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Topic Review
Non-Antibiotic Antibacterial Agents
Antimicrobial resistance is a significant threat to human health worldwide, forcing scientists to explore non-traditional antibacterial agents to support rapid interventions and combat the emergence and spread of drug resistant bacteria. Many new antibiotic-free approaches are being developed while the old ones are being revised, resulting in creating unique solutions that arise at the interface of physics, nanotechnology, and microbiology. Specifically, physical factors (e.g., pressure, temperature, UV light) are increasingly used for industrial sterilization. Nanoparticles (unmodified or in combination with toxic compounds) are also applied to circumvent in vivo drug resistance mechanisms in bacteria. Recently, bacteriophage-based treatments are also gaining momentum due to their high bactericidal activity and specificity. 
  • 2.1K
  • 07 May 2021
Topic Review
Volatile Fatty Acid recovery
Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are low-molecular-weight carboxylic acids containing two to six carbon atoms that are produced as the final product of acidogenic fermentation in anaerobic digestion process.
  • 2.1K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
C-to-U RNA Editing
The restoration of genetic code by editing mutated genes is a potential method for the treatment of genetic diseases/disorders. Genetic disorders are caused by the point mutations of thymine (T) to cytidine (C) or guanosine (G) to adenine (A), for which gene editing (editing of mutated genes) is a promising therapeutic technique. In C-to-Uridine (U) RNA editing, it converts the base C-to-U in RNA molecules and leads to nonsynonymous changes when occurring in coding regions; for G-to-A mutations, A-to-I editing occurs. Editing of C-to-U is not as physiologically common as that of A-to-I editing.
  • 2.1K
  • 30 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Innovative Uses of Polyhydroxyalkanoates
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biodegradable polymer obtained from microorganisms and plants, have been widely used in biomedical applications and devices, such as sutures, cardiac valves, bone scaffold, and drug delivery of compounds with pharmaceutical interests, as well as in food packaging. The novel applications are based on the production and composition of the polymer, which can be modified by genetic engineering, a semi-synthetic approach, by changing feeding carbon sources and/or supplement addition, among others. The future of PHA is promising, and despite its production costs being higher than petroleum-based plastics, tools given by synthetic biology, bioinformatics, and machine learning, among others, have allowed for great production yields, monomer and polymer functionalization, stability, and versatility, a key feature to increase the uses of this interesting family of polymers.
  • 2.1K
  • 13 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Production and Recovery of Ectoine
Ectoine (CAS No.: 96702-03-3), chemically known as 1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidinecarboxylic acid, is a heterocyclic amino acid derivative of aspartate with a zwitterionic structure. Ectoine was first identified and isolated from a halophilic bacterium, Ectothiorhodospira halochloris.
  • 2.0K
  • 02 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Virus-like Particles
Nanotechnology is a fast-evolving field focused on fabricating nanoscale objects for industrial, cosmetic, and therapeutic applications. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are self-assembled nanoparticles whose intrinsic properties, such as heterogeneity, and highly ordered structural organization are exploited to prepare vaccines; imaging agents; construct nanobioreactors; cancer treatment approaches; or deliver drugs, genes, and enzymes. However, depending upon the intrinsic features of the native virus from which they are produced, the therapeutic performance of VLPs can vary. 
  • 2.0K
  • 15 Aug 2022
Topic Review
P(3HB-co-3HV)
Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (P(3HB-co-3HV)) is the most studied short-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) with high application importance in various fields owing to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, renewability and thermoplastic properties. PHA are biopolyesters with plastic-like properties accumulated by microorganisms as a reserved energy source in the form of granules under carbon-excess and nitrogen-limited conditions. P(3HB-co-3HV) can be produced through microbial fermentation and has great potential as an alternative for non-biodegradable synthetic plastics.
  • 2.0K
  • 24 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Advanced Hydrogels as Wound Dressings
Skin is the largest organ of the human body, protecting it against the external environment. Despite high self-regeneration potential, severe skin defects will not heal spontaneously and need to be covered by skin substitutes. Tremendous progress has been made in the field of skin tissue engineering, in recent years, to develop new skin substitutes. Among them, hydrogels are one of the candidates with most potential to mimic the native skin microenvironment, due to their porous and hydrated molecular structure. They can be applied as a permanent or temporary dressing for different wounds to support the regeneration and healing of the injured epidermis, dermis, or both. Based on the material used for their fabrication, hydrogels can be subdivided into two main groups—natural and synthetic. Moreover, hydrogels can be reinforced by incorporating nanoparticles to obtain “in situ” hybrid hydrogels, showing superior properties and tailored functionality. In addition, different sensors can be embedded in hydrogel wound dressings to provide real-time information about the wound environment. This review focuses on the most recent developments in the field of hydrogel-based skin substitutes for skin replacement. In particular, we discuss the synthesis, fabrication, and biomedical application of novel “smart” hydrogels.
  • 2.0K
  • 31 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Antarctic Marine Fungi
Despite the harsh conditions, fungi are ubiquitously present in Antarctic ecosystems. The key to fungal success can be due to the vast array of specialized molecules, which allowed their colonization in almost every habitat of our Planet. In Antarctic marine environments, the fungal specific adaptions to low temperatures lead to the production of structurally novel enzymes and secondary metabolites that provide competitive advantages over other microorganisms. The bioprospecting of Antarctic fungi for new bioactive compounds and enzymes is important not only for elucidating their ecological role but also useful for developing blue biotechnologies. 
  • 2.0K
  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Interferon-Based Biopharmaceuticals
Interferons are secreted autocrine and paracrine proteins, which by regulating several biochemical pathways have a spectrum of clinical effectiveness against viral infections, malignant diseases, and multiple sclerosis. 
  • 2.0K
  • 16 May 2021
Topic Review
Biomass-Based Biohydrogen Production
Biohydrogen is a sustainable energy form and a preferable substitute for fossil fuel. Biohydrogen production is eco-friendly compared to other methods of hydrogen production. It has the potential to replace conventional fossil fuels without releasing greenhouse gases. Hydrogen production from biomass depends upon the type of feedstock utilized.
  • 2.0K
  • 09 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Blood Ethanol Levels
In the interplay of the gut microbiota and endogenous ethanol production, the production of ethanol through the endogenous fermentation of carbohydrates is an inevitable result. “Alcohol-producing” processes may be succinctly abstracted to ethanol’s constant formation from acetaldehyde in the human body through various metabolic processes. In such cases where it is not introduced from the environment, it is called “endogenous ethanol”.
  • 2.0K
  • 28 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Rhizopus oryzae Lipase
Lipases are biocatalysts with a significant potential to enable a shift from current pollutant manufacturing processes to environmentally sustainable approaches. The main reason of this prospect is their catalytic versatility as they carry out several industrially relevant reactions as hydrolysis of fats in water/lipid interface and synthesis reactions in solvent-free or non-aqueous media such as transesterification, interesterification and esterification. Because of the outstanding traits of Rhizopus oryzae lipase (ROL), 1,3-specificity, high enantioselectivity and stability in organic media, its application in energy, food and pharmaceutical industrial sector has been widely studied. Significant advances have been made in the biochemical characterisation of ROL particularly in how its activity and stability are affected by the presence of its prosequence. In addition, native and heterologous production of ROL, the latter in cell factories like Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris), have been thoroughly described. Therefore, in this review, we summarise the current knowledge about R. oryzae lipase (i) biochemical characteristics, (ii) production strategies and (iii) potential industrial applications.
  • 2.0K
  • 10 Dec 2020
Topic Review
d-Tagatose by l-Arabinose Isomerase
d-tagatose is a low-calorie alternative to sucrose natural monosaccharide that is nearly as sweet. As a ketohexose, d-tagatose has disease-relieving and health-promoting properties. Due to its scarcity in nature, d-tagatose is mainly produced through chemical and biological methods.
  • 2.0K
  • 29 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Purification Strategies of Microbial Lipases
Lipases are versatile biocatalysts and are used in different bioconversion reactions. Microbial lipases are attracting a great amount of attention due to the rapid advancement of enzyme technology and its practical application in a variety of industrial processes. Lipase purification is a meticulous technique that requires great care to retain the bioactive state of the lipase.
  • 2.0K
  • 27 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Processing of Fab Fragments in E. coli
Monoclonal antibody fragments (Fab) are a rising class of biotherapeutics and their production has been optimised using coexpression of molecular chaperones such as DsbC or DnaK–DnaJ–GrpE, as well as strain engineering for post-translational modifications such as disulphide bridging. Different media systems such as EnBase and combining nitrogen source supplementation with low-temperature cultivation have resulted in improvement in cell integrity, protein expression, and protein refolding. The recovery of native proteins from insoluble inclusion bodies can be improved by adjusting refolding conditions, as well as by incorporating multimodal and affinity chromatography for achieving high product yields in purification.
  • 2.0K
  • 27 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Technological Applications of Huitlacoche
Worldwide, the fungus known as huitlacoche (Ustilago maydis (DC.) Corda) is a phytopathogen of maize plants that causes important economic losses in different countries. Conversely, it is an iconic edible fungus of Mexican culture and cuisine, and it has high commercial value in the domestic market, though recently there has been a growing interest in the international market. Huitlacoche is an excellent source of nutritional compounds such as protein, dietary fiber, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. It is also an important source of bioactive compounds with health-enhancing properties. Furthermore, scientific evidence shows that extracts or compounds isolated from huitlacoche have antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antiplatelet, and dopaminergic properties.
  • 2.0K
  • 03 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Mass Spectrometry Imaging
Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) or imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) is a promising analytical method to determine and visualize the spatial distribution of specific chemical compositions by their molecular weights or m/z values. MSI is basically a two-dimensional analysis method that can detect intact molecules within tissues or tissue sections without necessitating extraction, purification, and separation.
  • 2.0K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, a Gram-positive bacterium, has emerged as a versatile microorganism with significant applications in various fields, including industry, medicine, and agriculture.
  • 2.0K
  • 16 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Probiotics for Freshwater Fish Farming
Probiotics for freshwater fish farming can be administered as single or multiple mixtures. The expected benefits of probiotics include disease prophylaxis, improved growth, and feed conversion parameters, such as the feed conversion rate (FCR) and specific growth rate (SGR).
  • 2.0K
  • 20 Dec 2021
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