Carbon Dioxide Utilisation -The Formate Route

UIDB/50006/2020 CEEC-Individual 2017 Program Contract.The relentless rise of atmospheric CO2 is causing large and unpredictable impacts on the Earth climate, due to the CO2 significant greenhouse effect, besides being responsible for the ocean acidification, with consequent huge impacts in our daily lives and in all forms of life. To stop spiral of destruction, we must actively reduce the CO2 emissions and develop new and more efficient “CO2 sinks”. We should be focused on the opportunities provided by exploiting this novel and huge carbon feedstock to produce de novo fuels and added-value compounds. The conversion of CO2 into formate offers key advantages for carbon recycling, and formate dehydrogenase (FDH) enzymes are at the centre of intense research, due to the “green” advantages the bioconversion can offer, namely substrate and product selectivity and specificity, in reactions run at ambient temperature and pressure and neutral pH. In this chapter, we describe the remarkable recent progress towards efficient and selective FDH-catalysed CO2 reduction to formate. We focus on the enzymes, discussing their structure and mechanism of action. Selected promising studies and successful proof of concepts of FDH-dependent CO2 reduction to formate and beyond are discussed, to highlight the power of FDHs and the challenges this CO2 bioconversion still faces.publishersversionpublishe

Osseointegrated amputation prostheses and implanted electrodes

The load transfer from the external prosthesis to the residual limb via the socket can cause significant stress on the soft tissues, leading to irritation and skin ulcers. Osseointegrated bone-anchored prostheses systems create a direct structural and functional connection between the prosthesis and residual skeleton. Up to date, standardized implant systems, surgical techniques, and postoperative rehabilitation protocols have been developed for osseointegrated prostheses for the rehabilitation of amputees (OPRA), which has resulted in better functionality, fewer complications, and a better quality of life for implant recipients. The OPRA implant systems can now incorporate neuromuscular electrodes to facilitate myoelectric control and sensory feedback, which is especially important for upper extremity amputees. The latest development, called the osseointegrated human-machine gateway, allows for permanent implantation of neuromuscular electrodes, which provide long-term stable signals for myoelectric control, independent of limb position or environmental conditions, as well as artificial sensory feedback. In addition, the modular design of this system allows any part to be upgraded or replaced with minimal disturbance to the other components. The osseointegrated implants and the human-machine gateway represent frontiers in amputee rehabilitation