Metal-based methods for protein inactivation

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Highlights► The irreversible inactivation of protein targets by metal complexes is described. ► The article summaries catalysts that hydrolyze or oxidize proteins. ► Cyclen-based catalysts that selectively hydrolyze peptides and proteins are described. ► Catalysts that generate reactive oxygen species are important for protein inactivation. ► Metal-based oxidants are potent and selective agents for protein inactivation.     

In situ treatment of PCBs by anaerobic microbial dechlorination in aquatic sediment: are we there yet?

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Highlights► Microbial catalysts with different PCB dechlorinating activities are cultured. ► Biostimulation and bioaugmentation has been successful in the laboratory. ► Molecular tools for monitoring dechlorinating bacteria in situ are available. ► Methods to deploy these catalysts in the field are currently under development.     

Enzyme and metabolic engineering for the production of novel biopolymers: crossover of biological and chemical processes

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Highlights► Poly(ω-hydroxy fatty acids) are polyethylene-like biobased polyester. ► Medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate homopolymers are processed to stretchy film. ► Microbial lactate-based polyesters exhibit transparent and flexible properties. ► Enzyme and metabolic engineering facilitates the expanding of bio-based polymers.     

Progress in understanding and engineering primary plant metabolism

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Highlights► Crop yield depends on efficiency of conversion of light energy into biomass. ► Models have estimated energy conversion efficiency in photosynthesis and metabolism. ► Research is exploring strategies to modify or suppress photorespiration. ► Energy loss during conversion of photosynthate to biomass is also large ► Research is addressing uncertainties over where these losses occur.     

Human milk and related oligosaccharides as prebiotics

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Highlights► The intestinal microbiome is recognized as an important determinant of health. ► Galacto-oligosaccharides are non-digestible carbohydrates. ► Galacto-oligosaccharides stimulate growth and activity of gut bacteria. ► Subtle differences in structure can result in significant differences in activity. ► Less abundant oligosaccharides from bovine milk are similar to those from human milk.     

Plant genome-scale metabolic reconstruction and modelling

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Highlights► Recent advances have been made on plant genome-scale metabolic reconstruction. ► Cellular compartmentation makes plant genome-scale reconstruction challenging. ► Current reconstructions capture important features of plant metabolism. ► The models have been used to study isolated tissues and tissue interaction. ► We review the challenges and potential of plant reconstruction and modelling.     

The interplay between microevolution and community structure in microbial populations

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Highlights► The action of industrial processes depends on microbial community structure. ► Microbes evolve very rapidly. ► Microbial evolution is affected by community structure. ► Community structure is affected by microbial evolution. ► This feedback may be crucial when considering microbial communities in industry.     

Pathway and protein engineering approaches to produce novel and commodity small molecules

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Highlights► Production of novel pharmaceutical and commodity chemicals. ► Protein and pathway engineering pave the way for product diversifications. ► ‘Omics’ data have helped assembly of pathways from different species. ► Recombination of enzymatic domains and site-directed mutagenesis. ► Tunable control of pathways for better production.     

Metagenomics of microbial life in extreme temperature environments

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Highlights► Metagenomic microbial community characterization. ► Extreme environment microbiology. ► High and low temperature adaptation.     

Bioavailability of pollutants and chemotaxis

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Highlights► The exposure of bacteria to pollutants induces chemoattraction or chemorepellence. ► Pollutant chemoreceptors so far identified are present on plasmids. ► Chemotaxis increases pollutant bioavailability and enhances biodegradation rates. ► Chemotaxis may improve microbial inoculants designed just on catabolic potential.     

Current algorithmic solutions for peptide-based proteomics data generation and identification

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Highlights► Peptide-based proteomics algorithms for ETD, HCD, and high-resolutions MS/MS spectra. ► Algorithms for identifying proteins in complex mixtures using shotgun proteomics. ► Spectral libraries and software pipelines for improved analytical throughput. ► Cloud computing to obtain results for large data sets.     

Vaccine design: emerging concepts and renewed optimism

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Highlights► Highly variable and complex pathogens remain challenging vaccine targets. ► Systems biology and reverse vaccinology continue to foster success. ► New ways of presenting conserved, functionally critical epitopes hold promise. ► Adjuvant systems allow for enduring, native antigen presentation. ► An ideal vaccine provides synergy between innate, cellular, and humoral immunity.     

Reengineering viruses and virus-like particles through chemical functionalization strategies

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Highlights► Virus-based nanoparticles provide unique traits for nanoparticle applications. ► We discuss prevailing covalent functionalization strategies for VNPs. ► We discuss recent progress in noncanonical amino acid applications in VNPs.     

Clawing back: broadening the notion of metal chelators in medicine

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Highlights► Not all chelators are the same: more than metal sequestration and elimination. ► Metal chelates can redistribute metals across biological membranes. ► Metal-chelating fragments provide leads for metalloenzyme inhibition. ► Metal chelation can enhance metal reactivity and thus cytotoxicity. ► Prochelators provide site-activated metal chelation and passivation.     

Pangenomics – an avenue to improved industrial starter cultures and probiotics

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Highlights► Genome sequencing is an efficient, cost-effective way of characterizing microbes. ► Pangenome analysis gives new insight into texture formation in yoghurt. ► Pangenome analysis of probiotic strains has identified new effect or molecules. ► Pangenome analysis gives insight into probiotic–host specificity. ► Future perspectives include improved strains for food fermentations and probiotics.     

Nanotechnology meets electrophysiology

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Highlights► We focus on the latest developments in nanotechnology-based electrophysiology. ► Methods for extracellular recording via nanoFET-based devices are described. ► Metal nanoelectrodes for the recording of electrogenic cells are reviewed. ► The latest developments of intracellular FET-based probes are shortly covered. ► Pioneering electrical scaffold devices for the interfacing with tissues are described.     

The emerging field of transport engineering of plant specialized metabolites

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Highlights► Transport engineering has the potential to increase nutritional value of crops. ► Transport engineering can increase yield of synthetic biology approaches. ► Neo-functionalization of primary metabolite transporters to specialized metabolism. ► Elimination of glucosinolate seed accumulation is achieved via transport engineering. ► Glucosinolates in Arabidopsis: a model for transport of specialized metabolites.     

The role of membrane transport in metabolic engineering of plant primary metabolism

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Highlights► The plastidial pyruvate transporter in plants is driven by sodium symport. ► The mitochondrial pyruvate transporter MPC has been identified. ► All transporters needed for a synthetic PEP-CK/C₄ photosynthetic cycle are now known. ► The SWEET proteins define a new class of sugar efflux carriers in plants.