Metabolic engineering • 2025

β-caryophyllene, a plant-derived sesquiterpene, serves as a food flavoring, anti-inflammatory agent, antioxidant, and high-energy fuel source. Extraction of β-caryophyllene from plants is a costly and inefficient process. Therefore, microbial cell factories have been employed for the production of β-caryophyllene. However, the limited yield is insufficient for its industrial application. In this study, we balanced the utilization of cellular resources for growth and production by systematically regulating the sterol synthesis pathway to maximize the synthesis of β-caryophyllene. In the competitive pathways concerning sterol and fatty acid synthesis, genes expression was suppressed by substituting the original promoters with a glucose-sensing promoter P HXT1 and a sterol synthesis promoter P ERG7 , respectively. This approach effectively increased the production of β-caryophyllene by 6.8 times, reaching 854.7 mg/L. Engineering glucose-sensing pathway altered the strength of P HXT1 , resulting in an increase in β-caryophyllene production to 1.25 g/L. The cell growth and β-caryophyllene production were further boosted through diploid fusion, resulting in 21.4 g/L β-caryophyllene in fed-batch fermentation. This represents the highest reported production of β-caryophyllene to date. This study provides a valuable reference for the production of sesquiterpenes in microbial cell factories.

Biotechnology for biofuels and bioproducts • 2025

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have emerged as a promising technology to convert biomass and organic waste into electricity, offering an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Recent innovations in nanotechnology have significantly enhanced the performance and efficiency of MFCs by improving electron transfer rates, expanding surface areas, and optimizing the properties of anode and cathode materials. This review provides a detailed assessment of the fundamental and functional components of MFCs. These components include the anode, which facilitates the oxidation of organic matter, and the cathode, where the reduction of oxygen or other electron acceptors occurs. Another critical component is the proton exchange membrane (PEM), which allows the transfer of protons from the anode to the cathode while preventing oxygen from diffusing into the anode chamber. In addition to discussing these key elements, the article explores the role of various microorganisms involved in MFCs. These microorganisms, which include both naturally occurring species and genetically engineered strains, play a vital role in facilitating extracellular electron transfer (EET), a process that enables the conversion of chemical energy stored in organic compounds into electrical energy. We analyze different biomass pretreatment strategies, such as physical, chemical, and biological approaches, that enhance the breakdown of lignocellulosic biomass to improve energy output. Furthermore, the review highlights optimization techniques for improving biomass-powered MFC performance, such as electrode modification, pH control, and organic loading rate management. The application potential of MFCs is extensively discussed, covering bioremediation, wastewater treatment, biosensors, and power generation, with a particular focus on MFC-based biosensors for environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics. Despite their immense potential, challenges such as low power output, biofouling, and high operational costs hinder large-scale commercialization. To address these issues, we propose innovative strategies, including the integration of nanomaterials, electroactive microorganisms, and advanced membrane designs, to enhance the efficiency and reliability of MFCs. We conclude that nanotechnology-enabled MFCs, combined with engineered microbes and optimized system designs, hold immense potential for revolutionizing sustainable energy generation and biosensing applications, paving the way for a cleaner and more efficient future.

Biotechnology advances • 2025

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are sustainable biotechnologies that have garnered global interest in recent decades. Since their inception, these systems have evolved through various configurations and modifications to enhance performance, prominently featuring microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Researchers are addressing the scaling challenges of MFCs with studies on algae-assisted MFCs (algae-MFCs), which simultaneously generate bioelectricity and treat wastewater cost-effectively. Algae-MFCs are carbon-neutral and photosynthesize to sequester CO 2 while producing oxygen (O 2 ) and biomass. O 2 serves as an effective electron acceptor, and biomass is a biofuel feedstock, making the process economical and eco-friendly. This review highlights recent advances in algae-based MFCs, focusing on bioelectricity generation (up to 26,680 mW/m 2 ) and biofuel outputs (200 mL/L/h of biohydrogen, 286 mL/g/VS of biomethane, 3.37 g/L of biobutanol, 73 g/L of bioethanol, and 121,104 kg/ha∙year of biodiesel), along with innovations in biokerosene (bio-jet) technology. The impacts of reactor components and configurations on algae-MFC performance, scaling strategies, real-time applications, and computational studies of algae-based BESs are also examined. Furthermore, this review assesses the technoeconomic viability, challenges, and future prospects of this technology. Overall, the findings suggest that algae-MFCs effectively remove contaminants from wastewater and increase power generation while also outlining directions for future advancements.

Mikrochimica acta • 2025

Self-powered electrochemical biosensors have emerged as a cutting-edge direction in disease biomarker detection due to their miniaturization potential and external power-free characteristics. Enzymatic biofuel cell-based self-powered biosensors (EBFC-SPB), a green energy conversion device that utilizes biological enzymes as catalysts to directly convert bioenergy into electricity, have become a new research hotspot owing to its operational simplicity, biocompatibility, and efficient performance in both plants and animals. However, challenges such as suboptimal catalytic efficiency, limited open-circuit voltage, and low power output have hindered its applications in human health monitoring. In recent years, researchers have developed various sensitization-enhancement strategies (including nanomaterial sensitization, nucleic acid signal amplification, enzyme catalytic enhancement, energy storage/conversion optimization, and synergistic multi-strategy approaches) to improve EBFC-SPB's detection capabilities and expand its practical applications in biofluids (such as blood, sweat, saliva, tears, interstitial fluid, and urine), thereby making significant contributions to real-time tracking and accurate detection of disease biomarkers. This review summarizes the working principles of EBFCs, analyzes the design rationale of multi-strategy synergistic sensitization in EBFC-SPB, examines its applications in human disease biomarker detection, and prospects its future research directions and potential applications.

Lancet (London, England) • 2025

Comprehensive, comparable, and timely estimates of demographic metrics-including life expectancy and age-specific mortality-are essential for evaluating, understanding, and addressing trends in population health. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of timely and all-cause mortality estimates for being able to respond to changing trends in health outcomes, showing a strong need for demographic analysis tools that can produce all-cause mortality estimates more rapidly with more readily available all-age vital registration (VR) data. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) is an ongoing research effort that quantifies human health by estimating a range of epidemiological quantities of interest across time, age, sex, location, cause, and risk. This study-part of the latest GBD release, GBD 2023-aims to provide new and updated estimates of all-cause mortality and life expectancy for 1950 to 2023 using a novel statistical model that accounts for complex correlation structures in demographic data across age and time.

Lancet (London, England) • 2025

Timely and comprehensive analyses of causes of death stratified by age, sex, and location are essential for shaping effective health policies aimed at reducing global mortality. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 provides cause-specific mortality estimates measured in counts, rates, and years of life lost (YLLs). GBD 2023 aimed to enhance our understanding of the relationship between age and cause of death by quantifying the probability of dying before age 70 years (70q0) and the mean age at death by cause and sex. This study enables comparisons of the impact of causes of death over time, offering a deeper understanding of how these causes affect global populations.

Water environment research : a research publication of the Water Environment Federation • 2025

In this study, the efficacy of a vertical flow constructed wetland-coupled microbial fuel cell (VFCW-MFC) for addressing textile wastewater was examined. All VFCW-MFC systems maintained consistent design parameters. The VFCW-MFC without any plant species serves as a control. In contrast, other VFCW-MFC systems were planted with Canna indica, Typha latifolia, Eichhornia crassipes, and a mixture of all three species. The study aimed to evaluate how effectively VFCW-MFC could treat wastewater. Five VFCW-MFCs were scrutinized for their ability to remove physicochemical parameters and heavy metals, employing APHA standard techniques, and their treatment efficiency was compared. Results indicated a significant difference in treated water quality from the inlet to the outlet. VFCW-MFC planted with T. latifolia observed total dissolved salts (TDS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphate, and nitrate with a removal efficiency of 94.93%, 96.17%, 88.39%, 97.30%, and 84.24%, respectively. Furthermore, heavy metal concentrations, including iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn), decreased maximally in VFCW-MFC planted with a mixed culture. Overall, this assessment underscores the effectiveness of T. latifolia in significantly reducing pollutants, emphasizing the potential of constructed wetland-coupled microbial fuel cell technology as a primary sustainable technique for the wastewater industry and advocating for its wider adoption.

Bioresource technology • 2025

Constructed wetlands (CWs) effectively remove nitrate from secondary effluents of wastewater treatment plants, but denitrification is significantly limited when water temperatures drop below 15 °C. This study used constructed wetland microbial fuel cells (CWMFCs) to improve denitrification efficiency at low temperatures. At 15 °C, conventional CW achieved only 11.6 ± 3.4 % nitrate (NO 3 - -N) removal efficiency, whereas CWMFC enhanced it to 51.1 ± 1.7 %. Molecular mechanisms analyses revealed that the suppressed electron production, transfer, and utilization, as well as impaired energy utilization, are the key factors limiting denitrification efficiency at low temperatures. CWMFC stimulated extracellular polymeric substances production to protect microorganisms from cold stress and fostered the growth of psychrophilic electroactive bacteria (like Anaerolineaceae and Rhodocyclaceae), thereby restoring electron flow and energy efficiency. This work elucidates the key molecular mechanisms of denitrification in CW at low temperatures and demonstrates the potential of CWMFC to improve nitrogen removal efficiency in cold climates.

Bioorganic chemistry • 2025

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a global health threat due to limited therapeutic options and biofilm-mediated tolerance. Here, we demonstrated that bakuchiol (BAK), a meroterpenoid from Psoralea corylifolia seeds, exerted potent activity against MRSA through a novel membrane-targeting mechanism. MIC and time-kill assays evaluated BAK against clinical MRSA strains. Mechanisms were probed via ATP/ nitric oxide (NO) quantification, membrane lipid peroxidation, ROS detection, and phospholipid supplementation. The results revealed that BAK exhibited potent bactericidal activity against MRSA (MIC 2 μg/mL). Mechanistic studies showed BAK hijacked bacterial metabolism, suppressing ROS generation, but elevating the levels of ATP to fuel NO synthesis, driving oxygen-dependent membrane lipid peroxidation, ultimately causing membrane/functional damage and cell death. Crucially, the antibacterial activity of BAK was attenuated by rotenone, exogenous phospholipids, or under anaerobic conditions. Moreover, BAK maintained efficacy against biofilm MRSA, with distinct mechanistic advantages over conventional antibiotics. Collectively, BAK exploits bacterial metabolism to induce targeted membrane lipid peroxidation, representing a promising anti-infective agent against drug-resistant pathogens.

Bioresource technology • 2025

Isopentenols are a group of five-carbon branched alcohols, comprising positional isomers, isoprenol (3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol) and prenol (3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol). They have emerged as a versatile compound with applications spanning biotherapeutics, advanced biofuels, and nutraceuticals. Their favorable characteristics, including high energy density, fuel-blend compatibility, and demonstrated therapeutic potential, underscore their growing industrial and biomedical significance. Traditionally, isopentenols have been synthesized chemically or extracted from plants, but these methods are limited by environmental and economic constraints. Microbial production using engineered cell factories offers a sustainable alternative by harnessing the natural and/or synthetic routes to generate isoprenoid precursors, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), from central metabolism. Diverse prokaryotic chassis, including Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Vibrio natriegens, and Bacillus subtilis have been extensively engineered to optimize isopentenols production for diverse applications, from biofuel synthesis to nutraceutical development. Advances in metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and fermentation strategies have significantly enhanced isopentenols yields from these microbial hosts. This review provides a comprehensive overview of microbial isopentenols production, focusing on genetic, transcriptional, and translational modifications, as well as culture condition optimization. Furthermore, innovative strategies involving alternative enzymes and live feedstocks are discussed. Key challenges such as pathway bottlenecks, host toxicity, and cost-effectiveness are critically evaluated to inspire future research in this promising field. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to comprehensively address all biotechnological aspects of microbial isopentenols production.

Indian journal of microbiology • 2025

Despite the availability of numerous efficient conventional wastewater treatment technologies, over 80 percent of all wastewater produced is discharged into aquatic bodies worldwide without adequate treatment. Traditional wastewater treatment methods are expensive, technologically complex, and energy-intensive; thus, it becomes imperative to explore nature-based solutions that are sustainable and economical. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are ecologically engineered and self-adaptive wastewater treatment and management systems designed to employ the processes taking place in a natural wetland with a greater degree of control. Microbes play a key role in transforming and mineralizing pollutants in CW. Nitrosomonas, Nitrosospira, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, and Bacteroidetes are some of the commonly reported species in wetland systems. Microbes metabolize nutrients and organic pollutants through various processes like nitrification, denitrification, sulfate reduction, and methanogenesis. Bioaugmentation and the incorporation of various other innovative approaches to improve the efficiency and long-term performance of constructed wetlands has received a lot of attention lately. The present work attempts to review the role of microbes in CWs and the influence of microbial augmentation on the performance enhancement of wetland systems. Additionally, the influence of selecting appropriate components (substrate and plants) for the wetland system; optimizing crucial design elements (wetland configuration, loading rate, retention time, flow pattern), and adopting other innovative approaches (like vermifiltration, effluent recirculation, aeration, and integration of microbial fuel cell) on the treatment of constructed wetland system is also reviewed. The stability, sustainability, and implementation of constructed wetland systems can be significantly enhanced by incorporating performance enhancement approaches.

Bioresource technology • 2025

Constructed wetland-microbial fuel cells (CW-MFCs) enable nitrogen removal from wastewater treatment plant secondary effluents. Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) is a common biochemical process in CW-MFCs, but lacks full mechanistic understanding. This study found CW-MFC produced 3.9 ± 1.8 mg/L NH 4 + -N via DNRA, with NH 4 + -N concentration was positively correlated with N-acyl homoserine lactone (C4-HSL, an AHL; p < 0.05). C4-HSL enhanced DNRA by boosting electron availability, extracellular electron transfer, and periplasmic enzyme-encoding gene abundance, supported by DNRA-related microbes (e.g., Geobacter). Despite DNRA, CW-MFC achieved higher total nitrogen TN removal (76.9 ± 6.4 %) than CW (51.1 ± 4.4 %), positively correlated with plant growth (p < 0.05; 131.4 % higher net photosynthesis, 132.3 % higher root activity). This first molecular-level investigation of AHL-mediated DNRA highlights its potential for improving CW-MFC nitrogen elimination.

Biotechnology for biofuels and bioproducts • 2025

The growing demand for sustainable lipid sources has fostered interest in single-cell oils from oleaginous yeasts as renewable alternatives to plant-derived and fossil-based oils, with applications in food, fuel, and material production. The oleaginous yeast Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus is of industrial relevance due to its ability to accumulate in excess of 60% (w/w) of its dry cell weight as lipids, while metabolizing a broad range of substrates. However, economic feasibility depends on improving productivity and adapting fatty acid profiles to application requirements.

The Lancet. Child & adolescent health • 2025

Child growth failure (CGF), which includes underweight, wasting, and stunting, is among the factors most strongly associated with mortality and morbidity in children younger than 5 years worldwide. Poor height and bodyweight gain arise from a variety of biological and sociodemographic factors and are associated with increased vulnerability to infectious diseases. We used data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 to estimate CGF prevalence, the risk of infectious diseases associated with CGF, and the disease mortality, morbidity, and overall burden associated with CGF.

Biotechnology for biofuels and bioproducts • 2026

Hydrocarbon-based biofuels, known as drop-in fuels, which are chemically similar to petroleum, have gained significant attention. Microorganisms that produce medium-chain alkanes hold promise for the bioproduction of drop-in fuels. Previous studies identified Klebsiella sp. NBRC100048 as having aldehyde-decarbonylating activity, enabling it to convert aldehydes into alkanes. Using a genomic fosmid library from Klebsiella sp. NBRC100048, we identified open reading frame 2991 (orf2991), which catalyzes the conversion of tetradecanal to tridecane. This gene shares high sequence similarity with the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) family in Escherichia coli.

The Lancet. Infectious diseases • 2025

Lower respiratory infections (LRIs) remain the world's leading infectious cause of death. This analysis from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 provides global, regional, and national estimates of LRI incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with attribution to 26 pathogens, including 11 newly modelled pathogens, across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023. With new data and revised modelling techniques, these estimates serve as an update and expansion to GBD 2021. Through these estimates, we also aimed to assess progress towards the 2025 Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD) target for pneumonia mortality in children younger than 5 years.

Trends in biotechnology • 2025

Biological processes are widely used technologies for water decontamination, but they are often limited by insufficient bioavailable carbon sources or biorecalcitrant contaminants. The recently developed photocatalytic material-microorganism hybrid (PMH) system combines the light-harvesting capacities of photocatalytic materials with specific enzymatic activities of whole cells, efficiently achieving solar-to-chemical conversion. By integrating the benefits of both photocatalysis and biological processes, the PMH system shows great potential for water decontamination. While recent reviews have focused primarily on its application in green energy development, this review emphasizes the latest advancements in PMH systems for water decontamination, covering various applications, key considerations, and synergistic mechanisms. This review aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the PMH system and explore its broader potential in environmental remediation.

International journal of biological macromolecules • 2025

Microbial exopolysaccharides have been extensively explored due to their distinctive structural features and physiological activities, making them suitable for diverse applications in the food and environmental applications. Current studies mainly focus on the structural and functional characterization of exopolysaccharides from known strains, with limited exploration of novel strains. In this study, a novel exopolysaccharide was produced by Gelidibacter sp. PG-2 with a yield of 874 mg·L -1 . The purified exopolysaccharides, termed as ZPS, had a molecular weight of 45,514 Da and contained numerous hydroxyl and carbonyl groups. ZPS was a heteropolysaccharide composed of mannose, glucosamine, glucuronic acid, galactonic acid, galactosamine, glucose, galactose, and fucose, with a molar ratio of 54.98: 4.05: 6.69: 1.00: 1.46: 2.95: 2.92: 1.55. ZPS linkage comprised Glcp-(1→, Manp-(1→, →2)-Manp-(1→, →4)-Galp-(1→, and →4)-Manp-(1→. The morphology of ZPS presented the smooth surface, spherical nanoparticle, and irregular network structure. ZPS demonstrated thermal stability and emulsification activity. ZPS potently stimulated macrophage phagocytic function and effectively inhibited the migration of cancer cells, thereby enhancing overall immunomodulatory activity. Additionally, ZPS featured cryoprotective activity and flocculation property. Overall, the multiple activity of ZPS hold tremendous potential in the food and pharmaceutical industries, offering new dimensions for novel microbial exopolysaccharides.

Bioresource technology • 2025

Microalgae, particularly Haematococcus pluvialis, produce astaxanthin (AXT), a potent antioxidant with growing potential in the food, pharmaceutical, biocosmetic, and renewable energy sectors. This study proposes an integrated biorefinery model that employs advanced extraction processes, including bio-based ionic liquids, to efficiently recover AXT from H. pluvialis while minimizing environmental impact. The resulting platform strategically repurposes the post-extraction biomass as a biofertilizer, thus contributing to zero-waste objectives. By uniting biocosmetics, solar energy applications, and agriculture within a single framework, this model underscores the synergy between economic feasibility and ecological responsibility, highlighting the transformative role of microbial-derived AXT in sustainable, high-value product development.

ChemSusChem • 2025

Biophotovoltaics (BPV) is a novel biohybrid solution to utilize solar energy potentially at high energy efficiency, by exploiting the water splitting in oxygenic photoautotrophs and electrochemical electron harvest. Unlike model electrogens, known phototrophic microbes benefit from redox mediators for extracting the photosynthetic electrons and transferring them to the external electron sink for further utilization. In this work, three representative mediators, i.e., 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ), [Co(bpy) 3 ] 2+ (CoBP), and ferricyanide, are chosen and systematically evaluated for their impacts on the microbial physiology and electrogenic activity of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. This work aimed to generate a knowledge base to guide future mediator selection and design. The results suggest ferricyanide remains the best option, as being the only mediator that promoted long-term current output. However, both BQ and CoBP produce higher current densities than ferricyanide, albeit only for a short time. Comprehensive analysis of the photosystem using fluorometric methods suggests that BQ strongly increases the PQ/PQH 2 ratio, while CoBP inhibits the electron flow from plastoquinone to photosystem I at high concentrations. Both mediators interrupt the photosynthetic electron flow and consequently cell growth. Eliminating the contribution of storage carbon to the intracellular electron flux demonstrates that all three chemicals can extract electrons originating from water splitting.

Journal of environmental management • 2025

Cyanobacteria and microalgae are sustainable and renewable biocatalysts for solar energy harvesting, recovering nutrients from wastewater, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and enable creation of a sustainable circular bioeconomy. Pure and axenic cultures of photosynthetic microorganisms have been widely studied for synthesizing bio-based products through improving the metabolic pathways via genetic engineering. However, pure cultures suffer from contamination and separation challenges when considered for environmental applications. Mixed microbial communities comprising of photosynthetic organisms and bacteria in the form of either flocs or granules have recently received a lot of attention due to their potential contribution to wastewater treatment, environmental sustainability and circular bioeconomy. The advantages of algal-bacterial granules (ABG) in WWTPs include effective elimination of contaminants and nutrients, reduction in aeration requirement, and production of biomass feedstock for downstream processing. Although ABG are an attractive option for energy positive wastewater treatment, it is not yet matured as technological option for deployment in full-scale WWTPs. Moreover, several aspects of ABG including synergistic metabolism, granulation mechanisms, granular stability, bioreactor operating conditions, cell-cell interactions, extracellular polymeric substances and bio-based products deserve more intense research. This article provides a detailed overview of algal-bacterial communities, their occurrence in natural environments, ABG cultivation in engineered settings, potential biotechnological applications and the recent progress made towards sustainable biological wastewater treatment and circular bioeconomy.

Microbial pathogenesis • 2025

This study contributes to develop and evaluate the biological applications of eco-friendly synthesized silver nanoparticles using Amphilophium paniculatum leaf ethanol extract via. solar irradiation method. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized using UV, FTIR, FESEM and EDS. UV spectrum of silver nanoparticles showed the surface plasma resonance at 431 nm, which confirms the formation of silver nanoparticles. FTIR revealed the presence of functional groups in the extract which helps in the formation of silver nanoparticles. XRD pattern revealed the crystallite nature of nanoparticles. FESEM images showed spherical morphology with average size of 26-28 nm. Biological evaluations of silver nanoparticles exhibited higher antioxidant (IC 50 - 57.76 μg/mL) compared to extract (IC 50 - 100.09 μg/mL). The synthesized silver nanoparticles possess good antibacterial activities against clinical isolates such as Staphylococcus aureus (ZOI- 18 mm) and Klebsiella pneumonia (ZOI- 14 mm). Further, in vitro antidiabetic potential of silver nanoparticles revealed greater alpha amylase inhibition compared with standard drugs. The cytotoxic assessment on A 549  cell lines revealed lower IC 50 value (26.34 μg/mL) for silver nanoparticles, compared to extract (224 μg/mL), suggesting significant cytotoxicity. In silico screening of selected bioactive compounds from Amphilophium paniculatum evaluated for their physicochemical properties, toxicity and docking studies. Molecular docking studies revealed that (+)-lyoniresinol-3-alpha-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and linarin exhibits better binding interactions with 2RIP-DPPIV receptor, suggesting a potent therapeutic agent for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, the synthesized silver nanoparticles act as multi therapeutic potential based novel drugs to combat multi-drug resistant pathogens, lung cancer, and diabetes mellitus.

Journal of environmental sciences (China) • 2025

Total nitrogen (TN) removal is one of the key issues in improving water quality, while the traditional nitrification-denitrification process with its high energy consumption is unsustainable, due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. A method using organic-inorganic pellets and selected microalgae that can operate without electricity consumption was designed for TN removal in actual wastewater treatment. The results showed that the TN removal efficiencies with different pellets were 88.2 % ± 2.2 %, 86.6 % ± 3.0 %, 85.4 % ± 4.3 %, and 82.3 % ± 6.5 %, respectively. Microalgae assimilated inorganic nitrogen within cells, resulting in a significant positive relationship with TN (P < 0.05), and effectively removed TN through sedimentation. The pellets adsorbed nitrogen and microorganisms, released organic substances to regulate the ratio of water chemical oxygen demand (COD) to TN, and correspondingly influenced microbial growth. Microalgae and bacteria such as Romboutsia, Proteiniclasticum, and Rhodopseudomonas cooperated to form a mixed aerobic (water) -anaerobic (pellets) environment in the devices, and acted synergistically to remove TN. This study verifies the feasibility of TN removal with only solar energy in a low flow application in large spaces, benefiting carbon neutrality in wastewater treatment.

Food chemistry • 2025

Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, crucially impacts neuronal function, metabolism, immunity, and gut homeostasis. Microbial fermentation is the mainstream method for tryptophan production. The precise production process is essential for ensuring both high quality and optimal yield. This study aims to utilize AI-chemometrics methods to achieve the integrated monitoring of multi-source sensors. First, machine learning methods were applied to build in-line NIR prediction models. Then, a sensor fusion strategy was introduced to established the multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) model based on five in-line sensor data. The results showed that Gaussian process regression models were best for bacterial optical density, residual sugar, and tryptophan concentration. The validation sets RPD were 5.686, 3.297, and 3.130, respectively. MSPC charts synergistic analysis based on feature-level fusion enables real-time simultaneous detection of multi-source anomalies. This study provides an effective quality control strategy for food fermentation process to ensure consistent, stable and controllable product quality.

Bioresource technology • 2025

Cyanobacteria convert CO 2 into valuable compounds using solar energy, making them ideal for sustainable isobutene production, a key precursor for fuels and chemicals. This study aimed to enhance isobutene production in engineered Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 strains: Syn-RnKICD, which produes isobutene from α-ketoisocaproate via Rattus norvegicus α-ketoisocaproate dioxygenase (RnKICD), and Syn-F336V, a mutant RnKICD variant with a phenylalanine to valine substitution at position 336 showing improved isobutene production. We investigated the effects of varying culture conditions, including light intensity, inorganic carbon, and nitrogen on isobutene production. Nitrogen limitation emerged as a critical factor, improving yields to 112 µg L -1  OD 750 -1 by reducing growth and redirecting carbon toward isobutene synthesis. However, prolonged nitrogen limitation ultimately reduced productivity. To address this limitation, we employed a polyvinyl alcohol-sodium alginate (PVA-SA) hydrogel, crosslinked with B(OH) 4 - and Ca 2+ to entrap cells. This approach restricted growth while maintaining cell viability and isobutene productivity. Optimizing crosslinking parameters such as time, pH, and the hydrogel-to-cell mass ratio improved bead stability under bicarbonate and nitrate supply. This strategy extended cell viability and isobutene productivity in Syn-RnKICD and Syn-F336V by nearly a month, increasing yields by 60 % and 80 %, respectively, compared to suspension cells, achieving a maximum yield of 94 mg/g DW at 744 h and reaching a highest production rate of 1 mg/g DW/h at 264 h. This study underscores the importance of optimizing environmental conditions for isobutene production in Synechocystis and highlights the effectiveness of PVA-SA cell entrapment as a biocatalyst platform for sustained chemical production.

Journal of agricultural and food chemistry • 2025

Cadmium (Cd) contamination severely threatens wheat productivity and global food safety. While traditional silicon amendments partially alleviate Cd toxicity, their limited efficacy necessitates more robust solutions. This study developed an innovative strategy integrating foliar-applied nanosilicon (SiNP) with soil-based microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to combat Cd stress in wheat by analyzing physiological responses. The combined treatment dramatically enhanced protein and polysaccharide contents on the root surface and elevated the wheat thiol compound by 26.95-45.45%, inhibited Cd flow by 30.49-78.13%, and strengthened related metabolic functions. Cd content in wheat root and leaves was reduced by 16.12-30.91% and 35.07-56.15%, respectively, and the proportion of Cd sequestered in cell walls was increased. Malondialdehyde (MDA) activity was notably reduced by 9.55-22.41%, and other antioxidant enzymes were significantly enhanced. Meanwhile, the photosynthetic capacity of wheat leaves was enhanced, with the net photosynthetic rate increasing by 4.23-27.87%, protecting the integrity of wheat cells. This study will provide valuable insights for related research.

Structure (London, England : 1993) • 2025

Rhodopsins are light-sensitive membrane proteins capturing solar energy via a retinal cofactor covalently attached to a lysine residue. Several groups of rhodopsins lack the conserved lysine and showed no retinal binding. Recently, flotillin-associated rhodopsins (FArhodopsins or FARs) were identified and suggested to lack the retinal-binding pocket despite preserving the lysine residue in many members of the group. Here, we present cryoelectron microscopic (cryo-EM) structures of paralog FArhodopsin and proteorhodopsin from marine bacterium Pseudothioglobus, both forming pentamers similar to those of other microbial rhodopsins. We demonstrate no binding of retinal to the FArhodopsin despite preservation of the lysine residue and overall similarity of the protein fold and internal organization to those of the retinal-binding paralog. Mutational analysis confirmed that two amino acids, H84 and E120, prevent retinal binding within the FArhodopsin. Our work provides insights into the natural retinal loss in microbial rhodopsins and might contribute to the further understanding of FArhodopsins.

Luminescence : the journal of biological and chemical luminescence • 2025

Nanorods (NRs) have extensive applicability across all scientific disciplines due to their distinctive size, varied shape, and elevated surface-to-volume ratio, which confer distinctive advantages. Nanorod substances are capable of solving nearly any difficulty in sciences. The advancement of nanotechnologies has led to the emergence of metallic or metal oxide nanoparticles as potentially exciting resources. The unique features of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods make them very promising for a variety of tasks, such as gas detectors, diodes with light emission, solar panels, biological medicine, and solar energy generation. This investigation used biologically active substances from Dictyota dichotoma extracts to fabricate and encapsulate ZnO NRs, using zinc acetate dihydrate as the precursor. The novel bio-fabricated ZnO NRs have been tested for structural stability and optical variations using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, and EDX. Regarding Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal strains, ZnO NRs have shown exceptional germicidal effectiveness. The MTT assay demonstrated the significant apoptotic efficacy of ZnO NRs against the HeLa cancer cell line. The ZnO NRs could eliminate around 90% of the photodecomposition against azo dye. The findings indicate that sustainably fabricated ZnO NRs have significant potential for employing in several fields, including germicidal, apoptotic, and photodecomposition capabilities.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland) • 2025

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are promising alternatives for power generation due to their environmental friendliness, cost effectiveness, and strong performance under diffused light. Conversely, their low spectral response in the ultraviolet (UV) region significantly obliterates their overall performance. The so-called luminescent down-shifting (LDS) presents a practical solution by converting high-energy UV photons into visible light that can be efficiently absorbed by sensitizer dyes. Herein, a conventional solid-state technique was applied for the synthesis of an LDS, europium (II)-doped barium orthosilicate (BaSiO 3 :Eu 2+ ) material. The material exhibited strong UV absorption, with prominent peaks near 400 nm and within the 200-300 nm range, despite a weaker response in the visible region. The estimated optical bandgap was 3.47 eV, making it well-suited for UV absorbers. Analysis of the energy transfer mechanism from the LDS material to the N719 dye sensitizer depicted a strong spectral overlap of 2×1010M-1cm-1nm4, suggesting efficient energy transfer from the donor to the acceptor. The estimated Förster distance was approximately 6.83 nm, which matches the absorption profile of the dye-sensitizer. Our findings demonstrate the potential of BaSiO 3 :Eu 2+ as an effective LDS material for enhancing UV light absorption and improving DSSC performance through increased spectral utilization and reduced UV-induced degradation.

Environmental science and pollution research international • 2025

The cellular aspects of microbial metabolism can be targeted to alter and redesign the cellular processes for enhanced production of desired compounds. An understanding into the energetics of photosynthesis and its mechanism can be used to considerably enhance photosynthetic productivity together with increased efficiency of utilization of solar energy. Some of the structural aspects include expansion of solar absorption spectra through reduction of light harvesting complex, increase in the flux of electrons transferred through the electron transport chain, increase in the plastoquinone pool size, and increase in levels of Cyt b 6 f complexes. Herein, we analyze the factors affecting carbon metabolism and its conversion into biomass within the cell. The kinetic and thermodynamic limitations of carbon capture and fixation are explored to favor a photosynthetically efficient system. The study discusses the enhancement of photosynthetic productivity of microalgae through structural modifications of the photosynthetic unit for the efficient utilization of solar energy. A comprehensive understanding of the kinetic and thermodynamic limitations of the cellular processes affecting biomass production in microalgae can be worked out for building an energy-efficient multi-product process system.

Astrobiology • 2025

Concentrated magnesium chloride brines are extreme environments that are inhospitable to life on Earth. The ionic strength of these brines significantly depresses water activity and concomitantly exerts significant chaotropic stress. Although these brines are largely considered sterile, the well-known preservative effects of magnesium chloride on certain biomolecules, such as DNA, confound life detection approaches and efforts to constrain precisely the habitable window of life on Earth. While the ability of these brines to preserve genetic material is well documented, the preservation of whole cells, which are generally thought to be preserved in magnesium chloride brines, is poorly described. This work explores the effects of long-term exposure of highly chaotropic magnesium chloride on viability, cell integrity, and DNA preservation in the model organisms Escherichia coli , Salinibacter ruber , Halobacterium salinarum , and Haloquadratum walsbyi . The selected halophiles are relevant for this study as they are abundant and globally distributed in brine environments, while E. coli was chosen to represent infall or transport of non-adapted cells. We observed unexpected resilience in E. coli , which survived in 4 M magnesium chloride for longer than the tested halophiles, and nonviable cells maintained structural whole-cell integrity for over 3 years. Whole S. ruber cells were also preserved in 4 M magnesium chloride, while the tested haloarchaea lost viability and completely degraded within hours of exposure. DNA from all tested strains was recovered from incubations after upwards of 3 years of exposure; it showed some signs of degradation but was nonetheless still amplifiable via polymerase chain reaction. Our work demonstrates that the preservation of whole cells in magnesium chloride brines is not universal. Considering the potential abundance of chaotropic brine environments within our solar system, understanding the limits of life and the preservation of biosignatures in these brines is critical to inform future life detection missions on Earth and beyond.

Environmental science & technology • 2025

Current antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) disinfection techniques commonly rely on large dosages of oxidants, resulting in the presence of considerable amounts of residuals and toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in water. Herein, we propose a highly effective ARB disinfection approach via activating an ultralow concentration (10 μM) of chlorite (ClO 2 - ) by naturally abundant sunlight to generate various reactive species (i.e., HO•, Cl•, ClO•, and ClO 2 ) with negligible generation of halogenated DBPs. Combining in situ characterization with theoretical calculations, we reveal that, in addition to the photolysis of ClO 2 - in the bulk solution, ClO 2 - ions electrostatically adsorbed on the positive local sites of lipids can boost light absorption and facilitate the in situ generation of reactive species upon sunlight irradiation, enabling more efficient attacks toward cell membranes and the intracellular antioxidant enzyme system. The intracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are then released and further degraded, inhibiting horizontal ARG transfer. This approach can also achieve excellent ARB disinfection performance in real water matrices (e.g., lake and river water) in 1 L tanks and 500 mL plastic bottles with natural sunlight irradiation. Overall, this work presents an efficient, safe, and sustainable method to inactivate ARB with deep insights into disinfection mechanisms at the subcellular level.

International journal of nanomedicine • 2025

Wound healing requires dressings with bactericidal effects, where photocatalysis utilizes solar energy to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) for microbial inactivation. However, most photocatalysts depend on non-visible light, hindering solar-driven therapies. This study developed visible light-responsive Au/Titania/BPEI (TAB) nanoclusters embedded in PDMS, offering enhanced stability, antimicrobial efficacy, and resistance-free antibacterial action.

Marine drugs • 2025

Three-dimensional bioprinting integrating living cells and bioactive materials enables the fabrication of scaffold structures supporting diverse cellular growth and metabolism. Microalgae are among the most promising microbial platforms for the construction of photosynthetic cell factories, while the current industrial-scale cultivation of microalgae remains predominantly dependent on traditional liquid submerged systems, imposing limitations on commercial viability due to both process and economic constraints. Encapsulation of microalgae within bioactive matrices combined with 3D bioprinting to fabricate customized structures has been explored to address the limitations of submerged cultivation, which are expected to expand microalgal applications and establish new research directions in microalgal biotechnology. This review analyzes both matrices and methods of 3D bioprinting, summarizing the advancement of microalgae-based 3D bioprinting into six main domains including living building materials, biophotovoltaics, photosynthetic biosynthesis, bioremediation, tissue engineering, and food engineering. Lastly, synthetic biology-informed perspectives are provided on future developments of 3D bioprinting technologies and their potential in microalgal research.

The Journal of biological chemistry • 2025

Photosystem II (PSII) is a multiprotein complex and plays a central role in oxygenic photosynthesis. PsbU, a 12 kDa subunit of PSII, is associated with thermotolerance and structural stabilization of the oxygen-evolving complex in cyanobacteria. Corresponding knockout strains showed decreased oxygen evolution rates, although the growth was not impaired. In this study, we provide further insights into the consequences of PsbU perturbations and propose to revisit the impact of PsbU on cell physiology. We made use of CRISPRi to knock down the psbU gene in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and assessed previously described effects referred to different biomass parameters including optical density, chlorophyll a content and cell number. After knocking down psbU, the growth rate was decreased by 15% based on counting the cell number, while this effect was not observed when monitoring optical density. Furthermore, the oxygen evolution rate per cell in the psbU knockdown strain did not show a significant difference compared to the control groups, which was probably due to its larger cell size and higher chlorophyll a content per cell. The decreased quantum efficiency of pigments was compensated by the increased pigment content on the single-cell level in the knockdown strain. Our results complement previous analyses and highlight the importance of evaluating cyanobacterial physiology based on different biomass quantitative units to avoid misinterpretation of the results.

Ecotoxicology and environmental safety • 2025

This study investigated the fluorene degradation ability and metabolic pathway of Burkholderia sp. FM-2. The FM-2 demonstrated a 72.16 % degradation rate of 300 mg/L fluorene over a period of three days. HPLC-MS analysis identified major metabolites including 9-fluorenol, 9-fluorenone, and phthalate. The impact of heavy metals on fluorene degradation was also assessed. FM-2 exhibited strong tolerance to heavy metals, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1000 mg/L for Cd(II). The study found that the removal rate of 100 mg/L Cd(II) was 70.42 %, and it was observed that this concentration had a slightly enhancing effect on fluorene degradation. Proteomic analysis revealed that multicopper oxidases and proteins involved in metabolic pathways for instance glutathione metabolism, sulfur metabolism were up-regulated under Cd(II) stress, suggesting potential mechanisms for Cd(II) tolerance and co-metabolism. Moreover, the effect of biochar on FM-2 for the remediation of co-contamination with fluorene and Cd(II) was evaluated. After immobilizing FM-2 with modified biochar (BC-BW), the degradation efficiency of fluorene significantly increased from 72.58 % to 84.93 % and the removal efficiency of Cd(II) increased from 70.42 % to 84.50 %. In the contaminated soil remediation experiment, the removal rates of fluorene and Cd(II) by the immobilized bacteria were 72.59 % and 66.67 %, respectively. These findings demonstrate that modified biochar enhances the remediation efficiency of FM-2 in co-contaminated soils. This study provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the application of biochar-based immobilization techniques in microbial remediation of complex polluted environments.

Nature communications • 2025

Phenotype-based screening remains a major bottleneck in the development of microbial cell factories. Here, we present a Digital Colony Picker (DCP), an AI-powered platform for automated, high-throughput screening and export of microbial clones based on growth and metabolic phenotypes at single-cell resolution, without agar or physical contact. Using a microfluidic chip comprising 16,000 addressable picoliter-scale microchambers, individual cells are compartmentalized, dynamically monitored by AI-driven image analysis, and selectively exported via laser-induced bubble technique. Applied to Zymomonas mobilis, DCP enabled en masse screening and identified a mutant with 19.7% increased lactate production and 77.0% enhanced growth under 30 g/L lactate stress. This phenotype was linked to overexpression of ZMOp39x027, a canonical outer membrane autotransporter that promotes lactate transport and cell proliferation under stress. DCP provides a multi-modal phenotyping solution with spatiotemporal precision and scalable throughput, offering a generalizable strategy for accelerated strain engineering and functional gene discovery.

PloS one • 2025

Lead Telluride (PbTe) is a narrow band gap semiconductor alloy with excellent thermoelectric properties for several energy harvesting applications. However, the antibacterial properties of PbTe quantum dots (QDs) have not been investigated. PbTe QDs were synthesized using simple spin-coating method and deposited on Titanium dioxide layered ITO glass substrates. The resulting layers of PbTe QDs on the substrates were characterized using high-resolution scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and contact angle measurement. The characterization results showed thin layers of PbTe quantum dots with mean sizes 6.1 ± 0.5 nm, 9.8 ± 0.7 nm, and 13.2 ± 1.1 nm and reduced surface wettability. PbTe QDs were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli, Salmonella Paratyphi B and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antibacterial effect of the QDs was estimated using the zones of inhibition to bacterial growth. The results show excellent antibacterial activity of PbTe QDs towards Gram-negative bacteria. FTIR micro-spectroscopy suggests disruption of cell boundaries as possible mechanism of antibacterial action of PbTe QDs. Given the demonstrated antibacterial effectiveness, the PbTe QDs can be considered for nanocoating bacterial-prone surfaces like solar panels to minimize bacterial colonization and improve system performance.

Water research • 2025

Semi-artificial photosynthetic systems that integrate photocatalysts with living microbial cells represent an emerging and promising approach for the degradation and conversion of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs). Here, we utilized the strong electrostatic interactions between Fe@C and Chlorella sorokiniana (C. sorokiniana) to construct a C. sorokiniana-Fe@C biohybrid system. This platform was applied to evaluate light-driven malathion conversion efficiency and elucidate underlying conversion mechanisms. Experimental results demonstrated 93.6 % malathion removal under illumination, with the biohybrid system exhibiting 9.2 times and 2.1 times higher removal efficiency compared to Fe@C and C. sorokiniana, respectively. Operational stability tests confirmed that the biohybrid system maintained a malathion removal efficiency of 90.0 ± 0.5 % over seven consecutive cycles, indicating high durability and recyclability. Mechanistic studies revealed that Fe@C efficiently harvests photons and delivers photogenerated electrons to C. sorokiniana, concurrently enhancing Photosystem II (PSII) activity, ATP synthesis, and intracellular levels of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). These electrons and reducing equivalents supply the necessary energy to activate key enzymes, particularly carboxylesterases (CEs) that catalyze the targeted hydrolysis of malathion into inorganic phosphate, enabling selective conversion and phosphorus recovery. This study successfully achieves simultaneous OPs degradation and resource utilization, establishing an innovative paradigm for sustainable pollutant remediation and circular resource strategies.

Foods (Basel, Switzerland) • 2025

The forest food industry, as a typical low-carbon green ecological industry, holds strategic significance in addressing global food security challenges. This review takes forest protein resources as an example to analyze the current development status, opportunities, and challenges from a global industrial perspective. Research indicates that forests, as a vital food treasure for humanity, can provide diverse protein sources such as insects, plants, microorganisms, and bio-manufactured proteins. Currently, numerous technological innovations and market practices have emerged in fields such as insect protein (e.g., there are over 3000 edible insect species globally, with a market size of approximately USD 3.2 billion in 2023, projected to reach USD 7.6 billion by 2028), plant-based alternative protein (e.g., plant-based chicken nuggets by Impossible Foods in the United States), microbial fermentation protein (e.g., the production capacity of Solar Foods' production base in Finland is 160 tons per year), and cell-cultured meat (e.g., cell-cultured chicken is sold in Singapore), demonstrating significant potential in alleviating food supply pressures and reducing environmental burdens. However, industrial development still faces practical challenges including insufficient resource exploration, incomplete nutritional and safety evaluation systems, low consumer acceptance, high costs of core technologies (e.g., the first cell-cultured meat burger in 2013 cost over 1 million USD/lb, and current costs need to be reduced to 17-65 USD/kg to achieve market competitiveness), and imperfect regulatory mechanisms (e.g., varying national standards lead to high compliance costs for enterprises). In the future, it is necessary to achieve efficient development and sustainable utilization of forest protein resources by strengthening resource exploration, clarifying the basis of nutrients, promoting multi-technology integration and innovation, and establishing a sound market access system, thereby providing solutions for global food security and high-quality development of the food industry.