Article
Plant Sciences
Paphitchaya Prasertthai, Warunya Paethaisong, Piyada Theerakulpisut, Anoma Dongsansuk
Summary: Rice cultivated in the tropics faces high temperature stress, which can impact its growth and survival. This study aimed to understand the response of rice to high temperature stress by analyzing photosystem II efficiency, membrane stability, and fatty acid composition. The results showed that certain rice genotypes exhibited high heat tolerance, with lower increases in electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde levels, and stable photosystem II efficiency. These heat-tolerant genotypes also showed changes in the fatty acid composition, with a reduction in unsaturated fatty acids and an increase in long-chain fatty acids. These fatty acid changes may contribute to enhanced photosynthetic performance and heat tolerance in rice.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yujia Jiang, Runze Pan, Yuxuan Tao, Wenlong Xiao, Wankui Jiang, Fengxue Xin, Wenming Zhang, Min Jiang
Summary: This study attempted to improve the environmental tolerance of E. coli for carboxylic acid production through biological membrane engineering. By introducing whiB and cti genes, the engineered E. coli achieved a higher SA production of 80.0 g/L in a 5-L fermenter, which was 37.0% higher than the control group. Further incorporation of fabA and fabB genes enhanced the strain's survival rate and metabolic performance under harsh environments, resulting in a SA production of 29.9 g/L with a yield of 0.79 g/g under low pH conditions in the fermenter. Membrane engineering proved to be an effective strategy in improving strain robustness and facilitating large-scale carboxylic acid production.
BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Hector S. Alvarez-Manzo, Robert K. Davidson, Jasper Van Cauwelaert de Wyels, Katherine L. Cotten, Benjamin H. Nguyen, Melody Xiao, Zeyu Zhu, Jon Anthony, Tim van Opijnen, Kimberly Michele Davis
Summary: This study aimed to determine the response of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis to doxycycline and whether the related gene expression changes could promote doxycycline tolerance. The results showed that porin expression and tusB gene significantly affected the bactericidal activity of doxycycline.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Jose Segura, Ana Isabel Rey, Alvaro Olivares, Maria Isabel Cambero, Rosa Escudero, Maria Dolores Romero dede de Avila, Antonio Palomo, Clemente Lopez-Bote
Summary: The study investigates the impact of different diets on fatty acid composition and textural properties of subcutaneous fat in heavy Iberian pigs. Moderate oleic acid enrichment does not significantly affect triglyceride regulation, while high oleic acid intake from acorns alters fatty acid proportions. Iberian pigs raised in free-range conditions exhibit a more beneficial lipid profile for human health compared to those fed conventional diets.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiangge Kong, Zian Guo, Yuan Yao, Linchao Xia, Ruixuan Liu, Haifeng Song, Sheng Zhang
Summary: The adverse effects of drought on plants are exacerbated with global climatic change. Low doses of acetic acid (AA) can improve the drought tolerance of Salix myrtillacea and enrich the rhizosphere with Azotobacter and Pseudomonas. AA also alters the relative contents of amino acid and phenylpropane metabolites in soil. The enrichments of Azotobacter and Pseudomonas are strongly correlated with the metabolites and can enhance the drought resistance of willows by promoting nitrogen uptake.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Woo Sang Park, Kwang Soo Shin, Hyun Wook Jung, Yongjoo Lee, Chandran Sathesh-Prabu, Sung Kuk Lee
Summary: This study systematically evaluated the effects of metabolic engineering strategies to enhance free fatty acid production in Escherichia coli, resulting in a significant increase in FFA yield. Combinatorial metabolic engineering approaches showed potential for large-scale production of FA-derived chemicals and fuels.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jihyun Kim, Jeniffer Silva, Chanwoo Park, Younghun Kim, Nayeon Park, Johan Sukweenadhi, Junping Yu, Jianxin Shi, Dabing Zhang, Keun Ki Kim, Hong-Joo Son, Hyeon Cheal Park, Chang-Oh Hong, Kwang Min Lee, Yu-Jin Kim
Summary: Cytochrome P450 (CYP) catalyzes monooxygenation reactions in plant metabolism, with CYP703 playing a key role in fatty acid hydroxylation in male reproductive tissues. PgCYP703A4 in Korean ginseng is conserved in function, affecting fruit size and cutin synthesis through fatty acid hydroxylation pathways.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Rachel M. Cole, Austin Angelotti, Genevieve C. Sparagna, Ai Ni, Martha A. Belury
Summary: This study found that fortification with LA-rich oil can increase LA(4)CL in adults, while oil with high oleate (OA) safflower had no effect on LA(4)CL. Considering that increasing LA(4)CL can reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, further research is needed to determine if dietary fortification can repair mitochondrial dysfunction.
MOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jun Sugama, Yusuke Moritoh, Hiroaki Yashiro, Kazue Tsuchimori, Masanori Watanabe
Summary: SCO-792, an enteropeptidase inhibitor, shows therapeutic effects on obesity and diabetes in mice. This study demonstrates that the alteration of gut microbiota composition, modulation of bacterial metabolites, and regulation of IgA in the colon contribute to the therapeutic effects of SCO-792 in obesity.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Sudhir Doranga, Tyrrell Conway
Summary: It is important for Escherichia coli to fine-tune the levels of OmpC and OmpF during colonization via the EnvZ/OmpR two-component system to maximize competitive fitness in the mammalian intestine. OmpC, with a smaller pore size, excludes bile salts and plays a crucial role in bacterial colonization, while OmpF, with a larger pore size, allows toxic substances to enter the cell and is detrimental to colonization.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas J. Bateman, Megha Shah, Timothy Pham Ho, Hyejin Esther Shin, Chuxi Pan, Greg Harris, Jamie E. Fegan, Epshita A. Islam, Sang Kyun Ahn, Yogesh Hooda, Scott D. Gray-Owen, Wangxue Chen, Trevor F. Moraes
Summary: This study investigates the protein machinery required for heme uptake in Acinetobacter baumannii, identifying the hemO locus, HphA heme scavenger, and TonB-dependent receptor HphR as crucial components. These proteins play a key role in the bacterium's ability to acquire heme from host hemoglobin and serum albumin, which is important for its survival and dissemination in a mouse model of infection.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Qiuyue Yu, Xin Chen, Liping Qi, Haiyan Yang, Yanping Wang, Mei Zhang, Ke Huang, Xin Yuan
Summary: The development and application of portable and user-friendly biosensing technology for rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria is crucial for human and environmental care. In this study, a novel label-free sensing platform was developed based on the selective separation of MnO2 nanosheets and Mn2+ using a filter membrane. The platform utilized smartphone-based colorimetric analysis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for detection. The method showed high sensitivity, simplicity, and short incubation time, making it suitable for E. coli assay in various samples.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Mohammad Nabil, Andrew Frankowski, Ashton Orosa, Andrew Fuller, Amir Nourhani
Summary: We proposed a method to modulate the drifting motion of overdamped circle swimmers in steady fluid flows by static sinusoidal potentials, and quantified the drift velocity as a function of potential strength and wavelength with and without diffusional motion. The results show that drift velocity is essentially quantized without diffusion but has a continuous range with noise, and different regimes can be observed based on the dimensionless potential wave number in the drift velocity diagram. This method can help differentiate biological and artificial circle swimmers based on their dynamical properties.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yaopeng Zhang, Hongwen Zhao, Qianqian Li, Dorji Tsechoe, Hongli Yuan, Guijin Su, Jinshui Yang
Summary: This study sequenced fresh yak manure using high-throughput sequencing technology and evaluated the correlation between intestinal microbiota and yak milk quality, combined with local environmental factors. The study found a close relationship between yak milk composition and intestinal microbiota. It also discovered that different genera and key enzymes respond differently to environmental factors.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mun Yuen Chang, Eng-Seng Chan, Cher Pin Song
Summary: A low-cost liquid lipase from genetically modified Aspergillus oryzae was used for biodiesel production, showing high tolerance and reaction efficiency in feedstocks with high FFA content, leading to a high conversion rate.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vladimir Vinnik, Fan Zhang, Hyunjun Park, Taylor B. Cook, Kurt Throckmorton, Brian F. Pfleger, Tim S. Bugni, Michael G. Thomas
Summary: Siderophores are iron-chelating molecules produced by microorganisms and plants to acquire iron from the environment. A study on siderophore analogs from Agrobacterium fabrum strain C58 reveals unique molecular structures and substrate specificities, suggesting elaborate biosynthetic pathways in siderophore production. The presence of a distinct moiety in the analogs provides evidence for a potential mechanism involving L-DOPA in the formation of siderophores. Additionally, bioinformatic analyses indicate a wide distribution of siderophore-related molecules in various bacterial groups.
ACS CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Christopher M. Jones, Travis C. Korosh, David R. Nielsen, Brian F. Pfleger
Summary: The developed T7-RNA polymerase gene expression system is effective for controlling and achieving high-level expression of heterologous genes in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, but may come at the cost of reductions in both biomass and pigmentation levels.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Taylor B. Cook, Tyler B. Jacobson, Maya V. Venkataraman, Heike Hofstetter, Daniel Amador-Noguez, Michael G. Thomas, Brian F. Pfleger
Summary: This article highlights the use of Pseudomonas putida as a heterologous host for producing natural products, with genetic modifications and synthetic biology tools improving production yields. By introducing biosynthetic gene clusters encoding the synthesis of bioactive compounds, engineered strains showed robust production. Various strategies, including genome editing and increasing auxiliary protein availability, were utilized to increase titers of prodigiosin and glidobactin A.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiaze Ma, Philip Tominac, Brian F. Pfleger, Victor M. Zavala
Summary: This study presents a computational framework for assessing the economics of phosphorus recovery infrastructures in the dairy sector based on cyanobacterial cultivation, exploring integrations of different cultivation systems and proposing three economic indicators to compare and communicate the hidden costs of dairy farming. Results reveal that certain infrastructure layouts require specific revenue incentives, such as a centralized OPR coupled with a dry algal production unit needing the lowest incentive, and increasing algae growth rate can potentially eliminate the need for incentives.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hugh M. Purdy, Brian F. Pfleger, Jennifer L. Reed
Summary: The study uses a genome-scale metabolic model to predict and design novel cyanobacterial strains for improved production of biofuel alcohols.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Berkley M. Ellis, Piyoosh K. Babele, Jody C. May, Carl H. Johnson, Brian F. Pfleger, Jamey D. Young, John A. McLean
Summary: The study introduces a screening method using desorption electrospray ionization-imaging mass spectrometry to accelerate synthetic biology workflows rapidly, non-targeted, and multiplexedly.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bradley W. Biggs, Hal S. Alper, Brian F. Pfleger, Keith E. J. Tyo, Christine N. S. Santos, Parayil Kumaran Ajikumar, Gregory Stephanopoulos
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonathan C. Greenhalgh, Sarah A. Fahlberg, Brian F. Pfleger, Philip A. Romero
Summary: This study utilized a machine learning-driven approach to engineer fatty acyl reductases (FARs) with enhanced activity on acyl-ACP substrates for increased production of fatty alcohols. Through iterative design and testing, the engineered enzymes produced over twofold more fatty alcohols than the starting natural sequences. The top sequence identified had an enhanced catalytic rate on palmitoyl-ACP, demonstrating the power of machine learning in protein engineering for challenging proteins.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qiang Yan, William T. Cordell, Michael A. Jindra, Dylan K. Courtney, Madeline K. Kuckuk, Xuanqi Chen, Brian F. Pfleger
Summary: The study introduces a novel strategy of acyl transferase by heterologous expression of PhaG enzyme, enabling the transfer of acyl chains from ACP to CoA thioesters, thus improving the efficiency of microbial lipid metabolism for producing oleochemicals.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Francesca Gambacorta, Ellen R. Wagner, Tyler B. Jacobson, Mary Tremaine, Laura K. Muehlbauer, Mick A. McGee, Justin J. Baerwald, Russell L. Wrobel, John F. Wolters, Mike Place, Joshua J. Dietrich, Dan Xie, Jose Serate, Shabda Gajbhiye, Lisa Liu, Maikayeng Vang-Smith, Joshua J. Coon, Yaoping Zhang, Audrey P. Gasch, Daniel Amador-Noguez, Chris Todd Hittinger, Trey K. Sato, Brian F. Pfleger
Summary: Metabolic engineering strategies have been used to enhance isobutanol production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with pathway localization and redox cofactor balancing significantly affecting isobutanol titers. Mitochondrial localization and redox-imbalanced pathways were found to be more favorable for isobutanol production.
SYNTHETIC AND SYSTEMS BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Francesca V. Gambacorta, Joshua J. Dietrich, Justin J. Baerwald, Stephanie J. Brown, Yun Su, Brian F. Pfleger
Summary: This study aimed to identify an isobutanol pathway cassette that can support the growth of a non-ethanol producing S. cerevisiae. By screening a combinatorial library of pathway enzymes, the researchers isolated a cassette that was able to produce 364 mg/L isobutanol under aerobic conditions. This approach shows promise for rewiring the metabolism of S. cerevisiae to produce other fermentation products.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Brian F. Pfleger, Ralf Takors
Summary: Energy is a complex field that has a significant impact on modern life. The combustion of fossil fuels, especially in the transportation sector, has been the dominant form of energy release. Biofuels, although a small fraction of liquid transportation fuels consumed each year, have gained importance.
CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Michael A. Jindra, Kisurb Choe, Ratul Chowdhury, Ryan Kong, Soodabeh Ghaffari, Jonathan Sweedler, Brian F. Pfleger
Summary: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS) was an effective library screening technique for identifying thioesterase variants with favorable shifts in chain-length specificity. Four thioesterase variants were isolated and demonstrated more selective production of medium-chain free fatty acids in E. coli. Fusion with maltose binding protein (MBP) improved enzyme solubility and achieved a high yield of twelve-carbon fatty acids.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Min Soo Kim, Hochan Chang, Lei Zheng, Qiang Yan, Brian F. Pfleger, John Klier, Kevin Nelson, Erica L. -W. Majumder, George W. Huber
Summary: Environmental concerns have led to the development of biodegradable plastics, which can be degraded by microorganisms into small molecules. However, there are misconceptions surrounding the term "biodegradable" and this can lead to excessive consumption and increased littering. This review provides an overview of biodegradable plastics, clarifies definitions and terms, and discusses analytical techniques and applications.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Deepro Banerjee, Michael A. Jindra, Alec J. Linot, Brian F. Pfleger, Costas D. Maranas
Summary: In this study, the researchers proposed a machine learning-based enzyme classification method called EnZymClass, which aims to address the difficulties and challenges in predicting the function of plant acyl-ACP thioesterases (TEs). By applying EnZymClass, the researchers successfully classified TEs into different substrate specificity categories and identified two enzymes with previously uncharacterized activity in experimental testing.
CURRENT RESEARCH IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)