Trends in biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-03-01Epub Date: 2024-09-27DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.09.002
Temoor Ahmed, Xinyan Xu, Muhammad Noman, Qi Wang, Bin Li
{"title":"Phage-guided nanocarriers: a precision strategy against bacterial pathogens.","authors":"Temoor Ahmed, Xinyan Xu, Muhammad Noman, Qi Wang, Bin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.09.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.09.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacterial infections pose a major threat to human health. Here, we describe the recent development of phage-guided therapeutic agent-loaded engineered nanomaterials for precise elimination of bacterial pathogens. This forum highlights the underexplored potential of bioinspired nano-enabled strategies for managing bacterial infections in a precise and safe manner.</p>","PeriodicalId":23324,"journal":{"name":"Trends in biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"494-497"},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142354603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-03-01Epub Date: 2024-12-09DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.10.019
Hitesh P Gelli, Karl Alex Hedin, Martin F Laursen, Ruben-Vazquez Uribe, Morten Otto Alexander Sommer
{"title":"Enhancing intestinal absorption of a macromolecule through engineered probiotic yeast in the murine gastrointestinal tract.","authors":"Hitesh P Gelli, Karl Alex Hedin, Martin F Laursen, Ruben-Vazquez Uribe, Morten Otto Alexander Sommer","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.10.019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.10.019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oral administration of therapeutic peptides is limited by poor intestinal absorption. Use of engineered microorganisms as drug delivery vehicles can overcome the challenges faced by conventional delivery methods. The potential of engineered microorganisms to act synergistically with the therapeutics they deliver opens new horizons for noninvasive treatment modalities. This study engineered a probiotic yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii, to produce cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) in situ for enhanced intestinal permeability. Four CPPs were integrated into the yeast chromosome: RRL helix, Shuffle, Penetramax, and PN159. In vitro tests on a Caco-2 cell model showed that three CPP-producing strains increased permeability without causing permanent damage. In vivo experiments on mice revealed that Sb PN159 administration over 10 days significantly increased FITC-dextran translocation into the bloodstream without causing inflammation. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the ability of an engineered microorganism to modulate host permeability for improved intestinal absorption of a macromolecule.</p>","PeriodicalId":23324,"journal":{"name":"Trends in biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"715-731"},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142808148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-03-01Epub Date: 2024-09-20DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.09.001
Masanori Kataoka, Shu Ishida, Chie Kobayashi, Tsung-Ling Lee, Tsutomu Sawai
{"title":"Evaluating neuroprivacy concerns in human brain organoid research.","authors":"Masanori Kataoka, Shu Ishida, Chie Kobayashi, Tsung-Ling Lee, Tsutomu Sawai","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.09.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.09.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neuroprivacy, or the privacy of neural data, has attracted considerable interest. Here, we explore the implications of neuroprivacy in human brain organoid research, detailing different interpretations of this right. Findings suggest a limited connection between neuroprivacy and brain organoid research, underscoring the importance of further examination of this critical issue.</p>","PeriodicalId":23324,"journal":{"name":"Trends in biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"491-493"},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142296436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-03-01Epub Date: 2024-12-04DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.10.020
Micaela Chacón, Guadalupe Alvarez-Gonzalez, Piya Gosalvitr, Adokiye Berepiki, Karl Fisher, Rosa Cuéllar-Franca, Neil Dixon
{"title":"Complex waste stream valorization through combined enzymatic hydrolysis and catabolic assimilation by Pseudomonas putida.","authors":"Micaela Chacón, Guadalupe Alvarez-Gonzalez, Piya Gosalvitr, Adokiye Berepiki, Karl Fisher, Rosa Cuéllar-Franca, Neil Dixon","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.10.020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.10.020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biogenic waste-derived feedstocks for production of fuels, chemicals, and materials offer great potential supporting the transition to net-zero and greater circularity. However, such feedstocks are heterogeneous and subject to geographical and seasonal variability. Here, we show that, through careful strain selection and metabolic engineering, Pseudomonas putida can be employed to permit efficient co-utilization of highly heterogeneous substrate compositions derived from hydrolyzed mixed municipal-like waste fractions (food, plastic, organic, paper, cardboard, and textiles) for growth and synthesis of exemplar bioproducts. Design of experiments was employed to explore the combinatorial space of nine waste-derived monomers, displaying robust catabolic efficiency regardless of substrate composition. Prospective Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life-Cycle Costing (LCC) illustrated the climate change (CC) and economic advantages of biomanufacturing compared with conventional waste treatment options, demonstrating a 41-62% potential reduction in CC impact. This work demonstrates the potential for expanding treatment strategies for mixed waste to include engineered microbes.</p>","PeriodicalId":23324,"journal":{"name":"Trends in biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"647-672"},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142787122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-03-01Epub Date: 2024-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.11.005
Leonie Rominger, Max Hackbarth, Tobias Jung, Marvin Scherzinger, Luis F M Rosa, Harald Horn, Martin Kaltschmitt, Cristian Picioreanu, Johannes Gescher
{"title":"Efficiency and process development for microbial biomass production using oxic bioelectrosynthesis.","authors":"Leonie Rominger, Max Hackbarth, Tobias Jung, Marvin Scherzinger, Luis F M Rosa, Harald Horn, Martin Kaltschmitt, Cristian Picioreanu, Johannes Gescher","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.11.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.11.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autotrophic microbial electrosynthesis (MES) processes are mainly based on organisms that rely on carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) as an electron acceptor and typically have low biomass yields. However, there are few data on the process and efficiencies of oxic MES (OMES). In this study, we used the knallgas bacterium Kyrpidia spormannii to investigate biomass formation and energy efficiency of cathode-dependent growth. The study revealed that the process can be carried out with the same electron efficiency as conventional gas fermentation, but overcomes disadvantages, such as the use of explosive gas mixtures. When accounting only for the electron input via electrical energy, a solar energy demand of 67.89 kWh kg<sup>-1</sup> dry biomass was determined. While anaerobic MES is ideally suited to produce methane, short-chain alcohols, and carboxylic acids, its aerobic counterpart could extend this important range of applications to not only protein for use in the food and feed sector, but also further complex products.</p>","PeriodicalId":23324,"journal":{"name":"Trends in biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"673-695"},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142822714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Risk-appropriate, science-based innovation regulations are important.","authors":"Karinne Ludlow, Jose Falck-Zepeda, Stuart J Smyth","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Inappropriate and often politicized regulations in many countries have limited the global benefits of agricultural biotechnology. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) has proven to be one of the biggest barriers to biotechnological innovations, especially for food-insecure countries. The global movement of international agreements, such as the CPB, Convention on Biological Diversity, and Global Biodiversity Framework, contribute to the erosion of evidence-based regulation, enabling the development and spread of precaution-based regulatory frameworks. Despite 50 years of accumulated knowledge about the safety of genetic modification technology application since the Asilomar Conference, regulatory requirements are increasing, slowing innovation rates. This article discusses the importance of risk-appropriate regulation for innovation efficiency to avoid precaution-based regulation stifling innovation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23324,"journal":{"name":"Trends in biotechnology","volume":"43 3","pages":"502-510"},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143524546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recombinant DNA: unlocking untapped microbial potential for innovation in crop agriculture.","authors":"Aranksha Thakor, Trevor C Charles","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA, held in 1975, established guidelines for recombinant DNA (rDNA) research and laid the foundation for biotechnology regulations. While rDNA has driven significant advancements in pharmaceutical and crop biotechnology, the commercialization of plant-beneficial microbials developed using rDNA has lagged behind. This disparity may be attributed to a cumbersome regulatory framework shaped by the perception that rDNA products pose biosafety risks. To unlock the full potential of rDNA technology in addressing global challenges, regulatory reform for rDNA-derived microbial products for crop plants that reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides is essential. Streamlining these barriers will enable greater societal benefits from microbial solutions in agriculture and beyond.</p>","PeriodicalId":23324,"journal":{"name":"Trends in biotechnology","volume":"43 3","pages":"533-539"},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143524544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-03-01Epub Date: 2024-09-20DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.08.014
Samantha O'Keeffe, Lilly Garcia, Yi Chen, Richard C Law, Chong Liu, Junyoung O Park
{"title":"Bringing carbon to life via one-carbon metabolism.","authors":"Samantha O'Keeffe, Lilly Garcia, Yi Chen, Richard C Law, Chong Liu, Junyoung O Park","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.08.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.08.014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One-carbon (C1) compounds found in greenhouse gases and industrial waste streams are underutilized carbon and energy sources. While various biological and chemical means exist for converting C1 substrates into multicarbon products, major challenges of C1 conversion lie in creating net value. Here, we review metabolic strategies to utilize carbon across oxidation states. Complications arise in biochemical C1-utilization approaches because of the need for cellular energy currency ATP. ATP supports cell maintenance and proliferation and drives thermodynamically challenging reactions by coupling them with ATP hydrolysis. Powering metabolism through substrate cofeeding and energy transduction from light and electricity improves ATP availability, relieves metabolic bottlenecks, and upcycles carbon. We present a bioenergetic, engineering, and technoeconomic outlook for bringing elements to life.</p>","PeriodicalId":23324,"journal":{"name":"Trends in biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"572-585"},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11972661/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142296433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in biotechnologyPub Date : 2025-03-01Epub Date: 2024-09-13DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.08.009
Temoor Ahmed, Muhammad Noman, Yetong Qi, Jason C White, Xingjiang Qi
{"title":"Protein nanocarrier-enabled plant genetic engineering systems.","authors":"Temoor Ahmed, Muhammad Noman, Yetong Qi, Jason C White, Xingjiang Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.08.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.08.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Genetic engineering can enhance crop yields by developing climate-resilient crop varieties. Nanobiotechnology plays a crucial role in precision delivery of genetic materials, nutrients, and stress-responsive agents into plant cells. This forum highlights recent advances in biodegradable protein-based nanocarrier systems for plant genome editing to transform agricultural practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":23324,"journal":{"name":"Trends in biotechnology","volume":" ","pages":"498-501"},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142296438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Human health and genetic technology.","authors":"Hans-Georg Dederer","doi":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.12.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.12.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The 1975 Asilomar conference contributed to the misperception that recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology is inherently risky to human health and the environment. It thus paved the way toward process-based regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), such as in the EU. Initially, this regulatory approach obstructed technological uses of rDNA related to human health. However, regulators gradually softened the rules applicable to laboratories or industrial facilities. This encouraged R&D and production of pharmaceuticals derived from GMOs. Nevertheless, administering pharmaceuticals containing GMOs to patients may still be confronted with burdensome process-based GMO law on the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment. On the other hand, pharmaceutical law may need to be updated regarding, for example, novel gene therapies or xenotransplantation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23324,"journal":{"name":"Trends in biotechnology","volume":"43 3","pages":"522-532"},"PeriodicalIF":14.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143524542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}