Critical Reviews in Biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Whole recombinant yeast-based vaccines: concept, importance, issues, and future scope.","authors":"Ravinder Kumar, Vartika Srivastava, Aijaz Ahmad, Santi M Mandal, Piyush Baindara","doi":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2536808","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2536808","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite their tremendous benefits to society, currently licensed vaccines, including mRNA-based ones, are far from ideal and suffer several issues. Common problems associated with all types of vaccine formulations currently in clinical use include thermolabile nature, poor shelf life at ambient temperature, and the continuous need for cold chain and sometimes ultra-low temperature. Several approaches have been tested in the past to surmount these shortcomings. This review discusses the advantages of whole yeast (WY) or whole recombinant yeast-based (WRY) vaccines compared to other vaccine formulations to overcome the above-mentioned issues. The interaction between yeast cells and the host immune system in relevance to the WRY vaccines has been discussed along with the importance of whole yeast cells in the development of anti-fungal vaccines by highlighting the bottlenecks hampering the use of WRY in vaccine formulation. Specifically, the present review highlighted the status of WRY vaccines, including those in clinical trials, and also summarized the guidelines, one should follow while conducting research or reporting the data related to WRY vaccines.</p>","PeriodicalId":10752,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"45-60"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144783681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reactive oxygen species-(ROS) in plant defense: jack-of-all-trades.","authors":"Rubab Shabbir, Talha Javed, Shen-Ren Sun, Zhu-Qing Wang, Wei Zhang, San-Ji Gao, Qin-Nan Wang","doi":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2583454","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2583454","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play crucial roles in many plant biological processes. ROS have emerged as major signaling molecules mediating various regulatory reactions in response to environmental stimuli. This signaling is mediated by a highly regulated process of ROS accumulation at specific cellular compartments. Therefore, this review focuses on the intricate ROS signaling in plant defense and strategic virulence effectors from pathogens hijacking ROS homeostasis. In addition, the ROS-mediated regulation of plant processes acts through post-translational modifications (PTMs) is discussed. We also provide a valuable roadmap for translating ROS research into climate-resilient cultivars by exploring the manipulation of pathogen effectors, ROS cascade genes through modern biotechnological approaches, and post-translational modifications against various environmental stressors. This framework can advance research in plant stress biology and agricultural practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":10752,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"152-160"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145586055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comprehensive review on microbial urease: features and industrial applications.","authors":"Amiya Ojha, Tarun Kanti Bandyopadhyay, Deeplina Das","doi":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2529589","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2529589","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urease (urea amidohydrolase, EC 3.5.1.5), first crystallized from jack-bean (<i>Canavalia ensiformis</i>) by James B. Sumner in 1926, has become a cornerstone of biotechnology. The global urease market, dominated by plant-based sources, was valued at USD 1.24 Billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5%, reaching USD 1.94 billion by 2033. However, plant-derived ureases face challenges, such as low extraction efficiency, variability in yield due to plant maturity, and sensitivity to environmental factors, limiting scalability. Microbial ureases, globally embraced due to escalating demand, offer superior stability across extreme pH and temperature ranges. These attributes confer broad potential applications in diverse fields, such as: agriculture, environmental, clinical, and healthcare industries. Nevertheless, the industrial production of microbial urease continues to encounter obstacles, including elevated purification costs and the lack of cost-effective optimization strategies. This review provides quantitative insights into microbial ureases from bacteria, fungi (excluding hemiascomyces), and diatoms, highlighting their catalytic efficiency, Ni-dependencies, and advancements in assay techniques and enhanced purification strategies. It explores applications across agriculture, bioremediation, and self-healing concrete, emphasizing ureolysis-driven microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) as a promising eco-friendly and sustainable approach, thus providing a scientific and reasonable reference for their large-scale application.</p>","PeriodicalId":10752,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"1-24"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145502664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fungal pellets as biotechnological tools for addressing environmental and industrial challenges: a comprehensive review.","authors":"Thabata Montserrat Hernández-Cruz, Adriana Jazmín Legorreta-Castañeda, Elisabet Aranda, Guadalupe Guerra-Sánchez, Marco Polo Carballo-Sánchez, Dario Rafael Olicón-Hernández","doi":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2581878","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2581878","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pellets are ultrastructural configurations of filamentous fungal biomass that form during growth in submerged culture. This growth pattern offers advantages for controlling and stabilizing bioprocesses through biomass immobilization, reduced medium viscosity, and facilitated compound extraction. These benefits are particularly valuable for bioremediation, synergistic applications with biomaterials, and industrial metabolite production. However, fungal pellets also present challenges, such as limited oxygen diffusion to the pellet core, inconsistent pellet homogeneity, and decreased productivity. Factors such as electrostatic interactions, hydrophobicity, and culture conditions influence pellet formation. Currently, optimization efforts for pellet production focus on evaluating parameters, such as: pH range, agitation rate, pellet formation time, carbon source, additive agents, trace metals, and inoculum concentration, among others. Fungal pellets are increasingly recognized as promising platforms in emerging environmental biotechnology due to their versatility in pollutant removal and sustainable processing. Unlike previous reviews, this work provides an integrated and up-to-date perspective that combines the fundamentals of pellet formation with recent advances in their environmental and industrial applications, highlighting strategies for optimization and scalability. This review focuses on analyzing the most relevant aspects of fungal pellets, including their formation, optimization, and biotechnological applications. Given the growing importance of fungi in contemporary biotechnology, a state-of-the-art review of fungal pellets is warranted. This includes presenting an updated overview of processes for generating fungal biomass with enhanced handling, based on the use of fungal granules, an essential component for the implementation of efficient biotechnological processes using model fungal pellets with relevant industrial applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":10752,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"100-119"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145502624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond traditional cosmetics: exploring endophytic fungal-derived tyrosinase inhibitors.","authors":"Arti Devi, Gurleen Kaur Sodhi, Pardeep Kaur, Vagish Dwibedi","doi":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2583450","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2583450","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tyrosinase is a copper-containing monooxygenase that catalyzes the O-hydroxylation of tyrosine to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and subsequently to dopaquinone. The enzyme is essential for the formation of melanin in eukaryotes, and its over-activation is linked to hyperpigmentation, which is metabolically associated with severe clinical conditions. The most efficient way to regulate the overproduction of melanin and its harmful effects is to suppress tyrosinase. Endophytic fungi are of immense importance in producing the pharmacologically active and structurally diverse range of secondary metabolites with the host plant and even as sole producers. These fungi have been widely reported to produce a myriad of potent tyrosinase inhibitors, which can pave the path for discovering new treatment approaches, especially for melanin-induced hyperpigmentation. To utilize tyrosinase inhibitors as active pharmaceutical or cosmeceutical ingredients, however, extensive studies are required to evaluate them under <i>in vivo</i> conditions, and there is also a need to explore novel fungal endophytes from diverse sources.</p>","PeriodicalId":10752,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"132-151"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145533868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regulation and molecular biology of prodigiosin by <i>Serratia marcescens</i>.","authors":"Noor Ul Huda, Noor Hassan, Hazrat Ali, Yingqian Kang","doi":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2529588","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2529588","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prodigiosin is an alkaloid, cell-associated, red pigment extensively produced as a secondary metabolite by Gram negative bacterium, <i>Serratia marcescens</i>. The red pigment holds immense recognition for multifunctional tri-pyrrole structure and as a promising candidate for wide array of industrial applications. The biosynthesis and regulation of prodigiosin in <i>S. marcescens</i> is a complex process, manifesting biological information at multiple cellular levels as genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics. The current review delves into molecular biology of <i>S. marcescens</i> highlighting it as a prolific producer of prodigiosin. This review also highlights crucial aspects of regulatory mechanisms for prodigiosin production in <i>S. marcescens</i>, along with recent advancements in strain improvement and heterologous production of pigment in industrially compliant host. In addition, this review integrates current knowledge on molecular biology and regulation of prodigiosin, addressing the approaches employed for high level of prodigiosin production, potential applications, challenges and future perspective for harnessing industrial potential of prodigiosin in future.</p>","PeriodicalId":10752,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"1680-1699"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144674062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regulation of fatty acid synthesis in oilseed crops: multidimensional insights and strategies for enhancing oil quality.","authors":"Qian Zhao, Fu Wang, Aisheng Xiong, Shuyao Li, Yingping Wang, Xiujuan Lei, Michael K Deyholos, Yahui Wang, Jing Zhuang, Hansong Yu, Jian Zhang","doi":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2529591","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2529591","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The adage \"Food is the God of the people\" underscores the profound interconnectedness between agriculture and the food industry. Agriculture forms the backbone of the food industry, while evolving consumer preferences continuously shape its progress. The balance between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (SFAs and UFAs) in vegetable oils is critical to human health. As health awareness grows, UFAs have gained significant market traction, prompting extensive research into their biosynthesis, regulation, and improvement. This review focuses on oilseed crops, offering a comprehensive analysis of: fatty acid composition, biosynthesis pathways, gene regulation, and breeding strategies to enhance quality. By integrating theoretical and practical insights, our work aims to provide guidance for promoting sustainable agriculture and advancing the food industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":10752,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"1737-1753"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144945848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcriptional control in microalgae: co-regulated fatty acid biosynthesis and carbon dioxide fixation.","authors":"Sadaf-Ilyas Kayani, Xinjuan Hu, Qian Shen, Bin Zou, Feifei Zhu, Zhen Yu, Muhammad Abdur Rehman Shah, Obaid Ur Rehman, Shuhao Huo","doi":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2503788","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2503788","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microalgae are desirable candidates for performing about half of the World's organic carbon fixation and its conversion to essential metabolites of human metabolism, including polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). However, the yields of microalgal FAs produced naturally are typically insufficient to cover the expenses of their commercial utilization. To overcome this problem, gene engineering techniques have been used to change the activity of endogenous enzymes. This review aims to find knowledge about the mechanism of regulation of fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis and CO₂ fixation in microalgae. Firstly, this study discusses molecular strategies toward accelerating FA biosynthesis with a main emphasis on a critical review of transcriptional engineering. Some transcription factors (TFs) are known to increase FA content and related gene expression. However, a research gap is revealed toward understanding their regulatory mechanism and finding their role in regulating CO₂ fixation. Secondly, a critical review of studies on CO₂ fixation regulated by Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) and RuBisCo activase (<i>RCA</i>) disclosed that no studies have yet been reported about their transcriptional control. Thirdly, prospects are given on the genetic basis of parallel transcriptional regulation of genes involved in FA biosynthesis and CO₂ fixation in microalgae. This study should potentially provide considerable knowledge on developing eco-friendly and sustainable microalgae genetic resources to maximize the yield of value-added FAs using TF engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":10752,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"1593-1614"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144215178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable and biotechnological production of docosahexaenoic acid from marine protists and slaughterhouse waste.","authors":"Mayssa Hachem, Abdelmoneim H Ali, Mariam Hejou, Aliyaa Almansoori, Shamma Abulhassan, Fatimah Hussein, Rana Khalifa, Rayan Khalifa, Peter R Corridon","doi":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2499895","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2499895","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) is an essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, abundant in the brain and eyes. DHA is crucial for maintaining the structural integrity and physiological functions of these vital organs. Within the brain, DHA is concentrated in the gray matter, synaptic membranes, and hippocampus. Likewise, in the eyes, substantial quantities can be found in the retina, with lower levels in the cornea and lens. Previous studies have outlined the potential for culturing marine heterotrophic protists in ways that provide cost-effective and sustainable DHA biosynthesis. Similarly, our previous work on repurposing slaughterhouse waste has highlighted this underutilized source of brain and ocular tissue, which can support the extraction of valuable nutrients such as DHA. In this review, we will examine the current state of the art related to DHA production from these two sources, explore potential applications, and outline the possible benefits that may be generated from our approaches, with an emphasis on ocular diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":10752,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"1634-1651"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144141696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Harnessing <i>Bacillus</i> keratinases for sustainable keratin waste valorization: a current appraisal.","authors":"Pranshi Gupta, Isha Sharma, Naveen Kango","doi":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2495281","DOIUrl":"10.1080/07388551.2025.2495281","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The global accumulation of keratin-rich waste, primarily from poultry and livestock industries, presents significant environmental and economic challenges. This review explores the potential of <i>Bacillus</i>-derived keratinases as a sustainable solution for keratin waste valorization and prospects of value-addition. Keratinases, the keratin hydrolyzing proteases produced predominantly by various <i>Bacillus</i> species, exhibit exceptional capability in degrading keratin, a highly stable and recalcitrant protein. This degradation process not only mitigates the environmental impact of keratin waste, but also converts it into valuable by-products with potential industrial applications. We systematically review various aspects, including: the production, properties and the mechanism of keratin degradation by <i>Bacillus</i> keratinases, highlighting their enzymatic properties, substrate specificity, and efficiency in valorizing keratin into peptides and amino acids. Biomolecular aspects and catalytic behavior relevant to the activity and stability of <i>Bacillus</i> keratinases are visited <i>via in silico</i> modeling. The economic and environmental benefits of utilizing keratinases for waste valorization are assessed, including reductions in waste disposal costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and the potential for creating new economic opportunities through the utilization of keratin-derived products. The recent advancements in keratin waste enzyme treatment and their utilization in developing circular bioeconomy are highlighted in the present article.</p>","PeriodicalId":10752,"journal":{"name":"Critical Reviews in Biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"1792-1815"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144207881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}