Article
Food Science & Technology
Jung-Hyun Ju, Sang-Gyu Jeon, Sun-Yeon Heo, Ji-Soo Kim, Min-Ho Jo, Min-Soo Kim, Chul-Ho Kim, Baek-Rock Oh
Summary: In this study, a novel strain of Lactobacillus reuteri BR120 that produces abundant exopolysaccharides (EPSs) with an alternan-type structure was isolated. The gamma-ray mutagenesis of Lactobacillus reuteri BR120 resulted in L. reuteri EC01, which exhibited a 1.3-fold increased production of alternan-type compound. L. reuteri EC01 showed various probiotic activities and produced 54.3 g/L of the alternan-type EPS through fed-batch fermentation.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Adrian Sven Geissler, Annaleigh Ohrt Fehler, Line Dahl Poulsen, Enrique Gonzalez-Tortuero, Thomas Beuchert Kallehauge, Ferhat Alkan, Christian Anthon, Stefan Ernst Seemann, Michael Dolberg Rasmussen, Anne Breuener, Carsten Hjort, Jeppe Vinther, Jan Gorodkin
Summary: Fine-tuning regulatory mechanisms for gene candidates can enhance yield in cell factories. By analyzing RNA-sequencing data of alpha-amylase producing Bacillus strains, we identified numerous novel non-coding transcribed regions that undergo significant expression changes during fermentation. Knockdown experiments using CRISPRi revealed that targeting specific non-coding regions can lead to both increased and decreased yields. This study highlights the potential of non-coding RNAs as targets for improving yield in biotechnology.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Peter M. Bruno, Richard T. Timms, Nouran S. Abdelfattah, Yumei Leng, Felipe J. N. Lelis, Duane R. Wesemann, Xu G. Yu, Stephen J. Elledge
Summary: Identification of CD8(+) T cell epitopes is crucial for immunotherapy development. The EpiScan method, using surface MHC class I levels as a readout for ligand discovery, can screen large-scale MHC class I peptides and predict binding affinities. The EpiScan Predictor performs comparably to other algorithms and overcomes the underrepresentation of cysteine-containing peptides. This targeted immunopeptidomics approach will accelerate individual-specific immunotherapy.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chaofan Meng, Bangzhu Peng
Summary: This paper established an efficient, resource-saving, and high-throughput screening platform to improve the breeding status of Schizochytrium sp. The culture conditions during the screening process were determined through heterotrophic culture experiments. The screening steps, including prescreening, primary screening, and rescreening, were optimized, and the time for high-throughput assays was determined. Mutation methods were also analyzed, and a high DHA yield strain, EU432, was obtained and evaluated for production performance.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nadine A. Pringle, Maryna van de Venter, Trevor C. Koekemoer
Summary: The study utilized a comprehensive in vitro antidiabetic target-directed screening platform to investigate the potential antidiabetic mechanisms of Aspalathus linearis extracts. Results showed that both green and fermented extracts of A. linearis demonstrated broad antidiabetic mechanisms, with promising activities including combating insulin resistance, inflammation, oxidative stress, protein glycation, and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction and death. The green extract was more effective at combating oxidative stress in pancreatic beta-cells, while the fermented extract showed greater ability to inhibit alpha-glucosidase activity and free fatty acid accumulation in hepatocytes and myotubes. Further studies are needed to clarify the potentially toxic and pro-inflammatory nature of the fermented extract.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Anna Pepanian, Furkan Ayberk Binbay, Suchismita Roy, Britta Nubbemeyer, Amritendu Koley, Curran A. Rhodes, Hermann Ammer, Dehua Pei, Pradipta Ghosh, Diana Imhof
Summary: Novel bicyclic peptides were identified through combinatorial library screening and showed prominent properties as molecular switch-on/off modulators of Gαi signaling, with GPM-3 being the first chemically identified GAP modulator with a high binding affinity for Gαi protein. Computational analyses assessed the structure of the peptides, ligand-protein interaction sites, and their impact on the nucleotide binding site. This approach may lead to the development of efficient chemical biological probes targeting Gαi protein modulation within a cellular context.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xiangdong Zhao, Roland Kerpes, Thomas Becker
Summary: This study investigates the impacts of MTP configurations on S. pastorianus beer fermentation and finds that lager strains in MTPs accelerate cell reproduction and sugar consumption. The results of microscale beer fermentation in different MTP configurations differ greatly from shaking flasks and European Brewing Convention tubes. The air-tight MTP cover not only balances flavors but also maintains the integrity of endogenous carbon dioxide pressure during fermentation. Excluding air in MTP reduces fermentative activities.
EUROPEAN FOOD RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Jitendra D. Salunkhe, Satish V. Patil
Summary: Naringinase is an important enzyme with both α-L-rhamnosidase and β-D-glucosidase activities. The traditional screening method has limitations and can result in false positive results. The double screen plate assay using synthetic substrates offers a more accurate way to identify genuine naringinase producers.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xuhui Xia, Weimin Jing, Zelin Zhang, Lei Wang, Huan Zhang
Summary: This study proposed a multi-objective optimization method to control the screen surface load (SSL) of vibrating screens, while maintaining high screening efficiency (SE). The optimization method effectively improved the optimizable range of SSL while compromising SE, which is significant for enhancing the service life of screen surface and screen body.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Su Bin Ji, Chae Hun Ra
Summary: Aspergillus oryzae KCCM 11372 was used to enhance the production of beta-glucan through humidity control strategies. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) at 60% humidity increased the yields of enzymes, fungal biomass, and beta-glucan. The extracts of beta-glucan containing fermented brown rice (beta glucan-FBR) showed no cytotoxicity and inhibited lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells by decreasing the expression of adipogenesis-related genes.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jin-Na Cui, Wei Hu, Yan-Xin Liu, Yong-Li Li, Jian-Hua Hu, Zhan-Ying Liu, Ji-Hong Chen
Summary: Heavy-ion mutagenesis technology was used to irradiate Bacillus subtilis, resulting in high-yielding mutants with improved production of alpha-amylase. Among these mutants, B. subtilis KC-180-2 exhibited significantly higher alpha-amylase activity and demonstrated resistance to high temperatures. These findings indicate the potential industrial applications of B. subtilis KC-180-2 for alpha-amylase production.
APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Dewei Xie, Lei Du, Haisheng Lin, Erzheng Su, Yaling Shen, Jingli Xie, Dongzhi Wei
Summary: This study proposed an in vitro-in silico strategy for discovering ACE inhibitory peptides by hydrolyzing alpha-lactalbumin and predicting five novel ACE inhibitory peptides through molecular docking. Experimental results showed that these peptides exhibited different modes of inhibition towards ACE and significantly changed the secondary structure of ACE.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Toxicology
Britt Duijndam, Massimo Tedeschi, Wanda van der Stel, Tineke van den Hoorn, Bart van der Burg, Peter Bouwman, Jan Willem van der Laan, Bob van de Water
Summary: This study developed a new reporter cell line to monitor the dynamic activation of the estrogen pathway. By evaluating the response to known chemicals, it was shown that this method has the same sensitivity and specificity as other validated methods. By combining the monitoring of cell cycle progression and proliferation, this reporter system can improve human carcinogen risk assessment.
TOXICOLOGY IN VITRO
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martina Di Rocco, Serena Galosi, Enrico Lanza, Federica Tosato, Davide Caprini, Viola Folli, Jennifer Friedman, Gianfranco Bocchinfuso, Alberto Martire, Elia Di Schiavi, Vincenzo Leuzzi, Simone Martinelli
Summary: Dominant GNAO1 mutations cause childhood-onset neurological disorders characterized by developmental delay, intellectual disability, movement disorders, drug-resistant seizures, and neurological deterioration. In this study, the functional impact of disease-causing GNAO1 variants was assessed using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. The study found that these variants affect the motor function and neurotransmitter release in the nematodes, and caffeine can partially rescue the abnormality.
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jonathan Kitonsa, Onesmus Kamacooko, Eugene Ruzagira, Florence Nambaziira, Andrew Abaasa, Jennifer Serwanga, Ben Gombe, Jane Lunkuse, Hadijah Naluyinda, Naboth Tukamwesiga, Tamara Namata, Antony Kigozi, Paddy Kafeero, Vincent Basajja, Sarah Joseph, Benjamin F. Pierce, Robin Shattock, Pontiano Kaleebu
Summary: The study reports the screening and enrollment process for a phase I vaccine trial in Masaka, Uganda, investigating the safety and immunogenicity of a self-amplifying SARS-CoV-2 RNA vaccine among individuals with and without antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. The study demonstrates the feasibility of successfully screening and enrolling participants for COVID-19 vaccine trials in Uganda during a pandemic, and the experiences gained may be valuable for investigators planning similar work in Africa.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2023)
