Recent advances of metabolomics in plant biotechnology

Biotechnology, including genetic modification, is a very important approach to regulate the production of particular metabolites in plants to improve their adaptation to environmental stress, to improve food quality, and to increase crop yield. Unfortunately, these approaches do not necessarily lead to the expected results due to the highly complex mechanisms underlying metabolic regulation in plants. In this context, metabolomics plays a key role in plant molecular biotechnology, where plant cells are modified by the expression of engineered genes, because we can obtain information on the metabolic status of cells via a snapshot of their metabolome. Although metabolome analysis could be used to evaluate the effect of foreign genes and understand the metabolic state of cells, there is no single analytical method for metabolomics because of the wide range of chemicals synthesized in plants. Here, we describe the basic analytical advancements in plant metabolomics and bioinformatics and the application of metabolomics to the biological study of plants.     

Nutrient removal and biomass production: advances in microalgal biotechnology for wastewater treatment

Owing to certain drawbacks, such as energy-intensive operations in conventional modes of wastewater treatment (WWT), there has been an extensive search for alternative strategies in treatment technology. Biological modes for treating wastewaters are one of the finest technologies in terms of economy and efficiency. An integrated biological approach with chemical flocculation is being conventionally practiced in several-sewage and effluent treatment plants around the world. Overwhelming responsiveness to treat wastewaters especially by using microalgae is due to their simplest photosynthetic mechanism and ease of acclimation to various habitats. Microalgal technology, also known as phycoremediation, has been in use for WWT since 1950s. Various strategies for the cultivation of microalgae in WWT systems are evolving faster. However, the availability of innovative approaches for maximizing the treatment efficiency, coupled with biomass productivity, remains the major bottleneck for commercialization of microalgal technology. Investment costs and invasive parameters also delimit the use of microalgae in WWT. This review critically discusses the merits and demerits of microalgal cultivation strategies recently developed for maximum pollutant removal as well as biomass productivity. Also, the potential of algal biofilm technology in pollutant removal, and harvesting the microalgal biomass using different techniques have been highlighted. Finally, an economic assessment of the currently available methods has been made to validate microalgal cultivation in wastewater at the commercial level.     

Recent advances in chemistry and biotechnology of starch derivatives

The review focuses on the most important studies performed during the last eight years on the physical and chemical modifications of starch, starch graft copolymers, and starch ethers; on the development of biodegradable starch-based materials; and on various applications of numerous starch derivatives. An analysis of the recent publications allows the conclusion that considerable advances have been made in the chemistry and technology of starch derivatives as biodegradable “green” reagents and products, which are becoming increasingly important for technological applications due to the wide occurrence of starch, the ease of its processing, and its nature as a renewable resource.     

Leukemia inhibitory factor: Recent advances and implications in biotechnology

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine with several functions in health and disease ranging from inflammation to cancer. LIF is also a potential target and/or therapeutic agent for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, stroke and even psychological disorders, where the function of LIF as a neurotrophic factor has only recently been explored. In recent years, a limited number of LIF clinical trials have been completed, which partially explains the shortage of effective applications as a therapeutic agent. With the increasing interest from biotechnology companies producing recombinant LIF, this status quo will certainly change, and the potential impact of LIF in terms of disease diagnosis, treatment and management will be realized.     

生物技术生产虾青素研究的最新进展

虾青素是一种具有极强的生物抗氧化性的酮式类胡萝卜素在医药,食品,化妆品等方面有着极广阔的应用前景。对目前生物技术生产虾青素的两种主要方法：即雨生红球藻(haematococcus pluvialis)培养法和红发夫酵母(xanthopltyllomyces dendrorhous,formedy Phaffia raodazyma)发酵法的最新研究进展,包括采用的微生物的生理代谢特性、虾青素合成途径、生产技术特点、工程菌种的构建等方面进行了系统的总结。针对天然虾青素生产技术研究中存在的问题和不足,提出了建议和解决的方法。     

工业生物技术的过程科学研究概况及发展趋势

简述了工业生物技术领域在过程科学方面的研究现状及发展趋势,从"细胞群体效应及过程放大原理"、"工业生物过程物质和能量传递与生物转化规律"、"工业生物过程优化新方法"等3个方面介绍了我国工业生物技术过程科学的重点进展和在国际上的地位,最后从"生物原料高效转化"、"生物转化过程物质和能量协调和匹配"、"生物过程强化"、"生物过程系统集成"等方面提出了工业生物技术在过程科学研究方面未来的战略方向。     

The development of microalgal biotechnology in the Czech Republic

Microscopic algae and cyanobacteria are excellent sources of numerous compounds, from raw biomass rich in proteins, oils, and antioxidants to valuable secondary metabolites with potential medical use. In the former Czechoslovakia, microalgal biotechnology developed rapidly in the 1960s with the main aim of providing industrial, high-yield sources of algal biomass. Unique cultivation techniques that are still in use were successfully developed and tested. Gradually, the focus changed from bulk production to more sophisticated use of microalgae, including production of bioactive compounds. Along the way, better understanding of the physiology and cell biology of productive microalgal strains was achieved. Currently, microalgae are in the focus again, mostly as possible sources of bioactive compounds and next-generation biofuels for the 21st century.     

Recent advances in plant biotechnology and genetic engineering for production of secondary metabolites

For a long time people are using plants not only as crop cultures but also for obtaining of various chemicals. Currently plants remain one of the most important and essential sources of biologically active compounds in spite of progress in chemical or microbial synthesis. In our review we compare potentials and perspectives of modern genetic engineering approaches for pharmaceutical biotechnology and give examples of actual biotechnological systems used for production of several promising natural compounds: artemisinin, paclitaxel and scopolamine.     

基于文献计量学的微藻生物技术发展趋势

微藻作为一类单细胞光合生物,具有光能利用率高、生长速度快、生物活性成分和储能物质含量高等特点,在食品、饲料、生物能源、碳减排和废水处理等领域具有广阔的应用前景。本文系统查阅了近年来国内外微藻领域发表的相关文献和专利,藉此对微藻生物技术领域的研究进展及存在问题进行了梳理和分析,并对我国微藻生物技术的科技布局、重要成果及发展瓶颈进行了概述,最后对微藻生物技术的发展趋势予以展望。     

Review: Recent advances in bovine in vitro embryo production: reproductive biotechnology history and methods

In vitro production (IVP) of embryos and associated technologies in cattle have shown significant progress in recent years, in part driven by a better understanding of the full potential of these tools by end users. The combination of IVP with sexed semen (SS) and genomic selection (GS) is being successfully and widely used in North America, South America and Europe. The main advantages offered by these technologies include a higher number of embryos and pregnancies per unit of time, and a wider range of potential female donors from which to retrieve oocytes (including open cyclic females and ones up to 3 months pregnant), including high index genomic calves, a reduced number of sperm required to produce embryos and increased chances of obtaining the desired sex of offspring. However, there are still unresolved aspects of IVP of embryos that limit a wider implementation of the technology, including potentially reduced fertility from the use of SS, reduced oocyte quality after in vitro oocyte maturation and lower embryo cryotolerance, resulting in reduced pregnancy rates compared to in vivo–produced embryos. Nevertheless, promising research results have been reported, and work is in progress to address current deficiencies. The combination of GS, IVP and SS has proven successful in the commercial field in several countries assisting practitioners and cattle producers to improve reproductive performance, efficiency and genetic gain.     

Metagenomics: advances in ecology and biotechnology

This review highlights the significant advances which have been made in prokaryotic ecology and biotechnology due to the application of metagenomic techniques. It is now possible to link processes to specific microorganisms in the environment, such as the detection of a new phototrophic process in marine bacteria, and to characterise the metabolic cooperation which takes place in mixed species biofilms. The range of prokaryote derived products available for biotechnology applications is increasing rapidly. The knowledge gained from analysis of biosynthetic pathways provides valuable information about enzymology and allows engineering of biocatalysts for specific processes. The expansion of metagenomic techniques to include alternative heterologous hosts for gene expression and the development of sophisticated assays which enable screening of thousands of clones offers the possibility to find out even more valuable information about the prokaryotic world.     

Recent trends in nanopores for biotechnology

1. Download : Download high-res image (310KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

Highlights► Nanopores are single-molecule detectors with exceptional sensitivity and versatility. ► Over the past few years, progress has been made in making and using nanopores in biotechnology. ► Nanopore-based DNA sequencing can revolutionize healthcare by reducing both sequencing costs and time.     

Recent advances in microalgal bioscience in Japan,with special reference to utilization of biomass and metabolites: a review

Japan is one of leading countries in the utilization of and research on microalgae, and various findings have been obtained. Many papers, however, have been published in Japanese, which prevents the information spreading far and wide. The purpose of this review is to introduce recent advances in the utilization of microalgae as well as their basic research in Japan. The discussion covers practical applications ofChlorella andSpirulina biomass to health foods, food additives and feed supplements. The current use of microalgae as live feeds for larvae in aquaculture is also summarized. With respect to microalgal metabolites the present status of research is described with a greater emphasis on bioactive compounds, pigments and oils as potential drugs, coloring matters and biofuels, respectively.