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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
Exopolysaccharides of Lactic Acid Bacteria
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are capable of synthesising metabolites known as exopolysaccharides (EPS) during fermentation. Traditionally, EPS plays an important role in fermented dairy products through their gelling and thickening properties, but they can also be beneficial to human health.
  • 2.0K
  • 16 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Consolidated Bioprocessing
The long road from emerging biotechnologies to commercial “green” biosynthetic routes for chemical production relies in part on efficient microbial use of sustainable and renewable waste biomass feedstocks. One solution is to apply the consolidated bioprocessing approach, whereby microorganisms convert lignocellulose waste into advanced fuels and other chemicals. As lignocellulose is a highly complex network of polymers, enzymatic degradation or “saccharification” requires a range of cellulolytic enzymes acting synergistically to release the abundant sugars contained within. Complications arise from the need for extracellular localisation of cellulolytic enzymes, whether they be free or cell-associated.
  • 2.0K
  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Single-Chromosome Sequencing
Sequencing of DNA from single isolated chromosomes (ChromSeq) is an elegant approach to determine the chromosome content and assign genome assemblies to chromosomes, thus bridging the gap between cytogenetics and genomics. 
  • 2.0K
  • 17 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Bacterial Potential in Degradation of Azo Dyes
The use of dyes dates to ancient times and has increased due to population and industrial growth, leading to the rise of synthetic dyes. These pollutants are of great environmental impact and azo dyes deserve special attention due their widespread use and challenging degradation. Among the biological solutions developed to mitigate this issue, bacteria are highlighted for being versatile organisms, which can be applied as single organism cultures, microbial consortia, in bioreactors, acting in the detoxification of azo dyes breakage by-products and have the potential to combine biodegradation with the production of products of economic interest. These characteristics go hand in hand with the ability of various strains to act under various chemical and physical parameters, such as a wide range of pH, salinity, and temperature, with good performance under industry, and environmental, relevant conditions. 
  • 2.0K
  • 11 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Genus Bacillus in the Biodamage/Biodegradation of Plastics
Bacteria of the genus Bacillus are able to form corrosive compounds, polymer-degrading compounds, antimicrobials and antibiofilm-forming compounds.
  • 2.0K
  • 12 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Cyanobacterial Extracellular Polymeric Substances
Biopolymers derived from polysaccharides are a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to the synthetic counterparts available in the market. Due to their distinctive properties, the cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), mainly composed of heteropolysaccharides, are a valid alternative to address several biotechnological and biomedical challenges. However, for the successful exploitation of cyanobacterial EPS, it is important to obtain polymers with high purity levels and exploit different strategies of  functionalization  to obtain EPS tailored for given applications. Considering all this, available approaches to isolate, purify and chemically modify cyanobacterial EPS are discussed.  
  • 2.0K
  • 30 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Versatile Applications of Cyanobacteria in Biotechnology
Cyanobacteria are blue-green Gram-negative and photosynthetic bacteria which are seen as one of the most morphologically numerous groups of prokaryotes. Because of their ability to fix gaseous nitrogen and carbon dioxide to organic materials, they are known to play important roles in the universal nutrient cycle. Cyanobacteria has emerged as one of the promising resources to combat the issues of global warming, disease outbreaks, nutrition insecurity, energy crises as well as persistent daily human population increases. Cyanobacteria possess significant levels of macro and micronutrient substances which facilitate the versatile popularity to be utilized as human food and protein supplements in many countries such as Asia. Cyanobacteria has been employed as a complementary dietary constituent of feed for poultry and as vitamin and protein supplement in aquatic lives. They are effectively used to deal with numerous tasks in various fields of biotechnology, such as agricultural (including aquaculture), industrial (food and dairy products), environmental (pollution control), biofuel (bioenergy) and pharmaceutical biotechnology (such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressant, anticoagulant and antitumor).
  • 2.0K
  • 06 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Mechanobiology of Chondrocytes
This entry is associated with a review article, published in MDPI Applied Sciences on 23 April 2020, about the current knowledge on the mechanical stimulation of mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage regeneration. Loading stresses, physiologically experienced by chondrocytes, regulate the production of glycosaminoglycan and collagen, as well as promote and preserve cell viability. Therefore, there is a rising interest in the development of devices that impose mechanical stimuli, such as compression and shear stress, on mesenchymal stem cells. The mentioned review will analyze the dynamics within the joint, the physiological stimuli experienced by the chondrocytes, and how the biomechanical stimulation can be applied to a stem cell culture in order to induce chondrogenesis. In addition to that, paper lists some of the current applications in the field.
  • 2.0K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Metabolomics
Metabolomics is the latest trend in the “-omics” sciences, of which technologies are widely used today in all life sciences. Metabolomics gave impetus to the description of biochemical processes that occur in many organisms by means of measuring of low molecular compounds by high-throughout technologies, search for new biomarkers of disease, and laid the foundation for new clinical laboratory diagnostics. The purpose of this entry is to show how metabolomics is represented in the science and to demonstrate the successes and main achievements of scientists in this field.
  • 2.0K
  • 15 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Secondary Metabolites Produced by Bacillus subtilis Group
The Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) group is a ubiquitous Gram-positive bacteria with a remarkable adaptability potential that enables it to survive in highly diverse environments. 
  • 1.9K
  • 10 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Electrochemical Biosensors for Salmonella Detection
Salmonellosis is a major cause of foodborne infections, caused by Salmonella, posing a major health risk. It possesses the ability to infiltrate the food supply chain at any point throughout the manufacturing, distribution, processing or quality control process. Salmonella infection has increased severely and requires effective and efficient methods for early monitoring and detection.
  • 1.9K
  • 14 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Götz Prosthesis Reconstructions
In this entry, the 3D CAD reconstructions and 3D multi-material polymer replica printings of knight Götz von Berlichingen´s first "Iron Hand", which were developed in the last few years at Offenburg University, are presented. Even by today's standards, the first “Iron Hand”–as could be shown in the replicas–demonstrates sophisticated mechanics and well thought-out functionality and still offers inspiration and food for discussion when it comes to the question of an artificial prosthetic replacement for a hand. 
  • 1.9K
  • 14 Jan 2021
Topic Review
High-Yield Production of Mycosporine-like Amino Acids
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the Earth’s surface is a major societal concern, and therefore, there is a significant consumer demand for cosmetics formulated to mitigate the harmful effects of UV radiation. Synthetic sunscreens being formulated to block UV penetration include inorganic metal oxide particles and organic filters. Lately, organic UV-absorbing compounds are manufactured from non-renewable petrochemicals and, as a result, there is a need to develop a sustainable manufacturing process for efficient, high-level production of a naturally occurring group of UV-absorbing compounds, namely mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), for use as a sunscreen additive to skincare products.
  • 1.9K
  • 26 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Basic Principles of Bioprocess Monitoring and Viability Determination
Bioprocesses involve multiple steps, including upstream processing, downstream processing and product formulation. Each of these steps must be monitored and regulated precisely, which requires suitable sensors that meet specific demands. Both the process itself and the process monitoring can be arranged differently. Likewise, this applies to the determination of viability, with each method possessing advantages and disadvantages.
  • 1.9K
  • 08 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Smart ECM-Based Electrospun Biomaterials
Electrospinning is a well-known technique to produce fibers that mimic the three dimensional microstructural arrangements of the extracellular matrix fibers. Natural and synthetic polymers are used in the electrospinning process; moreover, a blend of them provides composite materials that have demonstrated the potential advantage of supporting cell function and adhesion. Recently, the decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM), which is the noncellular component of tissue that retains relevant biological cues for cells, has been evaluated as a starting biomaterial to realize composite electrospun constructs. The properties of the electrospun systems can be further improved with innovative procedures of functionalization with biomolecules. Among the various approaches, great attention is devoted to the “click” concept in constructing a bioactive system, due to the modularity, orthogonality, and simplicity features of the “click” reactions. Here, we provide an overview of current approaches that can be used to obtain biofunctional composite electrospun biomaterials and propose a design of a smart ECM-based electrospun system suitable for skeletal muscle tissue regeneration.
  • 1.9K
  • 24 Sep 2020
Topic Review
SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease
The main protease (Mpro) of the newly emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was subjected to hyphenated pharmacophoric-based and structural-based virtual screenings using a library of microbial natural products (>24,000 compounds). Subsequent filtering of the resulted hits according to Lipinski’s rules was applied to select only the drug-like molecules. Top-scoring hits were further filtered out depending on their ability to show constant good binding affinities towards the molecular dynamic simulation (MDS)-derived enzyme’s conformers. Final MDS experiments were performed on the ligand-protein complexes to verify their binding modes and calculate their binding free energy. Consequently, a final selection of six compounds of microbial origin was proposed to possess high potential as anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug candidates. Our study provides insight into the role of the Mpro structural flexibility during interactions with the possible inhibitors and sheds light on the structure-based design of anti-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) therapeutics targeting SARS-CoV-2
  • 1.9K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Flavonoids as Potential Anti-Inflammatory Molecules
Hydroxylated polyphenols, also called flavonoids, are richly present in vegetables, fruits, cereals, nuts, herbs, seeds, stems, and flowers of numerous plants. They possess numerous medicinal properties such as antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-microbial, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammation. Studies show that flavonoids activate antioxidant pathways that render an anti-inflammatory effect. They inhibit the secretions of enzymes such as lysozymes and β-glucuronidase and inhibit the secretion of arachidonic acid, which reduces inflammatory reactions. Flavonoids such as quercetin, genistein, apigenin, kaempferol, and epigallocatechin 3-gallate modulate the expression and activation of a cytokine such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8); regulate the gene expression of many pro-inflammatory molecules such s nuclear factor kappa-light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), activator protein-1 (AP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM), and E-selectins; and also inhibits inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and lipoxygenase, which are pro-inflammatory enzymes.
  • 1.9K
  • 24 May 2022
Topic Review
Current Advancements in Biomethanation of H2 and CO2
Sustainable and renewable energy production is a global priority. Over the past decade, several Power-to-X (PtX) technologies have been proposed to store and convert the surplus of renewable energies into chemical bonds of chemicals produced by different processes. CO2 is a major contributor to climate change, yet it is also an undervalued source of carbon that could be recycled and represents an opportunity to generate renewable energy. 
  • 1.9K
  • 15 Jul 2022
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