Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Peter H. Winegar, C. Adrian Figg, Michelle H. Teplensky, Namrata Ramani, Chad A. Mirkin
Summary: This study develops a method for organizing proteins into precise oligomers using DNA, which only requires six synthetic oligonucleotides. The technique demonstrates modularity by assembling different antibodies into pentamers with exact stoichiometry and oligomeric sequence. This method is important for studying the impact of protein oligomer sequences on material properties in fields such as pharmaceutical development, cascade catalysis, synthetic photosynthesis, and membrane transport.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sebastian Trunschke, Emanuele Piemontese, Olaf Fuchs, Skander Abboud, Oliver Seitz
Summary: By introducing new ligation auxiliaries, this study expands the applicability of native chemical ligation and investigates the role of the pyridine-ring nitrogen in the auxiliaries. The study successfully synthesizes peptides with special structures, demonstrating that the new auxiliary has increased stability and wide application potential.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Abigail R. Orun, Ethan T. Shields, Sara Dmytriw, Ananya Vajapayajula, Caroline K. Slaughter, Christopher D. Snow
Summary: Researchers have designed isoreticular cocrystals as scaffolds for DNA-binding molecules. These cocrystals have tunable DNA-DNA junctions and can accommodate different guest molecules during crystallization. The design principles can be applied to existing cocrystals to develop programmable scaffolds for DNA-binding molecules.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Axel J. Delakowski, Jared D. Posselt, Christopher T. Wagner
Summary: This study evaluates the use of an acellular 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold for tendon/ligament tissue engineering. The study also designs and verifies a novel bioreactor system to support long-term culture with customizable mechanical strain regimens. The results show unique gene regulation patterns and highlight the need for a robust bioreactor system that minimizes process variation.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qun Ma, Boqiang He, Guojin Tang, Ran Xie, Peng Zheng
Summary: The immobilization of proteins on nanoparticles has gained attention in recent years. Enzymatic protein immobilization, particularly using the peptide ligase OaAEP1, shows advantages due to site-specific connection. Our study demonstrates the successful C-terminal site-specific protein immobilization on amino-functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles mediated by OaAEP1. This provides a new method for site-specific protein immobilization on nanoparticles.
Article
Polymer Science
Asiyah Esmail, Joao R. Pereira, Patricia Zoio, Sara Silvestre, Ugur Deneb Menda, Chantal Sevrin, Christian Grandfils, Elvira Fortunato, Maria A. M. Reis, Celia Henriques, Abel Oliva, Filomena Freitas
Summary: Mcl-PHA and scl-PHAs were studied as scaffolding materials for cell culture, with P(3HB) and P(3HB-co-3HV) spun into fibers, as well as blends of mcl-PHA with the scl-PHAs. The hydrophilicity of the scaffolds significantly increased under exposure to oxygen plasma, leading to improved cell adhesion rates. The P(3HB-co-3HV): mcl-PHA blend showed the most promising results with a cell adhesion rate of 40 +/- 8%, making it a potential biomaterial for tissue engineering scaffolds.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Nils Janson, Tobias Heinks, Tobias Beuel, Sarfaraz Alam, Matthias Hoehne, Uwe T. Bornscheuer, Gabriele Fischer von Mollard, Norbert Sewald
Summary: The aldehyde tag is used for selective labeling of proteins and preparing antibody-drug conjugates, or immobilizing enzymes or antibodies. A new solid support, modified agarose with an aryl substituted pyrazolone, allows site-selective and efficient immobilization of aldehyde-containing molecules under physiological pH without the need for additives or catalysts. Compared to reductive amination, the modified agarose achieves higher loadings and activities in various buffers at different concentrations and temperatures.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Menglu Duan, Yan Wang, Dan Tan, Guowu Yang, Yuan Deng, Ganqiao Ran, Jiao Li
Summary: This study reports the in vivo one-step production of immobilized gamma-CGTase decorated on the surface of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) nanogranules, which showed outstanding cyclization and hydrolysis activities with wider pH and temperature ranges and remarkable thermo- and pH-stability.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mengnan Han, Xiaozheng Li, Xuming Wang, Dexu Liu, Shuangqing Fu, Wenzhi Xu, Wei Li, Honglei Zhang
Summary: In this study, a polyhydroxyalkanoate magnetic microsphere was developed for one-step purification and immobilization of a novel carbonyl reductase. The microsphere showed good dispersion and superparamagnetism, and the immobilized enzyme had high activity. The catalyst also maintained its activity after multiple recovery cycles.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jian Li, Xu Zhang, Anjaneyulu Udduttula, Zhi Shan Fan, Jian Hai Chen, Antonia RuJia Sun, Peng Zhang
Summary: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are natural biopolyesters synthesized by various microbes, known for their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and modifiable mechanical properties. Despite their potential in tissue engineering, challenges such as large-scale production, purification, mechanical properties, and biodegradability still need to be addressed for wider biomedical applications.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zsofia Hegedus, Fruzsina Hobor, Deborah K. Shoemark, Sergio Celis, Lu-Yun Lian, Chi H. Trinh, Richard B. Sessions, Thomas A. Edwards, Andrew J. Wilson
Summary: This study describes an alternative approach using dynamic ligation screening to identify small-molecule replacements for beta-strand mediated protein-protein interactions. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in identifying and validating peptide hybrids with selective inhibitory effects.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Khadijah Anwar, Francisco Jose Aguilar Troyano, Ayham H. Abazid, Oumayma El Yarroudi, Ignacio Funes-Ardoiz, Adrian Gomez-Suarez
Summary: Here, we present a highly modular strategy for synthesizing spirocyclic scaffolds from easily available starting materials, such as cyclic ketones and alpha-amino or oxamic acids. The reaction involves a simple Knoevenagel condensation, followed by a cascade Giese-type reaction and base-mediated cyclization, resulting in a wide range of polar spirocyclic products in high yields. Our method allows for easy diversification of the products, thus providing rapid access to libraries of potential drug-like molecules.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Baotong Zhu, Na Wei
Summary: In this study, a novel biocatalyst was created using synthetic biology techniques for the effective degradation and detoxification of bisphenol compounds. The biocatalyst showed high reusability and stability when immobilized on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymer beads. This study provides a promising approach for the development of sustainable water reclamation.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jian Li, Jiang-Nan Chen, Zi-Xin Peng, Ning-Bo Chen, Cheng-Bo Liu, Peng Zhang, Xu Zhang, Guo-Qiang Chen
Summary: In order to treat large-scale wounds or chronic ulcers, a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybuty-rate) (P34HB) fibrous wound dressing that integrates an antibacterial ciprofloxacin (CIP) and pro-angiogenic dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) was successfully prepared. The resulting dressing showed excellent biocompatibility, increased cell proliferation, migration, and capillary-like tube formation. The dressings also exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial action and promoted wound closure, reepithelialization, collagen formation, angiogenesis, and hair follicle regeneration. This work provides a simple and efficient approach for the design of versatile wound dressings with antibacterial and angiogenic properties.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Satoru Watanabe, Masahiro Ito, Takanori Kigawa
Summary: DiRect is a novel PCR-based mutagenesis method that achieves high quality product (>99% substitution) without the use of recombinant DNA technology. It has been successfully applied in the study of an industrially relevant enzyme, showing simplicity, efficiency, and potential scalability in site-directed mutagenesis.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
M. Fata Moradali, Bernd H. A. Rehm
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jin Xiang Wong, Kampachiro Ogura, Shuxiong Chen, Bernd H. A. Rehm
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jin Xiang Wong, Majela Gonzalez-Miro, Andrew J. Sutherland-Smith, Bernd H. A. Rehm
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Narshone Soda, Zennia Jean Gonzaga, Shuxiong Chen, Kevin M. Koo, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Muhammad J. A. Shiddiky, Bernd H. A. Rehm
Summary: Our study focuses on bioengineering Escherichia coli to self-assemble PHB inclusions that codisplay iron-binding peptides and antibody-binding Z domains. These nanobeads can specifically bind cancer biomarkers in complex mixtures, enabling efficient magnetic separation for enhanced electrochemical detection. This research lays the foundation for utilizing superparamagnetic core-shell structures for sensitive and specific detection of cancer biomarkers, demonstrating the potential of engineering advanced nanomaterials for diverse diagnostic applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuxiong Chen, Diana H. Quan, Xiaonan T. Wang, Sarah Sandford, Joanna R. Kirman, Warwick J. Britton, Bernd H. A. Rehm
Summary: Current tuberculosis vaccines do not consistently protect against the disease, prompting the need for new and improved vaccines. Research has shown that mycobacterial antigen fusions assembled into particulate vaccines can induce long-lasting antigen-specific T cell responses and protective immunity in mice challenged with virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This study demonstrated that polyester nanoparticles displaying the mycobacterial antigen fusion H4 can offer a level of protection in the lungs comparable to the currently approved TB vaccine, making it a promising subunit vaccine candidate for cost-effective manufacturing and efficient protection against TB.
Article
Immunology
Zennia Jean C. Gonzaga, Christina Merakou, Antonio DiGiandomenico, Gregory P. Priebe, Bernd H. A. Rehm
Summary: The study shows that using PHA inclusions and associated host-cell proteins as a vaccine platform can induce immune responses and prevent P. aeruginosa infection effectively.
Article
Immunology
Benjamin J. Evert, Shuxiong Chen, Robyn McConville, Ryan W. J. Steel, Julie Healer, Justin A. Boddey, Lucas Huntimer, Bernd H. A. Rehm
Summary: A malaria vaccine based on biopolymer particles coated with specific B- and T-cell epitopes was developed, showing enhanced immunogenicity compared to soluble peptide epitopes. The study demonstrated the utility of biologically self-assembled epitope-coated particles as a carrier for next-generation malaria vaccines.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Zennia Jean C. Gonzaga, Jinyong Zhang, Bernd H. A. Rehm
Summary: This study demonstrates that vaccination with biopolymer particles coated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa antigens can induce protective immune responses against P. aeruginosa infections. The vaccine candidate BP-10Ag(2x) showed the best performance and even induced protective immunity in the absence of Alhydrogel adjuvant.
ACS INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Donna McNeale, Lygie Esquirol, Shoko Okada, Shai Strampel, Noor Dashti, Bernd Rehm, Trevor Douglas, Claudia Vickers, Frank Sainsbury
Summary: This study demonstrates a tunable strategy for controlling the co-encapsulation ratio of P22 cargo proteins inside cells, verified by FRET with fluorescent protein cargo. This strategy was applied to a two-enzyme reaction cascade, where the loading density of enzymes was found to influence their activity. Molecular crowding was found to affect enzyme activity, with higher activity observed at lower loading density. In addition, increasing the loading density of the rate-limiting enzyme can increase overall activity. This work highlights the importance of controlling enzyme stoichiometry in the design of nanoscale biocatalytic compartments based on P22.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gayathri Sam, Shuxiong Chen, Karren Plain, Ian Marsh, Mark E. Westman, John Stenos, Stephen R. Graves, Bernd H. A. Rehm
Summary: A stable and nonreactogenic Q fever vaccine is developed by using self-assembled particles incorporating Q fever antigens. The vaccine shows promising immunogenicity and safety in mice and guinea pigs, indicating its potential for further development as a safe and effective subunit vaccine against Q fever.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Shuxiong Chen, Victoria Ozberk, Gayathri Sam, Zennia Jean C. Gonzaga, Ainslie Calcutt, Manisha Pandey, Michael F. Good, Bernd H. A. Rehm
Summary: In this study, biopolymer particles (BPs) displaying Strep A vaccine candidate peptides p*17 and K4S2 were successfully assembled in one step inside an engineered E. coli strain. The purified BPs showed a spherical core-shell structure with a biopolymer core and peptide shell. When formulated with aluminum hydroxide, the BPs exhibited desirable properties as a potential Strep A vaccine, including stability, immunogenicity, and protection in an animal model of infection.
Review
Immunology
Gayathri Sam, John Stenos, Stephen R. Graves, Bernd H. A. Rehm
Summary: Q fever is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, transmitted from livestock to humans via inhalation of the Small Cell Variant. The current Q-VAX vaccine has limitations due to pre-existing sensitivities, and efforts to develop a universal Q fever vaccine have been unsuccessful. Understanding the mechanisms of reactogenic responses is crucial for the development of a safe vaccine.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Van T. Dau, Tung T. Bui, Canh-Dung Tran, Thanh Viet Nguyen, Tuan-Khoa Nguyen, Toan Dinh, Hoang-Phuong Phan, David Wibowo, Bernd H. A. Rehm, Hang Thu Ta, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Dzung Dao
Summary: Electrohydrodynamic atomization is a promising approach for respiratory treatment, involving the generation and delivery of micro/nanoparticles as carriers for drugs and antigens. The proposed design in this work utilizes dual electrospray and ionic wind at chamfered tips to simultaneously generate and deliver charged reduced particles, which shows potential for pulmonary nano-medicine delivery with simple device design and manufacturing.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ben Evert, Ben Vezina, Bernd H. A. Rehm
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2020)
Review
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Narshone Soda, Bernd H. A. Rehm, Prashant Sonar, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Muhammad J. A. Shiddiky
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2019)
