synthetic biology – mycolab.ai

Fungi: Pioneers of chemical creativity – Techniques and strategies to uncover fungal chemistry

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This review explores how fungi produce remarkable chemical compounds that have been transformed into important medicines for over a century. Starting with penicillin in the 1940s, scientists have discovered dozens of fungal-derived drugs used to treat infections, prevent organ rejection, lower cholesterol, and fight cancer. Modern technology now allows researchers to discover and analyze these compounds much faster and with smaller samples than ever before.

The role of Micro-biome engineering in enhancing Food safety and quality

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Microbiome engineering uses advanced biotechnology to strategically modify helpful bacteria in food to make it safer and higher quality. By using tools like CRISPR gene editing and engineering beneficial probiotics, scientists can prevent food spoilage, reduce harmful bacteria, improve nutrition, and create better-tasting foods. These innovations could reduce reliance on synthetic preservatives and chemicals while addressing global food safety challenges and helping combat malnutrition.

Editorial: Pharmaceutically active micropollutants – how serious is the problem and is there a microbial way out?

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Medicines we take don’t fully disappear—30 to 90% are excreted unchanged and end up in water supplies. These pharmaceutical residues contaminate drinking water and harm aquatic life worldwide. Scientists are discovering that certain fungi and bacteria can break down these drug residues through natural metabolic processes. By harnessing these microbes in treatment systems and improving waste management practices, we could significantly reduce pharmaceutical pollution.

Biotransformation of Pesticides across Biological Systems: Molecular Mechanisms, Omics Insights, and Biotechnological Advances for Environmental Sustainability

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This review explains how living organisms like bacteria, plants, and animals break down pesticides through biological processes called biotransformation. The body uses special enzymes to transform pesticides into forms that are easier to eliminate. Understanding these natural cleanup processes helps scientists develop better strategies to remove pesticide pollution from soil and water, protecting both human health and ecosystems.

Edible mushrooms as emerging biofactories for natural therapeutics and oral biopharmaceutical delivery

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Mushrooms are emerging as natural medicine factories that can be genetically engineered to produce medications taken by mouth. Beyond their traditional use as health foods, scientists are now using advanced genetic techniques to program mushrooms to manufacture therapeutic proteins and vaccines. These engineered mushrooms can naturally package and protect these medications as they pass through the stomach, releasing them safely in the intestines for absorption. This approach offers a sustainable, affordable, and cold-chain-independent alternative to conventional injected medications.

A Comprehensive Review of the Diversity of Fungal Secondary Metabolites and Their Emerging Applications in Healthcare and Environment

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Fungi naturally produce complex chemical compounds called secondary metabolites that have powerful effects against diseases and pests. These include well-known medicines like penicillin and compounds that can fight cancer, reduce inflammation, and lower cholesterol. Scientists are now using advanced genetic and biotechnology techniques to increase production of these fungal compounds, making them more available and affordable for medical, agricultural, and environmental applications. This research shows how fungi could be important sources of new medicines and sustainable alternatives to synthetic chemicals.

The beauty and the morbid: fungi as source of inspiration in contemporary art

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This article explores how artists are using fungi and fungal science as inspiration and material for contemporary artwork. From clothing made of mycelium to installations exploring decay and renewal, artists are discovering that fungi offer unique possibilities for addressing modern environmental and social issues. The paper highlights how collaboration between artists and scientists can lead to innovative solutions and new ways of thinking about materials, sustainability, and the relationship between life and death.

Advanced Fungal Biotechnologies in Accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): What Do We Know and What Comes Next?

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Fungi are remarkable organisms with tremendous untapped potential for solving global challenges. They can be engineered to produce life-saving medicines like antibiotics and cholesterol-lowering drugs, create nutritious food alternatives, clean up polluted environments, and help fight climate change. As we transition to more sustainable living practices, fungi represent a natural solution that has been used for centuries but is only now being fully appreciated through modern biotechnology.

Harnessing the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of fungal secondary metabolites

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Scientists have learned to use common baker’s yeast (S. cerevisiae) as a biological factory to produce valuable medicines and compounds that naturally come from fungi and mushrooms. By transferring the genetic instructions for making these compounds into yeast cells and improving them with genetic engineering, researchers can now produce therapeutically important substances like cancer-fighting drugs and antibiotics in large quantities. This approach is more practical and cost-effective than trying to extract these rare compounds directly from their native fungal sources or using other production methods.

Unlocking the magic in mycelium: Using synthetic biology to optimize filamentous fungi for biomanufacturing and sustainability

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This comprehensive review explores how scientists can use modern genetic engineering tools to improve filamentous fungi (molds and mushrooms) for producing valuable products like antibiotics, enzymes, and sustainable food and materials. The authors explain that while these fungi naturally excel at breaking down plant material and producing useful compounds, they haven’t received as much attention from genetic engineers as other microorganisms. By applying techniques like CRISPR gene editing, computational modeling, and directed evolution, researchers can make fungal strains grow faster, produce higher yields, and use cheaper feedstocks, making industrial production more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Research Keyword: synthetic biology