Current opinion in biotechnology最新文献

One-carbon (C1) feedstocks, such as carbon monoxide (CO), formate (HCO₂H), methanol (CH₃OH), and methane (CH₄), can be obtained either through stepwise electrochemical reduction of CO₂ with renewable electricity or via processing of organic side streams. These C1 substrates are increasingly investigated in biotechnology as they can contribute to a circular carbon economy. In recent years, noncanonical redox cofactors (NCRCs) emerged as a tool to generate synthetic electron circuits in cell factories to maximize electron transfer within a pathway of interest. Here, we argue that expanding the use of NCRCs in the context of C1-driven bioprocesses will boost product yields and facilitate challenging redox transactions that are typically out of the scope of natural cofactors due to inherent thermodynamic constraints.

Phosphatic fertilizers are indispensable for sustainable agriculture, but phosphorus (P) scarcity has drawn global attention with respect to research and policy discussions. Soil conditions (pH, organic matter, metal oxides), P-fertilizer form and its application methods, and plant growth mechanisms influence plant P availability. Given the nonrenewable nature and low use efficiency of P, the development of speciality P-fertilizers and improved application methods are essential for reducing environmental P losses and increasing plant P uptake, thereby improving P use efficiency (PUE). This paper explores strategies for using innovative P-fertilizers targeting plant physiological processes instead of conventional bulk field applications to enhance PUE.

Selective binding of phosphate is vital to multiple aims including phosphate transport into cells and phosphate-targeted applications such as adsorption-based water treatment and sensing. High-affinity phosphate-binding proteins and peptides offer a nature-inspired means of efficiently binding and separating phosphate from complex matrices. The binding protein PstS is characterized by a Venus flytrap topology that confers exceptional phosphate affinity and selectivity, and is effective even at low phosphate concentrations, all of which are essential for applications such as phosphate sensing, removal, and recovery. The binding event is reversible under controlled conditions, making it germane to catch-and-release objectives that advance phosphorus sustainability. Peptides such as the P loop motif are also promising for such applications. Future advances in protein/peptide design can contribute to increased implementation in engineered systems.

Cellular synthesis of phytic acid sequesters phosphates in the sugar inositol. Phytic acid in soil represents the most abundant form of organic phosphates. The supplementation of phytase or phytase-producing organisms has been considered as a strategy to improve usable soil phosphates. However, the impacts on the environmental flow of inositol, which is generated along with phosphate by phytase, have not been examined. In this review, we discuss the origin and nature of inositol produced in soil and the several possible destinations of inositol released by phytase activities. We emphasise how an improved understanding of soil inositol flow could help to provide new solutions to the phosphate shortage problem in agriculture.

The plant hormone auxin is a crucial coordinator of nearly all plant growth and development processes. Because of its centrality to plant physiology and the modular nature of the signaling pathway, auxin has played a critical role at the forefront of plant synthetic biology. This review will highlight how auxin is both a subject and an object of synthetic biology. Engineering biology approaches are deepening our understanding of how auxin pathways are wired and tuned, particularly through the creative use of signaling pathway recapitulation in yeast and engineered orthogonal auxin-receptor pairs. Auxin biology has also been mined for parts by synthetic biologists, with components being used for inducible protein degradation systems (auxin-inducible degron), auxin biosensors, synthetic cell–cell communication, and plant engineering.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth, but low P availability in soils is also a primary constraint to crop production. To meet the increasing demands for food, P fertilizer applications have been increased, causing the accumulation of surplus P in soils, which has led to the frequency and magnitude of associated risk effects on agroecosystems. Finding solutions for efficient and sustainable crop P utilization is, therefore, an urgent priority. This review summarizes recent progress in bioengineering approaches to improving crop P efficiency and highlights that modifying root architecture in P-deficient soils and reducing P accumulation in grains in soils with P surplus could offer a way forward for improving P use efficiency.

Biofilms play important roles in water technologies such as membrane treatments and activated sludge. The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are key components of biofilms. However, the precise nature of these substances and how they influence biofilm formation and behavior remain critical knowledge gaps. EPS are produced by many different microorganisms and span multiple biopolymer classes, which each require distinct strategies for characterization. The biopolymers additionally associate with each other to form insoluble complexes. Here, we explore recent progress toward resolving the structures and functions of EPS, where a shift towards direct functional assessments and advanced characterization techniques is necessary. This will enable integration with better microbial community and omics analyses to understand EPS biosynthesis pathways and create further opportunities for EPS control and valorization.

Recent advancements in plant bioprinting and optogenetic tools have unlocked new avenues to revolutionize plant tissue engineering. Bioprinting of plant cells has the potential to craft intricate 3D structures incorporating multiple cell types, replicating the complex microenvironments found in plants. Concurrently, optogenetic tools enable the control of biological events with spatial, temporal, and quantitative precision. Originally developed for human and microbial systems, these two cutting-edge methodologies are now being adapted for plant research. Although still in the early stages of development, we here review the latest progress in plant bioprinting and optogenetics and discuss compelling opportunities for plant biotechnology and research arising from the combination of the two technologies.

The impact of bacteria and viruses on tumor growth has long been recognized. In recent decades, interest in the role of microorganisms in the tumor microenvironment (TME) has expanded. Infections induce metabolic reprogramming and influence immune responses within the TME that may either support proliferation and metastasis or limit tumor growth. The natural ability to infect cells and alter the TME is also utilized for cancer detection and treatment. In this review, we discuss recent discoveries about the mechanisms of bacteria and viruses affecting TME, as well as strategies in cancer therapy focusing on metabolic alterations. Infections with engineered bacteria and viruses represent promising therapeutic approaches to develop novel and more effective therapies to constrain tumor growth.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have made remarkable public health contributions during the pandemic and initiated a new era for nucleic acid–based therapeutics. With the unique strength of nucleic acids, including not only mRNA but also DNA, microRNA, small interfering RNA (siRNA), and other nucleic acids, either in tuning off genes or introducing function, nucleic acid therapeutics have been regarded as potential candidates for the treatment of many different diseases, especially for the immunomodulation in cancer. However, the scope of the applications was limited by the challenges in delivery due to intrinsic properties of nucleic acids including low stability, immunogenicity, and toxicity. Bioengineering approaches toward efficient and targeted delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids have gained momentum in clinical applications in the past few decades. Recent advances in the biotechnological approaches for the delivery of mRNA, siRNA, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas for immunomodulatory are promising alternatives in designing future cancer immunotherapy.