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Biography
Dr. Mahmoud M. Berekaa
I’m Dr. Mahmoud M. Berekaa graduated from University of Alexandria with a Bachelor of Science with honors in Microbiology. I started my postgraduate studies with a Master degree in Faculty of Science by focusing on Biotechnological Production of Microbial Enzymes before moving to “University of Munster, Germany” to undertake a five years research fellowship at the University of “Westfali
  • 776
  • 24 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Applications of Chitosan Derivatives
Chitosan has received much attention for its role in designing and developing novel derivatives as well as its applications across a broad spectrum of biological and physiological activities, owing to its desirable characteristics such as being biodegradable, being a biopolymer, and its overall eco-friendliness.
  • 775
  • 27 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Mechanistic Action of Metallic Nanoparticles against Bacteria
The misuse of antibiotics and antimycotics accelerates the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, prompting the need for novel strategies to combat this global issue. Metallic nanoparticles have emerged as effective tools for combating various resistant microbes. Numerous studies have highlighted their potential in addressing antibiotic-resistant fungi and bacterial strains. Understanding the mechanisms of action of these nanoparticles, including iron-oxide, gold, zinc oxide, and silver is a central focus of research within the life science community. Various hypotheses have been proposed regarding how nanoparticles exert their effects. Some suggest direct targeting of microbial cell membranes, while others emphasize the release of ions from nanoparticles. The most compelling proposed antimicrobial mechanism of nanoparticles involves oxidative damage caused by nanoparticles-generated reactive oxygen species. 
  • 773
  • 13 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Isolates and Products for Biocontrol of Multiple Targets
Biological control is an important process for sustainable plant production, and this trait is found in many plant-associated microbes. Bacteria with multiple biocontrol potential include genera classified as Gram-positive cells, such as the firmicutes Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Brevibacillus; actinomycetes such as Streptomycete isolates; and Gram-negative isolates, including Pseudomonas, Photorhabdus, and Serratia. For commercial formulation, Gram-positive isolates that sporulate are advantageous because the spores have an extended longevity over vegetative cells. Common habitats for these genera are soils. Many are documented to colonize root tissues, to which they are attracted by chemotaxis towards the gradient of plant root exudates. Certain isolates display very specific habitats, such as the symbiosis of Photorhabdus luminescens with entomopathogenic nematodes. Biocontrol-active metabolites are diverse but can be classified based on their structural similarity; for example, peptide toxins are implicated in insect and nematode control. Indeed, the most commercially relevant are the toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, collectively termed BT toxins, which function by generating holes in the membranes of the insect’s digestive tract. Fit proteins from the fit genes in the genomes of certain pseudomonads and the related Mcf toxins from Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus that induce membrane disorganization also contribute to insecticidal activity. The lipopeptide group impacts membrane structures through their surfactant activity. Phenolics such as the phenazine group may cause oxidative stress in the target leading to cell death, and some may act as iron chelators.
  • 772
  • 09 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Factors That Affect Microalgal Bioremediation Capacity
Some species of algae which can be naturally present in mine drainage waters, such as Spirogyra sp. and Chlorella sp., have a high capacity for absorbing potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from wastewater and may thrive in harsh environments. As a result, algal-based systems in bioremediation were studied and carefully analyzed.
  • 772
  • 27 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Bacterial Volatile Organic Compounds in Root-Knot Nematodes Control
Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) constitute the most damaging group of plant pathogens. Plant infections by root-knot nematodes (RKNs) alone could cause approximately 5% of global crop loss. Nematodes in soil are exposed to a diversity of microorganisms, of which nematophagous bacteria and fungi represent the most promising candidates to control RKNs. Bacterial species of a range of genera, such as Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Pasteuria, were observed to exhibit antagonistic activity against RKNs, while the fungi that were detrimental to RKNs were commonly isolated from the phylum Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Zygomycota, and Chytridiomycota. With regard to microbial metabolites, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have attracted research attention in recent years due to their efficacy in killing RKNs. Additionally, the application of VOCs in agricultural practice could be both economically affordable and less toxic to humans than conventional nematicides.
  • 772
  • 12 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Cyanobacteria and Microalgae-Based Biostimulants
Significant progress has been achieved in the use of biostimulants in sustainable agricultural practices. These new products can improve plant growth, nutrient uptake, crop yield and quality, stress adaptation and soil fertility, while reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint. Although it is an emerging market, the biostimulant sector is very promising, hence the increasing attention of the scientific community and agro-industry stakeholders in finding new sources of plant biostimulants. Pro- and eucaryotic microalgae have gained prominence and can be exploited as biostimulants due to their ability to produce high-value-added metabolites. Several works revealed the potential of microalgae- and cyanobacteria-based biostimulants (MCBs) as plant growth promoters and stress alleviators, as well as encouraging results pointing out that their use can address current and future agricultural challenges.
  • 772
  • 10 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Rhodiola rosea L.
Rhodiola rosea L. is a valuable medicinal plant with adaptogenic, neuroprotective, antitumor, cardioprotective, and antidepressant effects.
  • 769
  • 31 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Fast Prototyping Microfluidics
Microfluidic (MF) advancements have been leveraged toward the development of state-of-the-art platforms for molecular diagnostics, where isothermal amplification schemes allow for further simplification of DNA detection and quantification protocols. The MF integration with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is today the focus of a new generation of chip-based devices for molecular detection, aiming at fast and automated nucleic acid analysis. Here, we combined MF with droplet digital LAMP (ddLAMP) on an all-in-one device that allows for droplet generation, target amplification, and absolute quantification. This multilayer 3D chip was developed in less than 30 minutes by using a low-cost and extremely adaptable production process that exploits direct laser writing technology in “Shrinky-dinks” polystyrene sheets. ddLAMP and target quantification were performed directly on-chip, showing a high correlation between target concentration and positive droplet score. We validated this integrated chip via the amplification of targets ranging from five to 500,000 copies/reaction. Furthermore, on-chip amplification was performed in a 10 µL volume, attaining a limit of detection of five copies/µL under 60 min. This technology was applied to quantify a cancer biomarker, c-MYC, but it can be further extended to any other disease biomarker.
  • 765
  • 25 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Diversity of Mycogenic Oxide and Chalcogenide Nanoparticles
Oxide and chalcogenide nanoparticles have great potential for use in biomedicine, engineering, agriculture, environmental protection, and other research fields. The myco-synthesis of nanoparticles with fungal cultures, their metabolites, culture liquids, and mycelial and fruit body extracts is simple, cheap and environmentally friendly. The characteristics of nanoparticles, including their size, shape, homogeneity, stability, physical properties and biological activity, can be tuned by changing the myco-synthesis conditions.
  • 764
  • 30 May 2023
Topic Review
Azospirillum in Plant Adaptation to Stress
Azospirillum is one of the most studied genera of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and species of this genus are recognized as biofertilizers due to their ability to stimulate plant growth and productivity. Representatives of this genus have different sensitivities or resistances to osmotic stress, pesticides, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and perchlorate and also have the ability to mitigate the consequences of such stresses for plants. 
  • 758
  • 02 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Heterologous Production of Type II Aromatic Polyketides
Polyketides are a diverse set of natural products with versatile applications as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics, to name a few. Of several types of polyketides, aromatic polyketides comprising type II and III polyketides contain many chemicals important for human health such as antibiotics and anticancer agents. Most aromatic polyketides are produced from soil bacteria or plants, which are difficult to engineer and grow slowly in industrial settings. 
  • 758
  • 09 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Nanoparticle Formulation and pH-Responsive Release Mechanism
Dental caries is a common and costly multifactorial biofilm disease caused by cariogenic bacteria that ferment carbohydrates to lactic acid, demineralizing the inorganic component of teeth. Therefore, low pH (pH 4.5) is a characteristic signal of the localised carious environment, compared to a healthy oral pH range (6.8 to 7.4). The development of pH-responsive delivery systems that release antibacterial agents in response to low pH has gained attention as a targeted therapy for dental caries. Release is triggered by high levels of acidogenic species and their reduction may select for the establishment of health-associated biofilm communities. 
  • 758
  • 17 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Lab-on-a-Chip Electrochemical Biosensors for Foodborne Pathogen Detection
Foodborne pathogens are an important diagnostic target for the food, beverage, and health care industries due to their prevalence and the adverse effects they can cause to public health, food safety, and the economy. The standards that determine whether a given type of food is fit for consumption are set by governments and must be taken into account when designing a new diagnostic tool such as a biosensor platform. In order to meet these stringent detection limits, cost, and reliability standards, recent research has been focused on developing lab-on-a-chip-based approaches for detection devices that use microfluidic channels and platforms. The microfluidics-based devices are designed, developed, and used in different ways to achieve the established common standards for food pathogen testing that enable high throughput, rapid detection, low sample volume, and minimal pretreatment procedures. Combining microfluidic approaches with electrochemical biosensing could offer affordable, portable, and easy to use devices for food pathogen diagnostics.
  • 755
  • 13 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Importance of Lignocellulose in High-Value Product Production
Lignocellulose consists of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin and is a sustainable feedstock for a biorefinery to generate marketable biomaterials like biofuels and platform chemicals. Enormous tons of lignocellulose are obtained from agricultural waste, but a few tons are utilized due to a lack of awareness of the biotechnological importance of lignocellulose. Underutilizing lignocellulose could also be linked to the incomplete use of cellulose and hemicellulose in biotransformation into new products. Utilizing lignocellulose in producing value-added products alleviates agricultural waste disposal management challenges. It also reduces the emission of toxic substances into the environment, which promotes a sustainable development goal and contributes to circular economy development and economic growth.
  • 754
  • 19 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Termite Microbial Symbiosis for Lignocellulosic Future Biorefinery
The hunt for renewable and alternative fuels has driven research towards the biological conversion of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) into biofuels, including bioethanol and biohydrogen. Among the natural biomass utilization systems (NBUS), termites represent a unique and easy-to-access model system to study host–microbe interactions towards lignocellulose bioconversion/valorization. Termites have gained significant interest due to their highly efficient lignocellulolytic systems. The wood-feeding termites apply a unique and stepwise process for the hydrolysis of lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose via biocatalytic processes; therefore, mimicking their digestive metabolism and physiochemical gut environments might lay the foundation for an innovative design of nature-inspired biotechnology.
  • 751
  • 05 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Cellular and Molecular Events of Wound Healing
Chronic wounds are a silent epidemic threatening the lives of many people worldwide. They are associated with social, health care and economic burdens and can lead to death if left untreated. The treatment of chronic wounds is very challenging as it may not be fully effective and may be associated with various adverse effects. New wound healing agents that are potentially more effective are being discovered continuously to combat these chronic wounds. These agents include silver nanoformulations which can contain nanoparticles or nanocomposites. To be effective, the discovered agents need to have good wound healing properties which will enhance their effectiveness in the different stages of wound healing.
  • 748
  • 14 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Modified Bacteriophage for Tumor Detection and Targeted Therapy
Tumor-targeted therapy is an effective method for treating tumors, and is also a focus of current tumor treatment. Due to the maturity of phage modification technology, it is now convenient, safe, and efficient to modify novel molecules on phages for targeting tumor cells or tissues. This technology has been widely used in finding new tumor-targeting molecules and in the delivery of drugs through a targeted strategy. Since the size of the phages is only nanometers long, they can cross biological barriers such as the low vascular fibrosis barrier. Due to the high surface area to volume ratio, phages can effectively carry drugs for tumor treatment compared with large molecule chemotherapeutic agents. The modified phages, as drug carriers, allow for specific targeting tumor cells while sparing normal cells. By targeting tumor cells through phage display technology, the piggybacked drug enters the cells through endocytosis and it kills or inhibits the tumor cells. It also facilitates precise treatment with less side effects, avoiding high doses of drugs and reduces tumor recurrence. Using modified phages for tumor treatment is a cost-effective and less time-consuming method. 
  • 747
  • 15 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Therapeutic Vaccines for Human Papillomavirus-Associated Malignancies
Prophylactic vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) have proven efficacy in those who have not been infected by the virus. As for therapeutic vaccines, they require the differentiated modulation of the immune system as both chronic infections and cancers are associated with specific immunosuppression and impairment of the immune surveillance system.
  • 732
  • 23 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Multidirectional Action of Oligo in Plants
Oligo technology is a low-cost and easy-to-implement method for direct manipulation of gene activity. The major advantage of this method is that gene expression can be changed without requiring stable transformation. Oligo technology is mainly used for animal cells. However, the use of oligos in plants seems to be even easier. The oligo effect could be similar to that induced by endogenous miRNAs.
  • 728
  • 17 Mar 2023
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