Biotechnology advances最新文献

{"title":"Beyond nature's clock: Accelerating genomic diversity through hypermutation.","authors":"Ting He, Bingzhao Zhuo, Xing Zhao, Shanni Li, Zhouqing Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108638","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108638","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gene mutation is the primary source of genetic variation, yet natural mutation rates are insufficient to meet the demands of biotechnological applications. This review systematically examines advancements in hypermutation technologies designed to overcome this limitation, focusing on targeted, multi-target, and genome-wide approaches, and their transformative applications across diverse fields. By comparing these tools across multiple dimensions, including mutation scope, rate, and type, we provide insights to guide the selection of optimal mutagenesis tools for accessing distinct genetic landscapes and addressing practical challenges. Furthermore, we summarize the challenges that persist in this active area and highlight future directions such as developing high-throughput screening methods and AI-driven predictive models for mutational outcomes. By bridging the gap between natural mutation constraints and biotechnological needs, hypermutation technologies promise to unlock unprecedented innovations in synthetic biology, evolutionary research, and industrial applications and pave the way for exploring previously inaccessible genetic landscapes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8946,"journal":{"name":"Biotechnology advances","volume":" ","pages":"108638"},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144564330","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":"Morphology engineering facilitates constructing efficient cell factories.","authors":"Ji-Yuan Sun, Xiao-Ran Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108639","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108639","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The utilization of microbial cell factories for industrial chemical production from renewable feedstocks provides a promising strategy for achieving sustainable biomanufacturing. However, cellular morphology significantly affects the efficacy of microbial cells as production platforms. Morphology engineering aims to \"harnessing energy products through enlarged\" by reprogramming cellular architecture across multiple scales, thereby unlocking cellular potential to develop high-performance microbial cell factories. This review summarizes the mechanisms for maintaining cell morphology in rod-shaped bacteria and yeasts. Subsequently, we analyze current three main applications of morphology engineering in optimizing microbial cell factories. By increasing the length and width of short rod-shaped bacteria, the cell volume is increased to promote the accumulation of intracellular products. By reducing the size of the mycelial globules of actinomycetes, nutrient absorption is promoted to increase the yield of natural products. By increasing the area of yeast organelles and cell membranes, the yield of terpene products is enhanced. Furthermore, the current limitations of morphology engineering and its future development directions are proposed. This provides theoretical frameworks and technical references for advancing morphology engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":8946,"journal":{"name":"Biotechnology advances","volume":" ","pages":"108639"},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144564331","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":"Achieving photosynthesis in the animal cells of solar-powered sea slugs: A step toward artificial photosynthetic animals","authors":"Mengying Ding ,&nbsp;Yinglang Wan ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photosynthesis is a critical biological process that sustains life on earth, primarily occurring in autotrophs such as plants, autotrophic algae, and certain photosynthetic bacteria. The goal of introducing photosynthesis into heterotrophs, such as animals, to harness solar energy and potentially eliminate the risk of starvation remains intriguing. Sacoglossa is the only known groups of photosynthetic animals, which utilize the photosynthetic apparatus (chloroplasts) from selected green algae via endosymbiosis. In this review, we examined the current understanding of the integration, function, and survival mechanisms of the photosynthetic apparatus from green microalgae within the animal cells of solar-powered sacoglossa, especially in <em>Elysia</em> genus, during evolution history and life cycle. We further discussed potential methods for introducing natural and artificial photosynthetic apparatuses within animal cells for exciting applications in future solar-powered animal husbandry and human nutrition/health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8946,"journal":{"name":"Biotechnology advances","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 108636"},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517935","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":"Advanced research and exploration of CRISPR technology in the field of directed evolution","authors":"Rui Long, Dandan Tang, Tangli Yang, Mengyu Li, Yuting Lu, Wei Liu, Ling Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108633","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108633","url":null,"abstract":"Directed molecular evolution is the key technology for obtaining enzymes, proteins, metabolic pathways, and other components of living organisms that have specific functions or desirable properties, which are indispensable in a variety of industrial and medical applications. Despite the success of traditional methods, they are often limited by low efficiency and the high cost of obtaining desired mutants. The advent of CRISPR technology has significantly advanced the field by enabling precise and efficient gene targeting, offering new prospects for directed evolution. This review provides a comprehensive overview of CRISPR tools and their applications in directed evolution, highlighting the principles, technological advancements, and specific applications of CRISPR-based mutation and screening platforms. We discuss the key findings from the use of CRISPR in enzyme and genome evolution, showcasing its ability to generate genetic diversity and select for improved phenotypes. The study underscores the unique value of CRISPR in directed evolution, particularly in its flexibility to target and edit various species' genomes, and its potential to accelerate the discovery of novel biomolecules with enhanced properties.","PeriodicalId":8946,"journal":{"name":"Biotechnology advances","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":16.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144503952","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":"Exploiting glycan arrays and biosensors to diagnose and understand diseases","authors":"Ae Sol Lee ,&nbsp;Hye Ryoung Heo ,&nbsp;Young Hoon Song ,&nbsp;Chang Sup Kim ,&nbsp;Jeong Hyun Seo ,&nbsp;Hyung Joon Cha","doi":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aberrant glycosylation patterns, often observed in disease states compared to those in normal states, are involved in disease-related processes such as cancer cell development and metastasis. Analyzing glycan-associated interactions could provide promising avenues for disease detection and therapeutic development. Over the past two decades, glycan arrays and biosensors have become powerful analytical tools for characterizing glycan-associated interactions, screening functional glycans, and detecting glycan-related diseases. This review aims to describe glycan source preparation and immobilization methods used to construct glycan arrays and biosensors. We summarize methods for obtaining glycans from natural sources and for chemical and enzymatic synthesis. In particular, we cover a method of immobilizing DNA, proteins, and lipids that mimic cell-surface glycoconjugates. Finally, we discuss the biomedical applications of glycan arrays and biosensors, including identification of cancer-specific glycan biomarkers, evaluation of glycan-induced antibody responses in cancer, cancer detection, analysis of glycan-binding specificities of pathogens and their toxins, pathogen detection, and drug discovery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8946,"journal":{"name":"Biotechnology advances","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 108635"},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144503833","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":"Revolutionizing lignin valorization: Key advances in demethylation, methylation, and methyl metabolism","authors":"Na Li ,&nbsp;Si-Yu Zhu ,&nbsp;Ling-Ling Bai ,&nbsp;Bing-Zhi Li ,&nbsp;Zhi-Hua Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The biological valorization of lignin offers significant potential for the production of valuable bio-based products, addressing the challenges posed by the recalcitrant and heterogeneous of lignin. However, the varying degrees of methoxylation in the three typical lignin units represent a key rate-limiting factor for the efficient biological conversion of lignin derivatives. Herein, this review systematically prospects the processes of demethylation, methylation and methyl metabolism in biological lignin valorization. The demethylases, methyltransferases and enzymatic mechanisms associated with the aromatic catabolism of lignin derivatives had been elaborated in detail. Furthermore, a promising methyl-cycle route for microbial lignin valorization was summarized, enhancing the carbon utilization efficiency in lignin valorization and facilitating the production of natural aromatics. Novel and advanced strategies, including machine learning-assisted enzyme engineering, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering, are highlighted as transformative tools for overcoming bottlenecks in microbial lignin bioconversion into high-value products. Overall, prospecting demethylation, methylation and methyl metabolism contribute to the sustainable valorization of lignin, fostering the growth of the lignin-based bioeconomy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8946,"journal":{"name":"Biotechnology advances","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 108634"},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144503877","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":"Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for enhanced biological CO2 fixation: Advances and applications in enzyme catalysis and living cell applications","authors":"Fangcao Li ,&nbsp;Weiming Li ,&nbsp;Wanying Huang ,&nbsp;Hua Jin ,&nbsp;Chi Cheng ,&nbsp;Chuang Xue","doi":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108632","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108632","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The conversion of CO₂ into fuels and chemicals via biological routes has gained significant attention due to its high efficiency and mild reaction conditions. However, biological CO₂ fixation faces several challenges, including the low solubility of CO₂, the poor stability of free enzymes and cells under harsh conditions, and the high cost of cofactors such as NAD(<em>P</em>)H. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), with their unique characteristics including high surface area, tunable pore structure, and ease for functionalization, have emerged as promising candidates to address these limitations. When integrated into biological CO₂ fixation systems, MOFs serve multiple functions: as CO₂ capture agents, enzyme immobilization carriers, cellular protective layers, and scaffolds for photosensitizers and electron mediators for efficient cofactor regeneration. Despite extensive reviews on MOF-based chemical CO₂ conversion, their applications in biological CO₂ fixation have not been reviewed. This review first introduces the characteristics and synthesis methods of MOFs, followed by an in-depth exploration of MOFs applications in biological CO₂ fixation systems. For enzyme-based systems, this review explores strategies for enzyme immobilization and synergistic integration of other key catalytic components within MOFs, and discusses the multifaceted roles of MOFs in these hybrid systems, and their applications in enzymatic catalysis, photoenzymatic catalysis, and enzymatic electrosynthesis. Regarding living-cell based systems, MOF-cell integration through physical mixing or self-assembly is explored, with analysis of the mechanisms by which MOFs facilitate living cell-based CO₂ fixation. The final section addresses current challenges in the field, including issues related to scale-up and environmental impacts, while providing perspectives on future development directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8946,"journal":{"name":"Biotechnology advances","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 108632"},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144503834","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":"Empowering Agrobacterium: Ternary vector systems as a new arsenal for plant transformation and genome editing","authors":"Jin-hee Jeong ,&nbsp;Sung Hoon Kim ,&nbsp;Jae-Yean Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The continuous evolution of plant transformation technologies is pivotal for accelerating genetic advancements in agriculture. Among these, ternary vector systems have emerged as a transformative innovation, significantly enhancing <em>Agrobacterium</em>-mediated plant transformation by overcoming critical biological barriers. Unlike traditional binary vectors, ternary vector systems incorporate accessory virulence genes and immune suppressors that overcome the intrinsic transformation barriers of recalcitrant crops. This has enabled 1.5- to 21.5-fold increases in stable transformation efficiency in species previously resistant to <em>Agrobacterium</em>-mediated transformation, such as maize, sorghum, and soybean, thereby expanding the effective host range of plant genetic engineering. Furthermore, the fusion of ternary vectors with advanced genome editing technologies like CRISPR/Cas is revolutionizing precision breeding, facilitating unprecedented control over genetic modifications. Future innovations are likely to focus on expanding the capabilities of ternary vectors, including transient delivery of morphogenic factors to enhance regeneration and organelle-targeted transformation for broader genetic modifications. Additionally, refining <em>Agrobacterium</em> engineering, such as developing auxotrophic strains for improved biosafety and optimizing secretion systems for enhanced protein delivery, presents exciting opportunities for further advancements. This review highlights the recent breakthroughs in ternary vector engineering, including its potential to optimize regeneration pathways via morphogenic factors and extend genetic transformation to previously unamenable plant species. By bridging the gap between transformation efficiency and targeted genome modifications, these advancements are reshaping the landscape of plant biotechnology, driving more resilient and high-performing crops in an era of global agricultural challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8946,"journal":{"name":"Biotechnology advances","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 108631"},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490872","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":"Revolutionizing gut health: advances in encapsulation strategies for probiotics and bioactive molecules","authors":"Andrea Martelli ,&nbsp;Yousra O.A. Mohamed ,&nbsp;Gloria Gallego-Ferrer ,&nbsp;Piergiorgio Gentile ,&nbsp;Joel Girón-Hernández","doi":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108630","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108630","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advancements in biotechnology underscore the critical role of gastrointestinal microbiome in health and disease. Probiotic supplementation offers therapeutic potential, particularly for functional gastrointestinal disorders, which affect over 40 % of the global population and impair quality of life. Despite a rapidly growing probiotics market, many formulations suffer from poor efficacy due to challenges such as gastric survival, temperature sensitivity and poor colonization of the gut lining. Encapsulation technologies have emerged as potential solutions, offering protection for probiotics but introducing complexities related to biopolymer coatings and adhesion efficiency. Moreover, reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly influence gut health with excess ROS contributing to dysbiosis, intestinal barrier disruption and inflammation. While dietary antioxidants offer some benefits, their rapid clearance and nonspecific biodistribution limit therapeutic efficacy. Encapsulation strategies integrating probiotics with phenolic antioxidants have demonstrated enhanced survival, adhesion, and antioxidant activity, presenting a promising avenue for gut health interventions. This review primarily aims to explore innovative approaches to encapsulated probiotic formulations, emphasizing their potential to address current limitations and improve gut health. Specifically, the review examines key areas of focus including the design and manufacturing of systems incorporating live microorganisms and bioactive molecules; evaluation of their digestion, release and bioactivity; and their <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> efficacy. Finally, regulatory considerations and future research directions, focused on advancing smart encapsulation strategies and novel delivery systems to enhance therapeutic efficacy and address current challenges in gut health interventions are also explored.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8946,"journal":{"name":"Biotechnology advances","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 108630"},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144494533","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":"Split technology in sensors based on CRISPR/Cas12a system","authors":"Xianmin Ding ,&nbsp;Xueying Lei ,&nbsp;Songcheng Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108629","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108629","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>CRISPR/Cas12a system has become a popular tool for nucleic acid analysis in recent years due to its high specificity, sensitivity and programmability. Recently, split technology has been applied to the CRISPR/Cas12a system for activators, crRNA, reporter and Cas12a. As a result, dsDNA without PAM, short ssDNA less than 15 nucleotides, and RNA can be directly detected, which are beyond the target scope of the canonical CRISPR/Cas12a system. Label-free reporter with lower cost can be incorporated into sensors based on the CRISPR/Cas12a system. Logic circuits with multiple inputs and outputs can be constructed in cells. Therefore, split technology can expand the target scope, enhance crRNA stability, increase strategy programmability, and reduce detection cost for the CRISPR/Cas12a system. In this review, we focus on the advancements of split technology in sensors based on the CRISPR/Cas12a system. We also summarize the advantages brought by split technology and discuss the challenges and perspectives of sensors based on the CRISPR/Cas12a system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8946,"journal":{"name":"Biotechnology advances","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 108629"},"PeriodicalIF":12.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144335608","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}