Review
Microbiology
Wouter Van Genechten, Patrick Van Dijck, Liesbeth Demuyser
Summary: Fungal infections, particularly those caused by Candida species, pose a significant threat due to their adaptability and increasing drug resistance. Understanding fungal functions on molecular, cellular, and organismal levels is crucial. Fluorescence imaging provides detailed analysis of these aspects, aiding in research and potential therapy development.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Wouter Van Genechten, Patrick Van Dijck, Liesbeth Demuyser
Summary: Fungal infections, such as those caused by Candida species, pose a serious threat to human and organism health. State-of-the-art fluorescence techniques offer valuable tools for studying fungal pathogens at various levels. The manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of fluorescence techniques, highlighting fluorescent labeling methods and applications while also offering practical tips and expert insights for future developments.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Blake Carrington, Ramanagouda Ramanagoudr-Bhojappa, Erica Bresciani, Tae-Un Han, Raman Sood
Summary: A robust pipeline for generating zebrafish models with precise integration of small DNA sequences and point mutations has been established. The screening method using fluorescent PCR and capillary electrophoresis is highly efficient and easy to implement.
Article
Virology
Tsz-Leung To, Xiaoquan Li, Xiaokun Shu
Summary: This article highlights the important role of fluorescence microscopy in virus imaging and discusses two new techniques and a class of genetically encoded fluorogenic protease reporters. These methods have potential value in the diagnosis and treatment of viral diseases.
Article
Biology
Sanni M. A. Farkkila, E. Toby Kiers, Raivo Jaaniso, Uno Maeorg, Roger M. Leblanc, Kathleen K. Treseder, Zhenhui Kang, Leho Tedersoo
Summary: Fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) have been widely used in chemistry and medicine, but their recent application in biology, especially in biosensing and molecular tracking, has been facilitated by advancements in non-Cd-containing FNPs. Standardized protocols and interdisciplinary approaches are critical for establishing FNPs in the biologist's toolkit.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Ryo Tamura, Fangchao Jiang, Jin Xie, Daichi Kamiyama
Summary: The article describes a method to expand the number of orthogonal split FP systems with spectrally distinct colors, utilizing rational design and cycles of directed evolution to broaden the spectral color palette of FP1-10/11. They demonstrate a multiplexing approach using the new orthogonal split FP systems, allowing simultaneous imaging of four distinct proteins in single cells.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ana R. Bertao, Orhan Guney, Marta Costa, Patricia Fontao, Olga Martinho, Susana P. G. Costa, Antonio M. Fonseca, Olivia S. G. P. Soares, Manuel Banobre-Lopez, Fatima Baltazar, Isabel C. Neves
Summary: The use of fluorescent nanoparticles has attracted attention for biological and medical applications. This study investigates the potential of faujasite zeolite structure for encapsulating dye molecules and serving as a bioimaging agent for cancer cells. Commercial zeolites were used to encapsulate dyes, and their stability and photophysical properties were characterized. The resulting dye-containing zeolites showed promising properties for bioimaging applications, and cost analysis revealed their economic feasibility.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xiao Liu, Takeru Yamazaki, Haw-Young Kwon, Satoshi Arai, Young-Tae Chang
Summary: Researchers have developed a new fluorescent thermometer, Thermo Greens (TGs), which can visualize temperature changes in almost all typical organelles, making it crucial for understanding intracellular temperature fluctuations.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xingzong Wang, Lei Wang, Tengda Jin, Keju Sun, Jingyue Yang
Summary: Two dual-mode fluorescent probes responding to both pH and viscosity were designed and synthesized in this study based on inhibited intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) processes. The fluorescence intensity of the probes would be doubly amplified at low pH and high viscosity, providing excellent contrast for biological imaging. Fluorescence imaging in living cells, tissue, and organs further demonstrated the selective visualization of cancer by the synthesized probes.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Julia Ackermann, Justus T. Metternich, Svenja Herbertz, Sebastian Kruss
Summary: Biosensors are important tools in modern basic research and biomedical diagnostics. NIR fluorescent molecular sensors based on SWCNTs have great potential in analyte detection, and the research on chemical design strategies and molecular recognition contributes to their further development.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ekaterina Goryacheva, Roman Efremov, Nikolai Krylov, Igor Artemyev, Alexey Bogdanov, Anastasia Mamontova, Sergei Pletnev, Nadya Pletneva, Vladimir Pletnev
Summary: The rapid development of new microscopy techniques has highlighted the need for genetically encoded fluorescent tags with special properties. One such tag, the BrUSLEE protein, has an extremely short fluorescence lifetime and exceptional brightness, making it useful for fluorescent lifetime image microscopy (FLIM). By comparing its structure to the precursor EGFP protein, insights have been gained into the molecular details that contribute to the differences in their photophysical properties.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Shumao Cui, Cailing Chen, Jiayu Gu, Bingyong Mao, Hao Zhang, Jianxin Zhao, Wei Chen
Summary: The study genetically engineered Lactobacillus plantarum ST-III to express GFP and studied its distribution in the intestine of mice using fluorescence imaging. The results showed that the genetically modified strain could survive in the intestine and be detected at various time points. The fluorescence intensity was found to have a linear relationship with the viable count of the strain, suggesting that fluorescence intensity can be used to estimate the amount of the strain in the intestinal tract.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Miguel Macias-Contreras, Lei Zhu
Summary: Genetically encoded protein or peptide tags and bioorthogonal chemistry are two important tools in cell biological research. By combining them, their functions can be expanded to better address the finer details of biological structures and actions.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yahui Guo, Helena T. N. N. Amunyela, Yuliang Cheng, Yunfei Xie, Hang Yu, Weirong Yao, Hung-Wing Li, He Qian
Summary: Metal nanoclusters, especially protein-templated gold nanoclusters, have attracted significant interest for their unique properties and potential applications. Natural proteins serve as ideal templates for the synthesis of these nanoclusters, allowing for exploration of their properties and applications in various fields.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chiara Montali, Stefania Abbruzzetti, Arne Franzen, Giorgia Casini, Stefano Bruno, Pietro Delcanale, Sandra Burgstaller, Jeta Ramadani-Muja, Roland Malli, Thomas Gensch, Cristiano Viappiani
Summary: S-Nitrosylation of cysteine residues is an important molecular mechanism for post-translational regulation of proteins, and the sensitivity of fluorescent proteins to nitric oxide has been discovered, which is of great significance for cell biology research.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jiale Jiang, Kasper Johansen, Clara S. Stanschewski, Gordon Wellman, Magdi A. A. Mousa, Gabriele M. Fiene, Khalid A. Asiry, Mark Tester, Matthew F. McCabe
Summary: Given its high nutritional value and capacity to grow in harsh environments, quinoa has great potential in addressing food security concerns. This study demonstrates that using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and machine learning models can provide robust predictions for plant traits and abiotic stress experiments.
PRECISION AGRICULTURE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Malak N. Abdallah, Gordon B. Wellman, Sebastian Overmans, Kyle J. Lauersen
Summary: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been engineered to increase its metabolic capacity and enable high-density cultivation in non-sterile conditions. By using a combination of chloroplast and nuclear genome engineering, this microalga can now use inorganic phosphite and nitrate as the sole sources of phosphorous and nitrogen, respectively. The study also showed successful production of the sesquiterpenoid patchoulol in high titers from these engineered green cell factories under non-sterile conditions. This research presents a straightforward approach to utilize C. reinhardtii strains for sustainable production of products from green microalgae.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fareena Rafique, Kyle J. Lauersen, Monika Chodasiewicz, Nicolas E. Figueroa
Summary: This article reviews the current understanding of stress granules (SGs) in plants, highlighting the gaps in knowledge about these structures. The authors propose a workflow using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Arabidopsis thaliana to accelerate the evaluation of individual plant cpSGs components and their impact on stress responses.
Article
Biology
Dilan S. R. Patiranage, Elodie Rey, Nazgol Emrani, Gordon Wellman, Karl Schmid, Sandra M. Schmoeckel, Mark Tester, Christian Jung, Vincent Castric
Summary: This study characterized a large diversity panel of quinoa, revealing substantial genetic variation and identifying SNPs associated with important traits. The integration of field and sequence data provided insights into the genetic diversity and trait associations in quinoa breeding.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sulamita Santos Correa, Junia Schultz, Kyle J. Lauersen, Alexandre Soares Rosado
Summary: The article summarizes the six known natural carbon-fixation pathways and outlines proposed additions to the list. It also discusses the importance of synthetic carbon fixation and the metabolism of thermophilic microorganisms in this field.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Barbara Bastos de Freitas, Sebastian Overmans, Julie Sanchez Medina, Pei Ying Hong, Kyle J. Lauersen
Summary: Using anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR) for wastewater treatment is more sustainable than using aerobic reactors. The effluent from AnMBR consists of a mixed gas stream of methane and carbon dioxide, as well as waters containing ammonia (N) and phosphate (P). This study investigates the use of engineered Chlamydomonas reinhardtii algae to grow directly in AnMBR effluent with CO2 concentrations found in AnMBR off-gas. The results demonstrate that the engineered strain can thrive in non-sterile effluent, remove N and P to meet discharge or reuse limits, and tolerate extreme outdoor environmental conditions.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Sofia Amendola, Jacob S. Kneip, Florian Meyer, Federico Perozeni, Stefano Cazzaniga, Kyle J. Lauersen, Matteo Ballottari, Thomas Baier
Summary: By systematically screening and overexpressing carotenoid pathway enzymes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, researchers identified phytoene synthase (PSY/crtB) as a bottleneck for astaxanthin accumulation. Increased ss-carotene hydroxylase (CHYB) activity was found to be essential for engineered astaxanthin production. A combined expression strategy of BKT, crtB, and CHYB resulted in a 4-fold increase in astaxanthin production compared to previous reports in C. reinhardtii.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Razan Z. Yahya, Gordon B. Wellman, Sebastian Overmans, Kyle J. Lauersen
Summary: Isoprene is a volatile hydrocarbon that is a monomer of cellular isoprenoids and has multiple industrial applications. Plants have evolved isoprene synthases (IspSs) to release isoprene as part of cellular thermotolerance mechanisms. Isoprene is hydrophobic and volatile and is a major carbon emission source from vegetation. This study compared the overexpression and localization of plant terpene synthases (TPs) in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and achieved direct quantification of isoprene production. Temperature, rather than illumination intensity, was found to be the main factor affecting isoprene yield from the engineered alga. This study lays the foundation for further exploration of carbon conversion to isoprene in eukaryotic algae.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cong Yang, Joyce Cavalcante, Barbara Bastos de Freitas, Kyle J. Lauersen, Gyorgy Szekely
Summary: In this study, an eco-friendly and straightforward method for membrane production using crude soluble algal biomass was demonstrated. The algae-based thin-film composite membranes showed long-term stability and could convert waste algae into useful membrane separation materials.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mark Seger, Fakhriyya Mammadova, Melany Villegas-Valencia, Barbara Bastos de Freitas, Clarissa Chang, Iona Isachsen, Haley Hemstreet, Fatimah Abualsaud, Malia Boring, Peter J. Lammers, Kyle J. Lauersen
Summary: The polyextremophilic Cyanidiophyceae are red eukaryotic microalgae that have promising biotechnological properties. In this study, the researchers investigated the capacity of Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D to accumulate ketocarotenoids by expressing genes from a green alga. The results showed that C. merolae can produce both phycocyanin and ketocarotenoid pigments.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sebastian Overmans, Kyle J. Lauersen
Summary: Microbial production of heterologous metabolites is a mature technology that offers new ways for green production of specialty chemicals. We found that synthetic perfluorocarbon liquids can act as physical sinks for the production of isoprenoid compounds by microbes, offering promising alternatives to traditional solvents and enabling rapid product isolation.