{"title":"Thermodynamic tools for more efficient biotechnological processes: an example in poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) production from carbon monoxide","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Modern biotechnology requires the integration of several disciplines, with thermodynamics being a crucial one. Experimental approaches frequently used in biotechnology, such as rewiring of metabolic networks or culturing of micro-organisms in engineered environments, can benefit from the application of thermodynamic tools. In this paper, we provide an overview of several thermodynamic tools that are useful for the design and optimization of biotechnological processes, and we demonstrate their potential application in the production of poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) from carbon monoxide (CO). We discuss how these tools can aid in the design of metabolic engineering strategies, the calculation of expected yields, the assessment of the thermodynamic feasibility of the targeted conversions, the identification of potential thermodynamic bottlenecks, and the selection of genetic engineering targets. Although we illustrate these tools using the specific example of PHB production from CO, they can be applied to other substrates and products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142364747","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: Chemical biotechnology paving the way for a sustainable future","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103215","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103215","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142327024","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":"Food industry side streams: an unexploited source for biotechnological phosphorus upcycling","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103209","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103209","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The phosphorus shortage is an unavoidable challenge that requires strategies to replace phosphorus sourced from ores. Food industry by-products are an unscoped resource for sustainable phosphorus recovery. Recent advances include biotechnological phosphorus upcycling from phytate-rich plant residues to polyphosphate as a food additive. The valorization of by-products such as deoiled seeds or brans additionally provides low-phosphorus feed and thereby minimizes the environmental burden. Phytate reduction in a cereal-rich diet by adding enzyme formulation is a further strategy that limits its antinutritive effect. However, sustainable P-management depends on phytases that have been customized and enhanced for thermostability and specific activity. The circular phosphorus economy is driven by emerging value chains and maturing phosphorus recovery technologies for market entry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142319937","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":"Analysis of polyphosphate in mammalian cells and tissues: methods, functions and challenges","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polyphosphates play a crucial role in various biological processes, such as blood coagulation, energy homeostasis, and cellular stress response. However, their isolation, detection, and quantification present significant challenges. These difficulties arise primarily from their solubility, low concentration in mammals, and structural similarity to other ubiquitous biopolymers. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of polyphosphates in mammals, including their proposed functions and tissue distribution. It also examines key isolation techniques, such as chromatography and precipitation, alongside detection methods, such as colorimetric assays and enzymatic digestion. The strengths and limitations of these methods are discussed, as well as the challenges in preserving polyphosphate integrity. Recent advancements in isolation and detection are also highlighted, offering a comprehensive perspective essential for advancing polyphosphate research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958166924001447/pdfft?md5=17966ef883b67a95df4e8997f1d363ab&pid=1-s2.0-S0958166924001447-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142311934","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":"Polyphosphate accumulation in microalgae and cyanobacteria: recent advances and opportunities for phosphorus upcycling","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103207","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103207","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Phosphorus (P) must continuously be added to soils as it is lost in the food chain and via leaching. Unfortunately, the mining and import of P to produce fertiliser is unsustainable and costly. Potential solutions to the global issues of P rock depletion and pollution lie in microalgae and cyanobacteria. With an ability to intracellularly store P as polyphosphates, microalgae and cyanobacteria could provide the basis for removing P from water streams, thereby mitigating eutrophication, and even enabling P recovery as P-rich biomass. Metabolic engineering or changes in growing conditions have been demonstrated to improve P removal and recovery by triggering polyphosphates synthesis in the laboratory. This now needs to be replicated at full scale.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958166924001435/pdfft?md5=3173f077931b3bf311c27c5712c4e495&pid=1-s2.0-S0958166924001435-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142271745","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":"The phosphorus challenge: biotechnology approaches for a sustainable phosphorus system","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Phosphorus (P) is essential for growing crops, but the supply of high-quality phosphate rock reserves used for fertilizer production is finite while losses of P from the food/waste system cause considerable environmental damage. A variety of emerging approaches in biotechnology are reviewed that hold promise for improving the sustainability of P use in the food/water systems. These include improved sensors, cell culture approaches to meat production, bio-based P adsorption and transformation strategies, advancements in understanding of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms, and new approaches involving biomineralization and anaerobic treatment. By advancing these technologies to scale, progress can be made in developing a circular phosphorus economy that improves food security while protecting drinking water and aquatic ecosystems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958166924001332/pdfft?md5=1e30f2e61cbd06c2d4ed6d3031498504&pid=1-s2.0-S0958166924001332-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142243097","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":"The prospect of superior yeast for winemaking: recent successes through bioprospecting","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103200","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103200","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This article provides a selective review of recent reports that describe developments in the pursuit of superior yeast for winemaking through bioprospecting. In recent years, the focus of researchers and starter-culture companies has broadened. No longer are the targets merely strains that are reliable and sensorily inoffensive. Rather, efforts have expanded to seek much greater precision in these age-old targets and/or strains that address aspects of sustainability by enabling reduced waste, fewer chemicals or less energy input.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958166924001368/pdfft?md5=686c448413417d005fed85829b52b371&pid=1-s2.0-S0958166924001368-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142243099","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":"Harnessing noncanonical redox cofactors to advance synthetic assimilation of one-carbon feedstocks","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103195","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103195","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>One-carbon (C1) feedstocks, such as carbon monoxide (CO), formate (HCO<sub>2</sub>H), methanol (CH<sub>3</sub>OH), and methane (CH<sub>4</sub>), can be obtained either through stepwise electrochemical reduction of CO<sub>2</sub> with renewable electricity or via processing of organic side streams. These C1 substrates are increasingly investigated in biotechnology as they can contribute to a circular carbon economy. In recent years, noncanonical redox cofactors (NCRCs) emerged as a tool to generate synthetic electron circuits in cell factories to maximize electron transfer within a pathway of interest. Here, we argue that expanding the use of NCRCs in the context of C1-driven bioprocesses will boost product yields and facilitate challenging redox transactions that are typically out of the scope of natural cofactors due to inherent thermodynamic constraints.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958166924001319/pdfft?md5=28f4ca28fd572f5eb23e0523fd5acf3e&pid=1-s2.0-S0958166924001319-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142243098","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":"Phosphorus fertilizer: from commodity to speciality — from fertilizing the field to fertilizing the plant","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Phosphatic fertilizers are indispensable for sustainable agriculture, but phosphorus (P) scarcity has drawn global attention with respect to research and policy discussions. Soil conditions (pH, organic matter, metal oxides), P-fertilizer form and its application methods, and plant growth mechanisms influence plant P availability. Given the nonrenewable nature and low use efficiency of P, the development of speciality P-fertilizers and improved application methods are essential for reducing environmental P losses and increasing plant P uptake, thereby improving P use efficiency (PUE). This paper explores strategies for using innovative P-fertilizers targeting plant physiological processes instead of conventional bulk field applications to enhance PUE.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142230295","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}