Search Results (1,633)

Microalgae represent a promising raw material for the bioeconomy and biotechnology. One of the key factors regulating their metabolism is light. However, the traditional approach to cultivation, aimed at maximising biomass productivity due to high lighting intensity, contradicts the principles of energy efficiency. In addition, the responses of soil microalgae to the spectral composition of light remain poorly understood, which creates a gap in fundamental knowledge. The Pleurastrum insigne CAMU MZ–Ch4 soil strain is a potent producer of valuable compounds. Physico-chemical and instrumental analysis, including spectrophotometric, chromatographic and gravimetric techniques, were used to determine the productive and biochemical parameters of the strain. It was shown that blue and red light with intensities of 90 and 150 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ are optimal in absolute terms for the growth and CO₂ biofixation, green light for the accumulation of pigments and antioxidants, and low-intensity red light is the most energy efficient for the synthesis of lipids and other metabolites. Based on calculations of product-specific energy intensity, it was demonstrated that the “more light = more product” strategy increases metabolite energy intensity. Maximum bioeconomic efficiency (the minimum cost of electricity to produce a unit of a metabolite) is achieved with low intensity of red and blue light. Full article

Geothermal ecosystems constitute important reservoirs of thermophilic microorganisms and their associated metabolic functions; however, the genome-resolved diversity and enzymatic potential of high-altitude geothermal systems remain poorly characterized. Here, we applied shotgun metagenomics and genome-resolved approaches to investigate thermophilic microbial communities inhabiting geothermal sediments from the El Tatio geothermal field, a polyextreme hydrothermal system located at ~4300 m above sea level in the Andean Altiplano of northern Chile. Genome reconstruction yielded 657 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), including 190 near-complete and 273 high-quality genomes, providing a comprehensive genome-resolved view of microbial diversity in this environment. Taxonomic analyses revealed diverse archaeal and bacterial communities dominated by members of Thermoproteota, Methanobacteriota, Deinococcota, and Actinomycetota. Functional screening identified 612 high-confidence putative hydrolase-encoding genes distributed across multiple thermophilic lineages, including genes associated with esterases, lipases, proteases, and glycoside hydrolases. Notably, several candidates were recovered from archaeal MAGs affiliated with Thermoproteus, Sulfolobales, Pyrobaculum, and Acidilobaceae, expanding the genomic repertoire of putative hydrolytic functions in thermophilic archaea. Sequence-based thermostability prediction identified proteins with estimated melting temperatures exceeding 80 °C, with the highest predicted value reaching 87.6 °C. Collectively, these results expand current knowledge of microbial diversity and functional potential in high-altitude geothermal ecosystems and identify El Tatio as a rich source of putative hydrolase-encoding genes for future biochemical and biotechnological exploration. Full article

The production of multiple proteins using a single open reading frame (sORF)/polyprotein system is a powerful strategy for coordinated multi-protein expression in eukaryotes. The most widely used approach relies on 2A peptides, but conventional 2A systems suffer from several limitations, and their viral origin makes them less than ideal for commercial crop biotechnology applications. Self-excising protein (SEP) modules are a promising alternative that enables coordinated production of multiple proteins from a single ORF encoding a polyprotein precursor. SEPs provide distinct advantages over conventional systems and effectively address many of the limitations inherent to the 2A approach. An SEP module is a fusion protein composed of an N-terminal excising domain (NED) and a C-terminal excising domain (CED) joined by a peptide linker. Using this architecture, a panel of SEP modules has been developed by pairing an engineered intein (serving as the NED) with various CEDs, including a second engineered intein, a 2A-like peptide, and ubiquitin. These modules release multiple proteins from the polyprotein precursor with nearly stoichiometric expression and clean cleavage. Coordinated coexpression using SEPs has been successfully demonstrated in several eukaryotic systems, including yeast, mammalian cells, and plants. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of the SEP technology while underscoring its major applications. Full article

Fructans and fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) are structurally diverse fructose-based carbohydrates synthesized from sucrose through the coordinated action of fructosyltransferases. These compounds are widely distributed in plants and have attracted increasing attention due to their dual relevance in plant physiology and human nutrition. In plants, fructans function as dynamic carbon reserves and play key roles in tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, cold, and salinity. In parallel, their selective fermentability and prebiotic properties have positioned them as valuable functional ingredients in food and nutraceutical applications. This review provides an updated overview of fructan and FOS metabolism, focusing on their biosynthetic pathways, structural diversity, and physiological roles in plants. Particular attention is given to the occurrence and potential functions of fructans in fruits, a topic that remains comparatively underexplored. We also discuss recent advances in strategies aimed at enhancing fructan accumulation through breeding, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology approaches. Finally, emerging opportunities for the biotechnological exploitation of fructan metabolism are highlighted, including crop biofortification, development of functional foods, and the improvement of plant resilience to environmental stress. Full article

The integration of microalgae cultivation into biorefinery systems represents a promising strategy to enhance carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration and support sustainable biomass production for diverse biotechnological applications. This study reports the CO₂ fixation performance and biomass productivity of a two-stage photobioreactor (PBR) system employed for the continuous cultivation of Haematococcus pluvialis, utilizing biogenic CO₂ generated from a heterotrophic culture. The first stage (ST1) operated as an autotrophic chemostat (ST1 PBR) with variable dilution rates (0.18–1.00 d⁻¹), while the second stage (ST2) consisted of sequential high-irradiance columns that promoted biomass and carotenoid accumulation. The two-stage PBR (ST1 + ST2 PBR) achieved a maximum CO₂ assimilation capacity of 0.747g/L/d and up to 94% CO₂ fixation efficiency. The daily CO₂ assimilation rate reached 6.53 g/d, representing a 10% improvement compared with the single-stage system (ST1 PBR). The maximum overall biomass productivity reached 0.332 g/L/d when both PBR stages were operated together, whereas the second stage alone achieved up to 1.18 g/L/d under continuous operation and a maximum biomass concentration of 3.33 g/L during batch-induced carotenogenesis. Nutrient uptake analysis revealed an increasing fraction of unconsumed major nutrients with higher dilution rates. Continuous operation under high irradiance did not induce pigment accumulation, whereas batch mode successfully triggered carotenogenesis over 13 days, resulting in visible pigment production and high biomass yield. Overall, the two-stage PBR system demonstrated high CO₂ capture efficiency, enhanced biomass productivity, and operational flexibility, offering a scalable and sustainable approach for integrating microalgal cultivation into biorefineries while contributing to carbon mitigation and circular bioeconomy goals. Full article

Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench is a European native species typically associated with dry, sunny, sandy, and nutrient-poor habitats. In European herbal practice, preparations from H. arenarium inflorescences are traditionally used for the symptomatic relief of digestive complaints. Polyphenolic constituents, particularly flavonoid and chalcone derivatives, are among the most characteristic compounds detected in the inflorescences. Intensive harvesting and degradation of natural habitats have increased pressure on wild populations. Since H. arenarium is legally protected in many countries, biotechnological approaches for plant biomass production represent a promising alternative. In the present study, shoot and callus cultures were established, and detailed extract profiling was performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode-array detection and electrospray ionization multistage mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS³). Cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, anti-collagenase, and anti-hyaluronidase activities were also evaluated. In vitro-derived materials were compared with inflorescences and shoots of the maternal plant. The analyzed materials showed pronounced tissue-dependent metabolic differentiation. The highest callus growth rate was observed for the Ha-C-1 line, which also accumulated the highest levels of chlorogenic acid (25.80 ± 3.09 mg/g dry extract) and isochlorogenic acid A (55.83 ± 13.78 mg/g dry extract). Apigenin was detected in the inflorescence extract, reaching 3.55 ± 1.42 mg/g dry extract. The extracts did not markedly affect HaCaT viability at 15.63–500 µg/mL, while the strongest bioactivities were observed for inflorescence and maternal plant extracts. Full article

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has been steadily growing across various fields in recent years. AI can have significant advantages for industries, including automation, reliable prediction, enhanced process control, and improved efficiency. Particularly, the field of academic research has embraced AI as a tool to address global challenges. Yeast strains, especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae, serve as key model organisms and industrial cell factories, enabling fundamental biological discoveries and advanced biotechnological applications through conserved eukaryotic pathways and modern metabolic engineering tools. Yeast cell biology can benefit from AI through its optimization of the fermentation process via an advanced control system, accelerated identification and classification of yeast strains through deep learning, predictive analysis of multi-omics biological data, strain engineering, and as a powerful approach in the evolution of the yeast genotype–phenotype map to explore novel biology. This review evaluates the benefits of using AI in biological studies leveraging yeast strains, discusses the challenges and limitations, and outlines the prospects. Full article

Lactococcus lactis is an essential industrial “cell factory” used extensively in food fermentation and biotechnology. However, a critical biological question regarding the regulatory mechanisms of the microorganism’s adaptation process remains unresolved: how does the bacterium transcriptionally coordinate the trade-off between primary metabolism and cell-surface remodeling during environmental stress and competence? To date, a unified, global model of its gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that accounts for this transition remains lacking. To address this fragmentation and eliminate selection bias, we integrated the complete compendium of publicly available transcriptomic datasets for L. lactis deposited in the NCBI database as of the summer of 2025. This exhaustive dataset encompasses a wide range of conditions, including thermal, acid, and phage-induced stress, as well as natural competence, providing the necessary transcriptional variance for robust network inference. We implemented an integrated bioinformatics pipeline using the GENIE3 algorithm to infer a core regulatory network common to all tested conditions, complemented by an ensemble of DeepTFactor, Entraf, and p2TF tools to predict strain-specific potential transcription factors (TFs) for L. lactis. The co-expression network partitioned into 50 functional clusters, notably highlighting putative regulators for a unique WxL operon potentially involved in cell-surface modifications. Furthermore, we proposed candidate regulatory targets for the master competence regulator, ComX, and computationally predicted CpsY as a potential LysR-family regulator of branched-chain amino acid metabolism. These findings provide a transcriptomics-based computational model of L. lactis regulation. By clearly distinguishing between established regulatory pathways and purely computational predictions, we suggest several uncharacterized proteins as putative key nodes in the bacterial response to environmental challenges. While requiring direct experimental validation to establish physical interactions, this computational approach generates high-confidence hypotheses and offers a curated resource of candidates for targeted metabolic engineering. Full article

The genus Lilium (Family Liliaceae), comprising economically important ornamental and medicinal perennial herbaceous plants, has gained increasing scientific interest due to its rich phytochemical diversity and broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. Several Lilium species have been traditionally utilized in various medicinal systems for the treatment of respiratory, inflammatory, gastrointestinal and neurological disorders. Among them, Lilium polyphyllum D. Don ex Royle is recognized as one of the beneficial medicinal species because of its ethnopharmacological importance and diverse bioactive constituents. Phytochemical investigations of Lilium species have identified numerous secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, phenolic compounds, steroidal saponins, polysaccharides, alkaloids and terpenoids, which contribute to their pharmacological potential. Recent pharmacological developments in the genus Lilium highlight the therapeutic potential of its steroidal saponins, alkaloids and polysaccharides, particularly regarding their action as immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor. While the isolated phytochemicals have not yet transitioned to markets, Lilium extracts are actively commercialized globally within regulated traditional medicine formulations. This review provides a comprehensive and updated overview of the botanical characteristics, phytochemical composition, pharmacological activities and therapeutic potential of the genus Lilium, with particular emphasis on L. polyphyllum. Furthermore, current knowledge gaps, including limited mechanistic studies, pharmacokinetic evaluations and clinical investigations, are discussed. The review also highlights the urgent need for conservation strategies, sustainable cultivation practices and biotechnological approaches such as plant tissue culture to protect natural populations of L. polyphyllum while ensuring a reliable supply of plant material for future pharmaceutical and nutraceutical development. Full article

Although excess generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is harmful for plants, at mild concentrations, they are able to positively regulate the metabolic pathway and signaling cascades of the cell. The mechanisms functional under the ROS-induced stress tolerance need to be decoded for the development of new abiotic stress-tolerant crop varieties with a clear vision. This study details ROS generation, roles of enzymatic antioxidants as well as non-enzymatic antioxidants, and ROS-induced cellular events. Emphasis is given to crucial topics such as cyclin-dependent kinases and mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling mechanisms, calcium-mediated cellular cross-talk, and activation or inactivation of various transcription factors. Introduction of different genetic and molecular approaches to manipulate the ROS pathway helps to find out novel recombinant plant varieties. Selection of specific biotechnological tools, appropriate omics analysis and implementation of CRISPR/Cas 9 in crop plants assist the designing of mutants. This review highlights the beneficial roles of oxidative stress, spotlighting the molecular mechanisms that support the physiological, morphological and biochemical modifications of plant cells. Full article

Pollution by emerging contaminants like microplastic is one of the major environmental concerns. Microplastics have become ubiquitous anthropogenic pollutants of aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric ecosystems, and can generate considerable ecological and health-related risks. Conventional remediation regimes are widely ineffective, due to the physicochemical recalcitrance of polymer matrices. Recent advances in microbial biotechnology have revealed several contrasting microbial taxa and enzyme systems, which can convert or mineralize synthetic polymers through a variety of pathways of complex biochemistry. This review summarizes the current understanding of microbial–polymer interactions, including surface colonization, biofilm-mediated depolymerization, and intracellular uptake of degradation intermediates. It also discusses recent developments in enzyme engineering, strain optimization employing the CRISPR method, and synthetic biology approaches improving catabolic efficiency. The advent of a variety of multi-omics technologies of metagenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics has enabled the characterization of novel hydrolases and oxidoreductases with a high potential catalytic efficiency. Advances in nanobiocatalysis, enzyme immobilization, and bioreactor technology improve the scale-up of these processes. Related molecular developments and environmental applications will promote the application of microbial biotechnology as a selective and sustainable tool for the mitigation of microplastic accumulation and the development of a circular bioeconomy that interacts positively with ecosystem resilience. Full article

Genome editing is one of the key technologies in contemporary plant biotechnology, which has been revolutionized using CRISPR/Cas systems that offer rapid, flexible, and precise options to improve agricultural characteristics, enhance stress tolerance, and accelerate breeding of crops and trees. Despite the significant benefits of CRISPR/Cas systems, their use is restricted by difficulties in genome-editing materials into plant cells. The conventional approaches include Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, particle bombardment and PEG-mediated transfection; these have contributed significantly to advancements in the field; however, dependent on specific plants and requiring tissue cultures, these methods lead to random transgene insertion and poor transformation efficiency. In addition, nanotechnology represents a novel method of delivering CRISPR cargos into plant cells using minimal invasiveness and potentially without DNA. This review provides a synopsis of the most employed CRISPR/Cas systems within plants, comparing the traditional delivery mechanisms and the various nanotechnological delivery vehicles, such as lipid nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, DNA nanostructures, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, magnetically responsive nanoparticles and green nanomaterials. This review discusses the present challenges of delivery efficacy, biocompatibility, cargo integrity, and regulatory issues, and provides suggestions for future research directions regarding nanotechnology-assisted genome editing for precision breeding, sustainable agriculture, production of crops tolerant to climate conditions, and forest biotechnology. Full article

This scientometric and bibliometric study analyzes global research trends on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-producing microorganisms and their applications in bio-based packaging between 2014 and 2025. Using the Scopus database and advanced tools such as Bibliometrix in RStudio and VOSviewer, scientific output and international collaboration networks were evaluated. The results demonstrate exponential growth in publications, driven by the urgent need to mitigate the petrochemical plastics crisis and develop biodegradable alternatives within the circular economy. Multidisciplinary analysis reveals a thematic shift from basic physiological and taxonomic studies towards complex applications in metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, the optimization of low-cost substrates such as industrial effluents, multi-omics tools, gene editing with CRISPR-Cas9, and, as an emerging exploratory approach, quantum modeling to optimize cell performance. Despite significant progress, critical technological gaps were identified related to challenges in downstream processing, the management of mixed microbial communities, and insufficient funding for the characterization of physicochemical and biocompatibility properties. It is concluded that, to ensure the commercial scalability and sustainability of PHAs, future research must prioritize overcoming these economic and technological bottlenecks, fostering strategic collaboration between academia and the biotechnology industry. Full article

Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter is a Mediterranean species widely recognized for its remarkable ecological plasticity and its rich repertoire of secondary metabolites, among which volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a central role. This review provides an integrative synthesis of current knowledge on D. viscosa, with a primary focus on its VOCs, including their extraction techniques, chemotypic variability, and biological activities, while contextualizing these compounds within the species’ broader phytochemical and ecological framework. Available evidence indicates that VOC profiles are dominated by terpenoids, particularly oxygenated sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes. The composition of volatile fractions is strongly influenced by extraction methodology, plant organ, developmental stage, and geographic origin, resulting in pronounced chemotypic variability across Mediterranean populations. Beyond their direct bioactivity, VOCs are considered in their ecological context, particularly in relation to glandular trichome-mediated secretion, plant–insect interactions, and potential applications in integrated pest management. Non-volatile metabolites are also discussed to provide a comprehensive view of the species’ bioactive potential. Overall, D. viscosa emerges as a multifunctional species in which VOCs are a pivotal, though not isolated, component of a complex phytochemical system with promising applications in agriculture, pharmacology, and environmental management. While the convergence of multiple studies supports the biological potential of D. viscosa and its metabolites, particularly in vitro, the translation of these findings into in vivo efficacy and safety remains an important area for future research. This integrative perspective highlights the need for standardized analytical approaches and chemotype-aware studies to fully exploit the biological and biotechnological potential of this Mediterranean species. Full article