Chuan Liu, Xuanping Zhao, Zichao Wang et al.

Journal of Nanobiotechnology • 2023

Bacterial wound infections are a serious threat due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Herein, we report an innovative hybrid nanozyme independent of antibiotics for antimicrobial wound healing. The hybrid nanozymes are fabricated from ultra-small Au NPs via in-situ growth on metal-organic framework (MOF)-stabilised Fe_3O_4 NPs (Fe_3O_4@MOF@Au NPs, FMA NPs). The fabricated hybrid nanozymes displayed synergistic peroxidase (POD)-like activities. It showed a remarkable level of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) in the presence of a low dose of H_2O_2 (0.97 mM). Further, the hybrid FMA nanozymes exhibited excellent biocompatibility and favourable antibacterial effects against both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive ( Staphylococcus aureus ) bacteria. The animal experiments indicated that the hybrid nanozymes promoted wound repair with adequate biosafety. Thus, the well-designed hybrid nanozymes represent a potential strategy for healing bacterial wound infections, without any toxic side effects, suggesting possible applications in antimicrobial therapy.

Nilmadhab Chakrabarti, Christopher Ing, Jian Payandeh et al.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences • 2013

Determination of a high-resolution 3D structure of voltage-gated sodium channel Na V Ab opens the way to elucidating the mechanism of ion conductance and selectivity. To examine permeation of Na + through the selectivity filter of the channel, we performed large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of Na V Ab in an explicit, hydrated lipid bilayer at 0 mV in 150 mM NaCl, for a total simulation time of 21.6 μs. Although the cytoplasmic end of the pore is closed, reversible influx and efflux of Na + through the selectivity filter occurred spontaneously during simulations, leading to equilibrium movement of Na + between the extracellular medium and the central cavity of the channel. Analysis of Na + dynamics reveals a knock-on mechanism of ion permeation characterized by alternating occupancy of the channel by 2 and 3 Na + ions, with a computed rate of translocation of (6 ± 1) × 10 6 ions⋅s −1 that is consistent with expectations from electrophysiological studies. The binding of Na + is intimately coupled to conformational isomerization of the four E177 side chains lining the extracellular end of the selectivity filter. The reciprocal coordination of variable numbers of Na + ions and carboxylate groups leads to their condensation into ionic clusters of variable charge and spatial arrangement. Structural fluctuations of these ionic clusters result in a myriad of ion binding modes and foster a highly degenerate, liquid-like energy landscape propitious to Na + diffusion. By stabilizing multiple ionic occupancy states while helping Na + ions diffuse within the selectivity filter, the conformational flexibility of E177 side chains underpins the knock-on mechanism of Na + permeation.

Glenda Garvey

Journal of Neurosurgery • 1983

✓ Investigative work continues to provide guidance toward more rational management of bacterial meningitis and bacterial brain abscess. An increased understanding of the host's response in cases of bacterial meningitis has established that diffusibility of an antibiotic into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is necessary, but is not sufficient for microbial cure. The antibiotic must also have a bactericidal effect on the pathogen. Meningitis after neurosurgery may be caused by Gram-negative aerobic bacilli. In some of these cases the newer cephalosporin antibiotics may be a useful advance. Meningitis complicating ventricular CSF shunts presents a paradigm for the problem of eradicating foreign body-related infections. Studies of the interaction of the host, the organism, and the shunt material offer some explanation for the limited efficacy of antibiotics observed in this setting. There have been advances in microbial definition of bacterial brain abscess. The identification of Bacteroides fragilis as a pathogen in certain brain abscesses has established a role for a newly available antibiotic, metronidazole. The study of the pathological distinction between cerebritis and frank abscess is clarifying two clinical characteristics of brain abscess: the limited success of antibiotic treatment and the increase in intracranial pressure. Computerized tomography has offered a valuable clinical “look” at brain abscesses; however, there are still problems in correlating the scan images with the evolving pathogical process.

Zhen Jia

Focus on Bacterial Biofilms • 2022

Biofilm refers to a viable bacterial community wrapped in self-produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) matrix. As bacteria shielded by EPS are viable and can resist broad hostile environments and antimicrobial agents, biofilm poses a massive challenge to industries and human health. Currently, biofilm has accounted for widespread and severe safety issues, infections, and economic loss. Various antifouling strategies have been designed and developed to prevent biofilm formation. As bacterial biofilm is perceived as a dynamic multistage process in which bacterial attachment on solid surfaces is the prerequisite for biofilm formation, the interference with the attachment is the most promising environmentally benign option to antifouling. The chapter summarizes and discusses the antifouling strategies that interfere with the adhesion between bacteria and substrate surfaces. These strategies primarily focus on modifying the substrate surface’s topographical and physicochemical properties.

Jinjin Shen, Xiaoming Zhou, Yuanyue Shan et al.

Nature Communications • 2020

Abstract The ability to detect low numbers of microbial cells in food and clinical samples is highly valuable but remains a challenge. Here we present a detection system (called ‘APC-Cas’) that can detect very low numbers of a bacterial pathogen without isolation, using a three-stage amplification to generate powerful fluorescence signals. APC-Cas involves a combination of nucleic acid-based allosteric probes and CRISPR-Cas13a components. It can selectively and sensitively quantify Salmonella Enteritidis cells (from 1 to 10 5 CFU) in various types of samples such as milk, showing similar or higher sensitivity and accuracy compared with conventional real-time PCR. Furthermore, APC-Cas can identify low numbers of S . Enteritidis cells in mouse serum, distinguishing mice with early- and late-stage infection from uninfected mice. Our method may have potential clinical applications for early diagnosis of pathogens.

Meghna Thakur, Scott N. Dean, Julie C. Caruana et al.

Bioengineering • 2023

The use of biological systems in manufacturing and medical applications has seen a dramatic rise in recent years as scientists and engineers have gained a greater understanding of both the strengths and limitations of biological systems. Biomanufacturing, or the use of biology for the production of biomolecules, chemical precursors, and others, is one particular area on the rise as enzymatic systems have been shown to be highly advantageous in limiting the need for harsh chemical processes and the formation of toxic products. Unfortunately, biological production of some products can be limited due to their toxic nature or reduced reaction efficiency due to competing metabolic pathways. In nature, microbes often secrete enzymes directly into the environment or encapsulate them within membrane vesicles to allow catalysis to occur outside the cell for the purpose of environmental conditioning, nutrient acquisition, or community interactions. Of particular interest to biotechnology applications, researchers have shown that membrane vesicle encapsulation often confers improved stability, solvent tolerance, and other benefits that are highly conducive to industrial manufacturing practices. While still an emerging field, this review will provide an introduction to biocatalysis and bacterial membrane vesicles, highlight the use of vesicles in catalytic processes in nature, describe successes of engineering vesicle/enzyme systems for biocatalysis, and end with a perspective on future directions, using selected examples to illustrate these systems’ potential as an enabling tool for biotechnology and biomanufacturing.

Tarek Dishisha, Sang-Hyun Pyo, R. Hatti-Kaul

Microbial Cell Factories • 2015

AbstractBackground3-Hydroxypropionic acid (3HP) and acrylic acid (AA) are industrially important platform- and secondary chemical, respectively. Their production from renewable resources by environment-friendly processes is desirable. In the present study, both chemicals were almost quantitatively produced from biodiesel-derived glycerol by an integrated process involving microbial and chemical catalysis.ResultsGlycerol was initially converted in a fed-batch mode of operation to equimolar quantities of 3HP and 1,3-propanediol (1,3PDO) under anaerobic conditions using resting cells of Lactobacillus reuteri as a biocatalyst. The feeding rate of glycerol was controlled at 62.5 mg/gCDW.h which is half the maximum metabolic flux of glycerol to 3HP and 1,3PDO through the L. reuteri propanediol-utilization (pdu) pathway to prevent accumulation of the inhibitory intermediate, 3-hydroxypronionaldehyde (3HPA). Subsequently, the cell-free supernatant containing the mixture of 3HP and 1,3PDO was subjected to selective oxidation under aerobic conditions using resting cells of Gluconobacter oxydans where 1,3PDO was quantitatively converted to 3HP in a batch system. The optimum conditions for the bioconversion were 10 g/L substrate and 5.2 g/L cell dry weight. Higher substrate concentrations led to enzyme inhibition and incomplete conversion. The resulting solution of 3HP was dehydrated to AA over titanium dioxide (TiO2) at 230 °C with a yield of >95 %.ConclusionsThe present study represents the first report on an integrated process for production of acrylic acid at high purity and -yield from glycerol through 3HP as intermediate without any purification step. The proposed process could have potential for industrial production of 3HP and AA after further optimization.Graphical abstractIntegrated three-step process for conversion of biodiesel glycerol to 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3HP) and acrylic acid (AA). Glycerol was initially converted to equimolar quantities of 3HP and 1,3-propanediol (1,3PDO) using resting cells of Lactobacillus reuteri. Subsequently, the cell-free supernatant containing the mixture of 3HP and 1,3PDO was subjected to selective oxidation using resting cells of Gluconobacter oxydans where 1,3PDO was quantitatively converted to 3HP. The resulting solution of 3HP was dehydrated to AA over titanium dioxide (TiO2) at 230 °C.

Zhichao Yu, Zhenjin Xu, Ruijin Zeng et al.

Angewandte Chemie International Edition • 2024

The global crisis of bacterial infections is exacerbated by the escalating threat of microbial antibiotic resistance. Nanozymes promise to provide ingenious solutions. Here, we reported a homogeneous catalytic structure of Pt nanoclusters with finely tuned metal-organic framework (ZIF-8) channel structures for the treatment of infected wounds. Catalytic site normalization showed that the active site of the Pt aggregates structure with fine-tuned pore modifications structure had a catalytic capacity of 14.903 ×105 min-1, which was 18.7 times higher than that of the Pt particles in monodisperse state in ZIF-8 (0.793 ×105 min-1). In situ tests revealed that the change from homocleavage to heterocleavage of hydrogen peroxide at the interface of the nanozyme was one of the key reasons for the improvement of nanozyme activity. Density-functional theory and kinetic simulations of the reaction interface jointly determine the role of the catalytic center and the substrate channel together. Metabolomics analysis showed that the developed nanozyme, working in conjunction with reactive oxygen species, could effectively block energy metabolic pathways within bacteria, leading to spontaneous apoptosis and bacterial rupture. This pioneering study elucidates new ideas for the regulation of artificial enzyme activity and provides new perspectives for the development of efficient antibiotic substitutes.

Feng Wang, Mingtong Wang, Ling Xu et al.

Foods • 2025

Flavor compounds are key determinants of food sensory quality, originating from natural sources, processing, or artificial additives. Although physical and chemical methods can effectively enhance food flavor, microbial fermentation and enzyme catalysis technology possess good potential in food flavor regulation due to their mild reaction conditions and high safety. In addition, the high efficiency and specificity of enzymes help to shorten the production cycle and accurately regulate food flavor. This review focuses on the application and regulation mechanism of bacteria, yeast, other fungi, and mixed microbe fermentation systems in flavor production. The utilization and catalytic reaction schemes of oxidoreductases, transferases, and hydrolases in flavor regulation are also deeply explored, and suggestions for the application of microbial fermentation and enzyme catalysis technology in flavor regulation are discussed.

Q. Pan, Bi-Lin Lai, Li-Juan Huang et al.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces • 2022

The efficient and durable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst is of great significance to boost power generation and pollutant degradation in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Although transition metal-nitrogen-codoped carbon materials are an important class of ORR catalysts, copper-nitrogen-codoped carbon is not considered a suitable MFC cathode catalyst due to the insufficient performance and especially instability. Herein, we report a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous copper, nitrogen, and boron codoped carbon (3DHP Cu-N/B-C) catalyst synthesized by the dual template method. The introduced B atom as an electron donor increases the electron density around the Cu-Nx active site, which significantly promotes the efficiency of the ORR process and stabilizes the active site by preventing demetallization. Thus, the 3DHP Cu-N/B-C catalyst exhibited excellent ORR performance with the half-wave potential of 0.83 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) in a 0.1 M KOH electrolyte and 0.68 V (vs RHE) in a 50 mM PBS electrolyte. Meanwhile, 3DHP Cu-N/B-C had satisfactory stability with 94.16% current retention after 24 h of chronoamperometry test, which is better than that of 20% Pt/C. The MFCs using 3DHP Cu-N/B-C not only showed a maximum power density of up to 760.14 ± 19.03 mW m-2 but also operating durability of more than 50 days. Moreover, the 16S rDNA sequencing results presented that the 3DHP Cu-N/B-C catalyst had a positive effect on the microbial community of the MFC with more anaerobic electroactive bacteria in the anode biofilm and fewer aerobic bacteria in the cathode biofilm. This study provides a new approach for the development of Cu-based ORR electrocatalysts as well as guidance for the rational design of high-performance MFCs.

Nina Klos, Ole Osterthun, H. G. Mengers et al.

JACS Au • 2024

The chemical industry can now seize the opportunity to improve the sustainability of its processes by replacing fossil carbon sources with renewable alternatives such as CO2, biomass, and plastics, thereby thinking ahead and having a look into the future. For their conversion to intermediate and final products, different types of catalysts—microbial, enzymatic, and organometallic—can be applied. The first part of this review shows how these catalysts can work separately in parallel, each route with unique requirements and advantages. While the different types of catalysts are often seen as competitive approaches, an increasing number of examples highlight, how combinations and concatenations of catalysts of the complete spectrum can open new roads to new products. Therefore, the second part focuses on the different catalysts either in one-step, one-pot transformations or in reaction cascades. In the former, the reaction conditions must be conflated but purification steps are minimized. In the latter, each catalyst can work under optimal conditions and the “hand-over points” should be chosen according to defined criteria like minimal energy usage during separation procedures. The examples are discussed in the context of the contributions of catalysis to the envisaged (bio)economy.

Chengcheng Feng, You Wu, Zizhe Cai et al.

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture • 2024

BACKGROUND Flax lignan has attracted much attention due to its potential bioactivities. However, the bioavailability of Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside(SDG), the main lignan in flaxseed, depends on the bioconversion by the colon bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with β-glucosidase activity found wide application in preparing bioactive aglycone. RESULTS LAB strains with good β-glucosidase activity were isolated from fermented tofu. Their bioconversion of flax lignan extract was investigated by resting cell catalysis and microbial fermentation, and the metabolism of SDG by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum C5 following fermentation was characterized by widely targeted metabolomics. Five L. plantarum strains producing β-glucosidase with broad substrate specificity were isolated and identified, and they all can transform SDG into Secoisolariciresinol (SECO). L. plantarum C5 resting cell reached a maximum SDG conversion of 49.19 ± 3.75%, and SECO generation of 21.49 ± 1.32% (0.215 ± 0.013 mM) at an SDG substrate concentration of 1 mM and 0.477 ± 0.003 mM SECO was produced at 4 mM within 24 h. While sixteen flax lignan metabolites were identified following the fermentation of SDG extract by L. plantarum C5, among them, four were produced following the fermentation: SECO, demethyl-SECO, demethyl-dehydroxy-SECO, and isolariciresinol. Moreover, seven lignans increased significantly. CONCLUSION Fermentation significantly increased the profile and level of flax lignan metabolites, and the resting cell catalysis benefits from higher bioconversion efficiency and more straightforward product separation. Resting cell catalysis and microbial fermentation of flax lignan extract by the isolated β-glucosidase production L. plantarum could be potentially applied in preparing flax lignan ingredients and fermented flaxseed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

M. Van Den Berghe, Nathan G. Walworth, Neil C. Dalvie et al.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology • 2023

One of the greatest threats facing the planet is the continued increase in excess greenhouse gasses, with CO2 being the primary driver due to its rapid increase in only a century. Excess CO2 is exacerbating known climate tipping points that will have cascading local and global effects including loss of biodiversity, global warming, and climate migration. However, global reduction of CO2 emissions is not enough. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) will also be needed to avoid the catastrophic effects of global warming. Although the drawdown and storage of CO2 occur naturally via the coupling of the silicate and carbonate cycles, they operate over geological timescales (thousands of years). Here, we suggest that microbes can be used to accelerate this process, perhaps by orders of magnitude, while simultaneously producing potentially valuable by-products. This could provide both a sustainable pathway for global drawdown of CO2 and an environmentally benign biosynthesis of materials. We discuss several different approaches, all of which involve enhancing the rate of silicate weathering. We use the silicate mineral olivine as a case study because of its favorable weathering properties, global abundance, and growing interest in CDR applications. Extensive research is needed to determine both the upper limit of the rate of silicate dissolution and its potential to economically scale to draw down significant amounts (Mt/Gt) of CO2 Other industrial processes have successfully cultivated microbial consortia to provide valuable services at scale (e.g., wastewater treatment, anaerobic digestion, fermentation), and we argue that similar economies of scale could be achieved from this research.

Naoya Kasai, Toshio Suzuki

Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis • 2003

Abstract This account describes the research and development of the microbial resolution of chiral C 3 and C 4 synthetic units through to the production stage. These chiral C 3 and C 4 synthetic units are mainly used for the production of various pharmaceuticals, new materials such as liquid crystals, chiral polymers, and natural compounds as well as in basic chemical research. The research started in 1983 and the industrial plant was built in 1994. The development is still ongoing and is being broadened to include C 4 chiral units, chiral propylene glycol, and so on. This project started as simple research on the activated sludge from an epichlorohydrin plant and evolved through many events and much research to an industrial production. We describe the various implications and the flow of events in the research and development through to the production of these chiral C 3 and C 4 synthetic units.

Shuang Li, Chong Cheng, Arne Thomas

Advanced Materials • 2017

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have attracted considerable interest due to their potential in renewable electrical power generation using the broad diversity of biomass and organic substrates. However, the difficulties in achieving high power densities and commercially affordable electrode materials have limited their industrial applications to date. Carbon materials, which can exhibit a wide range of different morphologies and structures, usually possess physiological activity to interact with microorganisms and are therefore fast‐emerging electrode materials. As the anode, carbon materials can significantly promote interfacial microbial colonization and accelerate the formation of extracellular biofilms, which eventually promotes the electrical power density by providing a conductive microenvironment for extracellular electron transfer. As the cathode, carbon‐based materials can function as catalysts for the oxygen‐reduction reaction, showing satisfying activities and efficiencies nowadays even reaching the performance of Pt catalysts. Here, first, recent advancements on the design of carbon materials for anodes in MFCs are summarized, and the influence of structure and surface functionalization of different types of carbon materials on microorganism immobilization and electrochemical performance is elucidated. Then, synthetic strategies and structures of typical carbon‐based cathodes in MFCs are briefly presented. Furthermore, future applications of carbon‐electrode‐based MFC devices in the energy, environmental, and biological fields are discussed, and the emerging challenges in transferring them from laboratory to industrial scale are described.

, M. A. Motalib Hossain, Syed Muhammad Kamal Uddin et al.

Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences • 2022

Diagnostic testing to identify individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) plays a key role in selecting appropriate treatments, saving people’s lives and preventing the global pandemic of COVID-19. By testing on a massive scale, some countries could successfully contain the disease spread. Since early viral detection may provide the best approach to curb the disease outbreak, the rapid and reliable detection of coronavirus (CoV) is therefore becoming increasingly important. Nucleic acid detection methods, especially real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based assays are considered the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnostics. Some non-PCR-based molecular methods without thermocycler operation, such as isothermal nucleic acid amplification have been proved promising. Serologic immunoassays are also available. A variety of novel and improved methods based on biosensors, Clustered-Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology, lateral flow assay (LFA), microarray, aptamer etc. have also been developed. Several integrated, random-access, point-of-care (POC) molecular devices are rapidly emerging for quick and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 that can be used in the local hospitals and clinics. This review intends to summarize the currently available detection approaches of SARS-CoV-2, highlight gaps in existing diagnostic capacity, and propose potential solutions and thus may assist clinicians and researchers develop better technologies for rapid and authentic diagnosis of CoV infection.

Si-Yuan Jia, Qian-Cen Shen, Yang-Chun Yong et al.

Catalysis Science & Technology • 2023

The in situ modification of the NF electrode was developed by integrated microbial corrosion and microbial mineralization using S. oneidensis for OER.

Xing Liu, Xiao Han, Yuan Peng et al.

Microbial Biotechnology • 2022

Summary 3, 4‐Dihydroxyphenyl‐ l ‐alanine ( l ‐DOPA) is a compound of high medical value and is considered effective as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Currently, bioproduction of l ‐DOPA is mainly carried out by whole‐cell catalysis mediated by recombinant Escherichia coli carrying heterogeneous tyrosine phenol lyase. Vibrio natriegens is increasingly attracting attention owing to its superiority, including extremely rapid growth and high soluble protein expression capacity. In this study, we attempt to develop an efficient whole‐cell catalyst for l ‐DOPA production using V. natriegens as the chassis. The maximum soluble protein expression by V. natriegens was accomplished in 4 h at 37°C, which was equivalent to that achieved by E. coli in 16 h at 16°C. Furthermore, the maximum productivity reached over 10.0 g l −1 h −1 in the early stage of biocatalysis, nearly two‐fold higher than previously reported. Approximately 54.0 g l −1 l ‐DOPA was obtained with a catechol conversion rate greater than 95%. In conclusion, V. natriegens displays advantages, including rapid protein expression and catalytic rate in the catalysis process for l ‐DOPA production. These findings strongly suggest that V. natriegens has remarkable potential as a whole‐cell catalysis chassis for the production of valuable chemicals.

Xuefeng Cao, Haibo Xie, Zhilian Wu et al.

ChemCatChem • 2012

Abstract With the increasing concerns into the utilization of lipids as renewable resources for production of biofuels, chemicals, and materials, the efficient extraction and conversion of lipid is one of most important issues for the foundation of cost competitive lipid‐economy. In this study, we found that by using a range of “switchable solvents” from 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene to methanol, CO 2 , a recognized greenhouse gas, can be used as a trigger to catalyze the methanolysis of soybean and microbial lipids, and facilitate the separation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and glycerol. It was found that the FAMEs can be decanted from the system in a 95.2 % conversion efficiency. The produced glycerol can be extracted from the FAMEs completely by the “switchable solvents”, and can be separated with high purity after recycling the DBU by an easy extraction process. Our primary investigation of the in situ extraction and conversion of microbial lipids from oleaginous yeast ( Rhodosporidium toruloides Y4) shows that, although a 95.4 % extraction yield was achieved, the methanolysis efficiency was only 21.9 %. Our study presents an efficient and facile process for the integrated clean production of biodiesel and glycerol from soybean and microbial lipids, and the catalyst DBU can be recycled by an easy extraction process.

Caihong Weng, Xiaowei Peng, Yejun Han

Biotechnology for Biofuels • 2021

Abstract Lignin, the most abundant renewable aromatic compound in nature, is an excellent feedstock for value-added bioproducts manufacturing; while the intrinsic heterogeneity and recalcitrance of which hindered the efficient lignin biorefinery and utilization. Compared with chemical processing, bioprocessing with microbial and enzymatic catalysis is a clean and efficient method for lignin depolymerization and conversion. Generally, lignin bioprocessing involves lignin decomposition to lignin-based aromatics via extracellular microbial enzymes and further converted to value-added bioproducts through microbial metabolism. In the review, the most recent advances in degradation and conversion of lignin to value-added bioproducts catalyzed by microbes and enzymes were summarized. The lignin-degrading microorganisms of white-rot fungi, brown-rot fungi, soft-rot fungi, and bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions were comparatively analyzed. The catalytic metabolism of the microbial lignin-degrading enzymes of laccase, lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, biphenyl bond cleavage enzyme, versatile peroxidase, and β-etherize was discussed. The microbial metabolic process of H-lignin, G-lignin, S-lignin based derivatives, protocatechuic acid, and catechol was reviewed. Lignin was depolymerized to lignin-derived aromatic compounds by the secreted enzymes of fungi and bacteria, and the aromatics were converted to value-added compounds through microbial catalysis and metabolic engineering. The review also proposes new insights for future work to overcome the recalcitrance of lignin and convert it to value-added bioproducts by microbial and enzymatic catalysis.

Kevin T. Watts, Benjamin N. Mijts, Claudia Schmidt‐Dannert

Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis • 2005

Abstract Microorganisms and plants synthesize a tremendous diversity of chemical compounds. For centuries, these compounds have been used as medicines, foods and other useful materials. The still largely unexplored structural and chemical diversity of natural products is unmatched by synthetic methodology and continues to be the most successful source for the discovery of novel scaffolds with important biological activities. Thus, exploiting the selectivity and specificity of the biosynthetic machineries that make these complex compounds can provide ways of synthesizing diverse natural products or their core scaffolds for further synthetic modification. Microbial cells can be fitted with new biosynthetic abilities using metabolic and genetic engineering strategies to overproduce desired compounds. Efforts in genome sequencing give access to an incredible number of genes from microorganisms and, more recently, from plants that can be in silico screened for new biosynthetic functions allowing tapping into the synthetic potential of microorganisms, and especially plants. In addition, by exploiting natural biodiversity by using traditional screening methods or metagenomics approaches, novel biosynthetic pathways and genes can be discovered for the synthesis of additional structures in engineered microbial cells. In this review, we will describe some of the recent developments in natural product biosynthesis, and also describe some of the emerging approaches to harness the chemical diversity that lies hidden in nature.

Richard Hegner, Katharina Neubert, Cora Kroner et al.

ChemSusChem • 2020

Abstract Power‐to‐X technologies have the potential to pave the way towards a future resource‐secure bioeconomy as they enable the exploitation of renewable resources and CO 2 . Herein, the coupled electrocatalytic and microbial catalysis of the C 5 ‐polymer precursors mesaconate and 2 S ‐methylsuccinate from CO 2 and electric energy by in situ coupling electrochemical and microbial catalysis at 1 L‐scale was developed. In the first phase, 6.1±2.5 m m formate was produced by electrochemical CO 2 reduction. In the second phase, formate served as the substrate for microbial catalysis by an engineered strain of Methylobacterium extorquens AM‐1 producing 7±2 μ m and 10±5 μ m of mesaconate and 2 S ‐methylsuccinate, respectively. The proof of concept showed an overall conversion efficiency of 0.2 % being 0.4 % of the theoretical maximum.

Abdul Anwer, Nishat Khan, Mohammad Umar et al.

Membranes • 2021

Microbial electrosynthesis is a new approach to converting C1 carbon (CO2) to more complex carbon-based products. In the present study, CO2, a potential greenhouse gas, was used as a sole carbon source and reduced to value-added chemicals (acetate, ethanol) with the help of bioelectrochemical reduction in microbial electrosynthesis systems (MES). The performance of MES was studied with varying electrode materials (carbon felt, stainless steel, and cobalt electrodeposited carbon felt). The MES performance was assessed in terms of acetic acid and ethanol production with the help of gas chromatography (GC). The electrochemical characterization of the system was analyzed with chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry. The study revealed that the MES operated with hybrid cobalt electrodeposited carbon felt electrode yielded the highest acetic acid (4.4 g/L) concentration followed by carbon felt/stainless steel (3.7 g/L), plain carbon felt (2.2 g/L), and stainless steel (1.87 g/L). The alcohol concentration was also observed to be highest for the hybrid electrode (carbon felt/stainless steel/cobalt oxide is 0.352 g/L) as compared to the bare electrodes (carbon felt is 0.22 g/L) tested, which was found to be in correspondence with the pH changes in the system. Electrochemical analysis revealed improved electrotrophy in the hybrid electrode, as confirmed by the increased redox current for the hybrid electrode as compared to plain electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry analysis also confirmed the role of the biocatalyst developed on the electrode in CO2 sequestration.

Sjef Cornelissen, Mattijs K Julsing, Andreas Schmid et al.

Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology • 2012

Abstract Mammalian cytochrome P450 enzymes are of special interest as biocatalysts for fine chemical and drug metabolite synthesis. In this study, the potential of different recombinant microorganisms expressing rat and human cyp1a1 genes is evaluated for such applications. The maximum specific activity for 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation and gene expression levels were used as parameters to judge biocatalyst performance. Under comparable conditions, E. coli is shown to be superior over the use of S. cerevisiae and P. putida as hosts for biocatalysis. Of all tested E. coli strains, E. coli DH5α and E. coli JM101 harboring rat CYP1A1 showed the highest activities (0.43 and 0.42 U gCDW −1, respectively). Detection of active CYP1A1 in cell-free E. coli extracts was found to be difficult and only for E. coli DH5α, expression levels could be determined (41 nmol gCDW −1). The presented results show that efficient expression of mammalian cyp1a1 genes in recombinant microorganisms is troublesome and host-dependent and that enhancing expression levels is crucial in order to obtain more efficient biocatalysts. Specific activities currently obtained are not sufficient yet for fine chemical production, but are sufficient for preparative-scale drug metabolite synthesis.

Benjamin Erable, Damien Féron, Alain Bergel

ChemSusChem • 2012

Abstract The slow kinetics of the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a crucial bottleneck in the development of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). This article firstly gives an overview of the particular constraints imposed on ORR by MFC operating conditions: neutral pH, slow oxygen mass transfer, sensitivity to reactive oxygen species, fouling and biofouling. A review of the literature is then proposed to assess how microbial catalysis could afford suitable solutions. Actually, microbial catalysis of ORR occurs spontaneously on the surface of metallic materials and is an effective motor of microbial corrosion. In this framework, several mechanisms have been proposed, which are reviewed in the second part of the article. The last part describes the efforts made in the domain of MFCs to determine the microbial ecology of electroactive biofilms and define efficient protocols for the formation of microbial oxygen‐reducing cathodes. Although no clear mechanism has been established yet, several promising solutions have been recently proposed.

A. Lahiri, Li Yang, O. Höfft et al.

Materials Advances • 2021

Biodegradable Zn ion batteries have been developed with lignin composite cathodes which can also generate in situ energy by lignin electrocatalytic reaction.

Yan Ai, Y. You, Facai Wei et al.

Nano-Micro Letters • 2020

A novel coordination polymerization-driven hierarchical assembly approach for spatially controlled fabrication of phytic acid-based bio-derivatives was developed. The resultant ferric phytate bio-derived polymer featured hollow nanosphere architecture, ordered meso-channels, high surface area, and large pore volume, as anode material, delivering a remarkable electrochemical performance. Bio-inspired hierarchical self-assembly provides elegant and powerful bottom-up strategies for the creation of complex materials. However, the current self-assembly approaches for natural bio-compounds often result in materials with limited diversity and complexity in architecture as well as microstructure. Here, we develop a novel coordination polymerization-driven hierarchical assembly of micelle strategy, using phytic acid-based natural compounds as an example, for the spatially controlled fabrication of metal coordination bio-derived polymers. The resultant ferric phytate polymer nanospheres feature hollow architecture, ordered meso-channels of ~ 12 nm, high surface area of 401 m 2  g −1 , and large pore volume of 0.53 cm 3  g −1 . As an advanced anode material, this bio-derivative polymer delivers a remarkable reversible capacity of 540 mAh g −1 at 50 mA g −1 , good rate capability, and cycling stability for sodium-ion batteries. This study holds great potential of the design of new complex bio-materials with supramolecular chemistry.

Giammarco Valenti, Edoardo Pagot, Luca De Pascali et al.

IEEE Access • 2021

In this manuscript, we address the problem of online optimal control for torque splitting in hybrid electric vehicles that minimises fuel consumption and preserves battery life. We divide the problem into the prediction of the future velocity profile (i.e. driver intention estimation) and the online optimal control of the hybrid powertrain following a Model Predictive Control (MPC) scheme. The velocity prediction is based on a bio-inspired driver model, which is compared on various datasets with two alternative prediction algorithms adopted in the literature. The online optimal control problem addresses both the fuel consumption and the preservation of the battery life using an equivalent cost given the estimated speed profile (i.e. guaranteeing the desired performance). The battery degradation is evaluated by means of a state-of-the-art electrochemical model. Both the predictor and the Energy Management System (EMS) are evaluated in simulation using real driving data divided into 30 driving cycles from 10 drivers characterised by different driving styles. A comparison of the EMS performances is carried out on two different benchmarks based on an offline optimization, in one case on the entire dataset length and in the second on an ideal prediction using two different receding horizon lengths. The proposed online system, composed of the velocity prediction algorithm and the optimal control MPC scheme, shows comparable performances with the previous ideal benchmarks in terms of fuel consumption and battery life preservation. The simulations show that the online approach is able to significantly reduce the capacity loss of the battery, while preserving the fuel saving performances.

Urba Ziyauddin Siddiqui, A. Pathrikar

International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology • 2013

In today’s world Electricity is considered as an in tegral utility. We can never ever think of our live s without machines. Thus electricity plays a vital role in functioning of the society. One of the portable and convenient sources of this e lectrical energy is a Battery. Battery is the basic yet most powerful part of any device. Thus a bio battery is an energy storing device that is powered by organic compounds. Bio-Battery generates electricity from rfuels providing a sustained, on-demand por table power source. By using enzymes to break down organic compounds, bio-batter ies directly receive energy from them. Bio-batteries are alternative energy devices based on bio-electro catalysis of natural s ubstrates by enzymes or microorganisms. This paper brings out an alternative solution to the conventional batteries which is not only a boon to the environment by being eco friend ly but also it is an end to worries about non renewable and vanishing sources of energy.

Khairiah, Shinta Marito Siregar, Juliandi Siregar et al.

Journal of Physics: Conference Series • 2018

This research aimed to show on electricity from Durian skin waste nanomaterials. The compounds that abundant in Durian skin waste are phosphate compounds (PO4). This phosphate compound makes the Durian skin waste has a high and unique electrical properties. Durian skin waste was synthesized using co-precipitation method to obtain LKD nanopowder with an average crystal size of 5 nm. LKD was dried at 250 °C and then washed with 100 ml distilled water and measured the electrode with variations of Pb, Al, Zn, Fe and Cu. Obtained the electrical properties as much five times greater than before, which is an average of 6.5 Volts. It was concluded that the electrical properties of Durian skin waste will increase when the crystal size is smaller and Durian skin waste can be as bio-batteries. From electrode variations was obtained that the Zn electrode had a greater electrical voltage than the Al, Fe, Pb and Cu electrodes.

Mina Arya, Else-Marie Malmek, Thomas Koch Ecoist et al.

Polymers • 2023

The rising industrial demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable materials has shifted the attention from synthetic to natural fibers. Natural fibers provide advantages like affordability, lightweight nature, and renewability. Jute fibers’ substantial production potential and cost-efficiency have propelled current research in this field. In this study, the mechanical behavior (tensile, flexural, and interlaminar shear properties) of plasma-treated jute composite laminates and the flexural behavior of jute fabric-reinforced sandwich composites were investigated. Non-woven mat fiber (MFC), jute fiber (JFC), dried jute fiber (DJFC), and plasma-treated jute fiber (TJFC) composite laminates, as well as sandwich composites consisting of jute fabric bio-based unsaturated polyester (UPE) composite as facing material and polyethylene terephthalate (PET70 and PET100) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as core materials were fabricated to compare their functional properties. Plasma treatment of jute composite laminate had a positive effect on some of the mechanical properties, which led to an improvement in Young’s modulus (7.17 GPa) and tensile strength (53.61 MPa) of 14% and 8.5%, respectively, as well as, in flexural strength (93.71 MPa) and flexural modulus (5.20 GPa) of 24% and 35%, respectively, compared to those of JFC. In addition, the results demonstrated that the flexural properties of jute sandwich composites can be significantly enhanced by incorporating PET100 foams as core materials.

Xinlei Li, Shanzhi Lyu, Jichen Jia et al.

Advanced Functional Materials • 2023

Forest fire has been becoming a conscious theme as it causes huge loss of life and ghastly impact on the ecological environment. Temperature sensor appropriate for large‐area distribution in forest is rising as a subject of considerable speculation to build a fire alarming network. This strategy needs power supplies that can support fire alarming sensors in long term. Herein, a concept of temperature‐arousing battery (TAB) is conceived that has no energy consumption at normal temperaturewhile becoming activated in fire scenario. The TAB is made of a thermoelectric (TE) generator deposited with exothermic and endothermic materials on its hot sink and cold sink, respectively. Learning from bombardier beetles, the exothermic reaction and endothermic reaction can only happen when the thermal‐responsive switches to isolate reactants are triggered in the event of fire occurrence. Even in an isothermal atmosphere, a remarkable temperature difference is formed between two sinks of TE generator, accordingly producing a thermoelectric voltage higher than 5.0 V and a giant power over 1.0 W, which are high enough to power a wireless signal transmitter. In the practical tests, the integrated self‐powered alarming system can transmit an electrical signal in 79 s when the TAB touches a forest fire.

Y. Ansanay, Alfrida Walilo, O. Togibasa

International Journal of Renewable Energy Research • 2019

Papua is the most eastern Province of Indonesia with the lowest electricity supply. In order to partially reduce the dependence of electrical supply, betel nut has been utilized to produce electricity. Betel nut is a local plant or fruit that is initially used for cultural event as a chewing gum. However, due to the less way of recycling the waste of chewing betel nut, making this plant was prohibited to be chewed in Public area. In order to introduce one alternative way of recycling waste of betel nut, the study of bio-battery utilizing betel nut was initiated. Three different pastas prepared were betel nut skin, betel nut liquid waste and betel nut liquid waste and fibers. The pastas have prepared to generate bio-battery with specific voltages, powers, currents and lifetime of bio-battery. Results showed that bio-battery from local plant betel nut has the potency to be used as an alternative source of electricity source. The highest power density and current density produced from pasta of betel nut liquid waste corresponding to a value of 6.67 µW cm -2 and 48 µA cm -2 , respectively. While highest initial voltage observed was from 0.98 mV resulted from betel nut skin pasta. Lifetime of bio-battery was performed while increasing of current observed from time 0 to 56 hours reached maximum peak of 91 µA cm -2 . Moreover, acidity measurement level of bio-battery was also performed with pHs ranges from 4.8 to 7.8. Hence, there is a possibility of utilizing betel nut as a bio-battery.

Pirapath Arkasalerks, Amarshi Patra, K. Patnaik et al.

Journal of The Electrochemical Society • 2024

Lithium-air batteries (LABs) are gaining attention as a promising energy storage solution. Their theoretical energy density of 3,505 Whkg-1 exceeds that of conventional lithium-ion batteries (500–800 Whkg-1). The commercial viability and widespread adoption of lithium-air batteries face challenges such as poor cycling stability, limited lifespan, and unresolved side reactions. In this study, we synthesized spinel CoFe2O4-decorated on bio-based poly(2,5-benzimidazole) derived N-doped carbon for electrocatalysts. Notably, strong metal-substrate interaction (SMSI) was observed through various characterizations. The bifunctional electrocatalytic activity and stability toward oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction were significantly enhanced by the SMSI, The LAB demonstrated a high discharge capacity of 18,356 mAhg-1 at a current density of 200 mAg-1, maintaining a remarkable discharge capacity of 1,000 mAhg-1 even at a high current density of 400 mAg-1 for 200 cycles. CoFe2O4-decorated on bio-derived ABPBI holds promise as a practical air-breathing electrode for high-capacity rechargeable LABs.

T. Subhani, Sanaz Khademolqorani, S. N. Banitaba et al.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces • 2024

The state-of-the-art all-solid-state batteries are expected to surpass conventional flammable Li-ion batteries, offering high energy density and safety in an ultrathin and lightweight solvent-free polymeric electrolyte (SPE). Nevertheless, there is an urgent need to boost the room-temperature ionic conductivity and interfacial charge transport of the SPEs to approach practical all-solid-state devices. Accordingly, loading filler grains into SPEs has been well-documented as a versatile strategy, promoting the overall electrochemical performance. In this era, using natural resources to extract filler additives has attracted tremendous attention to curb fossil fuel dependency. Also, there is a growing preference for materials that impose minimal environmental harm, are sustainable, and exhibit environmentally friendly characteristics. Therefore, mineral and biobased fillers, as natural-based additives, are strong candidates to replace traditional petroleum-based synthetic materials. Herein, we conduct a systematic investigation into the ion-transport mechanisms and fundamental properties of the filler-loaded SPEs. Additionally, recent advances in SPE architectures through embedding mineral and biobased fillers, as well as their hybrid compositions, are focused. Finally, the downsides and future directions are highlighted to facilitate further development and research toward revitalizing rechargeable battery-related technology. Overall, efficient methods for modifying SPEs through the use of natural resource organic and inorganic fillers are discussed, and technological advancements and related challenges are emphasized. Following the provided rational solutions to overcome major obstacles faced by SPEs, we hope to meet the demands of a greener future.

Valensia Valensia, Fitriani Halimatus Sadiyyah, Miussa Rio Hibatulloh et al.

Indonesian Journal of Multidiciplinary Research • 2021

The world is currently facing an energy crisis. This research was conducted to create alternative energy by utilizing abundant biomass in nature. The novelty of this study: (1) Use of soybean biomass with coconut water as an electrolyte paste, (2) Testing of bio-battery resistance to wall clocks, and (3) Comparison of the composition of the two materials. In this study, an electrolyte paste made from soybeans (SBs) and coconut water (CWs) with a ratio of 7/1, 6/2, 5/3, 4/4, 3/5, 2/6, and 1/7. To support the analysis, an electrical voltage test and a battery resistance test for wall clocks were carried out.  The experimental results show that the composition of coconut water increases the value of the electric voltage on the bio-battery. The composition of coconut water serves to activate the ions in the paste. Meanwhile, more soybean content will increase bio-battery life. It was found that the bio-battery with electrolyte paste of soybeans and coconut water can be used as alternative energy. The results of this research are expected to offer renewable alternative energy for world energy security.

A. Anshar, Aldi Maulana, Siti Nurazizah et al.

Indonesian Journal of Multidiciplinary Research • 2021

The use of disposable primary batteries causes environmental pollution due to the lack of battery waste treatment facilities, so it is necessary to handle the problem by making bio-batteries from orange peel and tamarind. The purpose of this study is to know the influence of good electricity on variations of the combination of orange peel and tamarind. The novelty of this study is (1) the use of biomass combination of orange peel and tamarind as bio-battery electrolytes and (2) comparison of orange peel to tamarind. The method used in this study is by experimenting with a mixture of sweet orange peel and tamarind made into pasta and put in a used battery. The results showed that bio-batteries with a variation of 25% orange to tamarind had the highest voltage and the most powerful electric current. This happens because the ion content in the variation is not concentrated so it is easy to move widely. In conclusion, bio-batteries with a mixture of orange peel and acid are the best variation of 25% orange peel against tamarind. The study is expected to reduce the use of chemicals in batteries and reduce disposable battery waste.

F. Crespilho, R. Brito‐Pereira, R. Polícia et al.

Sustainable Energy & Fuels • 2024

Utilizing microorganisms for bio-batteries is challenging, needing optimized microbial pathways and engineered electrochemical materials. Saccharomyces cerevisiae on recyclable PET electrodes forms the first yeast-based green battery with iota-carrageenan hydrogel and...

Vijay Mudgal, Preeti Singh, Sourav Khanna et al.

Energies • 2021

The intermittent nature of renewable sources, such as solar and wind, leads to the need for a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) that can provide uninterrupted and reliable energy to a remote and off-grid location with the use of a biogas generator and battery. In the present study, conventional PV panels have been integrated with phase change material (PCM) for power enhancement. In addition, various configurations (i. PV-Wind-Battery system, ii. PV-PCM-Wind-Battery, iii. PV-Wind-Biogas-Battery and iv. PV-PCM-Wind-Biogas-Battery) have been compared for the hot and humid climatic location of Chennai, India. Optimization has been carried out to minimize the cost of energy and the net present cost has also been computed. It has been found that the integration of PCM with the PV-Wind-Biogas-Battery-based off-grid system results in savings of USD 0.22 million in terms of net present cost and reduces the cost of energy from USD 0.099/kWh to USD 0.094/kWh. Similarly, for another off-grid HRES configuration of PV-Wind-Battery, the integration of PCM results in savings of USD 0.17 million, and reduces the cost of energy from USD 0.12/kWh to USD 0.105/kWh.

Yu Ding, Guihua Yu

Angewandte Chemie • 2016

Abstract Wide‐scale exploitation of renewable energy requires low‐cost efficient energy storage devices. The use of metal‐free, inexpensive redox‐active organic materials represents a promising direction for environmental‐friendly, cost‐effective sustainable energy storage. To this end, a liquid battery is designed using hydroquinone (H 2 BQ) aqueous solution as catholyte and graphite in aprotic electrolyte as anode. The working potential can reach 3.4 V, with specific capacity of 395 mA h g −1 and stable capacity retention about 99.7 % per cycle. Such high potential and capacity is achieved using only C, H and O atoms as building blocks for redox species, and the replacement of Li metal with graphite anode can circumvent potential safety issues. As H 2 BQ can be extracted from biomass directly and its redox reaction mimics the bio‐electrochemical process of quinones in nature, using such a bio‐inspired organic compound in batteries enables access to greener and more sustainable energy‐storage technology.