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Topic Review
Physical Methods for Biodegradable Polymers
Biodegradable polymers are materials that can decompose through the action of various environmental microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, to form water and carbon dioxide. The biodegradability characteristics have led to a growing demand for the accurate and precise determination of the degraded polymer composition. With the advancements in analytical product development, various analytical methods are available and touted as practical and preferable methods of bioanalytical techniques, which enable the understanding of the complex composition of biopolymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates and poly(lactic acid).
  • 1.5K
  • 14 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Rhizosphere Bacteria
Rhizosphere bacterial inoculants are indisputably necessary for the augmentation of plant growth and maintenance of soil output. As reported, rhizosphere bacterial inoculants benefit plants through various mechanisms, although some studies indicate adverse effects. In this entry, the pros and cons of rhizosphere bacterial biofertilizers are compared, and a comparison of such biofertilizers is presented in and demonstrated in.
  • 1.5K
  • 14 Feb 2023
Topic Review
ProFatigue Software
The program was developed by the IEMES (Structural Integrity: Materials and Structures) Research Group at the University of Oviedo, in collaboration with Prof. Castillo of the University of Cantabria and Empa-Dübendorf (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology). ProFatigue is based on the Weibull’s regression model proposed by Castillo-Canteli in order to satisfy the physical and statistical conditions required by any valid fatigue model.
  • 1.5K
  • 27 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Biofilms and Bacterial Recalcitrance
Biofilms are associations of microorganisms embedded in a self-produced extracellular matrix. They create particular environments that confer bacterial tolerance and resistance to antibiotics by different mechanisms that depend upon factors such as biofilm composition, architecture, the stage of biofilm development, and growth conditions. The biofilm structure hinders the penetration of antibiotics and may prevent the accumulation of bactericidal concentrations throughout the entire biofilm. In addition, biofilm can induce a variety of physiological states involving different metabolism (aerobic, microaerobic, and fermentative) and growth rates (fast and slow growth, dormant cells, and persister cells). Thus, some bacteria are less vulnerable to antibiotics as a consequence of the inactivity of antibiotic targets, a phenomenon called “drug indifference”. Also, cells in biofilms enhance efflux-pump production that excretes antibiotics. Moreover, the biofilm environment enhance interbacterial communication, horizontal gene transfer and spontaneous mutations that ultimately increase resistance to antibiotics. Thus, the tolerance and resistance to antibiotics conferred by biofilms is multifactorial.
  • 1.5K
  • 12 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Mitochondrial Transplantation
Mitochondria are the major source of intercellular bioenergy in the form of ATP. They are necessary for cell survival and play many essential roles such as maintaining calcium homeostasis, body temperature, regulation of metabolism and apoptosis.
  • 1.5K
  • 26 May 2021
Topic Review
Microbiome in Oil Reservoirs
Microorganisms inhabiting subsurface petroleum reservoirs are key players in biochemical transformations. The interactions of microbial communities in these environments are highly complex and still poorly understood. This work aimed to assess publicly available metagenomes from oil reservoirs and implement a robust pipeline of genome-resolved metagenomics to decipher metabolic and taxonomic profiles of petroleum reservoirs worldwide. We noticed that the oil reservoirs with a lower level of intervention were the most similar to the potential functional core, while the oil fields with a long history of water injection had greater variation in functional profile. These results show how key microorganisms and their functions respond to the distinct physicochemical parameters and interventions of the oil field operations such as water injection and expand the knowledge of biogeochemical transformations in these ecosystems.
  • 1.5K
  • 03 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Hibiscus, Rooibos, Yerba Mate in Glycoxidation and Neurodegeneration
The well-known food safety associated with the consumption of hibiscus, rooibos, or yerba mate, and the acceptance of these herbs linked to pleasant taste, have elicited great interest in defining their nutraceutical potential. These plants produce several bioactive metabolites, have a pleasant taste, and a long-lasting history as safe foods. These plants produce several bioactive metabolites, have a pleasant taste, and a long-lasting history as safe foods. The literature on hibiscus, rooibos, and yerba mate teas in the context of nutritional strategies for the attenuation of oxidative stress-related glycoxidation and neurodegeneration was reviewed, and, here, Alzheimer’s Disease is approached as an example. The focus is given to mechanisms of glycation inhibition, as well as neuroprotective in vitro effects, and, in animal studies, to frame interest in these plants as nutraceutical agents related to current health concerns.
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Methods Used for Activation of Silent Biosynthetic Genes
Antibiotic resistance is becoming a burning issue due to the frequent use of antibiotics for curing common bacterial infections, indicating that we are running out of effective antibiotics. Enhancement of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is strengthening the pathogenicity and virulence of infectious microbes. Endophytes have shown expression of various new many bioactive compounds with significant biological activities. Specifically, in endophytic fungi, bioactive metabolites with unique skeletons have been identified which could be helpful in the prevention of increasing antimicrobial resistance. The major classes of metabolites reported include anthraquinone, sesquiterpenoid, chromone, xanthone, phenols, quinones, quinolone, piperazine, coumarins and cyclic peptides. Various methods including epigenetic modifications, co-culture, and OSMAC to induce silent gene clusters for the production of noble bioactive compounds in endophytic fungi were discussed.
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Carbon Nanotube Based High Performance Biosensing Platform
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of an accurate diagnosis and monitoring of diseases became a more important issue. In order to fabricate high-performance and sensitive biosensors, many researchers and scientists have used many kinds of nanomaterials such as metal nanoparticles (NPs), metal oxide NPs, quantum dots (QDs), and carbon nanomaterials including graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Among them, CNTs have been considered important biosensing channel candidates due to their excellent physical properties such as high electrical conductivity, strong mechanical properties, plasmonic properties, and so on. 
  • 1.5K
  • 26 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Point of Care Diagnostics
Point of care (PoC) diagnostics have been a hot topic for many decades now. In high-income countries they have the potential to streamline diagnostics, making healthcare more personal, cheaper, faster and more efficient in general. However, in resource-limited settings such as low-income countries, the need for PoC implementation is much more pronounced as professional laboratories are often hours away from patients which makes it hard to accurately diagnose them. Therefore, research on and implementation of PoC diagnostics in local health care systems in LICs will be essential in order to alleviate suffering due to infectious disease. This entry discusses the entire value chain of the development of PoC diagnostic tool. Bottlenecks that hinder the implementation of PoC in LICs are highlighted at every step of the value chain. We will provide examples of PoC success stories to illustrate how potential bottlenecks can be overcome. Finally, the entry provides a recommendation on how we can avoid these typical ‘leaks in the pipeline’ in the future and prevent a promising technology being abandoned before it can even have an impact on healthcare. 
  • 1.5K
  • 09 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Antioxidants and Human Oocyte Mitochondrial
Mitochondria produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) while also generating high amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from oxygen metabolism. ROS are small but highly reactive molecules that can be detrimental if unregulated. While normally functioning mitochondria produce molecules that counteract ROS production, an imbalance between the amount of ROS produced in the mitochondria and the capacity of the cell to counteract them leads to oxidative stress and ultimately to mitochondrial dysfunction. This dysfunction impairs cellular functions through reduced ATP output and/or increased oxidative stress. Mitochondrial dysfunction may also lead to poor oocyte quality and embryo development, ultimately affecting pregnancy outcomes. Improving mitochondrial function through antioxidant supplementation may enhance reproductive performance. Recent studies suggest that antioxidants may treat infertility by restoring mitochondrial function and promoting mitochondrial biogenesis. Antioxidant properties of coenzyme-Q10, resveratrol, melatonin and several vitamins have been evaluated in the human oocyte, although their direct action on mitochondrial function has yet to be elucidated.
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Jan 2021
Topic Review
16S rRNA Sequencing vs. Metagenome Sequencing
Microbiome research has revolutionized our understanding of complex microbial communities, and two pivotal techniques at the forefront of this exploration are 16S rRNA sequencing and metagenome sequencing.
  • 1.5K
  • 31 Oct 2024
Topic Review
Taraxerol
Taraxerol, an oleanane-type pentacyclic triterpene, is one of the natural compounds that have been investigated extensively for its potential utilization in drug development. It has received major attention for its potential use as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of various diseases. Plants containing taraxerol are Hypericum perforatum, Clitoria ternatea, Mangifera indica, and Strobilanthes crispus.
  • 1.5K
  • 11 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Heterologous Synthesis of Xanthophyll in Model Microorganisms
Xanthophyll is an oxidated version of carotenoid. It presents significant value to the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries due to its specific antioxidant activity and variety of colors. Chemical processing and conventional extraction from natural organisms are still the main sources of xanthophyll. 
  • 1.5K
  • 26 May 2023
Topic Review
Techniques for Editing Phage Genome
Bacteriophages, abbreviated as “phages”, have been developed as emerging nanoprobes for the detection of a wide variety of biological species, such as biomarker molecules and pathogens. Nanosized phages can display a certain length of exogenous peptides of arbitrary sequence or single-chain variable fragments (scFv) of antibodies that specifically bind to the targets of interest, such as animal cells, bacteria, viruses, and protein molecules. Metal nanoparticles generally have unique plasmon resonance effects. Metal nanoparticles such as gold, silver, and magnetism are widely used in the field of visual detection. A phage can be assembled with metal nanoparticles to form an organic–inorganic hybrid probe due to its nanometer-scale size and excellent modifiability. Due to the unique plasmon resonance effect of this composite probe, this technology can be used to visually detect objects of interest under a dark-field microscope.
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Biotechnological Approaches for Production of Artemisinin
Medicinal plants have long been a component of human civilization. Plants are utilized to heal ailments and have saved people from countless pandemics, according to Ayurvedic writings and kindred scriptures. Medicinal plants are high in pharmacologically significant bioactive chemicals that define the plant’s medicinal properties. Artemisinin is one such medicinally important metabolite derived principally from the aerial parts of the medicinal herb Artemisia annua (L.). Artemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone molecule with an endoperoxide structure that has anti-malarial properties. A. annua is a member of the Asteraceae family that grows in tropical and subtropical climates. The plant is native to China and it is known as qinghao, commonly called sweet annie and worm wood in English. The plant is recorded in ancient Chinese texts as being used to cure fevers
  • 1.5K
  • 30 May 2022
Topic Review
The Association between Biofilm Formation and Antimicrobial Resistance
Biofilm has garnered a lot of interest due to concerns in various sectors such as public health, medicine, and the pharmaceutical industry. Biofilm-producing bacteria show a remarkable drug resistance capability, leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality.
  • 1.5K
  • 22 Jul 2022
Topic Review
MicroRNA
MicroRNA (miRNAs) are short, single-stranded ncRNAs that can be measured in biofluids as minimally invasive biomarkers of disease, including cancer. Their reliable measurement however is challenging, therefore several methods are being developed for miRNA quantitation. Here the technologies currently in use or being developed for quantitation of miRNAs are described.
  • 1.5K
  • 05 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Biofilms in Cystic Fibrosis
Biofilm-associated infections pose a huge burden on healthcare systems worldwide, with recurrent lung infections occurring due to the persistence of biofilm bacteria populations. In cystic fibrosis (CF), thick viscous mucus acts not only as a physical barrier, but also serves as a nidus for infection. Increased antibiotic resistance in the recent years indicates that current therapeutic strategies aimed at biofilm-associated infections are “failing”, emphasizing the need to develop new and improved drug delivery systems with higher efficacy and efficiency. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have unique and favourable properties encompassing biocompatibility, biodegradability, magnetic and heat-mediated characteristics, making them suitable drug carriers. Additionally, an external magnetic force can be applied to enhance drug delivery to target sites, acting as “nano-knives”, cutting through the bacterial biofilm layer and characteristically thick mucus in CF.
  • 1.5K
  • 01 May 2021
Topic Review
Pluripotent Stem Cells in Livestock and Wildlife
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology is an emerging technique to reprogram somatic cells into iPSCs that have revolutionary benefits in the fields of drug discovery, cellular therapy, and personalized medicine. In both mice and humans, embryonic stem cell lines (ESCs) have been established. However, this is not the case for farm and wild animals. Cryopreservation is an important and useful approach to preserve endangered wild and domestic species as well as their genetic material. Several studies have shown the potential of iPSCs to prevent the extinction of several valuable species, such as the snow leopard, Bengal tiger, drill monkey, and white rhinoceros
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Nov 2022
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