Harnessing nature's palette: Exploring photosynthetic pigments for sustainable biotechnology.

Photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, microalgae, and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (APB) have emerged as sustainable and economic biotechnology platforms due to their ability to transform energy from light into chemicals through photosynthesis. The light is absorbed by photosynthetic pigment-protein antenna complexes which are composed of pigments such as bacteriochlorophylls (BChl) and carotenoids in APB, and chlorophylls (Chl), phycobiliproteins (PBP), and carotenoids in cyanobacteria and microalgae. These photosynthetic pigments are essential in the physiology of photosynthetic microorganisms and offer significant health benefits due to their potent antioxidant activity, with properties that include anticancer, antiaging, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects.

The phototrophic metabolic behaviour of Candidatus accumulibacter.

The phototrophic capability of Candidatus Accumulibacter (Accumulibacter), a common polyphosphate accumulating organism (PAO) in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) systems, was investigated in this study. Accumulibacter is phylogenetically related to the purple bacteria Rhodocyclus from the family Rhodocyclaceae, which belongs to the class Betaproteobacteria. Rhodocyclus typically exhibits both chemoheterotrophic and phototrophic growth, however, limited studies have evaluated the phototrophic potential of Accumulibacter.

The biotechnological potential of the phylum.

In the next decades, the increasing material and energetic demand to support population growth and higher standards of living will amplify the current pressures on ecosystems and will call for greater investments in infrastructures and modern technologies. A valid approach to overcome such future challenges is the employment of sustainable bio-based technologies that explore the metabolic richness of microorganisms. Collectively, the metabolic capabilities of , spanning aerobic and anaerobic conditions, thermophilic adaptability, anoxygenic photosynthesis, and utilization of toxic compounds as electron acceptors, underscore the phylum's resilience and ecological significance.

The effect of increasing emergency department observation volumes on downstream admission rates.

Rising length of stay and inpatient boarding in emergency departments have directly affected patient satisfaction and nearly all provider-to-patient care metrics. Prior studies suggest that ED observation has significant clinical and financial benefits including decreasing hospitalization and length of stay. ED observation is one method long employed to shorten ED length of stay and to free up inpatient beds, yet many patients continue to be admitted to the hospital with an average hospital length of stay of only one day.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates production in purple phototrophic bacteria ponds: A breakthrough in outdoor pilot-scale operation.

The versatile capacity of purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) for producing valuable bioproducts has gathered renewed interest in the field of resource recovery and waste valorisation. However, greater knowledge regarding the viability of applying PPB technologies in outdoor, large-scale systems is required. This study assessed, for the first time, the upscaling of the phototrophic polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production technology in a pilot-scale system operated in outdoor conditions.