Bioinspired synthesis of optically and thermally responsive nanoporous membranes

The development of porous membranes that can rapidly change flow rates in response to external, noninvasive stimuli has broad technological applications for areas ranging from biomedical devices to architecture. Environmentally responsive membranes have a fundamental role in the development of devices used in chemical sensors, biological sorters, sequencing, separations, high-throughput medical devices and labs on a chip. The design and engineering of these responsive porous membranes have been achieved through the coupling of porous membranes with polymeric materials that can change their physical conformation in response to pressure, heat, pH or different chemical entities. Inspired by the phototropic growth of coleoptiles and the light-mediated mechanism that plants use to open their stomata, in this work, light-responsive porous membranes were engineered, mathematically modeled and synthesized. This biologically inspired approach led to a state-of-the-art design technique and a device that outperforms its natural counterpart and is capable of reversibly controlling flow rates from 0.001 to 0.035 ml s 1 cm2 in less than a few minutes using the noninvasive stimulus of light. We envision that the polymeric responsive membranes and the platform synthesis technique employed in this manuscript for their fabrication could be utilized in a broad range of applications and will have a great impact on the fields of fluid handling, biomedical high-throughput devices, sensors, medicine and other fields of chemistry, biology and mechanical engineering

The future of cassava in the era of biotechnology in Southern Africa

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a major staple food and the world’s fourth source of calories. Biotechnological contributions to enhancing this crop, its advances, and present issues must be assessed regularly. Functional genomics, genomic-assisted breeding, molecular tools, and genome editing technologies, among other biotechnological approaches, have helped improve the potential of economically important crops like cassava by addressing some of its significant constraints, such as nutrient deficiency, toxicity, poor starch quality, disease susceptibility, low yield capacity, and postharvest deterioration. However, the development, improvement, and subsequent acceptance of the improved cultivars have been challenging and have required holistic approaches to solving them. This article provides an update of trends and gaps in cassava biotechnology, reviewing the relevant strategies used to improve cassava crops and highlighting the potential risk and acceptability of improved cultivars in Southern Africa

Synthetic Biology Tools for Engineering Microbial Cells to Fight Superbugs

With the increase in clinical cases of bacterial infections with multiple antibiotic resistance, the world has entered a health crisis. Overuse, inappropriate prescribing, and lack of innovation of antibiotics have contributed to the surge of microorganisms that can overcome traditional antimicrobial treatments. In 2017, the World Health Organization published a list of pathogenic bacteria, including Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli (ESKAPE). These bacteria can adapt to multiple antibiotics and transfer their resistance to other organisms; therefore, studies to find new therapeutic strategies are needed. One of these strategies is synthetic biology geared toward developing new antimicrobial therapies. Synthetic biology is founded on a solid and well-established theoretical framework that provides tools for conceptualizing, designing, and constructing synthetic biological systems. Recent developments in synthetic biology provide tools for engineering synthetic control systems in microbial cells. Applying protein engineering, DNA synthesis, and in silico design allows building metabolic pathways and biological circuits to control cellular behavior. Thus, synthetic biology advances have permitted the construction of communication systems between microorganisms where exogenous molecules can control specific population behaviors, induce intracellular signaling, and establish co-dependent networks of microorganisms

Application of Extractive Fermentation on the Recuperation of Exopolysaccharide from Rhodotorula mucilaginosa UANL-001L

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are high molecular weight biomaterials of industrial interest due to their variety of applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, environmental, and food industries. EPS produced by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa UANL-001 L has sparked interest due to its bio-adsorbent and wide spectrum antimicrobial properties. However, full exploitation and commercial application of EPS has been restrained due to low yields and high production costs. In the present work, the production and separation of EPS from Rhodotorula mucilaginosa UANL-001L was attempted through extractive fermentation in order to increase EPS production while simplifying the recovery process. Extractive fermentation was implemented with a thermoseparating polymer for phase formation (EOPO 970 and EOPO 12,000); culture viability, biomass generation, EPS production, rheological system properties, and phase formation time and temperature were monitored throughout the process. Extractive fermentation of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa UANL-001L with EOPO 970 resulted in a 42% EPS and 7% biomass recovery on the top phase after 5 to 13-min phase formation time and temperatures between 30 and 40 °C. This is the first report of extractive fermentation application for EPS production by yeast of the genera Rhodotorula, resulting in an interesting strategy for EPS production and recovery, although further optimization is needed