potential in biotechnologies, and this study focuses on the development of molecular tools for genetic engineering, as well as the design of chassis strains and novel reactor concepts. The genome sequence of Tolypothrix sp. PCC 7712 is provided, and it is found to have high similarities with Tolypothrix sp. PCC 7601, but also some specific variations. These findings are important for targeted strain engineering.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Mahir Bozan, Andreas Schmid, Katja Buehler
Summary: Cyanobacteria are promising microorganisms for sustainable photo-biotechnological production processes. In this study, different cyanobacteria were evaluated for their application in a novel capillary biofilm reactor, and Tolypothrix sp. PCC 7712 emerged as the best performer.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Fabian Brandenburg, Eleni Theodosiou, Carolin Bertelmann, Marcel Grund, Stephan Klaehn, Andreas Schmid, Jens O. Kroemer
Summary: Cyanobacteria, with their unique TCA cycle, have the potential to produce valuable chemicals like Hyp under photoautotrophic conditions, showing promise for increased space-time yield compared to sugar-based production in E. coli. These findings contribute to a better understanding of bioproduction from the TCA cycle in photoautotrophs and broaden the spectrum of chemicals produced in metabolically engineered cyanobacteria.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)