genetic engineering – Page 2

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.

Impact of energy metabolism pathways in promoting phytoremediation of cadmium contamination by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Bam1

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Researchers developed genetically modified bacteria (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) that produce more energy to better survive in cadmium-contaminated soil. These enhanced bacteria can then help tomato plants absorb and remove cadmium pollution from the soil more effectively. The best-performing modified strain increased cadmium accumulation in tomatoes by nearly 1.9 times compared to the original bacteria, offering a promising biological solution for cleaning contaminated agricultural soils.

Innovative Approaches and Evolving Strategies in Heavy Metal Bioremediation: Current Limitations and Future Opportunities

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Heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic accumulate in soil and water, harming both ecosystems and human health. Traditional cleanup methods are expensive and harmful to the environment. Scientists are developing biological solutions using microorganisms and special plants that can absorb or break down these toxic metals, combined with genetic engineering and nanotechnology to make the process faster and more effective.

Understanding and controlling filamentous growth of fungal cell factories: novel tools and opportunities for targeted morphology engineering

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Fungi are used in industry to produce medicines, chemicals, and enzymes in large fermentation tanks. However, the way these fungal cells grow and clump together greatly affects how much product they make, but scientists don’t yet fully understand or control this growth. This review discusses new tools like genetic engineering, computer modelling, and special imaging techniques that are helping researchers better understand and control fungal growth patterns to improve industrial production.

Advances in the Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Yeasts: A Review

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This review explores how yeasts, tiny single-celled fungi, can clean up environments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – harmful chemicals produced by car emissions, factories, and burning. These yeasts use special enzymes to break down these toxic compounds into less harmful substances, making them a promising natural solution for environmental cleanup. Scientists are also improving these yeasts through genetic engineering to make them even more effective at removing pollution.

Exploring the Potential of Haematococcus pluvialis as a Source of Bioactives for Food Applications: A Review

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Haematococcus pluvialis is a tiny green algae that produces astaxanthin, a powerful natural antioxidant that gives it a bright red color when stressed. Beyond astaxanthin, this microalga is rich in proteins, healthy fats, and vitamins, making it useful for creating functional foods and supplements. Researchers are developing better ways to grow this algae and extract its beneficial compounds using environmentally friendly methods, with potential applications in foods ranging from beverages to meat alternatives.

Enhancement of Mycelial Growth and Antifungal Activity by Combining Fermentation Optimization and Genetic Engineering in Streptomyces pratensis S10

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Scientists improved a soil bacterium called Streptomyces pratensis S10 that fights a serious wheat disease called Fusarium head blight. They used two strategies: first, they optimized the growth medium using statistical methods to produce more bacteria with stronger antifungal powers, and second, they used genetic engineering to remove a gene that was limiting its disease-fighting ability. The result was a bacteria strain that is much more effective at controlling this crop disease.

L-gulono-γ-lactone Oxidase, the Key Enzyme for L-Ascorbic Acid Biosynthesis

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Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is essential for human health, protecting against disease and supporting numerous body functions. However, humans cannot make their own vitamin C because we lack a functional GULO enzyme gene. This review examines how different organisms produce vitamin C, where these enzymes work in cells, and recent discoveries showing that a simplified version of the enzyme can still work effectively, which could help improve vitamin C production in engineered plants.

Towards engineering agaricomycete fungi for terpenoid production

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Mushroom-forming fungi, particularly species like shiitake and oyster mushrooms, naturally produce valuable compounds called terpenoids used in medicines, food, and cosmetics. Scientists are learning to genetically engineer these fungi to produce even larger amounts of these beneficial compounds, potentially making them as important to biotechnology as baker’s yeast and mold have been historically. This could create new sustainable sources for medicinal compounds and industrial chemicals.

Fusiform nanoparticle boosts efficient genetic transformation in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

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Scientists developed a new method using tiny fusiform nanoparticles to introduce genes into a destructive plant fungus called Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. This approach is simpler and faster than traditional genetic engineering methods because it doesn’t require complex cell preparation steps. The research shows that by silencing specific fungal genes, they could reduce the fungus’s ability to cause disease, which could help develop better strategies to protect crops like rapeseed and soybean.

Research Topic: genetic engineering