Article
Genetics & Heredity
Kamlesh Choure, Shreyansh Parsai, Rhitu Kotoky, Arpit Srivastava, Anita Tilwari, Piyush Kant Rai, Abhishek Sharma, Piyush Pandey
Summary: Hot springs are unique environments with extremophiles, serving as sources of industrially important enzymes. A study analyzed the microbiome of two major hot springs in Madhya Pradesh, revealing the most abundant taxonomic groups and their functional characteristics related to metabolism and environmental information processing. The study also identified high abundance of unassigned bacterial taxa, indicating the potential presence of novel genera or phylotypes.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Nicholas J. Reichart, Robert M. Bowers, Tanja Woyke, Roland Hatzenpichler
Summary: Hot springs are rich in microbiological diversity and potential for carbohydrate active enzyme coding, making them a promising system for the discovery and development of thermo-stable biomass-degrading enzymes. This study lays a foundation for future research to explore the functional diversity and potential utility of hot spring biomass-degrading enzymes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Steffen Buessecker, Grayson L. Chadwick, Melanie E. Quan, Brian P. Hedlund, Jeremy A. Dodsworth, Anne E. Dekas
Summary: In this study, a functional Mcr-based methanogenesis pathway was discovered in a novel member of the family Archaeoglobaceae, Methanoglobus nevadensis. The production of methane in M. nevadensis was found to be highly sensitive to the Mcr inhibitor, stimulated by xyloglucan and xyloglucan-derived sugars, and accompanied by the consumption of molecular hydrogen and deuterium fractionation. The findings suggest that divergent Mcr-encoding archaea may be underestimated sources of biological methane in terrestrial and marine hydrothermal environments.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bhavtosh Kikani, Rajesh Patel, Jignasha Thumar, Hitarth Bhatt, Dalip Singh Rathore, Gopi A. Koladiya, Satya P. Singh
Summary: Nonaqueous enzymology has unique possibilities in bio-catalysis, but the presence of solvents often hinders enzyme catalysis. Information about solvent-stable enzymes is scarce, yet these enzymes have great value in biotechnology. Extremophiles, particularly those with inherent structural attributes, can be a valuable source for studying solvent-stable enzymes. Protein engineering approaches are used to enhance catalytic flexibility and stability under non-aqueous conditions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of solvent-stable enzymes from extremophilic microorganisms and discusses strategies for optimal immobilization and catalysis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Migiwa Takeda, Seiki Baba, Jiro Okuma, Yoshitsugu Hirose, Asuka Nishimura, Masaki Takata, Kohei Oda, Daisuke Shibata, Takashi Kumasaka, Yasuhiro Kondo
Summary: A thermostable cellobiohydrolase, HmCel6A and its variant HmCel6A-3SNP, isolated from hot spring sediments, showed high thermostability with optimum temperatures at 75℃ and 95℃ respectively. Structural features, including hydrophobic and charge-charge interactions, metal bindings, disulphide bonds, and an additional tryptophan at the tunnel entrance, contributed to the high thermostability of the enzyme. These findings may contribute to the development of efficient enzymes and saccharification methods for cellulose working at high temperatures.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lakshmi Kasirajan, Julie A. Maupin-Furlow
Summary: Lignocellulosic biofuels and chemicals hold promise in reducing fossil fuel dependence and mitigating air pollution. Haloarchaea and their enzymes, capable of sustaining catalytic activity under extreme conditions, are being explored as ideal resources for biofuel production and value-added products.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jenna Y. Y. Schambach, Colin P. S. Kruse, Peter Kitin, Wittney Mays, Christopher G. G. Hunt, Shawn R. R. Starkenburg, Amanda N. N. Barry
Summary: The potential benefits of using raw, non-food, lignocellulosic plant material as a carbon source for mixotrophic growth of microalgae have been demonstrated. This approach has advantages over using traditional carbon sources and has shown to increase the growth rate and biomass accumulation of Scenedesmus obliquus when cultured in the presence of switchgrass or yard waste.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Burhan Hamid, Zaffar Bashir, Ali Mohd Yatoo, Fayaz Mohiddin, Neesa Majeed, Monika Bansal, Peter Poczai, Waleed Hassan Almalki, R. Z. Sayyed, Ali A. Shati, Mohammad Y. Alfaifi
Summary: More than 70% of the earth is covered by extremely cold environments, supporting a wide range of microbial life. Temperature is the most significant factor in determining the distribution of microorganisms on the planet. Psychrophilic microorganisms are the dominant inhabitants of cold ecosystems and have enzymes that are active at low temperatures, making them valuable in biotechnology. These enzymes have high activity at low temperatures, which is important for energy conservation.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Deepa Yadav, Anuradha Singh, Nupur Mathur, Aditi Agarwal, Jyoti Sharma
Summary: Halophiles are microorganisms found at high salt concentrations that can produce bioactive substances with industrial applications. In this study, 70 halophilic bacterial strains were isolated and screened for enzyme synthesis at different salt concentrations. The isolated bacteria showed potential for use in biotechnological experiments and the extremozymes obtained have significant industrial importance.
JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jane Arciszewski, Karine Auclair
Summary: Mechanoenzymology is an emerging field that utilizes mechanical mixing to sustain enzymatic reactions in low-solvent or solvent-free mixtures. It can be applied to the synthesis or depolymerization of polymeric materials, offering various advantages.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Tuan Xu, Md Kabir, Srilatha Sakamuru, Pranav Shah, Elias C. Padilha, Deborah K. Ngan, Menghang Xia, Xin Xu, Anton Simeonov, Ruili Huang
Summary: This study developed predictive models for inhibitors and substrates of CYP3A7/CYP3A4 using chemical structure analysis. The models' performance was evaluated using AUC-ROC, balanced accuracy, and Matthews correlation coefficient. The top performing models can be used to assess the safety and efficacy of new drugs separately for fetuses/neonates and adults, as well as guide the design and optimization of therapeutic drugs.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL INFORMATION AND MODELING
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Daniel R. R. Colman, Allison Veach, Andri Stefansson, Louie Wurch, B. Shafer Belisle, Peter T. T. Podar, Zamin Yang, Dawn Klingeman, Kazuyo Senba, Katsuhiko S. S. Murakami, Jakob K. K. Kristjansson, Snaedis H. Bjornsdottir, Eric S. S. Boyd, Mircea Podar
Summary: Coordinated analysis of geochemistry and microbial community revealed regional variation in hydrothermal ecosystems. Low abundance microbial variants were cosmopolitan, while high abundance variants were region-specific. Results indicate that local tectonic and geologic characteristics shape the geochemistry and microbial assemblages of continental hydrothermal systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yan Zhang, Tao Liu, Meng-Meng Li, Zheng-Shuang Hua, Paul Evans, Yanni Qu, Sha Tan, Min Zheng, Hui Lu, Jian-Yu Jiao, Sebastian Lucker, Holger Daims, Wen-Jun Li, Jianhua Guo
Summary: The recent discovery of comammox Nitrospira species capable of complete ammonia oxidation in non-marine thermal habitats expands our understanding of microbial nitrification. This study reports the wide distribution of comammox Nitrospira in terrestrial hot springs and provides new insights into their metabolic activity and thermal adaptation.
Article
Microbiology
Marina Simona Robescu, Mattia Niero, Giovanni Loprete, Laura Cendron, Elisabetta Bergantino
Summary: The study investigated a new thermophilic ene-reductase homologue, CaOYE, from the photosynthetic extremophile microorganism Chloroflexus aggregans, showing high potential as a robust biocatalyst with high thermostability and good solvent tolerance. Although it displayed a limited substrate spectrum, further investigations could reveal peculiar chemical activities due to the metabolic ductility and versatility of Chloroflexus aggregans. The structural and functional characterization of CaOYE provides new insights for the development and application of this class of enzymes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Vincenzo Zammuto, Maria Teresa Caccamo, Salvatore Magazu, Antonio Spano, Salvatore Guglielmino, Concetta Gugliandolo
Summary: Spores from Bacillus horneckiae SBP3 showed higher resistance to extreme conditions compared to their relatives B. horneckiae DSM 23495(T) and B. subtilis 168. This enhanced resistance may be attributed to the stability of SBP3 spore proteins. The study provides basic information for further comparative studies and applications in fields like astrobiology.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ayesha Saleem, Ali Hussain, Asma Chaudhary, Qurat-ul-Ain Ahmad, Mehwish Iqtedar, Arshad Javid, Afia Muhammad Akram
Summary: This study optimized the acid hydrolysis of pomegranate peels waste using central composite design and response surface methodology for ethanol production. After hydrolysis and detoxification, the resulting hydrolysate was fermented to produce ethanol with high yields. The study demonstrates the potential for bioethanol production using cellulosic waste.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Natasha Laraib, Ali Hussain, Arshad Javid, Tahir Noor, Qurat-ul-Ain Ahmad, Asma Chaudhary, Maleeha Manzoor, Muhammad Akmal, Syed Mohsin Bukhari, Waqas Ali, Tae Jin Choi, Peer M. Schenk
Summary: Microalgae are being increasingly studied due to their potential applications in biofuel production, but the high cost of harvesting is a major barrier. Different harvesting techniques should be combined based on the characteristics of the microalgae and production medium to achieve economically viable results.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Imania Ghaffar, Arshad Javid, Shahid Mehmood, Ali Hussain
Summary: This study investigated the repressive effects of polystyrene microspheres on the functioning of unicellular green microalgae. The results showed that positively charged microspheres significantly affected the uptake of Cu2+ by the microalgae, while negatively charged microspheres did not. The size of the microspheres had little impact on the uptake potential. The findings of this study provide guidance for the design of cost-effective remediation systems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Saima Shahzad Mirza, Mysoon M. Al-Ansari, Mudassar Ali, Sumaira Aslam, Muhammad Akmal, Latifah Al-Humaid, Ali Hussain
Summary: Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is an environmentally friendly technology that can be used for wastewater treatment, hydrogen production, and power generation. This study investigated the effects of anode materials, sizes, and shapes on MFC efficiency. The results showed that the zinc anode had the highest performance, and circular-shaped anodes had the highest voltage.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Asma Chaudhary, Irshad Hussain, Qurat-ul-Ain Ahmad, Zawar Hussain, Afia Muhammad Akram, Ali Hussain
Summary: In this study, dried and powdered melon peel waste was hydrolyzed by dilute H2SO4 into monomeric sugars and then fermented by different yeast strains to produce bioethanol. The findings provide insights into converting cellulosic wastes into energy.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qurat-ul-Ain, Arshad Javid, Shahid Ali, Ali Hasan, Natarajan Senthilkumar, Jambulingam Ranjitha, Ali Hussain
Summary: Comparing microalgal biomass production under mixotrophic and photoautotrophic conditions at lab and pilot scales, it was found that biomass productivity was higher under mixotrophic conditions. Further studies on utilizing different industrial wastewaters at pilot scale for microalgae production are needed for viable biofuel production.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Imania Ghaffar, Muhammad Rashid, Muhammad Akmal, Ali Hussain
Summary: Plastic waste has had severe impacts on marine ecosystems and wildlife, including potential harm to human beings and other mammals. Mitigation strategies such as using bioplastics and reducing plastic use should be adopted to minimize these effects.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Asma Chaudhary, Ali Hussain, Qurat-ul-Ain Ahmad, Tooba Ahmad, Qandeel Minahal, Shuichi Karita, Balakrishnan Deepanraj
Summary: Securing energy from waste is a major research area for finding global solutions for waste disposal and energy production. This study investigates the potential of using discarded watermelon peels as a source for ethanol production through fermentation using yeast. The optimized parameters for fermentation were determined using response surface methodology, and it was found that the yeast strain Metchnikowia cibodasensis Y34 showed significant potential for valorizing watermelon peels by producing ethanol.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Imania Ghaffar, Balakrishnan Deepanraj, Lingala Syam Sundar, Dai-Viet N. Vo, Algam Saikumar, Ali Hussain
Summary: The feasibility of microalgal biomass as a promising and renewable source for biofuel production is extensively studied. Microalgal biomass can be cultivated under various conditions, including photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, photoheterotrophic, and mixotrophic cultivation. Mixotrophic cultivation shows higher biomass productivity and yields more polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to photoautotrophic cultivation. The use of industrial wastewaters for mixotrophic cultivation can reduce contaminants' load while producing productive microalgal biomass. This review focuses on sustainable cultivation of microalgae in different types of wastewaters.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ali Raza Ishaq, Heba A. S. El-Nashar, Tahira Younis, Muhammad Asad Mangat, Mashal Shahzadi, Amina Shamsheer Ul Haq, Mohamed El-Shazly
Summary: This review summarizes the traditional medicinal uses, nutritional value, phytochemical profile, and biological activities of Lupinus species. Lupinus plants are rich in phytochemicals and have high nutritional value. They also exhibit various pharmacological properties.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tahira Younis, Faiza Jabeen, Ali Hussain, Bilal Rasool, Ali Raza Ishaq, Atif Nawaz, Heba A. S. El-Nashar, Mohamed El-Shazly
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and pulmonary protective potential of Fraxinus xanthoxyloides bark extract and its fractions. The highest total phenolics, flavonoids, and terpenoids contents were found in the methanol bark extract, ethyl acetate fraction, and chloroform fraction, respectively. The most potent antioxidant capacity was shown by the methanol bark extract and ethyl acetate fraction. The administration of carbon tetrachloride induced oxidative stress and lung tissue damage, but treatment with the bark extract restored these parameters to normal levels and protected the lung tissues.
CHEMISTRY & BIODIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Tehreem Raza, Bilal Rasool, Muhammad Asrar, Maleeha Manzoor, Zeeshan Javed, Faiza Jabeen, Tahira Younis
Summary: Polyacrylamide microplastics produced in the environment have adverse effects on aquatic organisms, causing global concern. This study aimed to assess the toxicity of different concentrations of polyacrylamide microplastics on Oreochromis niloticus. Characterization of the microplastics was conducted using Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, confirming their presence in the gills of the fish. The microplastics were found to significantly affect antioxidant enzymes, increase oxidative stress levels, and induce histological changes in various organs, highlighting their harmful effects on fish health.
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Asma Chaudhary, Ali Hussain, Qurat-ul-Ain Ahmad, Areeba Shehzadi, Maleeha Manzoor, Muhammad Shahbaz, Balakrishnan Deepanraj
Summary: In this study, ethanol-producing bacteria that ferment xylose were isolated and screened from rotten fruit wastes. Sixteen bacteria were isolated from apple, banana, guava, and grape wastes on a solid medium supplemented with 5% xylan. The selected bacterial isolates showed the ability to degrade xylose and produce ethanol. Bacterial isolate XG2 produced the highest ethanol production of 3.069 +/- 0.738 g/L on day 8.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSESSMENTS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ali Hasan, Javed Iqbal Qazi, Fouzia Tabssum, Natalia Kharabadze, Ali Hussain
Summary: Apis mellifera is an important pollinator that has a prominent impact on crops' ecological balance. Beekeeping not only provides valuable products like honey and propolis, but also improves the health and efficiency of honeybees.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Ali Hasan, Javed Iqbal Qazi, Fouzia Tabssum, Ali Hussain
Summary: The provision of probiotics and organic acids to bees can improve their digestive system, increase the quantity of peritrophic membranes, and promote regeneration, but further field studies are needed to validate these findings.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2023)
