{"title":"Application of deep learning for evaluation of the growth rate of Daphnia magna.","authors":"Shinsuke Inagaki, Yohei Kondo, Pijar Religia, Nikko Adhitama, Yasuhiko Kato, Eiji Watanabe, Hajime Watanabe","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2025.01.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiosc.2025.01.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>For the safe use of chemicals widely used in human activities, it is crucial to assess their ecological impacts when released into the environment. Daphnia, a well-established environmental indicator species, is commonly used to evaluate the biological effects of chemicals and testing methods have been established. Among various indicators, the growth rate is one of the important parameters, but it requires significant time and effort to measure. In this study, we applied deep learning-based image recognition techniques to extract images of Daphnia from live imaging and assess their size. The estimated size of Daphnia, derived from images processed through deep learning, showed a high correlation with measured values, demonstrating the capability to measure Daphnia size from the images while they are swimming. This approach enables non-invasive measurements of Daphnia size without complicated procedures, which not only streamlines ecological impact assessments but also presents a valuable technique for ecological studies, such as analyzing the size distribution of zooplankton.</p>","PeriodicalId":15199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of bioscience and bioengineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143425452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Importance of dataset design in developing robust U-Net models for label-free cell morphology evaluation.","authors":"Takeru Shiina, Kazue Kimura, Yuto Takemoto, Kenjiro Tanaka, Ryuji Kato","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2025.01.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiosc.2025.01.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Advances in regenerative medicine highlighted the need for label-free cell image analysis to replace conventional microscopic observation for non-invasive cell quality evaluation. Image-based evaluation provides an efficient, quantitative, and automated approach to cell analysis, but segmentation remains a critical and challenging step. In this study, we investigated how training dataset design influenced the robustness of U-Net models for cell segmentation, focusing on challenges posed by limited data availability in cell culture. Using 2592 image pairs from four cell types representing key morphological categories, we constructed 42 investigation patterns to evaluate the effects of dataset size, dataset content, and morphological diversity on model performance. Our results showed that robust segmentation models could be developed with approximately 10 raw images captured using a 4× objective lens, a much smaller dataset than typically assumed. The dataset content was found to be crucial: training dataset images that captured commonly observed cell patterns yielded more robust models compared to those capturing rare or irregular cell patterns, which often impaired model performance with large deviations. Additionally, including both spindle and round cell morphologies in the training datasets improved model robustness when tested across all four cell types, while datasets restricted to a single morphology type could not achieve robust models. These findings highlight the importance of curating datasets that capture representative yet diverse cell morphologies. By addressing critical questions about dataset design, this study provides actionable guidance for the effective use of deep learning-based cell segmentation models in manufacturing and research applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":15199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of bioscience and bioengineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143399168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cindy Novianti, Lutfi Dewi Nirmala Sari, Husna Nugrahapraja, Sony Suhandono, Fenny Martha Dwivany, Sastia Prama Putri, Eiichiro Fukusaki
{"title":"Metabolic profiling reveals distinctive ripening dynamics in ethylene-treated Musa balbisiana cv. 'Pisang Klutuk Wulung' compared to commercial Cavendish banana.","authors":"Cindy Novianti, Lutfi Dewi Nirmala Sari, Husna Nugrahapraja, Sony Suhandono, Fenny Martha Dwivany, Sastia Prama Putri, Eiichiro Fukusaki","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2025.01.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiosc.2025.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As an important crop, bananas still encounter fruit quality and shelf-life problems that are affected by the ripening process. Improving postharvest technologies may effectively address these challenges, such as by studying the ripening mechanism of banana cultivars with a slow ripening process. A banana cultivar that exhibits this characteristic is Musa balbisiana cv. 'Pisang Klutuk Wulung' (BB Group) or Pisang Klutuk Wulung (PKW), which has a ripening duration of 14-28 days. However, the metabolomics study on the ripening mechanism of this banana is still limited. This study aimed to analyze metabolite changes in ethylene-treated Pisang Klutuk Wulung during ripening in comparison to commercial bananas (Cavendish). Both bananas were subjected to exogenous ethylene treatment and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to perform metabolite profiling throughout the ripening process. The principal component analysis showed sample separation based on the ripening stages and banana species in pulp and peel. Orthogonal projection to latent structure analysis suggested that metabolite changes accompanied the ripening stages. Potential metabolite markers that distinguished the ripening of PKW and Cavendish were found, such as quinic acid, inositol, and 2-aminoethanol. This study shows differences in metabolite profiles between these bananas, especially the metabolites involved in sugar metabolism, cell wall metabolism, stress response, and biosynthesis of aromatic compounds. This study provides novel insights into the metabolic changes occurring during PKW ripening, contributing to the improvement of banana postharvest strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":15199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of bioscience and bioengineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Identification and functional characterization of ammonium transporters in Penicilliumpurpurogenum.","authors":"Ryo Kojima, Taisuke Watanabe, Takafumi Kasumi, Hiroshi Mitsuzawa","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2025.01.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiosc.2025.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The filamentous fungus Penicillium purpurogenum IAM15392 produces a nitrogen-containing azaphilone pigment, (10Z)-12-carboxyl-monascorubramine (PP-V), which is a potentially valuable natural food colorant. Because ammonium is used as a nitrogen source, and because ammonium uptake is the first step in the synthesis of PP-V, ammonium transporters of P. purpurogenum were identified and characterized. The P. purpurogenum genome was found to contain four putative ammonium transporter genes, designated amtA, amtB, amtC, and amtD, which encode 11 transmembrane proteins of 479, 567, 452, and 475 amino acid residues, respectively. These genes were tested for their ability to complement mutations in the ammonium transporter genes of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The phenotypes of mutants included defects in growth on low ammonium medium, methylammonium sensitivity, ammonium uptake from the culture medium, and ammonium limitation-induced invasive growth. Furthermore, the transcription of the amt genes was examined in P. purpurogenum grown under different ammonium concentrations. The results suggest that AmtB plays a major role in growth using ammonium as a nitrogen source, whereas AmtA and possibly AmtD function at low ammonium concentrations. Because a medium used for the production of PP-V contains a high concentration of ammonium, our functional characterization of the P. purpurogenum ammonium transporters suggests that AmtB is a potential target of bioengineering for increased PP-V production.</p>","PeriodicalId":15199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of bioscience and bioengineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"New glycerol glycosides in sake formed by Aspergillus oryzae α-glucosidase A.","authors":"Yui Akiyama, Kou Yoshizawa, Asuka Yamada, Izumi Kobayashi, Masafumi Tokuoka, Shigenori Kumazawa, Chihiro Honda","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2025.01.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiosc.2025.01.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sake contains unique glycosides produced by the transglycosylation action of α-glucosidase from Aspergillus oryzae. Besides influencing the taste of sake, some transglycosylation products in sake exhibit beneficial biological activities. In this study, we searched for new transglycosylation products in sake. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) revealed that peaks with m/z values corresponding to the glycosides, diglucopyranosylglycerol, triglucopyranosylglycerol, and tetraglucopyranosylglycerol, are present in sake. The presence of glycosides containing up to four polymerized glucose units is the first observation in sake. The peaks of the compounds were not observed in the sake that was brewed with a rice-koji made by α-glucosidase A (AgdA) gene disruption A. oryzae strain. The in vitro transglycosylation experiment using maltose, glycerol and a recombinant AgdA suggested that the compounds in sake were transglycosylation products composed of glycerol and one to four units of glucose. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis revealed that one of the major products of in vitro synthesis was α-isomaltosylglycerol (α-iMG). α-iMG was detected in commercial sake as a common component at an average of 1095 ppm (mg/L). This is the first study to report the presence of α-iMG in foods and beverages.</p>","PeriodicalId":15199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of bioscience and bioengineering","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143255584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Yeast diversity during the spontaneous fermentation of wine in a winery and in a laboratory using sterilized equipment","authors":"Hideaki Shimizu , Aya Kamada , Takeshi Akao , Yoshiya Kanno , Kazuya Koyama , Kazuhiro Iwashita , Nami Goto-Yamamoto","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2024.11.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2024.11.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A recent trend in some wineries is the return to using spontaneous fermentation, but it is not clear whether winery flora or vineyard microorganisms drive fermentation. We compared fungal communities during the spontaneous fermentation of wine produced in a winery and in a laboratory with sterilized equipment using three grape cultivars (Chardonnay, Merlot, and Muscat Bailey A) obtained from the same harvest. High-throughput sequencing analysis based on the ITS1 region showed that <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> was the dominant species in winery batches at the end of fermentation, but it was not always dominant in laboratory batches. The number of laboratory batches where <em>S. cerevisiae</em> reached more than 50% at the end of fermentation was only 10 of 26. Consistent with this, in the grape juice/must before fermentation, <em>S. cerevisiae</em> accounted for 1.71% of fungal species identified in winery batches and 0.04% in laboratory batches. In addition, in laboratory-based winemaking, juice clarification of Chardonnay and cold maceration of Merlot influenced the microbial communities observed during fermentation. Our findings suggest that <em>S. cerevisiae</em> present in the winery environment participates at an early stage of fermentation, leading to its dominance at the end in wine produced by spontaneous fermentation in a winery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of bioscience and bioengineering","volume":"139 2","pages":"Pages 106-111"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142769289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"COP II-mediated ER-to-Golgi transport is a bottleneck for IgNAR-Fc production in the Chinese hamster ovary cell expression system","authors":"Xiaofang Lyu , Noriko Yamano-Adachi , Yuichi Koga , Takeshi Omasa","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2024.10.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2024.10.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The novel heavy-chain antibody known as immunoglobulin new antigen receptor (IgNAR) is derived from cartilaginous fishes such as sharks. IgNAR, which binds to antigens with the high specificity and affinity of a conventional IgG antibody and exhibits high resistance to denaturation, has potential as a next-generation antibody in biopharmaceutical and biotechnological applications. High-level expression of recombinant IgNAR in animal cells has been challenging. In our previous study, IgNAR was expressed as a fusion protein with a human IgG Fc region (IgNAR-Fc) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, but did not meet the production level required for further research and application. In this study, we sought to identify the production bottleneck in CHO cells as a first step toward achieving abundant production of IgNAR. Using an established IgG high-production CHO cell line as a comparator, we found that the amounts of intracellular dimeric IgNAR-Fc produced in CHO cells were similar to those of intracellular dimeric IgG. Furthermore, the majority of intracellular IgNAR-Fc was retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and strongly colocalized to ERGIC-53, the cargo receptor for coat protein complex II (COP II)-coated vesicles. These findings suggest that COP II-mediated ER-to-Golgi transport may represent a bottleneck for IgNAR-Fc production in the CHO cell expression system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of bioscience and bioengineering","volume":"139 2","pages":"Pages 133-140"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142716202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Miriam Guadalupe Salgado García , Néstor Fabián Díaz , Guadalupe García López , Ikuri Álvarez Maya , Claudia Hernández Jimenez , Yvonne Roman Maldonado , David José Mendoza Aguayo , Néstor Emmanuel Díaz Martínez
{"title":"Evaluation methods for decellularized tissues: A focus on human amniotic membrane","authors":"Miriam Guadalupe Salgado García , Néstor Fabián Díaz , Guadalupe García López , Ikuri Álvarez Maya , Claudia Hernández Jimenez , Yvonne Roman Maldonado , David José Mendoza Aguayo , Néstor Emmanuel Díaz Martínez","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2024.10.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2024.10.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tissue engineering, a multidisciplinary research field aiming to revolutionize regenerative medicine, relies on scaffolds for optimal cell cultures and organ development. Decellularized tissue extracellular matrices (dECM) scaffolds, particularly from human amniotic membrane (hAM), show promise in clinical applications. This review discusses the significance of scaffolds, emphasizing dECM-based hAM scaffolds, delving into ECM complexities, decellularization processes, and evaluation methods. Raman spectroscopy emerges as a non-destructive tool for evaluating ECM preservation, presenting potential for quantifying ECM components in hAM before and after decellularization. The review explores the role of hAM as a biomaterial, detailing its composition and characteristics and emphasizes the importance of evaluating ultrastructural components and suggests Raman spectroscopy as a valuable technique for this purpose.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of bioscience and bioengineering","volume":"139 2","pages":"Pages 85-94"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142728952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Metagenomic profiling of antibiotic resistance genes and their associations with the bacterial community along the Kanda River, an urban river in Japan","authors":"Chang Xiao , Keigo Ide , Hiroko Matsunaga , Masato Kogawa , Ryota Wagatsuma , Haruko Takeyama","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2024.09.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2024.09.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) present in urban rivers have the potential to disseminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria into other environments, posing significant threats to both ecological and public health. Although metagenomic analyses have been widely employed to detect ARGs in rivers, our understanding of their dynamics across different seasons in diverse watersheds remains limited. In this study, we performed a comprehensive genomic analysis of the Kanda River in Japan at 11 sites from upstream to estuary throughout the year to assess the spread of ARGs and their associations with bacterial communities. Analysis of 110 water samples using the 16S rRNA gene revealed variations in bacterial composition corresponding to seasonal changes in environmental parameters along the river. Shotgun metagenomics-based profiling of ARGs in 44 water samples indicated higher ARG abundance downstream, particularly during the summer. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) linking bacterial lineages and ARGs revealed that 12 ARG subtypes co-occurred with 128 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). WGCNA suggested potential hosts for <em>ErmB</em>, <em>ErmF</em>, <em>ErmG</em>, <em>tetQ</em>, <em>tet (W/N/W)</em>, <em>aadA2</em>, and <em>adeF</em>, including gut-associated bacteria (e.g., <em>Prevotella</em>, <em>Bacteroides</em>, <em>Arcobacter</em>) and indigenous aquatic microbes (e.g., <em>Limnohabitans</em> and <em>C39</em>). In addition, <em>Pseudarcobacter</em> (a later synonym of <em>Arcobater</em>) was identified as a host for <em>adeF</em>, which was also confirmed by single cell genomics. This study shows that ARG distribution in urban rivers is affected by seasonal and geographical factors and demonstrates the importance of monitoring rivers using multiple types of genome sequencing, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing, metagenomics, and single cell genomics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of bioscience and bioengineering","volume":"139 2","pages":"Pages 147-155"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142564516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Identification and characterization of a circular bacteriocin, garvicin SC, a novel garvicin ML variant, produced by Lactococcus garvieae ABG0038","authors":"Yumi Komori , Naoya Ozawa , Hiroshi Kuwahara , Takeshi Zendo , Mikio Aoki","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2024.10.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiosc.2024.10.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We have identified and characterized a circular bacteriocin, termed garvicin SC (GarSC), produced by <em>Lactococcus garvieae</em> ABG0038 isolated from pine cones. Genome analysis of <em>L. garvieae</em> ABG0038 revealed that GarSC was a variant of the circular bacteriocin, garvicin ML (GarML), caused by an amino acid substitution, and predicted that GarSC was produced through a biosynthetic mechanism very similar to that of GarML. The two circular bacteriocins were purified and characterized for activity, and several differences were observed in pH stability, enzyme sensitivity, and antimicrobial activity. In particular, GarSC showed excellent stability in the basic pH range, which might extend the range of garvicin’s application to one broader than that of GarML.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of bioscience and bioengineering","volume":"139 2","pages":"Pages 95-99"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142639182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}