EnginZyme Extends Series A financing to Advance Chemical Production Platform

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (6) ◽  
pp. 5
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher W. Marshall ◽  
Daniel E. Ross ◽  
Kim M. Handley ◽  
Pamela B. Weisenhorn ◽  
Janaka N. Edirisinghe ◽  
...  

AbstractMicrobial electrosynthesis is a renewable energy and chemical production platform that relies on microbial taxa to capture electrons from a cathode and fix carbon. Yet the metabolic capacity of multispecies microbial communities on electrosynthetic biocathodes remains unknown. We assembled 13 genomes from a high-performing electroacetogenic culture, and mapped their transcriptional activity from a range of conditions. This allowed us to create a metabolic model of the primary community members (Acetobacterium, Sulfurospirillum, and Desulfovibrio). Acetobacterium was the primary carbon fixer, and a keystone member of the community. Based on transcripts upregulated near the electrode surface, soluble hydrogenases and ferredoxins from Acetobacterium and hydrogenases, formate dehydrogenase, and cytochromes of Desulfovibrio were essential conduits for electron flow from the electrode into the electrosynthetic community. A nitrogenase gene cluster with an adjacent ferredoxin and one of two Rnf complexes within the genome of the Acetobacterium were also upregulated on the electrode. Nitrogenase is known to serve as a hydrogenase, thereby it would contribute to hydrogen production by the biocathode. Oxygenases of microaerobic members of the community throughout the cathode chamber, including Sulfurospirillum and Rhodobacteraceae, were expressed. While the reactors were maintained anaerobically, this gene expression would support anaerobic growth and thus electrosynthesis by scrubbing small amounts of O2 out of the reactor. These molecular discoveries and metabolic modeling now serve as a foundation for future examination and development of electrosynthetic microbial communities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiong Wang ◽  
Michael J. Betenbaugh

As a complex and common post-translational modification, N-linked glycosylation affects a recombinant glycoprotein's biological activity and efficacy. For example, the α1,6-fucosylation significantly affects antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and α2,6-sialylation is critical for antibody anti-inflammatory activity. Terminal sialylation is important for a glycoprotein's circulatory half-life. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are currently the predominant recombinant protein production platform, and, in this review, the characteristics of CHO glycosylation are summarized. Moreover, recent and current metabolic engineering strategies for tailoring glycoprotein fucosylation and sialylation in CHO cells, intensely investigated in the past decades, are described. One approach for reducing α1,6-fucosylation is through inhibiting fucosyltransferase (FUT8) expression by knockdown and knockout methods. Another approach to modulate fucosylation is through inhibition of multiple genes in the fucosylation biosynthesis pathway or through chemical inhibitors. To modulate antibody sialylation of the fragment crystallizable region, expressions of sialyltransferase and galactotransferase individually or together with amino acid mutations can affect antibody glycoforms and further influence antibody effector functions. The inhibition of sialidase expression and chemical supplementations are also effective and complementary approaches to improve the sialylation levels on recombinant glycoproteins. The engineering of CHO cells or protein sequence to control glycoforms to produce more homogenous glycans is an emerging topic. For modulating the glycosylation metabolic pathways, the interplay of multiple glyco-gene knockouts and knockins and the combination of multiple approaches, including genetic manipulation, protein engineering and chemical supplementation, are detailed in order to achieve specific glycan profiles on recombinant glycoproteins for superior biological function and effectiveness.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshihide Furuichi ◽  
Shogo Yoshimoto ◽  
Tomohiro Inaba ◽  
Nobuhiko Nomura ◽  
Katsutoshi Hori

<p></p><p>Biofilms are used in environmental biotechnologies including waste treatment and environmentally friendly chemical production. Understanding the mechanisms of biofilm formation is essential to control microbial behavior and improve environmental biotechnologies. <i>Acinetobacter </i>sp. Tol 5 autoagglutinate through the interaction of the long, peritrichate nanofiber protein AtaA, a trimeric autotransporter adhesin. Using AtaA, without cell growth or the production of extracellular polymeric substances, Tol 5 cells quickly form an unconventional biofilm. In this study, we investigated the formation process of this unconventional biofilm, which started with cell–cell interactions, proceeded to cell clumping, and led to the formation of large cell aggregates. The cell–cell interaction was described by DLVO theory based on a new concept, which considers two independent interactions between two cell bodies and between two AtaA fiber tips forming a virtual discontinuous surface. If cell bodies cannot collide owing to an energy barrier at low ionic strengths but approach within the interactive distance of AtaA fibers, cells can agglutinate through their contact. Cell clumping proceeds following the cluster–cluster aggregation model, and an unconventional biofilm containing void spaces and a fractal nature develops. Understanding its formation process would extend the utilization of various types of biofilms, enhancing environmental biotechnologies.</p><p></p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 334-351
Author(s):  
A. S. Mavlyanov ◽  
E. K. Sardarbekova

Introduction. The objective of the research is to study the effect of the complex activation of the alumina raw material on the rheological properties of the ceramic mass. In addition, the authors investigate solutions for the application of optimal coagulation structures based on loams and ash together with plastic certificates.Materials and methods. The authors used the local forest like reserves of clay loams at the BashKarasu, ash fields of the Bishkek Central Heating Centre (BTEC) and plasticizer (sodium naphthenate obtained from alkaline chemical production wastes) as fibrous materials. Moreover, the authors defined technological properties of raw materials within standard laboratory methodology in accordance with current GOSTs.Results. The researchers tested plastic durability on variously prepared masses for the choice of optimal structures. The paper demonstrated the plastic durability of complexly activated compounds comparing with non-activated and mechanically activated compounds. The sensitivity coefficient increased the amount of clay loams by mechanically and complexly activated, which predetermined the possibility of intensifying the process of drying samples based on complexly activated masses.Discussion and conclusions. However, mechanical activation of clay material reduces the period of relaxation and increases the elasticity coefficient of ceramic masses by 1.8–3.4 times, meanwhile decreases elasticity, viscosity and the conventional power during molding, which generally worsens the molding properties of the masses. Сomplex activation of ash-clay material decreases the period of relaxation and provides an increase in elasticity, plasticity of ceramic masses by 46–47%, reduction in viscosity by 1.5–2 times, conventional power on molding by 37–122% in comparison with MA clay loams. Ceramic masses based on spacecraft alumina raw materials belong to the SMT with improved rheological properties; products based on them pass through the mouthpiece for 5–7 seconds.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 3-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.S. Popov ◽  
V.I. Gavrilyuk ◽  
N.V. Mukina ◽  
E.T. Kovalev ◽  
I.D. Drozdnik ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Sarwar Khan ◽  
Faiz Ahmad Joyia ◽  
Ghulam Mustafa

: The cost-effective production of high-quality and biologically active recombinant molecules especially proteins is extremely desirable. Seed-based recombinant protein production platforms are considered as superior choice owing to lack of human/animal pathogenic organisms, lack of cold chain requirements for transportation and long-term storage, easy scalability and development of edible biopharmaceuticals in plants with objective to be used in purified or partially processed form is desirable. This review article summarizes the exceptional features of seed-based biopharming and highlights the needs of exploiting it for commercial purposes. Plant seeds offer a perfect production platform for high-value molecules of industrial as well as therapeutic nature owing to lower water contents, high protein storage capacity, weak protease activity and long-term storage ability at ambient temperature. Exploiting extraordinarily high protein accumulation potential, vaccine antigens, antibodies and other therapeutic proteins can be stored without effecting their stability and functionality up to years in seeds. Moreover, ability of direct oral consumption and post-harvest stabilizing effect of seeds offer unique feature of oral delivery of pharmaceutical proteins and vaccine antigens for immunization and disease treatment through mucosal as well as oral route.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 565
Author(s):  
Nikolaj Kaae Kirk ◽  
Clara Navarrete ◽  
Jakob Ellegaard Juhl ◽  
José Luis Martínez ◽  
Alessandra Procentese

To make biofuel production feasible from an economic point of view, several studies have investigated the main associated bottlenecks of the whole production process through approaches such as the “cradle to grave” approach or the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis, being the main constrains the feedstock collection and transport. Whilst several feedstocks are interesting because of their high sugar content, very few of them are available all year around and moreover do not require high transportation’ costs. This work aims to investigate if the “zero miles” concept could bring advantages to biofuel production by decreasing all the associated transport costs on a locally established production platform. In particular, a specific case study applied to the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) campus is used as example to investigate the advantages and feasibility of using the spent coffee grounds generated at the main cafeteria for the production of bioethanol on site, which can be subsequently used to (partially) cover the campus’ energy demands.


AMB Express ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bach-Ngan Nguyen ◽  
Florian Tieves ◽  
Thomas Rohr ◽  
Hilke Wobst ◽  
Felix S. Schöpf ◽  
...  

AbstractThe production of peptides as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) by recombinant technologies is of emerging interest. A reliable production platform, however, is still missing due the inherent characteristics of peptides such as proteolytic sensitivity, aggregation and cytotoxicity. We have developed a new technology named Numaswitch solving present limitations. Numaswitch was successfully employed for the production of diverse peptides and small proteins varying in length, physicochemical and functional characteristics, including Teriparatide, Linaclotide, human β-amyloid and Serum amyloid A3. Additionally, the potential of Numaswitch for a cost-efficient commercial production is demonstrated yielding > 2 g Teriparatide per liter fermentation broth in a quality meeting API standard.


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