Research Keyword: genetic engineering

Fungal Innovations—Advancing Sustainable Materials, Genetics, and Applications for Industry

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Fungi can be engineered to create sustainable, eco-friendly materials for construction, textiles, and packaging. Using advanced genetic tools and controlled growing conditions, scientists can customize fungal materials to have specific properties like flexibility or rigidity. These mycelium-based materials are biodegradable, renewable, and offer promising alternatives to traditional synthetic and conventional materials, helping reduce our dependence on petroleum-based products.

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Fluorescence-Based Soil Survival Analysis of the Xenobiotic- and Metal-Detoxifying Streptomyces sp. MC1

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Scientists developed a way to track a soil bacterium called Streptomyces sp. MC1 that can clean up polluted soils by breaking down harmful chemicals and reducing toxic metals like chromium. They added a glowing green fluorescent protein to the bacteria so they could easily see where the bacteria were and how long they survived in contaminated soil. In tests with soil contaminated with two different pollutants, the tagged bacteria successfully removed over 96% of chromium and 65% of lindane over 28 days, demonstrating the approach works for monitoring bioremediation efforts.

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Discovery of the antifungal compound ilicicolin K through genetic activation of the ilicicolin biosynthetic pathway in Trichoderma reesei

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Scientists used genetic engineering to activate a dormant gene cluster in the fungus Trichoderma reesei, enabling it to produce the antifungal compound ilicicolin H in high quantities. During this process, they discovered a new related compound called ilicicolin K that shows even stronger antifungal properties. These compounds could potentially overcome limitations of current antifungal treatments, especially against drug-resistant fungi like Candida auris.

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You Are What You Eat: How Fungal Adaptation Can Be Leveraged toward Myco-Material Properties

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Fungi can be grown to create eco-friendly materials that could replace plastics and petroleum-based products. By controlling what fungi eat and where they grow, scientists can engineer the properties of these materials to be stronger, more flexible, or water-resistant. This approach leverages the natural ability of fungi to break down organic matter and adapt to their environment. Companies like IKEA and Dell are already using these fungal materials in product packaging.

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Exploring the Critical Environmental Optima and Biotechnological Prospects of Fungal Fruiting Bodies

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This research identifies the ideal growing conditions for fungal fruiting bodies like mushrooms, showing that temperature around 25°C, high humidity, and proper light exposure are key factors. The study reveals that exceeding these optimal conditions typically harms development more than staying slightly below them. Scientists discovered that fungal fruiting bodies have important uses in medicine, food production, and environmental cleanup, and new genetic technologies like CRISPR could improve cultivation methods for better yields and quality.

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Improved Protoplast Production Protocol for Fungal Transformations Mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 in Botrytis cinerea Non-Sporulating Isolates

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Scientists have developed a better method to isolate protoplasts (fungal cells without cell walls) from non-sporulating varieties of gray mold fungus. By optimizing the incubation time, culture container, and enzyme used, they produced more viable protoplasts that can regenerate and be genetically modified. This advancement allows researchers to use CRISPR gene-editing technology to understand and potentially control gray mold, which causes significant crop losses worldwide.

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Expression pattern, subcellular localization of Aspergillus oryzae ergosterol synthases, and their effects on ergosterol and fatty acid metabolism

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Researchers studied how Aspergillus oryzae fungi make ergosterol, a key ingredient in fungal cell membranes. They found that this process is much more complex in this mold than in baker’s yeast, with 49 genes involved. By selectively increasing expression of specific genes, they were able to boost ergosterol production by up to 2.3 times, which could have applications in producing fungal-derived medicines and improving fermented foods.

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