Trends in biotechnology最新文献

Inspired by biological functions of living systems, researchers have engineered cells as independent functional materials or integrated them within a natural or synthetic matrix to create engineered living materials (ELMs). However, the 'livingness' of cells in such materials poses serious drawbacks, such as a short lifespan and the need for cold-chain logistics. Bacterial spores have emerged as a game changer to bypass these shortcomings as a result of their intrinsic dormancy and resistance against harsh conditions. Emerging synthetic biology tools tailored for engineering spores and better understanding of their physical properties have led to novel applications of spore-based materials. Here, we review recent advances in such materials and discuss future challenges for the development of time- and cost-efficient spore-based materials with high performance.

The CRISPR-Cas9 system has been widely applied for industrial microbiology but is not effective in certain microorganisms. This forum explores the strategies aimed at overcoming these challenges, including the use of the Cas12a system, Cas9 variants, and non-CRISPR techniques, to provide more effective strategies for expanding applications in microbial engineering.

Exploiting electrogenic microorganisms as unconventional chassis hosts offers potential solutions to global energy and environmental challenges. However, their limited electrogenic efficiency and metabolic versatility, due to genetic and metabolic constraints, hinder broader applications. Herein, we developed a multifaceted approach to fabricate an enhanced electrogenic chassis, starting with streamlining the genome by removing extrachromosomal genetic material. This reduction led to faster lactate consumption, higher intracellular NADH/NAD⁺ and ATP/ADP levels, and increased growth and biomass accumulation, as well as promoted electrogenic activity. Transcriptome profiling showed an overall activation of cellular metabolism. We further established a molecular toolkit with a vector vehicle incorporating native replication block and refined promoter components for precise gene expression control. This enabled engineered primary metabolism for greater environmental robustness and fine-tuned extracellular electron transfer (EET) for improved efficiency. The enhanced chassis demonstrated substantially improved pollutant biodegradation and radionuclide removal, establishing a new paradigm for utilizing electrogenic organisms as novel biotechnology chassis.

Cellobiose lipids (CBLs) are glycolipid biosurfactants that have garnered attention due to their potential applications in diverse industries. Here, we review the current state of CBL research, from production and purification, to the potential applications of CBLs. We elucidate CBL functionality and consider some commercial applications, as well as how operating conditions (e.g., media and organism, or production approaches) impact productivity. Methodologies based on enzymatic synthesis or postproduction chemical modification of CBL variants are also presented. Given the importance of purity in current CBL applications, we discuss CBL separation and purification techniques. Finally, we highlight the importance of techno-economic and life-cycle assessments for the industrialisation of CBLs, while suggesting potential future routes for investigation.

Obesity is a global health crisis characterised by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue (AT). Under obesogenic conditions, this metabolically active tissue undergoes fibrosis and inflammation, leading to obesity-linked comorbidities. Modelling AT is essential for understanding its pathophysiology and developing treatments to protect against metabolic complications. 3D in vitro AT models are promising tools that address the limitations of traditional 2D in vitro models and in vivo animal models, providing enhanced biomimetic and human-relevant platforms. 3D models facilitate the study of AT pathophysiology and therapeutic screening. This review discusses the crucial role of AT in obesity-linked comorbidities, its dynamicity and complexity, and recent advances in engineering 3D scaffold-based in vitro dysfunctional AT models, highlighting potential breakthroughs in metabolic research and beyond.

The emergence of gene editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 has revolutionized health and food safety, necessitating robust international standards. This Science & Society examines how these advances have shaped global regulatory frameworks, ethical standards, and international collaborations, emphasizing the need for cohesive and ethical applications across various sectors.

Molecular farming, initially developed to produce therapeutic proteins using genetically modified plants, gained renewed interest during the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks and has expanded into functional food ingredients. This article evaluates molecular farming technologies, market potential, and startups, and identifies opportunities in dairy proteins, food enzymes, collagen, and cellular agriculture.

Based on the size of bacterial cells and bacterial surface hydrophobicity, some bacteria meet the requirements of Pickering particles to stabilize Pickering emulsions. Here, we discuss the oil-water interfaces of bacteria-stabilized Pickering emulsions as microhabitats for microbial metabolism of oil-soluble chemicals. The correlation between living bacteria-stabilized Pickering emulsions and microhabitats of living bacteria at oil-water interfaces offers a new perspective to study bioprocess engineering at the mesoscale between the cell and reactor scales, which not only provides novel parameters to optimize the bioprocess engineering, but also unravels the paradox of some natural phenomena related to living cell biocatalysis.

Cell-based therapies for cartilage repair, including autologous chondrocyte implantation and allogeneic stem cell treatments, show great promise but face challenges due to high costs and regulatory hurdles. This review summarizes available and investigational products, focusing on allogeneic therapies and the impact of diverse regulatory landscapes on their clinical translation.

The accessibility of autologous chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapies is challenged by the complex processes and capacity constraints of manufacturing. Rapid manufacturing capable of shortening manufacturing timelines could transform the CAR-T field. Here, we outline approaches to rapid CAR-T manufacturing, highlighting its impact on various stakeholders in the landscape.