Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shohei Yamada, Yuki Takamatsu, Sota Ikeda, Atsushi Kouzuma, Kazuya Watanabe
Summary: In response to the growing social demand for sustainable developments, biomass is increasingly being recognized as valuable feedstocks for the chemical industry. Metabolic engineering and genome editing techniques have enabled microbial fermentation to produce value-added chemicals from biomass, with the aim of improving diversity and efficiency. However, existing fermentation technologies face limitations in terms of balancing redox equivalents between substrates and products, resulting in limited variety. One potential solution to this limitation is electro-fermentation (EF), which utilizes bioelectrochemical systems to modify the intracellular redox state of electrochemically active bacteria, overcoming the redox constraint. While recent studies have explored the concept of EF for chemical production, its practical application and production efficiency still need further demonstration.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huizhong Liu, Sujuan Li, Xiaobao Xie, Qingshan Shi
Summary: This study showed that tetracycline could dose-dependently stimulate biofilm formation in Pseudomonas putida, increasing the bacteria's tolerance to the antibiotic. Additionally, various other antibiotics were found to promote biofilm formation in P. putida, except aminoglycosides. Biofilm formation conferred higher tolerance to specific antibiotics such as tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones in P. putida cells.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Till Tiso, Tanja Narancic, Ren Wei, Eric Pollet, Niall Beagan, Katja Schroeder, Annett Honak, Mengying Jiang, Shane T. Kenny, Nick Wierckx, Remi Perrin, Luc Averous, Wolfgang Zimmermann, Kevin O'Connor, Lars M. Blank
Summary: With over 359 million tons of plastics produced worldwide in 2018, the challenge of managing plastic waste is evident. Recent discovery of enzymes that degrade supposedly non-biodegradable plastics has opened up opportunities for transforming the plastic recycling industry using biotechnology. This study presents a novel method for converting post-consumer PET into bioplastics, offering a solution that bypasses the expensive purification process for PET monomers and adds technological flexibility to the global issue of plastic waste management.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Arslan Sarwar, Linh Thanh Nguyen, Eun Yeol Lee
Summary: This study demonstrates the efficient upgrading of ethanol to fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) using Pseudomonas putida KT2440, achieving high yields through gene expression and culture optimization. It provides a basis for integrating bioethanol production with the efficient conversion of ethanol to biodiesel.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sakuntala Mutyala, Changman Kim, Young Eun Song, Himanshu Khandelwal, Jiyun Baek, Eunhee Seol, You-kwan Oh, Jung Rae Kim
Summary: The study found that the obligate aerobe, Pseudomonas putida, can utilize acetate as the sole carbon and energy source, and respire via an anode as the terminal electron acceptor under anoxic conditions. Electrode-based respiration enables P. putida to metabolize acetate anaerobically and regulate the bacterial redox balance without oxygen.
BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Madison D. Bygd, Kelly G. Aukema, Jack E. Richman, Lawrence P. Wackett
Summary: Perfluorinated carbon atoms in a diether linkage are commonly found in commercial anesthetics, drugs, fungicides, and insecticides. Pseudomonas putida F1 can rapidly defluorinate DFBD with the key enzyme toluene dioxygenase. This mechanism may have implications for the biodegradation of DFBD-containing compounds in the environment.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Zheng Chen, Jing Zhang, Qingyang Lyu, Honghui Wang, Xiaoliang Ji, Zhiying Yan, Fang Chen, Randy A. Dahlgren, Minghua Zhang
Summary: This review provides a comprehensive assessment of recent advancements in the design of living biomaterials that can be exploited to enhance bioelectrocatalytic performance in bioelectrochemical systems. The integration of modular configurations of abiotic and biotic components, such as conductive nanomaterials and electrochemically active microbes, show promise in significantly boosting extracellular electron transfer efficiency. The interdisciplinary approach combining molecular biology, electrochemistry, and materials science is crucial in advancing the utility and novelty of bioelectrochemical systems and meeting global sustainability goals.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Wenrui Guo, Jingang Huang
Summary: Redox mediators (RMs) have been extensively used in various environmental applications to promote reductions of oxidized pollutants. However, the continuous addition of soluble RMs is expensive and may pose environmental risks. Immobilization technology provides a solution by attaching RMs onto non-dissolved supports, enabling their reuse and in-situ remediation. Additionally, renewable biomass and their derivatives, such as biochar, offer an economical and feasible alternative to soluble RMs. This review critically compares and summarizes different RM immobilization methods and their reaction mechanisms in environmental applications.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenjuan Zhao, Guodian Zhao, Yao Jiang, Jing Song, Preetam Sharma, Yeray Asensio Ramirez, Eileen Yu, Shuiliang Chen
Summary: This study investigates the acceleration of denitrification using conductive carrier through the formation of microbial galvanic cell (MGC). It is found that the conductive carrier promotes the enrichment of electroactive denitrifiers and accelerates denitrification rate. The results suggest that denitrification can be accelerated by employing conductive carrier.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaoqing Meng, Fangjuan Li, Li Yi, Mahlatsi Yorgan Dieketseng, Xiaomeng Wang, Lixiang Zhou, Guanyu Zheng
Summary: UV-based advanced oxidation processes (UV-AOPs) are effective in controlling the dissemination of antibiotic resistance in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), but the mechanism of intracellular antibiotic resistance genes (i-ARGs) degradation by UV-AOPs is still unclear. This study found that UV in combination with hydrogen peroxide (UV/H2O2) or persulfate (UV/PDS) promoted the degradation of i-ARGs by generating free radicals that reacted with bacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), increasing bacterial cell membrane permeability and facilitating UV irradiation to damage the i-ARGs.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohan B. Dangi, Michael A. Urynowicz, Christopher L. Schultz, Samir Budhathoki, Sadikshya R. Dangi
Summary: In-situ chemical oxidation is an effective groundwater remediation approach that alters microbial activity and the physical and chemical structure of the soil. Among the oxidants studied, potassium permanganate showed the highest increase in microbial activity post oxidation, with no direct correlation between oxidant concentration and microbial activity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Linh Thanh Nguyen, Dung Hoang Anh Mai, Arslan Sarwar, Eun Yeol Lee
Summary: This study constructed a production pathway for short-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) in P. putida KT2440 and enhanced the product yield by reconstructing the ethanol catabolic pathway. Transcriptome analysis was conducted to gain insights into central metabolic pathways and gene expression patterns in response to substrate changes. Furthermore, the potential of P. putida KT2440 for producing copolymers from different carbon sources was demonstrated.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ning Li, Jin Jiang, Yanbin Xu, Hanping Pan, Xiaonan Luo, Yingbin Hu, Jie Cao
Summary: Carbonaceous materials play a crucial role as electron shuttles in anaerobic bioremediation processes. This review discusses the classification, characteristics, and influencing factors of carbon-containing electron shuttles, as well as their prospects in microbial-driven environmental remediation.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wasefa Begum, Bidyut Saha, Ujjwal Mandal
Summary: The advancement of science and technology demands chemistry that is safer, smarter, and greener, thus requiring sustainable alternative options. Microbial bio-surfactants, which affect surface chemistry, are a group of molecules produced by different microbes. This dedicated review provides updated knowledge on inexpensive carbohydrate sources, microorganisms, and technologies for bio-surfactant production, offering an economy-friendly and sustainable approach towards achieving sustainable development goals.
Article
Electrochemistry
Olja Simoska, Erin M. Gaffney, Koun Lim, Kevin Beaver, Shelley D. Minteer
Summary: Establishing successful and efficient extracellular electron transfer between bacteria and electrode surfaces is crucial for the development of mediated microbial electrochemical technologies. Research has shown that when designing future mediator-based EET systems, factors beyond just choosing a mediator with the appropriate redox potential need to be considered.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Palraj Kalimuthu, Dominik Hege, Agnieszka Winiarska, Yvonne Gemmecker, Maciej Szaleniec, Johann Heider, Paul V. Bernhardt
Summary: In contrast to molybdenum enzymes, tungsten enzymes have lower redox potentials and can perform reversible redox transformations. However, the electrochemical properties of tungsten enzymes have received less attention. In this study, the tungsten enzyme aldehyde oxidoreductase (AOR) from Aromatoleum aromaticum was immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode. The system showed electrocatalytic oxidation of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes in the presence of electron transfer mediators. The different mediators had different electron transfer rates and methylene blue acted as a two-electron acceptor. This work demonstrates a highly energy efficient catalytic process for aldehyde oxidation at low applied electrochemical potential.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bin Lai, Jens Kroemer, Federico Aulenta, Hui Wu, Pablo Ivan Nikel
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Jamin C. Wood, Zhiguo Yuan, Bernardino Virdis
Summary: A circular carbon economy can decouple production from fossil fuels, but strategies are needed to maximize decarbonization in the short term. Electrochemical processes offer opportunities to link renewable electricity with chemical production, but currently only a few chemical products have reached commercialization stages. By using commercialized electro-chemical products, such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide, as feedstocks, higher overall energy efficiencies can be achieved in producing other platform chemicals. This approach is being recognized in the industry, with several companies leading the way.
CURRENT OPINION IN ELECTROCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Correction
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
L. Van Peteghem, M. Sakarika, S. Matassa, K. Rabaey
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Miguel A. Gonzalvez, Craig M. Williams, Manuel Martinez, Paul V. Bernhardt
Summary: Organocopper(II) reagents are a relatively unexplored frontier in copper catalysis. This study investigates the stability and reactivity of Cu-II-C bonds, proposing two main pathways for their cleavage: homolysis and heterolysis. Experimental results provide insights into the reaction pathways of organocopper(II) complexes, which are relevant to their application as catalysts in C-C bond forming reactions.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Masnun Naher, Chuyi Su, Jeffrey R. Harmer, Craig M. Williams, Paul V. Bernhardt
Summary: The utility and scope of Cu-catalyzed halogen atom transfer chemistry have been exploited in a variety of fields. This study demonstrates the ability to modulate the reactivity of the Cu catalyst using electrochemistry, resulting in unprecedented rate acceleration in Cu-catalyzed bulk electrosynthesis.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Tyler Fahrenhorst-Jones, Dehui Kong, Jed M. Burns, Gregory K. Pierens, Paul V. Bernhardt, G. Paul Savage, Craig M. Williams
Summary: It is found that seco-1-Azacubane-2-carboxylic acid can undergo amide bond formation at both the N- and C-termini using proline-based bioactive molecule templates as a concept platform.
JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Palraj Kalimuthu, Sheron Hakopian, Dimitri Niks, Russ Hille, Paul V. Bernhardt
Summary: In this study, an electrocatalytically active formate oxidation/CO2 reduction system was developed based on FdsDABG from Cupriavidus necator, providing new insights into the kinetics of the enzyme catalytic mechanism.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Arjen Van de Walle, Minseok Kim, Md Kawser Alam, Xiaofei Wang, Di Wu, Smruti Ranjan Dash, Korneel Rabaey, Jeonghwan Kim
Summary: Sustainable water management is crucial for ensuring access to safe water and addressing challenges such as climate change, urbanization, and population growth. Greywater, which accounts for 50-80% of daily wastewater generation in households and has low organic strength and high volume, requires separate treatment strategies due to its characteristics. Greywater reuse can enhance the resilience and adaptability of local water systems, reduce transport costs, and achieve fit-for-purpose reuse. Various biological and physicochemical treatment technologies can produce treated water suitable for reuse. Overcoming challenges such as greywater quality variance, legal framework, monitoring and control systems, and consumer perspective is important. The potential water and energy savings and sustainable future of greywater reuse in an urban context are also discussed.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jamin C. Wood, R. Axayacatl Gonzalez-Garcia, Dara Daygon, Gert Talbo, Manuel R. Plan, Esteban Marcellin, Bernardino Virdis
Summary: Methanol is a promising renewable energy carrier due to its high energy efficiency conversion and ease of integration within existing infrastructure. Some acetogenic bacteria have the ability to utilize methanol and other C-1 substrates to produce valuable chemicals. This study investigates the metabolism of Eubacterium limosum under methanol growth conditions and highlights key aspects of methanol metabolism and bottleneck conditions preventing the formation of valuable products.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tyler Fahrenhorst-Jones, David L. Marshall, Jed. M. Burns, Gregory K. Pierens, Robert E. Hormann, Allison M. Fisher, Paul V. Bernhardt, Stephen J. Blanksby, G. Paul Savage, Philip E. Eaton, Craig M. Williams
Summary: Highly strained cage hydrocarbons have been widely used to explore chemical stability and reactivity, probe physical properties, and as bioactive molecules and in materials discovery. However, the nitrogenous congeners have received less attention. This study presents the synthesis of 1-azahomocubane and its comprehensive characterization, physical property analysis, and chemical reactivity investigation. The findings suggest that nitrogen is well tolerated in a highly strained environment.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xiaoting Zhang, Tyler Arbour, Daijun Zhang, Shiqiang Wei, Korneel Rabaey
Summary: Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) can produce multicarbon compounds from CO₂ using electricity as the energy source. This study assessed MES under 35-60 g/L salinity and found that acetate production decreased over time under high salinity conditions. Carbonate precipitation on cathodes inhibited CO₂ supply, electrode contact, and H₂ production, leading to reduced acetate production. By adjusting the levels of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ in the reactors, stable acetate production was achieved. The research also highlighted the dominance of Acetobacterium and Sphaerochaeta bacteria in the MES system.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Laura Pause, Anna Weimer, Nicolas T. Wirth, Anh Vu Nguyen, Claudius Lenz, Michael Kohlstedt, Christoph Wittmann, Pablo I. Nikel, Bin Lai, Jens O. Kroemer
Summary: In a bio-electrochemical system, the obligate aerobe Pseudomonas putida is able to survive anaerobically and produce chemicals via oxidative pathways. The utilization of carbon in the cytoplasm is not limited by the stoichiometry of the sugar uptake routes, but could be affected by energy constraints or an oxygen-dependent regulatory mechanism.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jeffrey R. Harmer, Sheron Hakopian, Dimitri Niks, Russ Hille, Paul V. Bernhardt
Summary: This article investigates the redox properties of an oxygen-tolerant and molybdenum-dependent formate dehydrogenase, providing insights into the highly efficient catalytic activity of formate oxidation and CO2 reduction associated with the enzyme.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Paul V. Bernhardt
Summary: The accurate measurement of protein redox potentials is an important task. Traditional methods have significant experimental errors. This paper proposes an automated approach that combines continuous scanning potential with time-resolved UV-vis spectroscopy, allowing for fast and accurate measurement of protein redox potentials.