Microbial Biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Bacterial Volatile Organic Compounds Mediate a Cooperative Relationship Between Bacteria and Plants Under Heavy Metal Stress","authors":"Anahita Barghi,&nbsp;Eun-Nam Joe,&nbsp;Jong-Rok Jeon","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70427","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70427","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bacterial volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are increasingly recognised as effective signalling molecules that stimulate plant growth and stress responses. Although BVOC production may impose metabolic costs on bacteria, the benefits gained by VOC-emitting bacteria through BVOC-mediated communication with plants remain unclear. In this study, we established Pb-stressed conditions for <i>Bacillus megaterium</i>, <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> or both organisms to investigate their reciprocal interactions. Pb-stressed bacteria emitted a distinct VOC profile and exhibited significant reprogramming of sugar and nitrogen-containing carbon metabolism compared with unstressed bacteria. Plant growth inhibition caused by Pb was alleviated by VOCs emitted from unstressed bacteria; however, this alleviation was enhanced by 36% when the bacteria were exposed to Pb stress, indicating that Pb-induced changes in bacterial VOC metabolism trigger distinct plant responses. Specifically, Pb accumulation increased by up to 95% in plant shoot, whereas oxidative damage markers, including malondialdehyde and H₂O₂, decreased by up to 25% in plants exposed to VOCs from Pb-stressed bacteria compared with those exposed to VOCs from Pb-unstressed bacteria. These effects were associated with increased expression of antioxidant enzyme-related genes in plants exposed to VOCs from Pb-stressed bacteria. Finally, we confirmed that the Pb-stressed bacteria-mediated increases in plant growth and Pb uptake were accompanied by alleviation of the Pb stress-induced reduction in bacterial population. Overall, our results demonstrate that VOC-emitting bacteria can benefit from modulating plant physiology and suggest that a cooperative relationship between bacteria and plants can be established through BVOC-mediated communication.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13454552/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148700202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Rapid, Field-Deployable Diagnostic Platform for Getah Virus Based on RT-RAA and CRISPR EsCas13d","authors":"Liu Baoling,&nbsp;Shao Lina,&nbsp;Xu Tong,&nbsp;Jia Qinrui,&nbsp;Zhu Ling,&nbsp;Xu Zhiwen","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70429","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70429","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The emerging zoonotic Getah virus (GETV) poses an increasing threat to both animal and human health, underscoring the need for rapid, sensitive and field-deployable diagnostic tools. In this study, we developed and optimized a rapid, one-step, visual detection (ROSVD) platform for GETV by integrating reverse transcription recombinase-aided amplification (RT-RAA) with CRISPR-EsCas13d-mediated collateral RNA cleavage. Notably, the ROSVD assay uses a simplified sample-preparation strategy based on rapid nucleic acid release, eliminating the need for conventional nucleic acid extraction and purification. The entire workflow, including amplification and detection, is completed within 30 min at 37°C or ambient temperature (25°C) without specialized instrumentation. Detection results can be visualized directly under ultraviolet light or with a lateral flow assay. At 37°C, the ROSVD assay achieved sensitivity comparable to RT-qPCR, and evaluation of clinical specimens showed 100% concordance with RT-qPCR results. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ROSVD is a rapid, sensitive, cost-effective and instrument-independent diagnostic platform, providing a practical solution for on-site surveillance of GETV and a versatile framework for the detection of other emerging RNA pathogens.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13454738/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148700199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomanufacturing and Scale-Up: Pathways to Biochemicals, Biofuels, and Biomaterials","authors":"Carolina A. Barcelos,&nbsp;Pavel Dvořák,&nbsp;Charles J. Foster,&nbsp;Juan Nogales,&nbsp;Juan L. Ramos,&nbsp;Shamlan M. S. Reshamwala,&nbsp;Davinia Salvachúa","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70425","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70425","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Advancing the bioeconomy requires the development of large-scale microbial bioprocesses capable of converting &lt;i&gt;waste&lt;/i&gt; carbon streams into biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials at industrially relevant scales. While biomanufacturing has been successfully demonstrated at the laboratory scale for a wide range of chemicals, only a few have reached industrial-scale production. This is partly due to the inherent complexity of microbial systems, which rely on living cells with intricate metabolic pathways that are highly sensitive to environmental changes, making large-scale production difficult to optimize and predict. As a result, scaling-up bioprocesses remains a high-stakes challenge that requires deeper exploration. This involves integrating feedstock and microbial selection, upstream and downstream processes, and computational modelling, among other research efforts. Bulk and specialty chemicals derived from biological processes also face competition from fossil-based production routes, which have been refined through decades of technological advancements. While biologically derived molecules may offer more environmentally friendly production pathways than traditional chemical manufacturing, their widespread adoption depends on achieving cost parity—or superiority—relative to fossil-based methods. This emphasizes the importance of holistic research, including techno-economic analyses and life cycle assessments, to ensure both economic viability and environmental sustainability.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This editorial and special issue explores state-of-the-art strategies for converting &lt;i&gt;waste&lt;/i&gt; carbon sources into valuable products. It discusses how enzymes, single microbes (e.g., extremophiles), and microbiomes (e.g., through division of labor) can be integrated with upstream and downstream process innovations—such as consolidated bioprocessing and in situ product recovery—to improve the efficiency and scalability of biomanufacturing. The editorial further highlights the role of computational modelling in understanding, predicting, and controlling bioprocess performance across scales, and concludes by emphasizing the importance of techno-economic modelling to identify technologies that can move to market.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Advancing the bioeconomy will depend on the ability to convert &lt;i&gt;waste&lt;/i&gt; carbon streams—including lignocellulose, organic waste (e.g., municipal solid waste), synthetic waste (e.g., plastics), and C1 and C2 feedstocks—into biochemicals, biofuels, and biomaterials. This special issue includes a series of articles on promising biocatalysts, including microbes and enzymes, toward the production of valuable products from various carbon sources and their use in biotechnological applications.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;An industrially value-added compound is the organic acid L-(+)-tartaric acid, which is currently produced using a combination of chemical and enzymatic synthesis from petroleum-derived C4 feedstocks. A fully biological route for production of tartaric ","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13449170/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148682702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hybrid Biomass From Co-Culturing Filamentous Fungi on Food Waste for Alternative Leather Material Production","authors":"E. R. Kanishka B. Wijayarathna,&nbsp;Rebecca Mattsson,&nbsp;Shengwei Sun,&nbsp;Amir Mahboubi,&nbsp;Per-Olof Syrén,&nbsp;Minna Hakkarainen,&nbsp;Akram Zamani","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70428","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70428","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Co-culturing fungi offers a promising strategy for generating hybrid fungal biomass with structural and functional properties for developing fungal-based alternative leather. In this study, two filamentous fungi, <i>Aspergillus oryzae</i> and <i>Rhizopus delemar</i>, were co-cultured to valorise food waste through production of fungal materials with enhanced mechanical properties owing to chitin-rich biomass of <i>A. oryzae</i> and chitin-chitosan-rich biomass of <i>R. delemar</i>. After confirming symbiotic growth on solid media and in submerged semi-synthetic media, the system was applied to a complex medium prepared from bread and lemon waste. Cultivation was scaled up to a 4.5 L bubble-column bioreactor. The harvested biomass was tanned with chestnut tannin and processed into materials using wet-laid method. Symbiotic growth was verified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and visually via optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Unlike the pelletised morphology typical of <i>A. oryzae</i>, the co-culture produced dispersed mycelium favouring material formation. Co-cultures yielded higher ethanol concentrations (12–14 g/L), with biomass yields exceeding those of <i>R. delemar</i> (~0.2 g/g) and comparable to <i>A. oryzae</i> (~0.3 g/g) monocultures. The highest tensile strength and elongation achieved were 11.7 MPa and 8% respectively. Overall, this work establishes fungal-fungal co-culture as a transformative approach for producing hybrid biomass for fungal-based leather alternatives.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13451826/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148688139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conjunctival Sac-Derived Lactobacillus mucosae MM-1 Metabolite Indole-3-Lactic Acid Attenuates Lens-Induced Myopia in Mice via AHR Activation and TGF-β/Smad Inhibition","authors":"Yanqing Li,&nbsp;Qiuyu Wu,&nbsp;Xilong Zhang,&nbsp;Luchuan Liu,&nbsp;Leiping Ding,&nbsp;Jingjing Xu,&nbsp;Chiwen Cheng,&nbsp;Yangyang Peng,&nbsp;Kang Yu,&nbsp;Wen Yao,&nbsp;Yijie Pi,&nbsp;Jiale Li,&nbsp;Di Wu,&nbsp;Jing Wei,&nbsp;Yifeng Yu,&nbsp;Tingtao Chen","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70426","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70426","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Emerging research has revealed a diverse microbiota in the high myopia (HM) conjunctival sac, highlighting the therapeutic potential of modulating this community to influence disease outcomes. However, current research on targeted modulation of this microbiota for myopia intervention lacks in-depth investigation and definitive conclusions regarding its efficacy and underlying mechanisms. In this study, high-throughput sequencing and culturomics were first used to screen the conjunctival sac microbiota of healthy people, identifying <i>Lactobacillus mucosae</i> MM-1 as a potential probiotic for myopia control. Then, animal studies further confirmed that <i>L. mucosae</i> MM-1 significantly attenuated lens-induced myopia, improved COL1A1 expression and scleral integrity and elevated <i>Lactobacillus</i> abundance. Furthermore, untargeted metabolomics analysis suggested that indole-3-lactic acid (ILA) may be a key substance for <i>L. mucosae</i> MM-1 to exert its effects for myopia control. Mechanistically, pharmacological ILA supplementation supports the involvement of AHR in TGF-β/Smad pathway inhibition, accompanied by altered COL1A1 and α-SMA expression and attenuation of lens-induced myopia in mice. Therefore, these findings suggest that <i>L. mucosae</i> MM-1 may attenuate lens-induced myopia in mice, at least in part, through ILA-mediated regulation of the TGF-β/Smad pathway, and offer a theoretical foundation for future therapeutic strategies based on conjunctival sac microbiome manipulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13449032/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148682725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights Into Divergent Mechanisms of Pyrite Oxidation by Indigenous Fungi From Mine Tailings","authors":"Yu-xiang Li,&nbsp;Yan-ying Li,&nbsp;Xiao-lin Luo,&nbsp;Guan-xiong Wu,&nbsp;Jia-wei Li,&nbsp;Jia-xin Wan,&nbsp;Zhuo-hui Wu,&nbsp;Xuan-xuan Liu,&nbsp;Kai-tian Yang,&nbsp;Jie-Liang Liang,&nbsp;Jin-tian Li","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70423","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70423","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Fungi can oxidise pyrite, a process which has potential implications for metal bioleaching and acid mine drainage formation. However, this capacity has been demonstrated primarily using only a few model fungal strains. Diverse fungal communities are known to inhabit pyrite-rich mine tailings but how these indigenous fungi may mediate pyrite oxidation and by what mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, we isolated 51 pyrite-oxidizing fungal strains spanning 28 genera from three mine tailings areas in South China. From this native library, we selected three potent pyrite oxidisers, <i>Pithomyces cynodontis</i> DC37, <i>Penicillium janthinellum</i> ZJS52, and <i>Aspergillus niger</i> DBS124, for in-depth mechanistic characterisation. These indigenous strains solubilised 1.2%–1.8% of the total iron from pyrite in fungus-pyrite co-culture systems, exceeding values reported for model fungi under comparable conditions. They also acidified the medium to a pH as low as 2.15, providing dual lines of evidence for their robust oxidative capacity. Further analyses revealed distinct surface erosion features and changes in iron (Fe) and sulfur (S) speciation, confirming fungal-mediated pyrite oxidation. All three strains secreted organic acids (e.g., oxalic and citric acids) and showed peroxidase activity, but they exhibited divergent patterns. By combining hybrid genome sequencing (Illumina and Nanopore) with time-course transcriptomics, we uncovered the genetic basis for these divergent patterns. Genes coding for lignin and manganese peroxidases in <i>P. cynodontis</i> DC37 were co-induced by reactive oxygen species and metal ions released during pyrite oxidation. Furthermore, <i>A. niger</i> DBS124 employed an oxalic-acid-based mechanism upon pyrite exposure, driven by coordinated upregulation of central carbon metabolism and oxalate biosynthesis. Collectively, our findings highlight the underexplored biotechnological potential of mine-tailings fungi and establish a molecular foundation for understanding their roles in Fe- and S-cycling within mining environments and for developing fungal-mediated bioleaching technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13444716/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148676368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"TolC Is Required for a Mixed-Linkage β-Glucan (MLG) Biosynthesis: Engineering Bacteria for MLG Overproduction","authors":"L. Ruiz-Sáez,&nbsp;P. J. Pacheco,&nbsp;J. Peinado,&nbsp;J. Lloret,&nbsp;S. Muñoz,&nbsp;J. Sanjuán,&nbsp;D. Pérez-Mendoza","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70424","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70424","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Mixed-linkage β-glucans (MLGs) are emerging as promising biopolymers with significant biotechnological potential due to their unique structural and rheological properties. In rhizobia, MLG biosynthesis is controlled by the second messenger cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) and mediated by the bicistronic operon <i>bgsBA</i>. However, the full composition of the biosynthetic machinery and strategies for enhanced production remain incompletely understood. In this study, we demonstrate that the outer membrane protein TolC is essential for MLG production in <i>Sinorhizobium meliloti</i>. Genetic disruption of <i>tolC</i> abolished MLG synthesis, while its complementation restored production. We propose that TolC functions as part of a tripartite complex with BgsA and BgsB, enabling efficient polymer synthesis and/or export. Furthermore, co-overexpression of <i>tolC</i>, <i>bgsBA</i>, and a constitutively active diguanylate cyclase (<i>pleD*</i>) yielded an 8-fold increase of MLG over a control plasmid without <i>tolC</i>, reaching up to ~10 g/L under bioreactor conditions. Additionally, this genetic module enabled de novo MLG production in otherwise non-producer rhizobial hosts (e.g., <i>Mesorhizobium japonicum</i>), allowing bacterial chassis exchanges and highlighting its portability and potential for synthetic biology applications. Overall, our findings identify TolC as a key component of the MLG biosynthetic machinery and provide a robust platform for the scalable production of this valuable biopolymer.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13438883/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148672779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Bacterial Anti-Phage Defence Systems","authors":"Harald Brüssow","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70416","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70416","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Deep learning models based on both distant protein sequence homology and genetic neighbourhood context searches predicted that 1.5% of bacterial genes or 30 genes per <i>E. coli</i> genome represent anti-phage systems (APS); many are colocalized on defence islands or are found on mobile DNA elements. Thousands of APS thus remain to be defined molecularly. Selected recent examples highlighting an astonishing molecular diversity of these defence systems are described in this editorial. The mechanisms include allosterically regulated dGTPase responding to competing nucleotide signals (Clover); bacterial defence systems activated by phage anti-defence manoeuvres (Panoptes); a prophage encoded tRNA nuclease activated by a phage tail tip protein (HepS); a helicase-nuclease complex that scans for ssDNA 3′ overhangs created by phage DNA transaction (Hachiman); and systems that cleave free ends of linear DNA (Shedu). Systems were described that synthesize template-free poly-dA chains which are degraded by a phage exonuclease thereby activating an ion channel (Hailong). Several systems interfere with phage DNA injection into the cell, for example, a cell membrane associated protein complex inhibiting injection (KIWA); or destroying phage DNA at injection (SNIPE); or a complex membrane motor system that senses phage DNA injection and activates nuclease effectors (Zorya). Other systems consist of a single pore building protein that combines sensor and effector functions (Rip1) or degrade NAD⁺ (Cat1). Defence-associated reverse transcriptase (DRT) preceded by non-coding RNA (ncRNA) come in different forms: in DRT2 a rolling circle reverse transcription leads to an endless protein inducing cell dormancy; in DRT3 a mixed templated and untemplated repeat DNA synthesis becomes cytotoxic in presence of a phage protein; DRT9 synthesizes a polyA strand that might sequester a phage protein needed for DNA replication. Striking are bacterial APS that resemble innate immune reaction directed against viruses in animals (gasdermin, Argonaute, RAZR, Schlafen, Thoeris 2, ubiquitin-like proteins) pointing to an ancient origin.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13434031/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148667727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Bifidobacterium animalis Subsp. Lactis CP-9 on Gut Microbiota and Immune Functions in Healthy Infants","authors":"Liujing Zhang,&nbsp;Xueke Song,&nbsp;Keming Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaoshuang Xu,&nbsp;Xinmei Guo,&nbsp;Wei Li,&nbsp;Xiaoling Zeng,&nbsp;Yingguang Xie,&nbsp;Liwei Nie,&nbsp;Li Zhao,&nbsp;Xuelu Dai,&nbsp;Jing Sun,&nbsp;Jiai Yan,&nbsp;Yiran Liu,&nbsp;Feng Zhang,&nbsp;Zhiping Sun","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70421","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70421","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Infancy represents a critical period for growth and development, during which the gut microbiota and its metabolites play essential roles in nutrient absorption and maintaining health. Therefore, it is of great significance to evaluate the safety and gut microbiota-modulating effects of specific probiotics in healthy infants. This study aimed to investigate the effect of <i>Bifidobacterium animalis</i> subsp. <i>lactis</i> CP-9 strain (CP-9) on healthy infants aged 6 to 36 months and its relationship with growth patterns and multidimensional indicators. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, healthy infants were randomly assigned to receive CP-9 or placebo for 3 months. Safety, growth parameters, complete blood counts (CBC), immunological markers and faecal microbiota were assessed before and after the intervention. All infants exhibited age-appropriate growth in height and head circumference during the study. The CP-9 strain significantly increased gut <i>Bifidobacterium</i> abundance and regulated the microbiota-mediated polyunsaturated fatty acids biosynthesis pathway. Haematological and systemic inflammatory markers remained within normal ranges and no treatment-related adverse changes were detected during the 3-month intervention period. Moreover, CP-9 improved stool characteristics and gastrointestinal tolerability, with no increase in the incidence of respiratory allergies, skin allergies, respiratory infections, or fever, which further confirmed its safety. These findings suggested that CP-9 supplementation resulted in significant enrichment of <i>Bifidobacterium</i>, a beneficial gut bacterium and had no detectable adverse effects on the measured physiological parameters. Consequently, the intervention raised no detectable safety concerns in healthy infants under the conditions of this study. Given this, CP-9 is a probiotic that does not show any obvious short-term safety signals for infants aged 6 to 36 months.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70421","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148616789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plastics and Bioplastics End of Life: A Biocatalytic Perspective","authors":"Laura I. de Eugenio,&nbsp;Isabel Pardo,&nbsp;M. Auxiliadora Prieto","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70420","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70420","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plastics have become indispensable to modern society, but their predominantly linear production and end-of-life management are increasingly incompatible with environmental and resource constraints. Biotechnology offers new opportunities to reshape this system, not only by enabling the biological recycling and upcycling of conventional plastics, but also by supporting the production and end-of-life management of more sustainable bioplastics. Recent progress in plastic-degrading enzymes, particularly for PET, has demonstrated the potential of biocatalysis, yet it has also made clear that enzyme performance alone will not determine whether these technologies succeed at scale. Real waste streams, sorting and pretreatment requirements, process economics and integration with existing recycling infrastructure remain decisive constraints. The same systems perspective is needed for bioplastics: Bio-based origin or biodegradability does not automatically translate into circularity, and their environmental value ultimately depends on how materials are designed, used, collected and treated after use. In this Opinion, we argue that biocatalysis should therefore be developed as part of realistic circular plastic systems rather than as a universal solution to plastic waste. Combining advances in enzymatic and microbial technologies with Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design principles and credible end-of-life pathways could enable plastics and bioplastics to move towards genuinely circular material cycles while reducing dependence on fossil carbon and limiting plastic pollution.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70420","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148597078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}