Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Skin Microbiome
Our body is home to a complex community of microorganisms that help us maintain homeostasis and prevent colonization from pathogens. This residential community is known as the microbiota (often incorrectly used as a synonym for microbiome), referring to all the microorganisms, including archaea, bacteria, eukaryotes (fungi and yeasts, protists), viruses, and bacteriophages that colonize and inhabit a specific niche of our body. Instead, the microbiome describes the entire set of genomes and microbial genes found in a specific microbiota. The human skin microbiota is essential for maintaining homeostasis and ensuring barrier functions. Over the years, the characterization of its composition and taxonomic diversity has reached outstanding goals, with more than 10 million bacterial genes collected and cataloged.
  • 1.2K
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
RNA-Mediated Control in Polyhydroxyalkanoates Synthesis
The large production of non-degradable petrol-based plastics has become a major global issue due to its environmental pollution. Biopolymers produced by microorganisms such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are gaining potential as a sustainable alternative, but the high cost associated to their industrial production has been a limiting factor. Post-transcriptional regulation is a key step to control gene expression in changing environments and has been reported to play a major role in numerous cellular processes. However, limited reports are available concerning the regulation of PHA accumulation in bacteria, and many essential regulatory factors still need to be identified. Here, we review studies where the synthesis of PHA has been reported to be regulated at the post-transcriptional level, and we analyze the RNA-mediated networks involved. Finally, we discuss the forthcoming research on riboregulation, synthetic and metabolic engineering which could lead to improved strategies for PHAs synthesis in industrial production, thereby reducing the costs currently associated with this procedure.
  • 1.2K
  • 10 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Coumarins with Potential Medicinal Properties
Coumarins are a structurally varied set of 2H-chromen-2-one compounds categorized also as members of the benzopyrone group of secondary metabolites. Coumarin derivatives attract interest owing to their wide practical application and the unique reactivity of fused benzene and pyrone ring systems in molecular structure. Coumarins have their own specific fingerprints as antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiadipogenic, cytotoxic, apoptosis, antitumor, antitubercular, and cytotoxicity agents. Natural products have played an essential role in filling the pharmaceutical pipeline for thousands of years. Biological effects of natural coumarins have laid the basis of low-toxic and highly effective drugs.
  • 1.2K
  • 02 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Features of Nucleic Acid Vaccines
Gene immunization comprises mRNA and DNA vaccines, which stand out due to their simple design, maintenance, and high efficacy. Several studies indicate promising results in preclinical and clinical trials regarding immunization against ebola, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza, and human papillomavirus (HPV). The efficiency of nucleic acid vaccines has been highlighted in the fight against COVID-19 with unprecedented approval of their use in humans. 
  • 1.2K
  • 22 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Non-Thermal Hydroxyapatite Coating Methods
Polymers are widely used in many applications in the field of biomedical engineering. Among eclectic selections of polymers, those with low melting temperature (Tm < 200 degrees Celcius), such as poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) or polyethylene, are often used in bone, dental, maxillofacial, and corneal tissue engineering as substrates or scaffolds. These polymers, however, are bioinert, lack of reactive surface functional groups, and had poor wettability, affecting their ability to promote cellular functions and biointegration with the surrounding tissue. Improving the biointegration can be achieved by depositing hydroxyapatite (HAp) on the polymeric substrates. Conventional thermal spray and vapor phase coating, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved plasma spray technique, is not suitable for application on the low Tm polymers due to the high processing temperature, reaching more than 1000 degrees Celcius. Two non-thermal HAp coating approaches have been described in the literature, namely the biomimetic deposition and direct nanoparticle immobilization techniques. Here, we elaborate on the unique features of each technique, followed by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each technique to help readers decide on which method is more suitable for their intended applications.
  • 1.2K
  • 30 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Endophytic Fungi Biosynthesize Important Therapeutic Drugs
In general, microbes produce a collection of secondary metabolites with therapeutic activities. Many are used as anticancer, immunosuppressive, hypocholesterolemic, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory agents, or as enzyme inhibitors. Indeed, endophytic fungi have become a treasure trove for bioactive compounds of medicinal and agricultural importance. Several endophytic fungi produce important therapeutic drugs, initially discovered in traditional medicinal plants; for example, paclitaxel, podophyllotoxin, Vinca alkaloids, camptothecin, and fusidic acid.
  • 1.2K
  • 11 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Aptamers in Hematologic Malignancies
Aptamer is a targeting tool with many unique advantages (easy synthesis, low toxicity, easy modification, low immunogenicity, nano size, long stability, etc.), therefore many experts screened corresponding aptamers in various hematological malignancies for diagnosis and treatment.
  • 1.2K
  • 19 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Wastewater Treatment by Microalgae through Biosorption
Bacteria naturally present in wastewater contribute to nutrient removal. The analysis here are promising for the potential environmentally friendly application of C. vulgaris in the development of an integrated biorefinery in sugar beet processing plants for improved and cost-effective wastewater treatment. It could also be considered particularly important for a multifaceted approach to managing the environmental sustainability of wastewater bioremediation.
  • 1.2K
  • 15 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Aegerolysins
Aegerolysins are remarkable proteins. They are distributed over the tree of life, being relatively widespread in fungi and bacteria, but also present in some insects, plants, protozoa, and viruses. Their function, in particular, is intriguing. Aegerolysin proteins are involved in various interactions by recognizing a molecular receptor in the target organism. Despite their abundance in cells of certain developmental stages and their presence in secretomes, only a few aegerolysins have been studied in detail. Formation of pores with various larger non-aegerolysin-like protein partners is one of the possible responses of the aegerolysin-producing organism in competitive exclusion of other organisms from the ecological niche.
  • 1.2K
  • 08 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Implications of MALDI-TOF MS for Microbial Recognition
MALDI-TOF MS has various benefits over the conventional method of biochemical identification, including ease of use, speed, accuracy, and low cost.
  • 1.2K
  • 28 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Intrapancreatic Parenchymal Cell Transplantation
In vivo inoculation of cells such as cancer cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS)/embryonic stem (ES) cells into immunocompromised mice, such as nude mice, has been considered a powerful technique for evaluating these cells' potential to form solid tumors made of proliferating cells or teratomas made of various types of differentiated cells originating from three germ cell layers. Two major approaches, i.e., subcutaneous grafting and grafting under the kidney capsule, have been widely utilized for this purpose. Unfortunately, large numbers of tumor cells are required for successful inoculation, and often, failure of tumorigenesis is encountered. This is attributable to dispersion/escaping of grafted cells from the inoculation site. To avoid such cell dispersion/escaping, choosing an appropriate inoculation site from where grafted cells cannot easily disperse is important. Intrapancreatic parenchymal injection of tumorigenic cells is apparently very effective for this purpose; the grafted cells seldom escape from the injection site and are found to form solid tumors even from small numbers (~15 × 103 cells) of cells. The procedure is very simple—it requires only surgical exposure of the pancreas over the dorsal skin under anesthesia and subsequent injection of cells toward the pancreatic parenchyma under dissecting microscope-based observation using a mouthpiece-controlled glass micropipette. The inoculated cells generally grow as solid tumors 1–1.5 months after surgery. This novel technique is known as “intrapancreatic parenchymal cell transplantation (IPPCT).” Apart from the abovementioned benefit, IPPCT may be useful for those wanting to obtain large amounts of tumorigenic cells for biochemical or molecular biological analyses or for those rescuing specific cells that are difficult to cultivate in vitro.
  • 1.2K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Molecular Microbial Community Analysis
The microbial diversity in anaerobic digestion (AD) is important because it affects process robustness. High-throughput sequencing offers high-resolution data regarding the microbial diversity and robustness of biological systems including AD; however, to understand the dynamics of microbial processes, knowing the microbial diversity is not adequate alone. Advanced meta-omic techniques have been established to determine the activity and interactions among organisms in biological processes like AD. Results of these methods can be used to identify biomarkers for AD states. This can aid a better understanding of system dynamics and be applied to producing comprehensive models for AD. 
  • 1.2K
  • 08 Jun 2021
Topic Review
PR Proteins with Enzymatic Action in Plant Defense
Plant defense depends on constitutive and induced factors combined as defense mechanisms. These mechanisms involve a complex signaling network linking structural and biochemical defense. Antimicrobial and pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are examples of this mechanism, which can accumulate extra- and intracellular space after infection. 
  • 1.2K
  • 14 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Bacterial Cellulose and Xanthan
Degradable biopolymers have become increasingly important as potential environmentally friendly biomaterials, providing a wide range of applications in various fields. Bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are biomacromolecules, which due to their unique properties have found applications in biomedicine, foodstuff, textiles, cosmetics, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, nanoelectronics, and environmental remediation. One of the important commercial polysaccharides produced on an industrial scale is xanthan. In recent years, the range of its application has expanded significantly. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is another unique EPS with a rapidly increasing range of applications. 
  • 1.2K
  • 12 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Biomedical Applications of Gold Nanoparticles
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are extremely promising objects for solving a wide range of biomedical problems. The gold nanoparticles production by biological method (“green synthesis”) is eco-friendly and allows minimization of the amount of harmful chemical and toxic byproducts. 
  • 1.2K
  • 13 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Quorum Sensing
Quorum sensing (QS) of various microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, microalgae) today attracts the attention of researchers mainly from the point of view of clarifying the biochemical basics of this general biological phenomenon, establishing chemical compounds that regulate it, and studying the mechanisms of its realization. Today the particular attention focused on biotechnological sides of QS application in the elaboration of various prospective biocatalytic systems for different processes carried out under aerobic and anaerobic conditions (synthesis of enzymes, polysaccharides, organic acids, etc.). 
  • 1.2K
  • 01 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Three-Dimensional Culture Systems
It is getting more and more clear that cancer cell culture models are switching from two-dimension to three-dimensional, in order to better reflect in vivo situations where tumor cells have to cope with a highly interactive three-dimensional microenvironment. Several such culture models have been reported, predominantly multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) and patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTO). These are used both to investigate fundamental aspects of cancer development and as test systems for innovative therapies against gastric cancer, the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The authors review the actual state of research in this field to provide an overview of the contribution of MCTS and PDTO, especially in the areas of molecular profiling, drug discovery, pathogen infection, and personalized medicine.
  • 1.2K
  • 18 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Antimicrobial Activity from Rhodophyta and Chlorophyta Extracts
Macroalgae are aquatic photosynthetic organisms (mainly marine) belonging to the domain Eukarya. Macroalgae are mainly divided into three groups: red algae (Rhodophyta) and green algae (Chlorophyta), which are classified in kingdom Plantae, and brown algae (Ochrophyta, class Phaeophyceae), belonging to kingdom Chromista. Therefore, as terrestrial plants, macroalgae possess interesting biological activities that could be involved in the development of natural and innovative antibiotics. Macroalgae’s biological activities can vary among phyla.
  • 1.2K
  • 09 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Heterologous Host for Alternative Production of Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids
Amaryllidaceae alkaloids (AAs) are plant specialized metabolites with therapeutic properties exclusively produced by the Amaryllidaceae plant family. Bioengineered microbial hosts that grow rapidly can produce plant target specialized metabolites faster as compared to whole plant systems. In addition, the production of plant metabolites in heterologous hosts can reduce downstream extraction process, which eventually becomes more economically sustainable. For the successful synthesis of plant metabolites such as AAs, heterologous hosts require the introduction of reconstructed biosynthetic pathway, requiring key enzymes. This requires comprehensive knowledge of the enzymatic reactions involved in the biosynthesis of the compound of interest in the native host organisms (i.e., plants).
  • 1.2K
  • 06 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Monkeypox Diagnosis Approaches
Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an adenovirus with a double-stranded DNA genome, belonging to the family Poxviridae, subfamily Chordopoxvirinae, and the genus Orthopoxvirus. MPXV was first reported in 1958 after two pox-like disease outbreaks occurred in monkeys. The original source of MPXV is unknown. Rodents likely harbor the virus, leading to spillover events. The case of human infection by MPXV was first reported in humans in in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.
  • 1.2K
  • 04 Nov 2022
  • Page
  • of
  • 38
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Reprints

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Medieval Royal Iconography
Academic Video Service
Feedback

Quick Survey

Encyclopedia MDPI is conducting a targeted survey to identify the specific barriers hindering efficient research. We invite you to spend 3 minutes defining the priorities for our next generation of structured knowledge tools.
Take Survey