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Journal articleZhou Y, Sun M-L, Lin L, et al., 2025,
Dynamic regulation combined with systematic metabolic engineering for high-level palmitoleic acid accumulation in oleaginous yeast.
, Metab Eng, Vol: 89, Pages: 33-46Palmitoleic acid (POA, C16:1Δ9) is widely recognized for its preventive and therapeutic effects in various chronic and cardiovascular diseases, but the current production practices based on plant extraction are both economically and ecologically unsustainable. Although Yarrowia lipolytica is capable of producing POA, it only accumulates to a small percentage of total fatty acids. The present study aimed to enhance the accumulation of POA by employing a two-layer engineering strategy, encompassing the modulation of the fatty acid profile and the promotion of the accumulation of POA-rich lipids. The fatty acid profile was subject to modulation through the engineering of the fatty acid metabolism by expressing heterologous specific fatty acid desaturases CeFat5 and implementing dynamic regulation based on a copper-responsive promoter. Then, the mechanism underlying this improvement of POA production capacity was elucidated. Finally, the POA-rich lipid accumulation ability was enhanced through engineering of the lipid metabolism by overexpressing the heterologous POA-specific triacylglycerol forming acyltransferase, introducing the artificial designed non-carboxylative malonyl-CoA production pathway, and preventing lipid degradation. The resulting optimized yeast strain achieved an impressive POA accumulation accounting for 50.62% of total fatty acids, marking a 37.7-fold improvement over the initial strain. Moreover, a record POA titer of 25.6 g/L was achieved in the bioreactor. Overall, this study introduces a framework for establishing efficient yeast platforms for the accumulation of valuable fatty acids.
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ReportCoppens L, Bamezai S, Polizzi K, et al., 2025,
Microbial foods as a sustainable, healthy and resilient source of nutrients for the UK
, Publisher: IMSE Institute -
Journal articleÖztürk HB, Verdross P, Bismarck A, 2025,
Black liquor derived lignin adsorbents for removal of organic pollutants from water
, Reactive and Functional Polymers, Vol: 209, ISSN: 1381-5148We present the preparation of lignin particles from raw black liquor and their chemical modification, so that they can be used as efficient adsorbents to remove organic pollutants from water. For the production of adsorbent powders, pristine black liquor (as obtained from a pulping mill) was emulsified with epichlorohydrin and Span 80 and cured at elevated temperatures. Phospinic esters and organic sulphates were synthetically introduced to the lignin-backbone to modify the adsorbents. The adsorption of organic model compounds, Paraquat, p-nitrophenol, and malachite green were studied. Kinetic and thermodynamic data of the adsorption processes was obtained experimentally and by fitting mathematical models (Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms). Adsorbents showed adsorption capacities of Qe = 62 mg/g for Paraquat, Qe = 199 mg/g for p-nitrophenol, and Qe = 1200 mg/g for malachite green in batch-adsorption experiments. These values are among the highest for any of the model compounds presented in literature. Adsorption occurred reasonably fast for all compounds, reaching plateau-adsorption within minutes to hours.
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Journal articleHummer S, Barkan-Öztürk H, Bismarck A, et al., 2025,
Ready, steady, flow: Pd-loaded hypercrosslinked microreactors for the flow synthesis of paracetamol
, Applied Materials Today, Vol: 43, ISSN: 2352-9407We describe the implementation of monolithic polymerised high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs) as catalyst supports for the continuous flow synthesis of paracetamol. PolyHIPEs are formed by polymerisation of particle and surfactant-stabilised water-in-oil HIPEs comprising of a divinylbenzene and divinylbenzene/4-vinylbenzyl chloride monomer continuous phase. The polyHIPEs were post-functionalised by hypercrosslinking using the Scholl coupling reaction to yield polymers decorated with organophosphorus moieties and surface areas of up to 500 m²/g. The phosphorus moieties act as catalyst anchor sites for the subsequent loading of Pd via a Pd−O=P ligand bridge. The Pd-loaded polyHIPEs are used as catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, achieving turnover numbers of ∼2,000. The Pd-loaded polyHIPEs and non-functionalised divinylbenzene-based polyHIPEs are fabricated into flow-cells and used en route to Plant-on-a-Bench as microreactor/mixer for the continuous flow synthesis of paracetamol in yields of 66%.
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Journal articleCarter C, Shah A, 2025,
The Fungal Frontier: Understanding the Impact of Aspergillus in Bronchiectasis
, Chest, Vol: 167, Pages: 914-916, ISSN: 0012-3692 -
Journal articleJiang W, Newell W, Liu J, et al., 2025,
Insights into the methanol utilization capacity of Y. lipolytica and improvements through metabolic engineering
, Metabolic Engineering, ISSN: 1096-7176Methanol is a promising sustainable alternative feedstock for green biomanufacturing. The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica offers a versatile platform for producing a wide range of products but it cannot use methanol efficiently. In this study, we engineered Y. lipolytica to utilize methanol by overexpressing a methanol dehydrogenase, followed by the incorporation of methanol assimilation pathways from methylotrophic yeasts and bacteria. We also overexpressed the ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) and xylulose monophosphate (XuMP) pathways, which led to significant improvements in growth with methanol, reaching a consumption rate of 2.35 g/L in 24 hours and a 2.68-fold increase in biomass formation. Metabolomics and Metabolite Flux Analysis confirmed methanol assimilation and revealed an increase in reducing power. The strains were further engineered to produce the valuable heterologous product resveratrol from methanol as a co-substrate. Unlike traditional methanol utilization processes, which are often resource-intensive and environmentally damaging, our findings represent a significant advance in green chemistry by demonstrating the potential of Y. lipolytica for efficient use of methanol as a co-substrate for energy, biomass, and product formation. This work not only contributes to our understanding of methanol metabolism in non-methylotrophic organisms but also paves the way for achieving efficient synthetic methylotrophy towards green biomanufacturing.
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Journal articleXue Y, Verdross P, Liang W, et al., 2025,
Breaking the ice: Applications of photothermal superhydrophobic materials for efficient deicing strategies.
, Adv Colloid Interface Sci, Vol: 341The accumulation of ice on the surfaces of devices has long been a significant concern for human life and production. The icing of aircraft surfaces can alter the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft, reducing its controllability and decrease the flight range. Ice buildup on wind turbine blades significantly reduces power generation efficiency. Preventing ice accumulation has thus become a focal point of research. Photothermal superhydrophobic materials are characterized by efficient photothermal energy conversion upon irradiation, thus showing promise for applications in the energy-, civil- or aerospace-engineering sectors. Photothermal superhydrophobic materials are promise to be a safe, reliable and cost-effective anti-icing/deicing strategies. In this review, the design concepts, preparation methods, performance characteristics, and application areas of different types of photothermal superhydrophobic materials are discussed. After elucidating anti-icing mechanisms, the superhydrophobic photothermal material state-of-the-art is reviewed. The problems encountered in the practical application of photothermal superhydrophobic materials and challenges to be addressed in the future are also analyzed and discussed.
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Journal articleHuang H, Li H, Zhang Y, et al., 2025,
Simultaneous monitoring of tyrosinase and ATP in thick brain tissues using a single two‐photon fluorescent probe
, Advanced Science, ISSN: 2198-3844Cellular redox homeostasis and energy metabolism in the central nervous system are associated with neurodegenerative diseases. However, their real-time and concurrent monitoring in thick tissues remains challenging. Herein, a single dual-emission two-photon fluorescent probe (named DST) is designed for the simultaneous tracking of tyrosinase (TYR) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), thereby enabling the real-time monitoring of both neurocellular redox homeostasis and energy metabolism in brain tissue. The developed DST probe exhibits excellent sensitivity and selectivity toward TYR and ATP, with distinctive responses in the blue and red fluorescence channels being observed without spectra crosstalk. Using this probe, the correlation and regulatory mechanism between TYR and ATP during oxidative stress are uncovered. Additionally, the two-photon nature of this probe allows alterations in the TYR and ATP levels to be monitored across different brain regions in an Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse model. Notably, a significant decrease in ATP levels is revealed within the somatosensory cortex (S1BF) and caudate putamen brain regions of an AD mouse, alongside an increase in TYR levels within the S1BF and laterodorsal thalamic nucleus brain regions. These findings indicate the potential of applying the spatially resolved regulation of neurocellular redox homeostasis and energy metabolism to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
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Journal articleYoun T, Kim G, Hariharan P, et al., 2025,
Improved Pendant-Bearing Glucose-Neopentyl Glycols for Membrane Protein Stability.
, Bioconjug ChemMembrane proteins are biologically and pharmaceutically significant, and determining their 3D structures requires a membrane-mimetic system to maintain protein stability. Detergent micelles are widely used as membrane mimetics; however, their dynamic structures often lead to the denaturation and aggregation of encapsulated membrane proteins. To address the limitations of classical detergents in stabilizing membrane proteins, we previously reported a class of glucose-neopentyl glycols (GNGs) and their pendant-bearing versions (P-GNGs), several of which proved more effective than DDM in stabilizing membrane proteins. In this study, we synthesized additional GNG derivatives by varying the lengths of the pendant (P-GNGs), and by introducing hemifluorinated pendants to the GNG scaffold (fluorinated pendant-bearing GNGs or FP-GNGs). The synthetic flexibility of the GNG chemical architecture allowed us to create a diverse range of derivatives, essential for the effective optimization of detergent properties. When tested with two model membrane proteins (a transporter and a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)), most of the new (F)P-GNGs demonstrated superior stabilization of these membrane proteins compared to DDM, the original GNG (OGNG)), and a previously developed P-GNG (i.e., GNG-3,14). Notably, several P-GNGs synthesized in this study were as effective as or even better than lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (LMNG) in stabilizing a human GPCR, beta2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR). Enhanced protein stability was particularly observed for the P-GNGs with a butyl (C4) or pentyl (C5) pendant, indicating that these pendant sizes are optimal for membrane protein stability. The volumes of these pendants appear to minimize the empty spaces in the micelle interiors, thereby enhancing detergent-detergent interactions in micelles complexed with the membrane proteins. Additionally, we identified one FP-GNG that was more efficient at extracting the transporter and more effective at st
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Journal articleIto K, Barnes PJ, 2025,
COPD as a disease of accelerated lung aging
, REVISTA PORTUGUESA DE PNEUMOLOGIA, Vol: 15, Pages: 743-746, ISSN: 0873-2159- Author Web Link
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