Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mayur Mukhi, A. S. Vishwanathan
Summary: The formation of biofilms is a regulated response of bacteria to external disturbances, and it can be promoted by altering the environment and engineering genes. This process is of great significance in biotechnological applications and environmental remediation.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zimo Jin, Asia Vighi, Yueming Dong, Jean-Alexandre Bureau, Codruta Ignea
Summary: Cellular membranes are dynamic bilayers composed of lipids, trans-membrane proteins, and carbohydrates. Research in this field focuses on identifying, characterizing, and understanding the different components of biological membranes. Recent advancements in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology have led to the production of essential medicines through microbial production. However, challenges such as long pathways, low yields, and host adaptation hinder efficient scale-up production. Strategies for improving enzyme performance and facilitating pathway reconstruction directly involve cellular membranes, which are also targeted for manipulation in lipid research and synthetic biology. This review summarizes engineering strategies applied to cellular membranes and discusses the challenges and future perspectives in host engineering and bioproduction.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Cecilia Andreu, Marcelli del Olmo
Summary: Many microorganisms can form biofilms under adverse conditions, which are complex structures composed of cells from different species embedded in the extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM, consisting of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids, serves various functions such as adhesion, communication, nutrient distribution, and community resistance. This review focuses on halotolerant and osmotolerant yeast biofilms, their formation, and their potential biotechnological applications.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Joan Planas-Iglesias, Sergio M. Marques, Gaspar P. Pinto, Milos Musil, Jan Stourac, Jiri Damborsky, David Bednar
Summary: Enzymes are natural catalysts that execute biochemical reactions, and their effectiveness has been optimized through evolution. Biocatalysts from various sources are used in industrial production, environmental protection, and biomedical applications. Protein engineering and computational techniques can improve enzyme function for diverse applications.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tamer A. E. Ahmed, Ling Wu, Manar Younes, Maxwell Hincke
Summary: The utilization of eggshell waste has attracted extensive attention and research, covering various fields such as biomedical, chemical, engineering, and environmental technologies. Research in these areas is ongoing and expected to enhance the value of eggshell waste utilization.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Vipin Chandra Kalia, Sanjay Kumar Singh Patel, Ramasamy Shanmugam, Jung-Kul Lee
Summary: Plastics, being an integral part of daily life, are causing environmental issues due to indiscriminate use and disposal. Biodegradable polymers, especially PHAs, are considered as potential alternatives to counter this problem, with promising commercial viability, particularly in the medical sector.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maziya Ibrahim, Lavanya Raajaraam, Karthik Raman
Summary: Studying and engineering microbial communities offer significant advantages over single strains, such as division of labour and improved substrate utilization. By utilizing constraint-based modeling methods and approaches based on graph theory, we can gain insights into microbial interactions and enhance community productivity. Advanced omics technologies are paving the way for rapid expansion of microbial community engineering, with a promising impact on biotechnological processes.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Peter Leon Hagedoorn, Frank Hollmann, Ulf Hanefeld
Summary: Oleate hydratase catalyzes the addition of water to oleic acid to produce (R)-10-hydroxystearic acid, with the potential for a wide range of unsaturated fatty acids. Through protein engineering and directed evolution, the substrate scope can be expanded to produce various products, including keto-fatty acids and secondary alcohols, using multi-enzyme cascades.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nurul Amira Mohammad Mohany, Alessandra Totti, Keith R. Naylor, Harald Janovjak
Summary: Microbial production of methionine has been extensively studied as a sustainable alternative to chemical synthesis to meet global demand. Recent research has focused on optimizing the export of methionine through the identification and expression of microbial transporters, providing valuable insights into biotechnological applications. The diverse families of methionine transporters from different species offer blueprints for synthetic biology systems beyond fermentative production.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Karla V. Teymennet-Ramirez, Fernando Martinez-Morales, Maria R. Trejo-Hernandez
Summary: Yeast surface display (YSD) is a whole-cell platform for the heterologous expression of proteins immobilized on the yeast's cell surface. Recent strategies aim to improve the efficiency and selection of displayed proteins. YSD is considered as a cutting-edge technology for vectorial expression of proteins and peptides.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zohreh N. Pourhassan, Sander H. J. Smits, Jung Hoon Ahn, Lutz Schmitt
Summary: Efforts have been made to improve the efficiency of bacterial secretion systems, with a focus on the potential limitations of T1SS as production platforms at commercial scales. Progress has been made in biotechnological applications, heterologous protein secretion, vaccine development, and engineering strategies to enhance T1SS secretion efficiencies. Directed evolution approaches are also being explored as a versatile method for optimizing T1SS secretion efficiency.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rajesh Kumar, Dinesh Pratap Singh, Romina Munoz, Mongi Amami, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Shipra Singh, Vinod Kumar
Summary: This review article introduces the potential and research progress of graphene and its derivatives in biomedical applications, and summarizes their effects on human health and the environment.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yue-Sheng Zhang, Jin-Song Gong, Zhi-Yuan Yao, Jia-Yu Jiang, Chang Su, Heng Li, Chuan-Li Kang, Lei Liu, Zheng-Hong Xu, Jin -Song Shi
Summary: This critical review comprehensively summarizes existing studies on hyaluronidase from different sources, particularly in their structures, action patterns, and biological functions in humans and mammals. Furthermore, it provides insights into the resource mining and protein engineering process of hyaluronidase, as well as strategies for high-level production. Additionally, advances in the application of hyaluronidase are summarized and future research prospects are proposed.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jorge Joao, Duarte Miguel F. Prazeres
Summary: Protein nanocages are highly ordered structures formed by self-assembly of multiple monomers. They have attractive qualities such as high surface/volume ratio, multi-functionality, and biocompatibility. They have wide applications in areas like drug delivery, vaccine development, and bioimaging. Efficient manufacturing processes and characterization techniques are needed to make them clinically valuable and overcome current limitations.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hehe He, Mingfei Yang, Siyu Li, Gaoyang Zhang, Zhongyang Ding, Liang Zhang, Guiyang Shi, Youran Li
Summary: This review comprehensively summarizes the mechanisms, identification methods, and applications of transcription factors in various biotechnological fields. It also discusses the current limitations of research and provides prospects for future investigations.
SYNTHETIC AND SYSTEMS BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Bin Cao, April Z. Gu, Pei-Ying Hong, Renata Ivanek, Baikun Li, Aijie Wang, JingYi Wu
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Joseph Jegan Roy, Srinivasan Madhavi, Bin Cao
Summary: Spent lithium-ion batteries containing toxic metals and electrolytes can be extracted and reused through bioleaching to reduce environmental risks. This study successfully recovered cobalt and lithium using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in high-density bioleaching, with over 90% cobalt extraction confirmed.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Shan Wu, Yichao Wu, Bin Cao, Qiaoyun Huang, Peng Cai
Summary: The potential role of soil biofilms in the spread of ARGs is discussed in this review, aiming to expand the limited knowledge about ARGs in the soil microenvironment. Techniques such as microfluidic platforms and high-throughput sequencing are also mentioned as tools for studying soil biofilms and transfer of ARGs.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bairoliya Sakcham, Apoorva Goel, Wen Zhang, Bin Cao
Summary: This study compared four commonly used protocols for preparing monochloramine (MCA) in environmental research. The results showed that different protocols could lead to substantial differences in the decay kinetics and disinfection efficacy of the prepared MCA. This highlights the immediate need for standardization of MCA preparation protocols in laboratory-scale drinking water research.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sakcham Bairoliya, Jonas Koh Zhi Xiang, Bin Cao
Summary: The article summarizes key findings on eDNA in environmental samples and discusses methods to extract and quantify eDNA, as well as the importance of considering eDNA in experimental results interpretation. The authors suggest factors to consider when designing experiments and analyzing data to account for the contribution of eDNA to environmental DNA-based community analyses.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guang-Lei Ma, Hartono Candra, Li Mei Pang, Juan Xiong, Yichen Ding, Hoa Thi Tran, Zhen Jie Low, Hong Ye, Min Liu, Jie Zheng, Mingliang Fang, Bin Cao, Zhao-Xun Liang
Summary: Naturally occurring hydrazones are rare, but widely used in the synthesis of organic compounds and functional materials. In this study, a novel family of microbial metabolites, tasikamides, was discovered. These tasikamides have a unique cyclic pentapeptide scaffold and contain a hydrazone group. The biosynthesis of tasikamides was found to require two gene clusters, one for the cyclic peptide scaffold and another for the synthesis of alkyl 5-hydroxylanthranilate. The findings revealed a novel mechanism for the formation of specialized metabolites through the coupling of two biosynthetic pathways.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Minh Phuong Do, Joseph Jegan Roy, Bin Cao, Madhavi Srinivasan
Summary: The study successfully regenerated important materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries through bioleaching, offering a new solution to address the global issue of electronic waste.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ming-Juan Cui, Aloysius Teng, Jian Chu, Bin Cao
Summary: This study presented a quantitative, high-throughput urease activity assay based on a 96-well plate, which can be used for comparing and rapidly screening urease-producing bacteria. The assay revealed bacterial strains with high urease activity and showed the inhibitory effect of calcium on urease activity. The method has potential wide applications in environmental, civil, and medical research.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sakcham Bairoliya, Apoorva Goel, Manisha Mukherjee, Jonas Koh Zhi Xiang, Bin Cao
Summary: Monochloramine disinfection of drinking water leads to the release of extracellular DNA and RNA, which may impact microbiome analysis and pose health concerns.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yi-Nan Liu, Sha Deng, Sakcham Bairoliya, Bin Cao
Summary: In the past two decades, the concept of microbial resources has evolved from conserved strains and genomic data to functional microbial consortia, superior phenotypes, biochemical and signaling systems, efficient enzymes, secondary metabolites, and genetic traits. However, the mining of microbial resources from water is severely underexplored compared to chemical and energy resources. This review summarizes various approaches used to mine microbial resources from water, discusses their advantages and limitations, and explores future directions in this field.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joseph Jegan Roy, Ernest Jun Jie Tang, Minh Phuong Do, Bin Cao, Madhavi Srinivasan
Summary: Research on recycling electrode materials, particularly anode graphite, from spent lithium-ion batteries has gained attention due to economic benefits and environmental concerns. This study successfully recycled anode graphite from bioleaching residue, achieving a purity of 99.78% and demonstrating excellent electrochemical performance.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jonas Koh, Sakcham Bairoliya, Maria Salta, Zin Thida Cho, Jenny Fong, Mei Lin Neo, Simon Cragg, Bin Cao
Summary: In this study, plastic debris collected from various coastal ecosystems around Singapore were found to be predominantly influenced by sediment rather than the plastic materials. The plastisphere communities on the plastic debris included potential plastic degraders, bacteria involved in biogeochemical cycles, hygienically relevant bacteria, and potential pathogens. This study highlights the urgent need to understand the fate and ecological impacts of plastic debris accumulated in coastal habitats.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Amit Kumar, Daphne H. P. Ng, Sakcham Bairoliya, Bin Cao
Summary: In densely populated cities with limited land, storing surface water in underground spaces is a potential solution to meet the rising demand for clean water. Additionally, the deployment of floating solar photovoltaic (PV) systems over water has increased due to the imperative need for renewable solar energy and limited land resources. However, the influence of the absence of sunlight on microbial community function and water quality is largely unknown. This study aimed to reveal microbial processes and water quality dynamics in surface water stored in the dark.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sakcham Bairoliya, Apoorva Goel, Manisha Mukherjee, Jonas Koh Zhi Xiang, Bin Cao
Summary: Monochloramine induces the release of DNA and RNA in drinking water, with sequencing of the eDNA able to assemble the whole genome of the model organism, while the eRNA contains non-coding RNA and mRNA, potentially serving as signaling molecules in environmental systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
