Ergothioneine biosynthesis: The present state and future prospect.

Ergothioneine (ERG), a rare natural thio-histidine derivative with potent antioxidant properties and diverse biological functions, is widely utilized in food processing, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and nutritional supplements. Current bioproduction methods for ERG primarily depend on fermenting edible mushrooms. However, with the advancement in synthetic biology, an increasing number of genetically engineered microbial hosts have been developed for ERG production, including , , and .

Zirconium-containing nanoscale coordination polymers for positron emission tomography and fluorescence-guided cargo delivery to triple-negative breast tumors.

Nanoscale coordination polymer (NCP) is a class of hybrid materials formed by self-assembly of metal ions and organic ligands through coordination. The applications of NCP in biomedicine are quite extensive due to the diversity choice of metal ions and organic ligands. Here we designed Zr-P1 NCP based on Zr selected as metal ion nodes and tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) ethylene as bridging ligands.

Biomimetic-Functionalized, Tannic Acid-Templated Mesoporous Silica as a New Support for Immobilization of NHase.

Tannic acid-templated mesoporous silica (TAMS) was synthesized using a simple nonsurfactant template method and dopamine-functionalized TAMS (Dop-TAMS), which was prepared via a biomimetic coating, was developed as a new support for immobilization of NHase (NHase@Dop-TAMS). The Dop-TAMS was thoroughly characterized by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and the results showed that the Dop-TAMS possessed sufficiently large pore size and volume for the accommodation of NHase. Studying the thermal stability, storage, shaking stability, and pH stability of the free and immobilized NHase indicated that the catalytic properties of NHase@Dop-TAMS were significantly enhanced.

Chitosan-mediated formation of biomimetic silica nanoparticles: an effective method for manganese peroxidase immobilization and stabilization.

Our work here, for the first time, reported the use of chitosan-mediated biomimetic silica nanoparticles in enzyme immobilization. In order to make clear the relationship among silicification process, silica nanoparticle structure and immobilized enzyme activity, a mechanism of chitosan-mediated silicification using sodium silicate as the silica source was primarily evaluated. Chitosan was demonstrated effectively to promote the silicification not only in accelerating the aggregation rate of sodium silicate, but also in templating the formation of silica nanoparticles.

Biosilica-coated kappa-carrageenan microspheres for yeast alcohol dehydrogenase encapsulation.

In this study, a novel polysaccharide/inorganic hybrid biocomposite was prepared through biomineralization-inspired process for efficient immobilization of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH). YADH-encapsulated kappa-carrageenan microspheres (KCM) were first coated with chitosan, which was used to guide and catalyze the biomimetic formation of silica, and then coated with silica derived from tetraethoxysiliane (TEOS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with a energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) was employed to investigate the composition and thickness of silica film.

Expression and self-assembly of HCV structural proteins into virus-like particles and their immunogenicity.

Background: The synthesis of virus-like particles (VLPs) provides an important tool to determine the structural requirements for viral particle assembly and virus-host interactions. Our purpose was to express simultaneously all three structural proteins of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in insect cells to investigate the proteins assembly into VLPs and the immunogenicity of these particles.

Methods: HCV gene sequences encoding the structural proteins C, E1, and E2 were amplified with PCR, and recombinant baculoviruses were constructed using recombinant DNA techniques.

A novel process for production of hepatitis A virus in Vero cells grown on microcarriers in bioreactor.

Aim: To develop a novel process for production of HAV in Vero cells grown on microcarriers in a bioreactor.

Methods: Vero cells infected with HAV strain W were seeded at an initial density of 1 x 10(5) cells/mL into a 7-L bioreactor containing Cytodex-I microcarriers. During the stage of cell proliferation, the following conditions were applied: pH 7.

No requirement of HCV 5'NCR for HCV-like particles assembly in insect cells.

Aim: To express all three HCV structural proteins in the presence or absence of HCV 5'NCR to investigate the requirement of 5'NCR for the assembly of HCV-like particles in insect cells.

Methods: HCV structural protein encoding sequences CE1E2 and 5'NCR-CE1E2 were amplified with PCR. Recombinant baculovirus were constructed with recombinant DNA techniques.