DNA shuffling to improve crude-water interfacial activity in biosurfactants with OmpA protein of .

Surfactants are molecules derived primarily from petroleum that can reduce the surface tension at interfaces. Their slow degradation is a characteristic that could cause environmental issues. This and other factors contribute to the allure of biosurfactants today.

Predicting the microalgae lipid profile obtained by supercritical fluid extraction using a machine learning model.

In this study a Machine Learning model was employed to predict the lipid profile from supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of microalgae sp. USBA-GBX-832 under different temperature (40, 50, 60°C), pressure (150, 250 bar), and ethanol flow (0.6, 0.

Genome-Scale Metabolic Models in Fungal Pathogens: Past, Present, and Future.

Fungi are diverse organisms with various characteristics and functions. Some play a role in recycling essential elements, such as nitrogen and carbon, while others are utilized in the food and drink production industry. Some others are known to cause diseases in various organisms, including humans.

Machine Learning to Predict Enzyme-Substrate Interactions in Elucidation of Synthesis Pathways: A Review.

Enzyme-substrate interactions play a fundamental role in elucidating synthesis pathways and synthetic biology, as they allow for the understanding of important aspects of a reaction. Establishing the interaction experimentally is a slow and costly process, which is why this problem has been addressed using computational methods such as molecular dynamics, molecular docking, and Monte Carlo simulations. Nevertheless, this type of method tends to be computationally slow when dealing with a large search space.

biofactory to produce naringenin using a systems biology approach and a bicistronic vector expression strategy in flavonoid production.

Flavonoids are a group of compounds generally produced by plants with proven biological activity, which have recently beeen recommended for the treatment and prevention of diseases and ailments with diverse causes. In this study, naringenin was produced in adequate amounts in yeast after design. The four genes of the involved enzymes from several organisms (bacteria and plants) were multi-expressed in two vectors carrying each two genes linked by a short viral peptide sequence.

Bioactive and flavor compounds in cocoa liquor and their traceability over the major steps of cocoa post-harvesting processes.

The production of fine-flavor cocoa represents a promising avenue to enhance socioeconomic development in Colombia and Latin America. Premium chocolate is obtained through a post-harvesting process, which relies on semi-standardized techniques. The change in the metabolic profile during cocoa processing considerably impacts flavor and nutraceutical properties of the final product.

Genome-Scale Metabolic Reconstruction, Non-Targeted LC-QTOF-MS Based Metabolomics Data, and Evaluation of Anticancer Activity of Leaf Extracts.

Over the past decades, Colombia has suffered complex social problems related to illicit crops, including forced displacement, violence, and environmental damage, among other consequences for vulnerable populations. Considerable effort has been made in the regulation of illicit crops, predominantly , leading to advances such as the legalization of medical cannabis and its derivatives, the improvement of crops, and leaving an open window to the development of scientific knowledge to explore alternative uses. It is estimated that can produce approximately 750 specialized secondary metabolites.

Enhancing Wound Healing: A Novel Topical Emulsion Combining CW49 Peptide and Lavender Essential Oil for Accelerated Regeneration and Antibacterial Protection.

Wound healing is a complex process involving blood cells, extracellular matrix, and parenchymal cells. Research on biomimetics in amphibian skin has identified the CW49 peptide from , which has been demonstrated to promote wound regeneration. Additionally, lavender essential oil exhibits anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities.

A Holistic Approach from Systems Biology Reveals the Direct Influence of the Quorum-Sensing Phenomenon on Metabolism to Pyoverdine Biosynthesis.

Computational modeling and simulation of biological systems have become valuable tools for understanding and predicting cellular performance and phenotype generation. This work aimed to construct, model, and dynamically simulate the virulence factor pyoverdine (PVD) biosynthesis in through a systemic approach, considering that the metabolic pathway of PVD synthesis is regulated by the quorum-sensing (QS) phenomenon. The methodology comprised three main stages: (i) Construction, modeling, and validation of the QS gene regulatory network that controls PVD synthesis in strain PAO1; (ii) construction, curating, and modeling of the metabolic network of using the flux balance analysis (FBA) approach; (iii) integration and modeling of these two networks into an integrative model using the dynamic flux balance analysis (DFBA) approximation, followed, finally, by an in vitro validation of the integrated model for PVD synthesis in as a function of QS signaling.

Multifunctional magnetoliposomes as drug delivery vehicles for the potential treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, development of novel technologies and strategies to treat PD is a global health priority. Current treatments include administration of Levodopa, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors, and anticholinergic drugs.

Design and Assembly of a Biofactory for (2)-Naringenin Production in : Effects of Oxygen Transfer on Yield and Gene Expression.

The molecule (2)-naringenin is a scaffold molecule with several nutraceutical properties. Currently, (2)-naringenin is obtained through chemical synthesis and plant isolation. However, these methods have several drawbacks.

Hemp seeds: Nutritional value, associated bioactivities and the potential food applications in the Colombian context.

For many years, Colombia was one of the countries with the largest illegal cultivation of cannabis around the world. Currently, it is going through a period of transition with a new government law that recently allows the cultivation, transformation, and commercialization of such plant species. In this sense, the identification of strategies for the valorization of products or by-products from represent a great opportunity to improve the value chain of this crop.

Evaluation of roasting and storage conditions as a strategy to improve the sensory characteristics and shelf life of coffee.

Coffee is one of the most consumed products worldwide. Among the varieties of this product, specialty coffee is a type of coffee that has been growing in the world market. This paper aims to assess the effects that the conditions derived from coffee roasting at different altitude levels have on the quality of the product.

Formulation of a novel antibacterial topical treatment based on Magnetite-Buforin-II-silver nanobioconjugates.

Community acquired infections caused by Meticillin-resistant (MRSA) have become a growing concern due to its impact on the world public health. This microorganism is a commonly spreading pathogen associated predominantly with skin infections and connected to other more severe conditions (septic shock, and generalized infection). The lack of highly effective antibiotics and treatments to control skin infections with has led to the search of novel therapies using alternative agents such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).

Novel covalent and non-covalent complex-based pharmacophore models of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M) elucidated by microsecond MD simulations.

As the world enters its second year of the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, intense efforts have been directed to develop an effective diagnosis, prevention, and treatment strategies. One promising drug target to design COVID-19 treatments is the SARS-CoV-2 M. To date, a comparative understanding of M dynamic stereoelectronic interactions with either covalent or non-covalent inhibitors (depending on their interaction with a pocket called S1' or oxyanion hole) has not been still achieved.

Lipidomic profiling of bioactive lipids during spontaneous fermentations of fine-flavor cocoa.

The impact of cocoa lipid content on chocolate quality has been extensively described. Nevertheless, few studies have elucidated the cocoa lipid composition and their bioactive properties, focusing only on specific lipids. In the present study the lipidome of fine-flavor cocoa fermentation was analyzed using LC-MS-QTOF and a Machine Learning model to assess potential bioactivity was developed.

Unraveling the Genome of a High Yielding Colombian Sugarcane Hybrid.

Recent developments in High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) technologies and bioinformatics, including improved read lengths and genome assemblers allow the reconstruction of complex genomes with unprecedented quality and contiguity. Sugarcane has one of the most complicated genomes among grassess with a haploid length of 1Gbp and a ploidies between 8 and 12. In this work, we present a genome assembly of the Colombian sugarcane hybrid CC 01-1940.

Classical MD and metadynamics simulations on back-pocket binders of CDK2 and VEGFR2: a guidepost to design novel small-molecule dual inhibitors.

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 (CDK2) and Vascular-Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2) are promising targets for the design of novel inhibitors in anticancer therapeutics. In a recent work, our group designed a set of potential dual inhibitors predicted to occupy an allosteric back pocket near the active site of both enzymes, but their dynamic and unbinding behavior was unclear. Here, we used molecular dynamics (MD) and metadynamics (meta-D) simulations to study two of these virtual candidates (herein called IQ2 and IQ3).

Dissecting industrial fermentations of fine flavour cocoa through metagenomic analysis.

The global demand for fine-flavour cocoa has increased worldwide during the last years. Fine-flavour cocoa offers exceptional quality and unique fruity and floral flavour attributes of high demand by the world's elite chocolatiers. Several studies have highlighted the relevance of cocoa fermentation to produce such attributes.

Design for Systems-Based Metabolic Engineering for the Bioconversion of Valuable Compounds From Industrial By-Products.

Selecting appropriate metabolic engineering targets to build efficient cell factories maximizing the bioconversion of industrial by-products to valuable compounds taking into account time restrictions is a significant challenge in industrial biotechnology. Microbial metabolism engineering following a rational design has been widely studied. However, it is a cost-, time-, and laborious-intensive process because of the cell network complexity; thus, it is important to use tools that allow predicting gene deletions.

Magnetite-OmpA Nanobioconjugates as Cell-Penetrating Vehicles with Endosomal Escape Abilities.

Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) has been extensively studied in Gram-negative bacteria due to its relevance in the adhesion of pathogens to host cells and its surfactant capabilities. It consists of a hydrophobic β-barrel domain and a hydrophilic periplasmic domain, that confers OmpA an amphiphilic structure. This study aims to elucidate the capacity of OmpA to translocate liposomal membranes and serve as a potential cell-penetrating vehicle.

Novel Bionanocompounds: Outer Membrane Protein A and Lacasse Co-Immobilized on Magnetite Nanoparticles for Produced Water Treatment.

The oil and gas industry generates large amounts of oil-derived effluents such as Heavy Crude Oil (HCO) in water (W) emulsions, which pose a significant remediation and recovery challenge due to their high stability and the presence of environmentally concerning compounds. Nanomaterials emerge as a suitable alternative for the recovery of such effluents, as they can separate them under mild conditions. Additionally, different biomolecules with bioremediation and interfacial capabilities have been explored to functionalize such nanomaterials to improve their performance even further.

Transcriptomic analysis of a Clostridium thermocellum strain engineered to utilize xylose: responses to xylose versus cellobiose feeding.

Clostridium (Ruminiclostridium) thermocellum is recognized for its ability to ferment cellulosic biomass directly, but it cannot naturally grow on xylose. Recently, C. thermocellum (KJC335) was engineered to utilize xylose through expressing a heterologous xylose catabolizing pathway.

New Therapeutic Candidates for the Treatment of Malassezia pachydermatis -Associated Infections.

The opportunistic pathogen Malassezia pachydermatis causes bloodstream infections in preterm infants or individuals with immunodeficiency disorders and has been associated with a broad spectrum of diseases in animals such as seborrheic dermatitis, external otitis and fungemia. The current approaches to treat these infections are failing as a consequence of their adverse effects, changes in susceptibility and antifungal resistance. Thus, the identification of novel therapeutic targets against M.