Biology Is the Most Powerful Technology on the Planet
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Recent Advances in Biocatalysts Engineering for Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic Waste Green Recycling
Environment International 145 (2020) 106144 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Environment International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/envint Review article Recent advances in biocatalysts engineering for polyethylene terephthalate plastic waste green recycling Nadia A. Samak a,b,c,1, Yunpu Jia a,b,1, Moustafa M. Sharshar a,b, Tingzhen Mu a, Maohua Yang a, Sumit Peh a,b, Jianmin Xing a,b,* a CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China b College of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, PR China c Processes Design and Development Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Nasr City, 11727 Cairo, Egypt ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Handling Editor: Guo-ping Sheng The massive waste of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) that ends up in the landfills and oceans and needs hundreds of years for degradation has attracted global concern. The poor stability and productivity of the Keywords: available PET biocatalysts hinder their industrial applications. Active PET biocatalysts can provide a promising Plastic waste avenue for PET bioconversion and recycling. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new strategies that Poly(ethylene terephthalate) could enhance the stability, catalytic activity, solubility, productivity, and re-usability of these PET biocatalysts Recycling under harsh conditions such as high temperatures, pH, and salinity. This has raised great attention in using Biocatalysts ’ Bioengineering bioengineering strategies to improve PET biocatalysts robustness and catalytic behavior. Herein, historical and forecasting data of plastic production and disposal were critically reviewed. -
The Structural Basis of Gas-Responsive Transcription by the Human Nuclear Hormone Receptor REV-Erbb
PLoS BIOLOGY The Structural Basis of Gas-Responsive Transcription by the Human Nuclear Hormone Receptor REV-ERBb Keith I. Pardee1,2, Xiaohui Xu1,2,3, Jeff Reinking1,2,7¤a, Anja Schuetz4¤b, Aiping Dong4, Suya Liu5, Rongguang Zhang6, Jens Tiefenbach1,2, Gilles Lajoie5, Alexander N. Plotnikov4¤b, Alexey Botchkarev4, Henry M. Krause1,2*, Aled Edwards1,2,3,4* 1 Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, The Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, 2 Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, 3 Midwest Center for Structural Genomics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, 4 Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, 5 Department of Biochemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, 6 Midwest Center for Structural Genomics, Argonne National Lab, Argonne, Illinois, United States of America, 7 Department of Biology, State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz, New York, United States of America Heme is a ligand for the human nuclear receptors (NR) REV-ERBa and REV-ERBb, which are transcriptional repressors that play important roles in circadian rhythm, lipid and glucose metabolism, and diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, inflammation, and cancer. Here we show that transcription repression mediated by heme-bound REV- ERBs is reversed by the addition of nitric oxide (NO), and that the heme and NO effects are mediated by the C-terminal ligand-binding domain (LBD). A 1.9 A˚ crystal structure of the REV-ERBb LBD, in complex with the oxidized Fe(III) form of heme, shows that heme binds in a prototypical NR ligand-binding pocket, where the heme iron is coordinately bound by histidine 568 and cysteine 384. -
2019 Abstracts
We are delighted EDITORIAL to welcome the worldwide yeast community in Gothenburg for ICYGMB2019! The “International Yeast Conferences” started in the 1960s with a handful of delegates and since then have become THE most important event in yeast research. Now the yeast meeting to returns to Gothenburg. Many yeast researchers still remember the meeting in 2003 with over 1,100 delegates, a truly memorable event. The Life Sciences are changing, and yeast research remains at their forefront. Advancements in genome sequencing and genome editing just make yeast more exciting as model organism in basic cell biological research, genome evolution and as a tool for synthetic biology and biotechnology. One of the most important reasons for the enormous success of yeast research lies in the unique character of the international yeast research community. No other community employs such a free exchange and access to information and research tools. Nor has any other community had the ability to build – even intercontinental – consortia of critical mass to tackle large‐scale projects, such as in sequencing the first eukaryotic genome or the first comprehensive yeast knockout library. Yeast2019 is the meeting of the international yeast research community where the latest, and even unpublished results are exchanged, and new projects, alliances, and collaborations are founded. A do‐not‐miss‐event. We attempt to incorporate the present excitement in yeast research in the programme of yeast2019. We are confident that this conference will contain important news and information for all yeast researchers. Taken together, yeast2019 will provide an up‐ to‐date overview in yeast research and it will set the scene for years to come. -
Study of the Role of the Adaptor Protein Myd88 in the Iron-Sensing Pathway
Université de Montréal Study of the role of the adaptor protein MyD88 in the iron-sensing pathway and of the effect of curcumin in the development of anemia in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model By Macha Samba Mondonga Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Medicine Thesis presented to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the Ph.D. degree in Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases 30 Aout 2018 © Macha Samba Mondonga, 2018 Université de Montréal Cette thése est intitulée: Study of the role of the adaptor protein MyD88 in the iron-sensing pathway and of the effect of curcumin in the development of anemia in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model Par Macha Samba Mondonga Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Medicine 30 Aout 2018 © Macha Samba Mondonga, 2018 RÉSUMÉ Étude du rôle de la protéine adaptatrice MyD88 dans la voie de détection du fer et de l’effet de la curcumine dans le développement de l'anémie dans un modèle murin de colite induite par le DSS L'hepcidine est l'hormone peptidique essentielle pour la régulation systémique de l'homéostasie du fer, en déclenchant la dégradation de la ferroportine et en évitant le développement d'une surcharge ou d'une carence en fer. L'expression de l'ARNm de l'hepcidine HAMP est contrôlée par deux voies principales, la voix de signalisation inflammatoire et la voie de détection en fer, BMP/SMAD4. Il a été rapporté que MyD88, la protéine adaptatrice impliquée dans l'activation des cytokines via la stimulation des récepteurs toll-like (TLRs), contribue à l'expression de l'hepcidine dans la voie inflammatoire. -
Teaching About the Unintended Consequences of Plastics Tamara
From Disposable Culture to Disposable People: Teaching About the Unintended Consequences of Plastics Tamara "Sasha" Adkins, MPH Dissertation Committee Dr. Alesia Maltz, Committee Chair Core Faculty, Environmental Studies, Antioch University New England Dr. Abigail Abrash Walton, Teaching Faculty, Environmental Studies, Antioch University New England Dr. Janaki Natarajan Tschannerl, Director, SPARK Teacher Education / Educational Praxis & Director, Bapagrama Educational Center, Bangalore, India From Disposable Culture to Disposable People: Teaching About the Unintended Consequences of Plastics By Tamara "Sasha" Adkins, DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D. in the Department of Environmental Studies Antioch University New England Keene, New Hampshire November 2017 Copyright 2017 Tamara “Sasha” Adkins All Rights Reserved Dedication Zendaya, To you I dedicate not only this dissertation but all my work to shape a world where no one is disposable. i Acknowledgments Alesia, my adviser and mentor for the past decade, sets a high bar for wisdom, compassion, and kindness. I will always remember you saying, "Oh, sweetie, too many sighs! If you are not having fun (with the dissertation research) then something is wrong." Thank you for not only patiently drawing out my best work, but for making the process a delightful one. Janaki, thank you for all I am learning from you in Spark and through this process. Abi joined my committee officially in my final semester, but had already been giving me encouragement and support for many years. It is much appreciated. I'd like to thank Charles Curtin, who served on my committee for a time, but due to extenuating circumstances, was not able to continue in that role. -
Data-Driven Insights Into Ligands, Proteins, and Genetic Mutations
Data-Driven Insights into Ligands, Proteins, and Genetic Mutations by Jing Lu A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Bioinformatics) in the University of Michigan 2016 Doctoral Committee: Professor Heather A. Carlson, Chair Professor Charles L. Brooks III Assistant Professor Barry Grant Professor David S. Sept Professor Kerby A. Shedden © Jing Lu, 2016 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Heather Carlson, for years of patient guidance, teaching, and support through the course of my PhD. I have learnt how to think critically and be rigorous in every step of research. I also want to express gratitude to my committee: Professor Charles L. Brooks III, Assistant Professor Barry Grant, Professor David S. Sept, Professor Kerby A. Shedden. Their advising is insightful and deepens my understanding of my research projects. I would like to thank Dr. Richard Smith for timely support for both my writing and research. For many Saturdays and Sundays, he promptly responds my requests for proofreading. Much of my work is built on his code in protein and ligand analysis. I would like to thank other members in Dr. Carlson’s lab for helping me with my work. Through the discussion with Dr. Jim Dunbar, I have learnt many critical ideas in Cheminformatics. Also, thank you to Sarah Graham and Jordan Clark for their tremendous friendship and willing to help with my writing. I would also thank previous members in Dr. Carlson’s lab. I would thank Dr. Phani Ghanakota for many late-night discussions and Dr. -
Mammalian Pheromones – New Opportunities for Improved Predator Control in New Zealand
SCIENCE FOR CONSERVATION 330 Mammalian pheromones – new opportunities for improved predator control in New Zealand B. Kay Clapperton, Elaine C. Murphy and Hussam A. A. Razzaq Cover: Stoat in boulders in the Tasman River bed, Mackenzie Basin. Photo: John Dowding. Science for Conservation is a scientific monograph series presenting research funded by New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC). Manuscripts are internally and externally peer-reviewed; resulting publications are considered part of the formal international scientific literature. This report is available from the departmental website in pdf form. Titles are listed in our catalogue on the website, refer www.doc.govt.nz under Publications, then Series. © Copyright August 2017, New Zealand Department of Conservation ISSN 1177–9241 (web PDF) ISBN 978–1–98–851436–9 (web PDF) This report was prepared for publication by the Publishing Team; editing by Amanda Todd and layout by Lynette Clelland. Publication was approved by the Director, Threats Unit, Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. Published by Publishing Team, Department of Conservation, PO Box 10420, The Terrace, Wellington 6143, New Zealand. In the interest of forest conservation, we support paperless electronic publishing. CONTENTS Abstract 1 1. Introduction 2 1.1 The potential roles of pheromones in New Zealand predator control 2 1.2 Aim of this review 4 2. Pheromone identification and function in mammalian predator species 5 2.1 Mice 5 2.2 Rats 7 2.3 Rodent Major Urinary Proteins (MUPs) 9 2.4 Cats 10 2.5 Mustelids 11 2.6 Possums (with reference to other marsupials) 13 3. Odour perception and expression 14 3.1 How do animals perceive odours? 14 3.2 Influence of the MHC 16 4. -
Structure of the Plastic-Degrading Ideonella Sakaiensis Mhetase Bound to a Substrate
ARTICLE https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09326-3 OPEN Structure of the plastic-degrading Ideonella sakaiensis MHETase bound to a substrate Gottfried J. Palm 1, Lukas Reisky 2, Dominique Böttcher2, Henrik Müller2, Emil A.P. Michels1, Miriam C. Walczak2, Leona Berndt1, Manfred S. Weiss3, Uwe T. Bornscheuer 2 & Gert Weber 1,4 The extreme durability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) debris has rendered it a long-term environmental burden. At the same time, current recycling efforts still lack sustainability. Two 1234567890():,; recently discovered bacterial enzymes that specifically degrade PET represent a promising solution. First, Ideonella sakaiensis PETase, a structurally well-characterized consensus α/β-hydrolase fold enzyme, converts PET to mono-(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (MHET). MHETase, the second key enzyme, hydrolyzes MHET to the PET educts terephthalate and ethylene glycol. Here, we report the crystal structures of active ligand-free MHETase and MHETase bound to a nonhydrolyzable MHET analog. MHETase, which is reminiscent of feruloyl esterases, possesses a classic α/β-hydrolase domain and a lid domain conferring substrate specificity. In the light of structure-based mapping of the active site, activity assays, mutagenesis studies and a first structure-guided alteration of substrate specificity towards bis-(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) reported here, we anticipate MHETase to be a valuable resource to further advance enzymatic plastic degradation. 1 Molecular Structural Biology, University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 4, 17487 Greifswald, Germany. 2 Biotechnology & Enzyme Catalysis, University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 4, 17487 Greifswald, Germany. 3 Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Albert-Einstein-Straße15, 12489 Berlin, Germany. -
Studies with PET-Hydrolyzing Enzymes
MASTERARBEIT / MASTER’S THESIS Titel der Masterarbeit / Title of the Master‘s Thesis „Investigating the properties of PET-hydrolase and PBS- depolymerase“ verfasst von / submitted by Christoph Clemens Hinterberger, BSc angestrebter akademischer Grad / in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (MSc) Wien, 2018/ Vienna 2018 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt / A 066 830 degree programme code as it appears on the student record sheet: Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt / Masterstudium Molekulare degree programme as it appears on Mikrobiologie, Mikrobielle Ökologie und the student record sheet: Immunbiologie Betreut von / Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Udo Bläsi Declaration I hereby declare that this thesis was composed by myself, that the work contained herein is my own except where explicitly stated otherwise in the text, and that this work has not been submitted for any other degree or processional qualification except as specified. Acknowledgements First and foremost, I have to thank Prof. Uwe T. Bornscheuer, who gave me the opportunity of working on this topic, and Dr. Dominique Böttcher, for supervising my work. My thanks also go out to everyone in Dr. Bornscheuer’s group, who helped me along the way, especially to the ever smiling Lukas. Furthermore I have to thank people in my life which made all of this possible: My parents who support me on every step on the road, my siblings, Paul, Max, Tao Su and everyone else in the hard core, Nils and everyone else from the Pack, Linda and Michelle and finally Julia. You’ve all done more than you think. Table of Contents Declaration .............................................................................................................................................. 2 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ -
A Bacterium That Degrades and Assimilates Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate)
1 Title: A bacterium that degrades and assimilates poly(ethylene terephthalate) 2 † 3 Authors: Shosuke Yoshida1,2 , Kazumi Hiraga1, Toshihiko Takehana3, Ikuo Taniguchi4, 4 Hironao Yamaji1, Yasuhito Maeda5, Kiyotsuna Toyohara5, Kenji Miyamoto2*, Yoshiharu 5 Kimura4, & Kohei Oda1* 6 Affiliations: 7 1Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of Textile Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, 8 Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto .0.-0 0 , 1apan 9 2Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio 2ni3ersity, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, 10 Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-0 22, 1apan 11 35ife Science Materials 5aboratory, ADEKA Corporation, 7-2-34 Higashiogu, Arakawa-ku, 12 Tokyo 11.-0 3, 1apan 13 4Department of Polymer Science, Faculty of Te,tile Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, 14 Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto .0.-0 0 , 1apan 15 Ecology-Related Material Group Inno3ation Research Institute, Teijin 5td., Hinode-cho 2-1, 16 Iwakuni, Yamaguchi 740-0 11, 1apan 17 Current address: Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto 18 2ni3ersity, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto .1 -0 30, 1apan 19 "Correspondence to: K.M. (kmiyamotoAbio.keio.ac.jp) or K.O. (bikaAkit.ac.jp). 20 21 1 22 Abstract: Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is used e,tensi3ely worldwide in plastic products, 23 and its accumulation in the en3ironment has become a global concern. Because the ability to 24 enzymatically degrade PET for microbial growth has been limited to a few fungal species, 25 biodegradation is not yet a 3iable remediation or recycling strategy. By screening natural 26 microbial communities e,posed to PET in the en3ironment, we isolated a no3el bacterium, 27 Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F., that is able to utilize PET as its major energy and carbon source. -
Enzymatic PET Degradation
GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY CHIMIA 2019, 73, No. 9 743 doi:10.2533/chimia.2019.743 Chimia 73 (2019) 743–749 © Swiss Chemical Society Enzymatic PET Degradation Athena Papadopoulou§, Katrin Hecht§, and Rebecca Buller* Abstract: Plastic, in the form of packaging material, disposables, clothing and other articles with a short lifespan, has become an indispensable part of our everyday life. The increased production and use of plastic, however, accelerates the accumulation of plastic waste and poses an increasing burden on the environment with negative effects on biodiversity and human health. PET, a common thermoplastic, is recycled in many countries via ther- mal, mechanical and chemical means. Recently, several enzymes have been identified capable of degrading this recalcitrant plastic, opening possibilities for the biological recycling of the omnipresent material. In this review, we analyze the current knowledge of enzymatic PET degradation and discuss advances in improving the involved enzymes via protein engineering. Looking forward, the use of plastic degrading enzymes may facilitate sustain- able plastic waste management and become an important tool for the realization of a circular plastic economy. Keywords: Biocatalysis · Biodegradation · Enzyme engineering · Plastic recycling · PET Dr. Athena Papadopoulou studied Biology 1. Introduction and received her BSc from the University Plastic has become an omnipresent material in our daily life of Ioannina. She completed her MSc in and, as a consequence, the plastic industry has become the seventh Chemistry with a focus on Chemical and most important industry in Europe, employing more than 1.5 mil- Biochemical Technologies. In 2013 she lion people with a turnover of 355 billion Euros in 2017.[1] Plastic moved to Biotechnology group at the production is cheap and the generated plastic items are durable University of Ioannina to pursue her PhD and versatile. -
Sex Pheromones and Their Role in Vertebrate Reproduction
Intraspecific chemical communication in vertebrates with special attention to sex pheromones Robert van den Hurk Pheromone Information Centre, Brugakker 5895, 3704 MX Zeist, The Netherlands Pheromone Information Centre, Zeist, The Netherlands. Correspondence address: Dr. R. van den Hurk, Brugakker 5895, 3704 MX Zeist. E-mail address: [email protected] Intraspecific chemical communication in vertebrates with special attention to sex pheromones (191 pp). NUR-code: 922. ISBN: 978-90-77713-78-5. © 2011 by R. van den Hurk. Second edition This book is an updated edition from a previous book entitled: ‘Intraspecific chemical communication in vertebrates with special attention to its role in reproduction, © 2007 by R. van den Hurk. ISBN: 978-90-393-4500-9. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. Printed by EZbook.nl 2 Contents Abbreviations 5 Preface 6 Abstract 7 Introduction 8 Sex pheromones in fishes 14 Gobies 14 Zebrafish 15 African catfish 21 Goldfish 26 Other fish species 30 Reproduction and nonolfactory sensory cues 35 Sex pheromones in amphibians 37 Red-bellied newt 37 Sword-tailed newt 37 Plethodontid salamanders 38 Ocoee salamander 38 Korean salamander 39 Magnificent tree frog (Litoria splendida) and mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax) 39 Other amphibian species 39 Sex pheromones in reptiles 42 Lizards