Current Research in Biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Towards a digital twin: Digitization and model-based optimization of the innovative high-gradient magnetic separator","authors":"Marko Tesanovic ,&nbsp;Torben Bardel ,&nbsp;Robin Karl ,&nbsp;Sonja Berensmeier","doi":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100324","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100324","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Downstream processing in biotechnology relies on multiple unit operations to achieve high product purity, driving up costs, time, and yield losses. High-Gradient Magnetic Separation (HGMS) offers a promising alternative by consolidating steps and enabling direct target capture from complex media. However, its industrial adoption is hindered by suboptimal performance, limited scalability, and insufficient automation for reproducibility. Furthermore, process efficiency is often not fully realized due to the reliance on fixed operational recipes.</div><div>This study presents a digital twin framework for a pilot-scale HGMS system, integrating real-time monitoring, automated control, advanced mechanistic models, and multi-objective optimization using Bayesian algorithms. The framework was validated for robustness, scalable data handling, and predictive control. Key contributions include the development of soft sensors, automated control strategies for improved reproducibility, in-silico optimization of a human Immunoglobulin G (hIgG) capture process — a monoclonal antibody broadly relevant in biopharmaceutical applications — with real-time pH adjustment, and a sensitivity analysis of objective weights, revealing trade-offs between yield, resource use, and processing time. Optimization results indicated a theoretical 4% productivity gain and a 3 percentage point yield improvement, while exposing critical design constraints in the HGMS chamber.</div><div>These findings underscore the potential of digital twins to accelerate process optimization and reduce development costs through in-silico experimentation. Future work will focus on refining identified design limitations and extending the framework to optimize process conditions for diverse bioproducts, enhancing scalability and efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52676,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Biotechnology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100324"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144810587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “A review: Anti-obesity drug discovery from natural plant metabolites and endogenous peptides” [Curr. Res. Biotechnol. 8 (2024) 100259]","authors":"Xiaomu Zhu ,&nbsp;Dongdong Wang ,&nbsp;Atanas G. Atanasov","doi":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100289","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100289","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":52676,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Biotechnology","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100289"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Lipid droplets dependent or independent cytoprotective activities of unsaturated fatty acids, Lorenzo’s oil and sulfo-N-succinimidyl oleate on 7-ketocholesterol-induced oxidative stress, organelle dysfunction and cell death on 158N and ARPE-19 cells: Cell targets and benefits of sulfo-N-succinimidyl oleate” [Curr. Res. Biotechnol. 7 (2024) 100195]","authors":"Thomas Nury ,&nbsp;Imen Ghzaiel ,&nbsp;Aziz Hichami ,&nbsp;Claudio Caccia ,&nbsp;Valerio Leoni ,&nbsp;Vivien Pires ,&nbsp;Atanas G Atanasov ,&nbsp;Amira Zarrouk ,&nbsp;Gérard Lizard ,&nbsp;Anne Vejux","doi":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100285","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100285","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":52676,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Biotechnology","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100285"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dark interruption with red or blue LEDs mitigates powdery mildew and enhances bioactive compound accumulation in organically grown strawberries","authors":"Samar Khalil ,&nbsp;Beatrix W. Alsanius ,&nbsp;Most Tahera Naznin","doi":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Disease attack of powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) is a major concern in organic strawberry production in tunnels or greenhouses production. We examined the impact of dark period interruption with light from blue and red LEDs on the occurrence of powdery mildew in organically grown strawberries, plant performance and on berry quality. Strawberry cultivars (Fragaria × ananassa cvs. Honeye and Faith) were grown in a climate chamber for two months in pots filled with peat based growing media certified for organic production. The plants were drip irrigated and fertilized with liquid organic fertilizers. They were exposed to a control treatment with 18 h light using white (polychromatic) LEDs and 6 h darkness or with treatments involving white LED treatment for 14 h, followed by darkness, interrupted after 2 h by 4 h of monochromatic blue or red LED exposure and additional 4 h of darkness. A three-factorial experiment including strawberry cultivars, light regimes and pathogen inoculation was performed using six replicates (pots) per cultivar and treatment. Light regime influenced the biomass of strawberry plants irrespective of cultivar, and dark period interruption with using red or blue LEDs promoted fresh biomass of the canopy and roots as compared to the control regime. Dark interruption using blue LEDs enhanced the accumulated berry yield, increased the antioxidant activities and reduced the disease incidence as compared to the control regime and the dark period interruption using red LEDs. Blue LED treatment favored the performance of the strawberry cultivars. The obtained results are of interest for organic strawberry production to be implemented in integrated control strategies for powdery mildew with potential to replace the use of pesticides and enhance product quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52676,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Biotechnology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100313"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144587680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bromelain as a multifunctional anticancer agent: targeting proliferation, migration, and apoptosis in breast and liver cancer cells","authors":"Nehad A. Shaer,&nbsp;Nouf S. Al-Abbas","doi":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100341","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100341","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the anticancer potential of bromelain, a natural proteolytic enzyme derived from pineapple stems, against two of the most prevalent cancers in Saudi Arabia: MCF-7 breast cancer and HepG-2 liver cancer cells. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay following treatment with increasing concentrations of bromelain for 24 and 48 h, with Taxol serving as a positive control. The anti-migratory effect was evaluated by wound-healing assays, while apoptosis was quantified using Annexin V/7-AAD staining and flow cytometry. Expression of apoptosis-related genes (BAX and BCL2) was analyzed by real-time PCR. Bromelain significantly reduced cancer cell proliferation and migration in a dose- and time-dependent manner, induced both apoptotic and necrotic cell death, and shifted the BAX/BCL2 ratio toward apoptosis. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that bromelain exerts multi-targeted anticancer effects and highlight its potential as a safe, natural adjunct or alternative to conventional chemotherapy in breast and liver cancers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52676,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Biotechnology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100341"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145264860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis and biological study of novel FELL analogs containing L- or d-tyr instead of l-phe in the N-terminus","authors":"Boryana Borisova ,&nbsp;Hristina Nocheva ,&nbsp;Hristina Zlatanova-Tenisheva ,&nbsp;Marie Laronze-Cochard ,&nbsp;Stéphane Gérard ,&nbsp;Dancho Danalev","doi":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100332","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100332","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The high prevalence of pain affecting millions of people worldwide made it a major health problem. At the same time often, inflammation is closely associated to the pain. Thus, creation of molecules with a double effect is a good alternative to the currently existing in the medicinal practice non-steroidal medications. Herein, some modifications in the N- and C-terminus of the tetrapeptide FELL with proven anti-inflammatory properties are performed and the newly synthesized compounds are tested for both analgesic and anti-inflammatory potential. The analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of the newly synthesized molecules was investigated using Paw-pressure and Carrageenan-Induced Paw Edema tests, respectively, on experimental animals. The results showed a certain “discrepancy” between the analgesic and the anti-inflammatory effects of the newly synthesized substances. Newly synthesized <strong>BB9</strong> and <strong>BB15</strong>, L-Tyr containing C-terminal amide and free acid, respectively, exhibit a more significant analgesic activity compared to those of parent molecules <strong>BB1</strong> and <strong>BB11</strong>, containing L-Phe in the N-terminus. Moreover, taking into account the obtained results for the compounds <strong>BB10</strong> and <strong>BB16</strong>, the preferable substitution is L-Tyr, instead of D-Tyr. It could be concluded that the aromatic OH-function is probably important for the connection with the opioid and cannabinoid receptors. However, the designed structural modifications did not lead to improvement in anti-inflammatory effect compared to those of parent molecules. Moreover, in a context of the positive finding is that all modifications done save the hydrolytic stability of the molecules.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52676,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Biotechnology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100332"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144922612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing extraction of antioxidant-enriched Dillenia ovata stem bark and evaluating its antidiabetic activities in vitro and in vivo","authors":"Trang Thi Xuan Dai ,&nbsp;Tran Chi Linh ,&nbsp;Chong Kim Thien Duc ,&nbsp;Nguyen Trong Tuan","doi":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100348","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100348","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purposes</h3><div>Our objectives included optimizing extraction of antioxidant-enriched <em>Dillenia ovata</em> stem bark (DOSB)<em>,</em> and testing the antidiabetic effects of optimal extract.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study employed a Box–Behnken design-based statistical model to enhance the extraction of antioxidant-enriched compounds from <em>Dillenia ovata</em> stem bark. <em>In vitro</em> antidiabetic activity was assessed by inhibiting the key enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and <em>in vivo</em> testing was conducted using an alloxan-induced diabetic mice model.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The optimal extraction conditions were 28.43 °C, 25.48 h, 72.80 % ethanol, and a material-to-solvent ratio of 1:10 (w/v). Two compounds, betulinaldehyde and betulinic acid, were isolated for the first time from the ethyl acetate fraction of the optimal DOSB extract. The IC₅₀ values of the optimal extract against α-amylase and α-glucosidase were 18.64 µg/mL and 10.26 µg/mL, respectively, whereas the two isolated compounds also exhibited considerable inhibitory activities. <em>In vivo</em>, the optimized DOSB extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg BW demonstrated comparable or superior therapeutic effects to the non-optimized extract at 400 mg/kg BW, suggesting improved potency resulting from the optimized extraction process. The DOSB extract reduced blood glucose levels, promoted weight loss, showed antioxidant activity by decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA), increased glutathione (GSH) in liver tissue, restored pancreatic structure, and normalized blood lipid profiles.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The study supports the continued use of <em>Dillenia ovata</em> stem bark in diabetes management and encourages conservation efforts to ensure its sustainable use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52676,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Biotechnology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100348"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145465889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A study on the impact of electrode and membrane modification in stacked microbial fuel cells for wastewater treatment","authors":"Aritro Banerjee,&nbsp;Rajnish Kaur Calay,&nbsp;Somil Thakur,&nbsp;Mohamad Y. Mustafa","doi":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100278","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100278","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the efficacy of treating wastewater using microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology to the safe limits for discharge in the environment. It has been demonstrated that MFC directly converts organic matter present in wastewater into energy. The present study uses a cell design based on simple plate geometry, carbon felt electrodes and Nafion117 as proton exchange membrane separating the anode and cathode chambers. The anode was then modified with heat and acid treatment and PEM was treated with PVDF to improve the performance of the cell. Synthetic dairy wastewater with initial COD of 2412 mg/l was used to test the operation of stack consisting of four cells which were hydraulically connected in series. The stack operated with continuous flow of wastewater. COD removal of the feed water was tested in successive cells to achieve the permissible limits for safe discharge of the effluent. COD decreased from 2412 mg/l to 126 mg/l after the fourth cell. For the power output each cell was treated individually. The power density of each cell was directly proportional to the COD of the influent. The power density of the first cell that has the highest COD was measured at 77.9 mW/m², which is two times that for the cell with unmodified anode and membrane. For the first cell COD removal was the highest at 57 % and 2.6 times more than the cell with the unmodified anode and membrane. These results suggest that targeted modifications to the anode and membrane can significantly boost the MFC performance both in terms of COD removal and corresponding power output. Secondly, up to 93.66 % COD removal may be achieved by four cells hydraulically connected in series. The paper offers some insights for stacking options for implementing at scale up of the MFC technology for wastewater treatment plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52676,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Biotechnology","volume":"9 ","pages":"Article 100278"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143478906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vaporized hydrogen peroxide sterilization of powered air-purifying respirators: Efficacy and safety assessment","authors":"Yeerzati Tuluhongtayi ,&nbsp;Wenjun He ,&nbsp;Kun Cai ,&nbsp;Weifang Han ,&nbsp;Sheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Jun Liu ,&nbsp;Wenwen Lei ,&nbsp;Zongxing Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiancheng Qi ,&nbsp;Guizhen Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The COVID-19 pandemic increased demand for personal protective equipment, necessitating exploration of reprocessing methods. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) sterilization for potential reuse of three powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) brands (3 M, Kebiao, Honeywell). <em>Geobacillus stearothermophilus</em> spores (ATCC 7953) served as biological indicators, while performance parameters (filtration, airflow, battery) and material integrity were monitored throughout 60 cycles, with H₂O₂ residual concentrations measured after 30 cycles. VHP achieved 100 % sterilization efficacy under both unloaded (48/48 biological indicators) and fully-loaded (132/132 biological indicators) conditions, demonstrating complete microbial inactivation across all sampling sites. However, brand-specific sterilization varied across operational conditions. 3 M units achieved complete sterilization in respiratory conduits when powered off but showed reduced filter efficacy. Kebiao units demonstrated complete sterilization when powered off but reduced efficacy during operation at internal filtration sites. Honeywell units with activated carbon showed poor VHP compatibility, while non-activated carbon units performed better when powered off. After 60 cycles, all PAPRs maintained filtration efficiency &gt; 99.97 % and airflow rates &gt; 120 L/min, with functional battery performance. H₂O₂ residual concentrations significantly exceeded safety thresholds (&lt;1 ppm): 3.2 (2.0,4.6) ppm for 3 M, 6.1 (4.3,7.4) ppm for Kebiao, and 6.5 (4.1,8.2) ppm for Honeywell units, with 3 M showing significantly lower residuals (P &lt; 0.05). This study provides critical evidence supporting VHP as a promising approach for PAPR sterilization. However, brand-specific protocols and extended ventilation procedures are required to ensure effective sterilization and reduce H₂O₂ residues to safe level.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52676,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Biotechnology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100312"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating biotechnology into diagnostic labs: Innovations in PCR and molecular procedures","authors":"Muhammad Faran Tahir ,&nbsp;Sidra Ishtiaq ,&nbsp;Muhammad Anas ,&nbsp;Ayesha Irfan ,&nbsp;Mariusz Jaremko ,&nbsp;Shah Fahad ,&nbsp;Sezai Ercişli ,&nbsp;Hanan Almahasheer ,&nbsp;Nader R. Abdelsalam","doi":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100325","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.crbiot.2025.100325","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The field of biotechnology has significantly contributed to progress in diagnostic laboratories, especially in the early identification of genetic disorders. Timely detection plays a vital role in the treatment and management of such conditions, and numerous molecular approaches have been established to identify disease markers with high accuracy and sensitivity. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a cornerstone technique in molecular biology, has seen various advancements, establishing it as an essential method in diagnostic settings for recognizing genetic abnormalities. PCR-based approaches have transformed the diagnostic process by amplifying trace amounts of DNA, allowing for the identification of mutations linked to a wide range of inherited conditions. This review explores the role of biotechnology in diagnostic labs, emphasizing genetic disease detection through molecular procedures. Special attention is given to innovations in PCR, highlighting new PCR-based techniques such as digital PCR, multiplex PCR, and reverse-transcription PCR, which have improved sensitivity and versatility. Additionally, various PCR methodologies, their diagnostic applications, and inherent limitations are discussed. The role of molecular tools in identifying diseases such as cancer, hereditary disorders, and infectious infections is also explored. The review further outlines the evolution of PCR technologies, their integration into molecular diagnostics, and their potential to improve diagnostic accuracy and enable early disease detection. Ongoing advancements in PCR technologies are transforming diagnostic practices by enabling more accurate, faster, and widely accessible molecular testing. These innovations promise enhanced disease management and better clinical outcomes, heralding a new era in healthcare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52676,"journal":{"name":"Current Research in Biotechnology","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100325"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144893378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}