Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Paola Casazza, Alessandro Lombardi, Barbara Menin, Stefano Santabarbara
Summary: The exogenous crtZ gene was expressed in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 to engineer the carotenoid metabolic pathway and increase zeaxanthin content. However, this led to a growth impairment and cellular stress.
PHOTOCHEMICAL & PHOTOBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Sadaf Riaz, Ying Jiang, Meng Xiao, Dawei You, Anna Klepacz-Smolka, Faiz Rasul, Maurycy Daroch
Summary: This study optimized the cultivation and natural transformation protocol for the important cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. By adjusting agar concentration and overexpressing catalase gene, the growth of Synechococcus 7942 on solid media was improved. High temperature and phosphate depletion conditions resulted in fewer genome copies and potential to produce fully segregated mutants. Higher antibiotic concentrations improved the selection of homozygous transformants.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Maria Santos-Merino, Alvaro Gargantilla-Becerra, Fernando de la Cruz, Juan Nogales
Summary: In this study, a more comprehensive and functional model of a freshwater cyanobacterium was constructed, known as iMS837. The model provides detailed insights into the metabolism of the bacterium, including fatty acid biosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis, and transport, among others. The findings suggest that this model can be used to identify suitable metabolic engineering strategies to improve the production of non-native omega-3 fatty acids.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Maria Santos-Merino, Raquel Gutierrez-Lanza, Juan Nogales, Jose Luis Garcia, Fernando de la Cruz
Summary: This study analyzed enzymes in cyanobacteria related to fatty acid synthesis and found that increasing the expression of these enzymes can enhance the production of C18 fatty acids. However, coexpression with other desaturases did not improve the production of alpha-linolenic acid, and attempts to clone another enzyme for stearidonic acid synthesis were also unsuccessful.
Article
Microbiology
Shanshan Zhang, Sini Zheng, Jiahui Sun, Xuexia Zeng, Yangkai Duan, Guodong Luan, Xuefeng Lu
Summary: Photosynthetic biomanufacturing is a promising method for green production of biofuels and biochemicals using carbon dioxide and solar energy. A convenient strategy has been proposed to rapidly improve the high light and high temperature tolerances of cyanobacterial chassis strains, enhancing cellular robustness and sucrose synthesizing capacities of the cell factories.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Wen Peng, Qunjing Bao, Rui Jia, Peimin He
Summary: This study constructed transgenic cyanobacteria expressing recombinant protein VP28-mOrange using the receptor system of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 and explored its metabolic cycle and protective effect against WSSV in Litopenaeus vannamei. The results showed that the recombinant protein had a weak fluorescence signal in the intestine after the shrimp stopped consuming transgenic cyanobacteria and its protective effect decreased with the time of WSSV challenge.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Mingyi Zhang, Quan Luo, Huili Sun, Jacques Fritze, Guodong Luan, Xuefeng Lu
Summary: This study developed an inducible cyanobacteria cell factory using the ssrADAS-SspB-ClpXPEc system to achieve rapid degradation of target proteins. Additionally, an efficient and stringent inducible gene expression system was obtained, laying the foundation for future dynamic metabolic engineering efforts.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jake N. Gonzales, Tanner R. Treece, Stephen P. Mayfield, Ryan Simkovsky, Shota Atsumi
Summary: This study investigates the potential of using the photoautotroph cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 as a chassis organism for lignocellulosic chemical production. By modifying the cyanobacterium to import monosaccharides, it can grow well at high lysate concentrations and enhance carbon efficiency by fixing CO2. This study is important in enabling industrial scale production of commodity chemicals from a combination of sunlight, CO2, and lignocellulosic sugars.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yu Dan, Jiahui Sun, Shanshan Zhang, Yannan Wu, Shaoming Mao, Guodong Luan, Xuefeng Lu
Summary: This study successfully regulated glycogen content in cyanobacteria by enhancing glycogen degradation, leading to increased sucrose production. These findings provide new insights into cyanobacterial glycogen metabolism engineering and will inspire the development of novel metabolic engineering approaches for efficient photosynthetic biosynthesis.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Damini Jaiswal, Minal Nenwani, Pramod P. Wangikar
Summary: Synechococcus elongatus PCC 11801 and 11802 are cyanobacterial strains with high potential for photosynthetic production of chemicals. In this study, their metabolic fluxes were quantitatively assessed, revealing similarities and differences in central carbon flux distribution compared to other strains. Notably, PCC 11802 showed the highest CBB cycle and pyruvate kinase flux values among cyanobacteria. The unique TCA cycle diversion in PCC 11801 makes it suitable for large-scale production of TCA cycle-derived chemicals. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for metabolic engineering efforts in these strains.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bo Wang, Cristal Zuniga, Michael T. Guarnieri, Karsten Zengler, Michael Betenbaugh, Jamey D. Young
Summary: This study investigates the global metabolic flux alterations in a sucrose-secreting strain of cyanobacteria and identifies a metabolic bottleneck that limits carbon fixation and sucrose biosynthesis. The study demonstrates the usefulness of combining targeted metabolomics, 13C metabolic flux analysis, and genome-scale modeling to improve flux predictions. Additionally, the study shows that heterologous overexpression can mitigate the metabolic bottleneck.
METABOLIC ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Amit K. Singh, Maria Santos-Merino, Jonathan K. Sakkos, Berkley J. Walker, Daniel C. Ducat
Summary: This study investigates the systemic changes in a model cyanobacterium caused by alterations in carbon availability. The results suggest that Rubisco activity and organization are key variables connected to regulatory pathways involved in metabolic balancing in cyanobacteria.
Article
Microbiology
Rees Rillema, Y. Hoang, Joshua S. MacCready, Anthony G. Vecchiarelli
Summary: Research shows that improper distribution of carboxysomes in cyanobacteria can result in slower cell growth, cell elongation, asymmetric cell division, and elevated levels of cellular Rubisco. Additionally, even wild-type S. elongatus undergoes cell elongation and asymmetric cell division when grown at lower temperatures or switched from high to ambient CO2 conditions. This suggests that the McdAB system plays a crucial role in maintaining the carbon fixation efficiency of Rubisco in cyanobacteria.
Article
Agronomy
Jiahui Sun, Xuejing Xu, Yannan Wu, Huili Sun, Guodong Luan, Xuefeng Lu
Summary: In this study, we engineered Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to synthesize valencene, a valuable ingredient in the food and cosmetics industries. By introducing a heterologous valencene synthase and modifying the native MEP pathway, we obtained an efficient cyanobacterial cell factory that produced 154 mg/L valencene during a semi-continual cultivation with robust growth and production in non-sterilized conditions. We also achieved the production of other sesquiterpenes, showing promising potentials as a universal chassis.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY BIOENERGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Julie A. Z. Zedler, Marlene Michel, Georg Pohnert, David A. A. Russo
Summary: This study describes a novel domesticated substrain of the model cyanobacterium S. elongatus PCC 7942, which exhibits a fast-sedimenting phenotype. The Group 3 alternative sigma factor F was found to play a key role in cell sedimentation through whole genome sequencing and gene deletion. Changes in cell surface structures and an increase in released polysaccharides were identified as the factors contributing to the fast-sedimenting phenotype. This research sheds light on the transition from planktonic to benthic forms and provides genetic targets for the development of fast-sedimenting strains for cost-effective cyanobacterial harvesting at scale.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ayon Tarafdar, Ranjna Sirohi, Palanisamy Athiyaman Balakumaran, R. Reshmy, Aravind Madhavan, Raveendran Sindhu, Parameswaran Binod, Yogesh Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Sang Jun Sim
Summary: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a toxic endocrine disrupting chemical with immunosuppressive activity, disrupting the endogenous hormones and requiring proper detection and remediation methods. More research is needed on integrated remediation technologies and the impact of food processing operations on BPA.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Inhwa Song, Sunbin Kim, Jongrae Kim, Hyeonjun Oh, Junhwan Jang, Su Jin Jeong, Kwangryul Baek, Weon-Sun Shin, Sang Jun Sim, EonSeon Jin
Summary: This study successfully generated Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants that are rich in both carotenoids and fatty acids by editing the AGP gene and zep mutant. These mutants can be used to produce microalgal oil enriched with macular pigments.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Young Jae Choi, Jong Uk Lee, Sang Jun Sim
Summary: Autophagy is a crucial cellular process in various diseases, and the quantification of LC3 plays a key role in autophagy research. A gold nanoparticle-based LC3 sensing platform provides a simple, rapid, and highly sensitive method for measuring autophagy flux.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2022)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Ranjna Sirohi, Jaemin Joun, Ji Young Lee, Byung Sun Yu, Sang Jun Sim
Summary: This review discusses the use of novel microalgal-bacterial consortium as a solution for the treatment and resource recovery of dairy, starch and aquaculture wastewater. Biofilm reactors containing anaerobic and aerobic sludge have shown high COD and nutrient removal efficiency in the treatment of dairy and starch processing wastewater. However, treatment of aquaculture processing wastewater requires a salt-tolerant bacteria-microalgae consortium.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Sabeela Beevi Ummalyma, Ranjna Sirohi, Aswathy Udayan, Pooja Yadav, Abhay Raj, Sang Jun Sim, Ashok Pandey
Summary: Microalgae are cell factories that can be used to produce renewable energy, food, feed, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals. The challenges of mass cultivation and biomass recovery limit the industrial application of microalgae. Cultivating microalgae in wastewater has been encouraged for sustainable bioeconomy. Wastewater from the food industry provides a less-toxic growth medium for low-cost microalgal biomass production. Microalgae are potential biocatalysts for wastewater bioremediation and offer a universal alternative for resource recovery from wastewater.
PHYTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jaemin Joun, Ranjna Sirohi, Sang Jun Sim
Summary: This study compared the culture method using sodium acetate and glucose as organic carbon sources with autotrophy in Haematococcus pluvialis. In the 12-day culture, mixotrophy with sodium acetate and glucose increased biomass by 40.4% and 77.1% respectively compared to autotrophy, but the mechanisms were different. Mixotrophy with glucose increased biomass by directly supplying substrate and ATP to the TCA cycle while inhibiting photosynthesis. Gene expressions related to glycolysis and carbon fixation pathway were confirmed in autotrophy and mixotrophy with glucose and acetate. The proposed metabolism in mixotrophy with acetate and glucose was analyzed through autotrophic and heterotrophic metabolism.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Byung Sun Yu, Ha Eun Yang, Ranjna Sirohi, Sang Jun Sim
Summary: This study investigates the effects of microalgae-based biomineralization on biomass productivity and CO2 fixation rate. The results show that this method significantly improves biomass production and CO2 fixation rate by allowing cells to conduct photosynthesis more efficiently.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mieun Lee, Yu Been Heo, Han Min Woo
Summary: Base editing enables precise gene editing without donor DNA or double-stranded breaks. However, the uracil DNA glycosylase inhibitor (UGI) fused with the cytidine deaminase-Cas nickase cannot inhibit the archaic Type IV uracil DNA glycosylase in cyanobacteria. To overcome this limitation, dCas12a-assisted gene repression of the udg gene allowed base editing with high mutation frequencies in cyanobacteria.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Ha Eun Yang, Byung Sun Yu, Sang Jun Sim
Summary: The aim of this study was to increase the productivity of biomass with high astaxanthin content by developing a mutant strain of Haematococcus pluvialis with strong environmental tolerance. The mutant M5 strain, selected through gamma irradiation, showed improved biomass and astaxanthin production under high-salinity and high-light intensity conditions. M5 demonstrated an increase in biomass and astaxanthin productivity by 86.70% and 66.15% respectively, compared to untreated cells.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
So Young Lee, Jeong Seop Lee, Sang Jun Sim
Summary: Wastewater treatment plants emit a large amount of greenhouse gases, but mixotrophic microalgae cultivation using wastewater has been proposed as a solution for CO2 mitigation and wastewater treatment. This study used waste soy sauce as a medium for Chlorella sorokiniana UTEX 2714 cultivation and found that using a 20% (v/v) 10-fold diluted soy sauce medium increased biomass and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) productivity by 1.93 and 1.76 times, respectively. High biomass productivity was achieved under high-intensity light with a high soy sauce content, although it inhibited cell growth in photoautotrophic environments. Furthermore, the combination of industrial flue gas treatment with wastewater led to a 42% improvement in biomass production. These results suggest that mixotrophic microalgal cultivation has the potential to address climate change and water pollution while producing valuable products and contributing to a sustainable society.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Sojin Song, Jong Uk Lee, Myeong Jin Jeon, Soohyun Kim, Chan-Nyoung Lee, Sang Jun Sim
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative condition that is challenging to diagnose early due to the lack of robust biomarkers and limited access to neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid tests. Exosomes in body fluids are being explored as diagnostic biomarkers that reflect neuropathological features. A programmable curved plasmonic nanoarchitecture-based biosensor has been developed to accurately diagnose Alzheimer's disease.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jaemin Joun, Ranjna Sirohi, Byung Sun Yu, Ha Eun Yang, Sang Jun Sim
Summary: Microalgae cultivation using wastewater is an effective method for wastewater treatment and carbon footprint reduction. Wastewater provides essential nutrients for microalgae growth, while greenhouse gas emissions can be mitigated through Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage technology. This review comprehensively discusses the application of microalgae in capturing carbon and treating wastewater, highlighting the potential for improving productivity, reducing costs, and promoting environmental sustainability.
PHYTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ranjna Sirohi, V. Vivekanand, Ashutosh Kumar Pandey, Ayon Tarafdar, Mukesh Kumar Awasthi, Amita Shakya, Sang Hyoun Kim, Sang Jun Sim, Hoang A. Tuan, Ashok Pandey
Summary: The transition from fossil fuels to non-conventional sources is necessary for addressing the global energy crisis and environmental issues. Organic waste from various industries can be utilized to produce gaseous fuels through different biochemical strategies. However, current biogas and biohydrogen production practices are inefficient and require interventions to improve biofuel yield. Adding biochar has been shown to enhance gaseous fuel production by adsorbing inhibitors and activating gas-producing microorganisms. This review explores the effect of biochar on gaseous biofuel production and highlights the need for a circular bioeconomy approach.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sang Ki Kim, Jong Uk Lee, Myeong Jin Jeon, Soo-Kyung Kim, Sang-Hyun Hwang, Min Eui Hong, Sang Jun Sim
Summary: A colorimetric-fluorescent dual-mode lateral flow immunoassay sensor incorporating metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) was developed for the rapid and sensitive serological detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgG.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sung Cheon Ko, Han Min Woo
Summary: This study reports a method for bacterial RNA repression using the CRISPR-dCas13a system. By using programmable crRNAs, trans-acting and cis-acting sRNAs can be repressed, altering the regulatory mechanisms and stress-related phenotypes in bacteria. This system can be used for discovering novel sRNAs and fine-tuning bacterial RNA repression in both scientific and industrial applications.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xue-Mei Yang, Jing-Hao Zhao, Xiao-Yu Xiong, Zhang-Wei Hu, Ji-Fen Sun, Hao Su, Yan-Jing Liu, Ling Xiang, Yong Zhu, Jin-Lu Li, Sadam Hussain Bhutto, Guo-Bang Li, Shi-Xin Zhou, Chi Li, Mei Pu, He Wang, Zhi-Xue Zhao, Ji-Wei Zhang, Yan-Yan Huang, Jing Fan, Wen-Ming Wang, Yan Li
Summary: The Arabidopsis RPW8.1 gene enhances disease resistance but compromises plant growth. It has been found that RPW8.1 constitutively enhances the expression of WRKY51 transcription factor and activates salicylic acid and ethylene signaling pathways. WRKY51, in turn, suppresses RPW8.1 expression, forming a feedback regulation loop.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hannes Claeys, Eveline Neyrinck, Lies Dumoulin, Anne Pharazyn, Arne Verstichele, Laurens Pauwels, Michael L. Nuccio, Frederic Van Ex
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Melanie Ormancey, Bruno Guillotin, Camille Ribeyre, Clemence Medina, Nathanael Jariais, Helene San Clemente, Patrice Thuleau, Serge Plaza, Martina Beck, Jean-Philippe Combier
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Edgar Perez-Matas, Diego Hidalgo-Martinez, Elisabeth Moyano, Javier Palazon, Mercedes Bonfill
Summary: In this study, the production of paclitaxel was enhanced by overexpressing the bottleneck genes BAPT and DBTNBT in Taxus baccata cells. The transgenic cells showed significantly higher expression of these genes and improved taxane production compared to the wild type. Transcriptional profiling revealed that the GGPPS, TXS, and DBAT genes were most responsive to DBTNBT overexpression and the dual elicitation treatment.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Biying Dong, Dong Meng, Zhihua Song, Hongyan Cao, Tingting Du, Meng Qi, Shengjie Wang, Jingyi Xue, Qing Yang, Yujie Fu
Summary: This study identified the involvement of the citrate transporter CcMATE35 and the long noncoding RNA CcLTCS in aluminum stress response in pigeon pea. These findings suggest that the modules CcNFYB3-CcMATE35 and CcLTCS-CcCS jointly regulate the efflux and synthesis of citrate to enhance the resistance of pigeon pea under aluminum stress.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tien V. Vu, Ngan Thi Nguyen, Jihae Kim, Jong Chan Hong, Jae-Yean Kim
Summary: Prime editing technology uses an extended guide RNA to direct a fusion peptide to a specific location in the genome, enabling precise gene editing. This groundbreaking tool has potential in improving crop varieties, but efficiency limitations exist in certain plants.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yan Xu, Jinyi Tan, Junxing Lu, Yuelin Zhang, Xin Li
Summary: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes white mold in economically important plants, and the discovery of SsGAP1 and SsRAS1/SsRAS2 genes as essential regulators of fungal development and virulence provides potential targets for controlling the disease.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xiaoyang Chen, Chen Liu, Hailin Wang, Qi Liu, Yaping Yue, Yuhang Duan, Zhaoyun Wang, Lu Zheng, Xiaolin Chen, Yaohui Wang, Junbin Huang, Qiutao Xu, Yuemin Pan
Summary: This study identified a secreted protein, Uv1809, as a key virulence factor in Ustilaginoidea virens-rice interactions. Uv1809 inhibits rice immunity and promotes infection by targeting and enhancing rice histone deacetylase OsSRT2-mediated histone deacetylation. CRISPR-Cas9 edited ossrt2 mutants showed broad-spectrum resistance to rice pathogens, indicating its potential as a genetic resource for breeding disease resistance.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Weishuai Bi, Jing Liu, Yuanyuan Li, Ziwei He, Yongming Chen, Tingting Zhao, Xiangxiu Liang, Xiaodan Wang, Xiangzong Meng, Daolong Dou, Guangyuan Xu
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shengjie You, Yu Wu, Wen Li, Xiaofeng Liu, Qinlan Tang, Fengkun Huang, Yan Li, Hsihua Wang, Mingchun Liu, Yang Zhang
Summary: In this study, a transcription factor called SlERF.G3-Like in tomato was found to play a role in regulating ethylene synthesis, cell wall degradation, and the flavonoid pathway. The researchers also discovered the interaction between SlERF.G3-Like and the master ripening regulator SlRIN, and increased the production of resveratrol derivatives through genetic manipulation. These findings provide insights into the coordination of fruit maturation and metabolic changes in tomatoes, and have implications for metabolic engineering.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Thomas R. Aalders, Mara de Sain, Fleur Gawehns, Nina Oudejans, Yoran D. Jak, Henk L. Dekker, Martijn Rep, Harrold A. van den Burg, Frank L. W. Takken
Summary: The TPL1 and TPL2 genes in tomato are closely associated with susceptibility to Fusarium wilt disease, and mutating these genes can enhance plant resistance to the disease.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2024)