{"title":"Metabolic engineering of microorganisms for carbon dioxide utilization","authors":"Jeageon Lee , Hye Eun Yu , Sang Yup Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103244","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103244","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The escalating climate crisis underscores the urgent need for sustainable development, with CO<sub>2</sub> utilization emerging as a pivotal approach to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Among various technological approaches, metabolic engineering of microorganisms for CO<sub>2</sub> utilization offers significant potential. This review covers the engineering of endogenous CO<sub>2</sub> fixation pathways, the construction of novel synthetic pathways, and strategies to optimize metabolic flux, enhance cofactor availability, and manipulate regulatory genes to improve CO<sub>2</sub> assimilation efficiency. It also explores the roles of evolutionary engineering, enzyme engineering, and CO<sub>2</sub> concentrating mechanisms in improving CO<sub>2</sub> fixation. Additionally, the review underscores advancements in converting CO<sub>2</sub> into valuable products such as biofuels, bioplastics, and chemicals using both native and synthetic autotrophic microorganisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 103244"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142871196","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":"Personalized gut microbial community modeling by leveraging genome-scale metabolic models and metagenomics","authors":"Longtao Li , Jens Nielsen , Yu Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The impact of the gut microbiome on human health is increasingly recognized as dysbiosis has been found to be associated with a spectrum of diseases. Here, we review the databases of genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs), which have paved the way for investigations into the metabolic capabilities of gut microbes and their interspecies dynamics. We further discuss the strategies for developing community-level GEMs, which are crucial for understanding the complex interactions within microbial communities and between the microbiome and its host. Such GEMs can guide the design of synthetic microbial communities for disease treatment. Finally, we explore advances in personalized gut microbiome modeling. These advancements broaden our mechanistic understanding and hold promise for applications in precision medicine and therapeutic interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 103248"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142913858","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}
Imani Madison , Miguel Moreno-Risueno , Rosangela Sozzani
{"title":"Advancing plant science through precision 3D bioprinting: new tools for research and biotech applications","authors":"Imani Madison , Miguel Moreno-Risueno , Rosangela Sozzani","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103250","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103250","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of 3D bioprinting into plant science and biotechnology is revolutionizing research and applications. While many high-throughput techniques have advanced plant biology, replicating the complex 3D organization and cellular environments of plant tissues remains a significant challenge. Traditional 2D culture systems fall short of capturing the necessary spatial context for accurate studies of cell behavior, gene expression, and tissue development. Additionally, the lack of precise simulation of plant microenvironments limits control over cellular interactions and responses to external stimuli. Recent advancements in 3D bioprinting address these limitations by allowing precise control over cell positioning and biomaterial arrangement, thereby better replicating natural plant environments. This enables more accurate studies of gene expression, developmental processes, and stress responses. The technology also enhances our ability to test genetic modifications and biotechnological interventions, advancing crop improvement, sustainable agriculture, and precision breeding. This review examines the current state of 3D bioprinting in plant science, discusses its limitations, and explores its potential to transform research and applications in the field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 103250"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142946072","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":"Editorial overview: Unlocking the secrets of nongenetic plasticity, one cell at a time","authors":"Scott E Baker , Andreas E Vasdekis","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103247","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103247","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 103247"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142946076","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":"Engineering of the genetic code","authors":"Yael Cohen , Lital Alfonta","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103245","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103245","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The genetic code is a universally conserved mechanism that translates genetic information into proteins, consisting of 64 codons formed by four nucleotide bases. With a few exceptions, the genetic code universally encodes 20 canonical amino acids (AAs) and three stop signals, with many AAs represented by multiple codons. Genetic engineering has expanded this system through approaches like codon reassignment and synthetic base pair introduction, allowing for the incorporation of noncanonical AAs (ncAAs) into proteins, known as genetic code expansion (GCE). These ncAAs add novel functionalities, such as bio-orthogonal handles, fluorophores, and redox-active ncAAs, enhancing the diversity of proteins. Recent advancements include genome-wide recoding, evolution of orthogonal translation components, and synthetic genetic alphabet, with a focus on improving translational efficiency and reducing off-target effects. This review emphasizes strategies for modifying nucleotides, reassessing codons, and engineering translational enzymes, highlighting innovations that tackle challenges in GCE and promote new protein chemistries and biotechnological applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 103245"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142902631","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":"At the crossroads of biology and electronics","authors":"Gokberk Unal , Martin Fussenegger","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>All cells are innately equipped with systems to detect and respond to electrical inputs in the form of reactive oxygen species, redox signaling, or membrane depolarization through ion exchange. Electrogenetics aims to leverage these cellular systems to create interfaces between biology and electronics, in order to achieve levels of precision in spatiotemporal control of gene and protein expression that are not possible with chemo-, opto-, or thermogenetics. In this review, we discuss the impact, challenges, and prospects of electrogenetics in the context of recent cutting-edge applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 103249"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142946073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Friederike Dehli, Oscar O'Dwyer Lancaster-Jones, Daniela Duarte Campos
{"title":"Optimizing the value of bioinks and robotics to advance in vivo bioprinting","authors":"Friederike Dehli, Oscar O'Dwyer Lancaster-Jones, Daniela Duarte Campos","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103251","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103251","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>In vivo</em> bioprinting strategies aim at facilitating immediate integration of engineered tissues with the host’s biological system. As integral parts of current bioprinting technologies, bioinks and robotics should be holistically considered for new biomedical applications. This implies that chosen bioinks should exhibit rheological properties that are compatible with the fabrication method and <em>vice versa</em>, bioprinting tools might need to be redesigned and reconstructed to fit the characteristics of the needed bioinks that after solidification act as supporting matrices for living cells. In this piece, we identify current challenges in merging the best of these two principles, we highlight relevant studies that have addressed this need, and we propose ideas how to approach this challenge in the next years.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 103251"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142963954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial overview: Nanobiotechnology for immunoengineering","authors":"Annie Gai , Yvonne Yamanaka","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103246","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103246","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 103246"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142963265","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}
Sudeep Agarwala , Michelle A. O’Malley , Thomas Eng
{"title":"Editorial Reflections on BioEnergy: Perspectives from 2024","authors":"Sudeep Agarwala , Michelle A. O’Malley , Thomas Eng","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103243","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103243","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 103243"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142892281","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}
Mohammad B Belaffif , Morgan C Brown , Brenda Marcial , Can Baysal , Kankshita Swaminathan
{"title":"New strategies to advance plant transformation","authors":"Mohammad B Belaffif , Morgan C Brown , Brenda Marcial , Can Baysal , Kankshita Swaminathan","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103241","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103241","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants are an important source of food, energy, and bioproducts. Advances in genetics, genomics-assisted breeding, and biotechnology have facilitated the combining of desirable traits into elite cultivars. To ensure sustainable crop production in the face of climate challenges and population growth, it is essential to develop and implement techniques that increase crop yield and resilience in environments facing water scarcity, nutrient deficiencies, and other abiotic and biotic stressors. Plant transformation and genome editing are critical tools in the development of new cultivars. Here, we discuss recent advances in plant transformation technologies aimed at enhancing efficiency, throughput, and the number of transformable genotypes. These advancements include the use of morphogenic regulators, virus-mediated genetic modifications, and <em>in planta</em> transformation with <em>Rhizobium rhizogenes</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 103241"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142892283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}