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Research in Microbiology 2023Archaea are microorganisms with great ability to colonize some of the most inhospitable environments in nature, managing to survive in places with extreme... (Review)
Review
Archaea are microorganisms with great ability to colonize some of the most inhospitable environments in nature, managing to survive in places with extreme characteristics for most microorganisms. Its proteins and enzymes are stable and can act under extreme conditions in which other proteins and enzymes would degrade. These attributes make them ideal candidates for use in a wide range of biotechnological applications. This review describes the most important applications, both current and potential, that archaea present in Biotechnology, classifying them according to the sector to which the application is directed. It also analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of its use.
Topics: Archaea; Biotechnology
PubMed: 37196775
DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2023.104080 -
Brazilian Journal of Microbiology :... Sep 2022In the last few decades, there has been a great demand for natural colorants. Synthetic colorants are known to be easy to produce, are less expensive, and remain stable... (Review)
Review
In the last few decades, there has been a great demand for natural colorants. Synthetic colorants are known to be easy to produce, are less expensive, and remain stable when subjected to chemical and physical factors. In addition, only small amounts are required to color any material, and unwanted flavors and aromas are not incorporated into the product. Natural colorants present in food, in addition to providing color, also have biological properties and effects that aid in the prevention and cure of many diseases. The main classes of colorants produced by phylum Ascomycota include polyketides and carotenoids. A promising producer of colorants should be able to assimilate a variety of sources of carbon and nitrogen and also exhibit relative stability. The strain should not be pathogenic, and its product should not be toxic. Production processes should also provide the expected color with a good yield through simple extraction methods. Research that seeks new sources of these compounds should continue to seek products of biotechnological origin in order to be competitive with products of synthetic and plant origin. In this review, we will focus on the recent studies on the main producing species, classes, and metabolic pathways of colorants produced by this phylum, historical background, impact of synthetic colorants on human health and the environment, social demand for natural colorants and also an in-depth approach to bioprocesses (influences on production, optimization of bioprocess, extraction, and identification), and limitations and perspectives for the use of fungal-based dyes.
Topics: Ascomycota; Biotechnology; Coloring Agents; Food Coloring Agents; Humans; Pigments, Biological
PubMed: 35616785
DOI: 10.1007/s42770-022-00768-4 -
Biochemical Society Transactions Oct 2019The construction of artificial membrane proteins from first principles is of fundamental interest and holds considerable promise for new biotechnologies. This review... (Review)
Review
The construction of artificial membrane proteins from first principles is of fundamental interest and holds considerable promise for new biotechnologies. This review considers the potential advantages of adopting a strictly minimalist approach to the process of membrane protein design. As well as the practical benefits of miniaturisation and simplicity for understanding sequence-structure-function relationships, minimalism should also support the abstract conceptualisation of membrane proteins as modular components for synthetic biology. These ideas are illustrated with selected examples that focus upon α-helical membrane proteins, and which demonstrate how such minimalist membrane proteins might be integrated into living biosystems.
Topics: Biotechnology; Membrane Proteins; Structure-Activity Relationship; Synthetic Biology
PubMed: 31671181
DOI: 10.1042/BST20190170 -
ChemSusChem Jan 2021Plastics are ubiquitous in our society. They are in our phones, clothes, bottles, and cars. Yet having improved our lives considerably, they now threaten our environment... (Review)
Review
Plastics are ubiquitous in our society. They are in our phones, clothes, bottles, and cars. Yet having improved our lives considerably, they now threaten our environment and our health. The associated carbon emissions and persistency of plastics challenge the fragile balance of many ecosystems. One solution is using biodegradable plastics. Ideally, such plastics are easily assimilated by microorganisms and disappear from our environment. This can help reduce the problems of climate change, microplastics, and littering. However, biodegradable plastics are still only a tiny portion of the global plastics market and require further efforts in research and commercialization. Here, a critical overview of the state of the art of biodegradable plastics is given. Using a material flow analysis, the challenges of the plastic market are highlighted, and with it the large market potential of biodegradable plastics. The environmental and socio-economic impact of plastics, government policies, standards and certifications, physico-chemical properties, and analytical techniques are covered. The Review concludes with a personal outlook on the future of bioplastics, based on our own experience with their development and commercialization.
Topics: Acrylic Resins; Animals; Biodegradable Plastics; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biotechnology; Climate Change; Ecosystem; Environmental Pollution; Food Chain; Humans; Nylons; Polyethylene; Waste Management
PubMed: 33112051
DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202002044 -
Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao = Chinese... Nov 2022In nature, chirality is a common phenomenon and closely related to life, also significantly influences the properties of the substance. The chemical synthesis of chiral... (Review)
Review
In nature, chirality is a common phenomenon and closely related to life, also significantly influences the properties of the substance. The chemical synthesis of chiral pharmaceutical chemicals has encountered challenges such as poor atom economy and process economy, serious environmental pollution and waste of the resource. The biosynthesis route has the advantages of high selectivity and environmental-friendliness. In recent years, the rapid developments in the accessible key enzymes, understanding of catalytic mechanism, construction of new synthetic pathways of optical pure intermediates, process development and scale-up production have made it possible to address the challenges encountered in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients, thus promoting a green and sustainable pharmaceutical industry in China. This review summarized the achievements made in this field by researchers at Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Topics: Biotechnology; Catalysis; China; Environmental Pollution; Pharmaceutical Preparations
PubMed: 37699688
DOI: 10.13345/j.cjb.220588 -
Current Microbiology Oct 2022Microbial biotechnology uses microorganisms and their derivatives to generate industrial and/or environmental products that impact daily life. Modern biotechnology uses... (Review)
Review
Microbial biotechnology uses microorganisms and their derivatives to generate industrial and/or environmental products that impact daily life. Modern biotechnology uses proteomics, metabolomics, quantum processors, and massive sequencing methods to yield promising results with microorganisms. However, the fundamental concepts of microbial biotechnology focus on the specific search for microorganisms from natural sources and their correct analysis to implement large-scale processes. This mini-review focuses on the methods used for the isolation and selection of microorganisms with biotechnological potential to empathize the importance of these concepts in microbial biotechnology. In this work, a review of the state of the art in recent years on the selection and characterization of microorganisms with a basic approach to understanding the importance of fundamental concepts in the field of biotechnology was carried out. The proper selection of isolation sources and the design of suitable selection criteria according to the desired activity have generated substantial changes in the development of biotechnology for more than three decades. Some examples include Taq polymerase in the PCR method and CRISPR technology. The objective of this mini review is to establish general ideas for the screening of microorganisms based on basic concepts of biotechnology that are left aside in several articles and maintain the importance of the basic concepts that this implies in the development of modern biotechnology.
Topics: Biotechnology; Proteomics
PubMed: 36302918
DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-03082-2 -
Biosensors Mar 2022Microfabricated systems are increasingly being utilized in biotechnological, biomedical, and pharmaceutical research and development as replacements for traditional in...
Microfabricated systems are increasingly being utilized in biotechnological, biomedical, and pharmaceutical research and development as replacements for traditional in vitro cell cultures, bioreactors, and animal experiments (Figure 1) [...].
Topics: Animals; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; Cell Culture Techniques
PubMed: 35448250
DOI: 10.3390/bios12040190 -
Marine Drugs Aug 2019Enzymes are essential components of biological reactions and play important roles in the scaling and optimization of many industrial processes. Due to the growing... (Review)
Review
Enzymes are essential components of biological reactions and play important roles in the scaling and optimization of many industrial processes. Due to the growing commercial demand for new and more efficient enzymes to help further optimize these processes, many studies are now focusing their attention on more renewable and environmentally sustainable sources for the production of these enzymes. Microalgae are very promising from this perspective since they can be cultivated in photobioreactors, allowing the production of high biomass levels in a cost-efficient manner. This is reflected in the increased number of publications in this area, especially in the use of microalgae as a source of novel enzymes. In particular, various microalgal enzymes with different industrial applications (e.g., lipids and biofuel production, healthcare, and bioremediation) have been studied to date, and the modification of enzymatic sequences involved in lipid and carotenoid production has resulted in promising results. However, the entire biosynthetic pathways/systems leading to synthesis of potentially important bioactive compounds have in many cases yet to be fully characterized (e.g., for the synthesis of polyketides). Nonetheless, with recent advances in microalgal genomics and transcriptomic approaches, it is becoming easier to identify sequences encoding targeted enzymes, increasing the likelihood of the identification, heterologous expression, and characterization of these enzymes of interest. This review provides an overview of the state of the art in marine and freshwater microalgal enzymes with potential biotechnological applications and provides future perspectives for this field.
Topics: Biodegradation, Environmental; Biofuels; Biosynthetic Pathways; Biotechnology; Carotenoids; Lipids; Microalgae
PubMed: 31387272
DOI: 10.3390/md17080459 -
FEMS Microbiology Reviews Nov 2021The arms race between (bacterio)phages and their hosts is a recognised hot spot for genome evolution. Indeed, phages and their components have historically paved the way... (Review)
Review
The arms race between (bacterio)phages and their hosts is a recognised hot spot for genome evolution. Indeed, phages and their components have historically paved the way for many molecular biology techniques and biotech applications. Further exploration into their complex lifestyles has revealed that phages are often parasitised by distinct types of hyperparasitic mobile genetic elements. These so-called phage satellites exploit phages to ensure their own propagation and horizontal transfer into new bacterial hosts, and their prevalence and peculiar lifestyle has caught the attention of many researchers. Here, we review the parasite-host dynamics of the known phage satellites, their genomic organisation and their hijacking mechanisms. Finally, we discuss how these elements can be repurposed for diverse biotech applications, kindling a new catalogue of exciting tools for microbiology and synthetic biology.
Topics: Bacteria; Bacteriophages; Biotechnology
PubMed: 34104956
DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab031 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2023Field-flow fractionation (FFF) is a family of single-phase separative techniques exploited to gently separate and characterize nano- and microsystems in suspension.... (Review)
Review
Field-flow fractionation (FFF) is a family of single-phase separative techniques exploited to gently separate and characterize nano- and microsystems in suspension. These techniques cover an extremely wide dynamic range and are able to separate analytes in an interval between a few nm to 100 µm size-wise (over 15 orders of magnitude mass-wise). They are flexible in terms of mobile phase and can separate the analytes in native conditions, preserving their original structures/properties as much as possible. Molecular biology is the branch of biology that studies the molecular basis of biological activity, while biotechnology deals with the technological applications of biology. The areas where biotechnologies are required include industrial, agri-food, environmental, and pharmaceutical. Many species of biological interest belong to the operational range of FFF techniques, and their application to the analysis of such samples has steadily grown in the last 30 years. This work aims to summarize the main features, milestones, and results provided by the application of FFF in the field of molecular biology and biotechnology, with a focus on the years from 2000 to 2022. After a theoretical background overview of FFF and its methodologies, the results are reported based on the nature of the samples analyzed.
Topics: Biotechnology; Fractionation, Field Flow; Molecular Biology; Food; Industry
PubMed: 37687030
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28176201