Redox and Photochemical Reactivity of Cerium(IV) Carbonate and Carboxylate Complexes Supported by a Tripodal Oxygen Ligand.

The protonolysis and redox reactivity of a Ce(IV) carbonate complex supported by the Kläui tripodal ligand [(η-CH)Co{P(O)(OEt)}] (L) have been studied. Whereas treatment of [Ce(L)(CO)] () with RCOH afforded [Ce(L)(RCO)] ( = Me (), Ph (), 2-NOCH ()), the reaction of with PhCHCOH resulted in formation of a mixture of Ce(IV) () and Ce(III) () carboxylate species. In benzene in the dark, was slowly converted into via Ce(IV)-O(carboxylate) homolysis.

Design and fabrication of field-deployable microbial biosensing devices.

Biosensors could enable a wide range of applications in environmental monitoring, pathogen detection, and biomarker diagnostics. While conventional diagnostic platforms like chemical sensors and PCR-based assays are capable of highly sensitive detection in laboratory conditions, their configurations, production cost, and operational requirements are not suitable for applications beyond the laboratory. Recent advances in synthetic biology, bioelectronics, and materials sciences have paved the way for the creation of novel microbial biosensing devices, which integrate core synthetic biosensors with state-of-the-art deployment platforms to create unique biosensor products.

Oxidizing Cerium(IV) Alkoxide Complexes Supported by the Kläui Ligand [Co(η-CH){P(O)(OEt)}]: Synthesis, Structure, and Redox Reactivity.

Tetravalent cerium alkoxide complexes supported by the Kläui tripodal ligand [Co(η-CH){P(O)(OEt)}] (L) have been synthesized, and their nucleophilic and redox reactivity have been studied. Treatment of the Ce(IV) oxo complex [Ce(L)(O)(HO)]·MeCONH () with PrOH or reaction of [Ce(L)Cl] () with AgO in PrOH afforded the Ce(IV) dialkoxide complex [Ce(L)(OPr)] (). The methoxide and ethoxide analogues [Ce(L)(OR)] (R = Me (), Et ()) have been prepared similarly from and AgO in ROH.

Engineering a riboswitch-based genetic platform for the self-directed evolution of acid-tolerant phenotypes.

Environmental pH is a fundamental signal continuously directing the metabolism and behavior of living cells. Programming the precise cellular response toward environmental pH is, therefore, crucial for engineering cells for increasingly sophisticated functions. Herein, we engineer a set of riboswitch-based pH-sensing genetic devices to enable the control of gene expression according to differential environmental pH.

Applying the design-build-test paradigm in microbiome engineering.

The recently discovered roles of human microbiome in health and diseases have inspired research efforts across many disciplines to engineer microbiome for health benefits. In this review, we highlight recent progress in human microbiome research and how modifications to the microbiome could result in implications to human health. Furthermore, we discuss the application of a 'design-build-test' framework to expedite microbiome engineering efforts by reviewing current literature on three key aspects: design principles to engineer the human microbiome, methods to engineer microbiome with desired functions, and analytical techniques to examine complex microbiome samples.