Biotechnology executive order opens door for regulatory reform and social acceptance of genetically engineered microbes in agriculture.

In the United States, regulatory review of genetically engineered microbes for agriculture falls under the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology (CFRB). However, the lack of a centralized regulatory pathway and multiple oversight authorities can lead to uncertainty in regulatory review. Using three microbial-based technologies for agriculture as illustrative examples, this commentary identifies the weaknesses and challenges associated with the CFRB by assessing the current system and proposed changes to the system under a multi criteria decision analysis framework.

Biochemical characterization of a psychrophilic and halotolerant α-carbonic anhydrase from a deep-sea bacterium, .

Prokaryotic α-carbonic anhydrases (α-CA) are metalloenzymes that catalyze the reversible hydration of CO to bicarbonate and proton. We had reported the first crystal structure of a pyschrohalophilic α-CA from a deep-sea bacterium, SS9. In this manuscript, we report the first biochemical characterization of α-CA (PprCA) which revealed several catalytic properties that are atypical for this class of CA's.

Streptomyces spp. as biocatalyst sources in pulp and paper and textile industries: Biodegradation, bioconversion and valorization of waste.

Complex polymers represent a challenge for remediating environmental pollution and an opportunity for microbial-catalysed conversion to generate valorized chemicals. Members of the genus Streptomyces are of interest because of their potential use in biotechnological applications. Their versatility makes them excellent sources of biocatalysts for environmentally responsible bioconversion, as they have a broad substrate range and are active over a wide range of pH and temperature.

Nitrogen Fixation and Ammonium Assimilation Pathway Expression of Geobacter sulfurreducens Changes in Response to the Anode Potential in Microbial Electrochemical Cells.

Nitrogen gas (N) fixation in the anode-respiring bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens occurs through complex, multistep processes. Optimizing ammonium (NH) production from this bacterium in microbial electrochemical technologies (METs) requires an understanding of how those processes are regulated in response to electrical driving forces. In this study, we quantified gene expression levels (via RNA sequencing) of G.

Survivability of Salmonella Typhimurium (ATCC 14208) and Listeria innocua (ATCC 51742) on lignocellulosic materials for paper packaging.

Lignocellulosic materials are widely used for food packaging due to their renewable and biodegradable nature. However, their porous and absorptive properties can lead to the uptake and retention of bacteria during food processing, transportation, and storage, which pose a potential risk for outbreaks of foodborne disease. Thus, it is of great importance to understand how bacteria proliferate and survive on lignocellulosic surfaces.

Microbial Diversity in Four Rhizocompartments (Bulk Soil, Rhizosphere, Rhizoplane, and Endosphere) of Four Winter Wheat Varieties at the Fully Emerged Flag Leaf Growth Stage.

Community composition and recruitment are important elements of plant-microbe interactions and may provide insights for plant development and resilience. The results of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing from four rhizocompartments for four wheat cultivars grown under controlled conditions and sampled after flag leaf emergence are provided. Data demonstrate differences in microbial communities according to rhizocompartment.

Diversity and Structure of Bacterial Communities in Different Rhizocompartments (Rhizoplane, Rhizosphere, and Bulk) at Flag Leaf Emergence in Four Winter Wheat Varieties.

Understanding basic interactions at the plant-soil interphase is critical if we are to exploit natural microbial communities for improved crop resilience. We report here 16S amplicon sequencing data from 3 rhizocompartments of 4 wheat cultivars grown under controlled greenhouse conditions. We observed that rhizocompartments and cultivar affect the community composition.

Temperature and solvent exposure response of three fatty acid peroxygenase enzymes for application in industrial enzyme processes.

Free fatty acids (FFAs) are a useful feedstock for a range of industrial chemical synthesis applications. However, efficiently converting FFAs to molecules for biofuel and other high-value chemicals requires more efficient and cost-effective catalysts. Cytochrome P450 fatty acid peroxygenases (CYP152) have a unique chemistry that allows use of the peroxide shunt pathway for biochemical conversion of FFAs.

In situ HO generation methods in the context of enzyme biocatalysis.

Hydrogen peroxide is a versatile oxidant that has use in medical and biotechnology industries. Many enzymes require this oxidant as a reaction mediator in order to undergo their oxygenation chemistries. While there is a reliable method for generating hydrogen peroxide via an anthraquinone cycle, there are several advantages for generating hydrogen in situ.

Bacterial valorization of pulp and paper industry process streams and waste.

The pulp and paper industry is a major source of lignocellulose-containing streams. The components of lignocellulose material are lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose that may be hydrolyzed into their smaller components and used as feedstocks for valorization efforts. Much of this material is contained in underutilized streams and waste products, such as black liquor, pulp and paper sludge, and wastewater.

Structure, Function, and Thermal Adaptation of the Biotin Carboxylase Domain Dimer from 2-Oxoglutarate Carboxylase.

2-Oxoglutarate carboxylase (OGC), a unique member of the biotin-dependent carboxylase family from the order Aquificales, captures dissolved CO via the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle. Structure and function studies of OGC may facilitate adaptation of the rTCA cycle to increase the level of carbon fixation for biofuel production. Here we compare the biotin carboxylase (BC) domain of OGC with the well-studied mesophilic homologues to identify features that may contribute to thermal stability and activity.

A review of clothing microbiology: the history of clothing and the role of microbes in textiles.

Humans have worn clothing for thousands of years, and since its invention, clothing has evolved from its simple utilitarian function for survival to become an integral part of society. While much consideration has been given to the broad environmental impacts of the textile and laundering industries, little is known about the impact wearing clothing has had on the human microbiome, particularly that of the skin, despite our long history with clothing. This review discusses the history of clothing and the evolution of textiles, what is and is not known about microbial persistence on and degradation of various fibres, and what opportunities for the industrial and environmental application of clothing microbiology exist for the future.

Bacterial exposure leads to variable mortality but not a measurable increase in surface antimicrobials across ant species.

Social insects have co-existed with microbial species for millions of years and have evolved a diversity of collective defenses, including the use of antimicrobials. While many studies have revealed strategies that ants use against microbial entomopathogens, and several have shown ant-produced compounds inhibit environmental bacterial growth, few studies have tested whether exposure to environmental bacteria represents a health threat to ants. We compare four ant species' responses to exposure to and bacteria in order to broaden our understanding of microbial health-threats to ants and their ability to defend against them.

Thermostable endoglucanase gene derived by amplification from the genomic DNA of a cellulose-enriched mixed culture from mudspring water of Mt. Makiling, Laguna, Philippines.

Culture-independent molecular-based approaches can be used to identify genes of interest from environmental sources that have desirable properties such as thermo activity. For this study, a putative thermo stable endoglucanase gene was identified from a mixed culture resulting from the inoculation of Brock-CMcellulose (1%) broth with mudspring water from Mt. Makiling, Laguna, Philippines that had been incubated at 90 °C.

Public questions spur the discovery of new bacterial species associated with lignin bioconversion of industrial waste.

A citizen science project found that the greenhouse camel cricket () is common in North American homes. Public response was to wonder 'what good are they anyway?' and ecology and evolution guided the search for potential benefit. We predicted that camel crickets and similar household species would likely host bacteria with the ability to degrade recalcitrant carbon compounds.

Bacteria and archaea as the sources of traits for enhanced plant phenotypes.

Rising global demand for food and population increases are driving the need for improved crop productivity over the next 30 years. Plants have inherent metabolic limitations on productivity such as inefficiencies in carbon fixation and sensitivity to environmental conditions. Bacteria and archaea inhabit some of the most inhospitable environments on the planet and possess unique metabolic pathways and genes to cope with these conditions.

Methods for enhancing cyanobacterial stress tolerance to enable improved production of biofuels and industrially relevant chemicals.

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes that can fix atmospheric CO and can be engineered to produce industrially important compounds such as alcohols, free fatty acids, alkanes used in next-generation biofuels, and commodity chemicals such as ethylene or farnesene. They can be easily genetically manipulated, have minimal nutrient requirements, and are quite tolerant to abiotic stress making them an appealing alternative to other biofuel-producing microbes which require additional carbon sources and plants which compete with food crops for arable land. Many of the compounds produced in cyanobacteria are toxic as titers increase which can slow growth, reduce production, and decrease overall biomass.

O157:H7 Acid Sensitivity Correlates with Flocculation Phenotype during Nutrient Limitation.

Shiga toxin producing (STEC) strains vary in acid resistance; however, little is known about the underlying mechanisms that result in strain specific differences. Among 25 STEC O157:H7 strains tested, 7 strains flocculated when grown statically for 18 h in minimal salts medium at 37°C, while 18 strains did not. Interestingly, the flocculation phenotype (cells came out of suspension) was found to correlate with degree of acid sensitivity in an assay with 400 mM acetic acid solution at pH 3.

Construction and Setup of a Bench-scale Algal Photosynthetic Bioreactor with Temperature, Light, and pH Monitoring for Kinetic Growth Tests.

The optimal design and operation of photosynthetic bioreactors (PBRs) for microalgal cultivation is essential for improving the environmental and economic performance of microalgae-based biofuel production. Models that estimate microalgal growth under different conditions can help to optimize PBR design and operation. To be effective, the growth parameters used in these models must be accurately determined.

A High-Resolution Crystal Structure of a Psychrohalophilic α-Carbonic Anhydrase from Photobacterium profundum Reveals a Unique Dimer Interface.

Bacterial α-carbonic anhydrases (α-CA) are zinc containing metalloenzymes that catalyze the rapid interconversion of CO2 to bicarbonate and a proton. We report the first crystal structure of a pyschrohalophilic α-CA from a deep-sea bacterium, Photobacterium profundum. Size exclusion chromatography of the purified P.

Characterization of Clostridium ljungdahlii OTA1: a non-autotrophic hyper ethanol-producing strain.

A Clostridium ljungdahlii lab-isolated spontaneous-mutant strain, OTA1, has been shown to produce twice as much ethanol as the C. ljungdahlii ATCC 55383 strain when cultured in a mixotrophic medium containing fructose and syngas. Whole-genome sequencing identified four unique single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the C.

Microbial diversity of extreme habitats in human homes.

High-throughput sequencing techniques have opened up the world of microbial diversity to scientists, and a flurry of studies in the most remote and extreme habitats on earth have begun to elucidate the key roles of microbes in ecosystems with extreme conditions. These same environmental extremes can also be found closer to humans, even in our homes. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing techniques to assess bacterial and archaeal diversity in the extreme environments inside human homes (e.

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Strains of Paenibacillus glucanolyticus with the Ability To Degrade Lignocellulose.

Paenibacillus glucanolyticus 5162, a bacterium isolated from soil, and Paenibacillus glucanolyticus SLM1, a bacterium isolated from pulp mill waste, can utilize cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin as sole carbon sources for growth. These two strains of Paenibacillus glucanolyticus were sequenced using PacBio and Illumina MiSeq technologies.

Corrigendum: Enhancing Heat Tolerance of the Little Dogwood Cornus canadensis L. f. with Introduction of a Superoxide Reductase Gene from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus.

[This corrects the article on p. 26 in vol. 7, PMID: 26858741.