Graphene is an allotrope of carbon with two-dimensional (2D) monolayer honeycombs. A larger detection area and higher sensitivity can be provided by graphene-based nanosenor because of its 2D structure. In addition, owing to its special characteristics, including electrical, optical and physical properties, graphene is known as a more suitable candidate compared to other materials used in the sensor application. A novel model employing a field-effect transistor structure using graphene is proposed and the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of graphene are employed to model the sensing mechanism. This biosensor can detect Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, providing high levels of sensitivity. It is observed that the graphene device experiences a drastic increase in conductance when exposed to E. coli bacteria at 0-10(5) cfu/ml concentration. The simple, fast response and high sensitivity of this nanoelectronic biosensor make it a suitable device in screening and functional studies of antibacterial drugs and an ideal high-throughput platform which can detect any pathogenic bacteria. Artificial neural network and support vector regression algorithms have also been used to provide other models for the I-V characteristic. A satisfactory agreement has been presented by comparison between the proposed models with the experimental data.
Microalgae have caught the world's attention for its potential to solve one of the world's most pressing issues-sustainable green energy. Compared to biofuels supplied by oil palm, rapeseed, soybean and sugar cane, microalgae alone can be manipulated to generate larger amounts of biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen and biomass in a shorter time. Apart from higher productivity, microalgae can also grow using brackish water on non-arable land, greatly reducing the competition with food and cash crops. Hence, numerous efforts have been put into the commercialisation of microalgae-derived biofuel by both the government and private bodies. This paper serves to review conventional and novel methods for microalgae culture and biomass harvest, as well as recent developments in techniques for microalgal biofuel production.
Keratinases are proteolytic enzymes predominantly active when keratin substrates are available that attack disulfide bridges in the keratin to convert them from complex to simplified forms. Keratinases are essential in preparation of animal nutrients, protein supplements, leather manufacture, textile processing, detergent formulation, feather meal processing for feed and fertilizer, the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries, and waste management. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop a method for continuous production of keratinase from reliable sources that can be easily managed. Microbial keratinase is less expensive than conventionally produced keratinase and can be obtained from fungi, bacteria, and actinomycetes. In this overview, the expansion of information about microbial keratinases and important considerations in keratinase production are discussed.
This review highlights the use of bromelain in various applications with up-to-date literature on the purification of bromelain from pineapple fruit and waste such as peel, core, crown, and leaves. Bromelain, a cysteine protease, has been exploited commercially in many applications in the food, beverage, tenderization, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and textile industries. Researchers worldwide have been directing their interest to purification strategies by applying conventional and modern approaches, such as manipulating the pH, affinity, hydrophobicity, and temperature conditions in accord with the unique properties of bromelain. The amount of downstream processing will depend on its intended application in industries. The breakthrough of recombinant DNA technology has facilitated the large-scale production and purification of recombinant bromelain for novel applications in the future.
Plants have evolved numerous constitutive and inducible defence mechanisms to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses. These stresses induce the expression of various genes to activate defence-related pathways that result in the release of defence chemicals. One of these defence mechanisms is the oxylipin pathway, which produces jasmonates, divinylethers and green leaf volatiles (GLVs) through the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). GLVs have recently emerged as key players in plant defence, plant-plant interactions and plant-insect interactions. Some GLVs inhibit the growth and propagation of plant pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. In certain cases, GLVs released from plants under herbivore attack can serve as aerial messengers to neighbouring plants and to attract parasitic or parasitoid enemies of the herbivores. The plants that perceive these volatile signals are primed and can then adapt in preparation for the upcoming challenges. Due to their 'green note' odour, GLVs impart aromas and flavours to many natural foods, such as vegetables and fruits, and therefore, they can be exploited in industrial biotechnology. The aim of this study was to review the progress and recent developments in research on the oxylipin pathway, with a specific focus on the biosynthesis and biological functions of GLVs and their applications in industrial biotechnology.
This study presents an evaluation of integrating virtual laboratory simulations in assessment design of a biotechnology course at Taylor's University in Malaysia before, during and post-COVID recovery phases. The purpose was to investigate how virtual laboratory simulations were integrated as part of the assessments of a practical-embedded course-the aim being to evaluate students' acceptance and perception of using virtual simulation. A total of 46 students, across three different study cohorts (August 2019, March 2020, and August 2020) were evaluated different educational aspects of using virtual laboratory cases in a 4-week course within Animal Biotechnology. Overall, students regarded virtual laboratory simulation useful as part of their learning, and there is a significant increase in the level of acceptance before, during and post-COVID recovery phases. The study showed that across the different study cohorts, students perceived their confidence level in laboratory skills have been enhanced and that they can apply the skills in real-life situation. Interestingly, students (March and August 2020 cohort) who have not been exposed to the related laboratory session still perceived that the simulated activity provides clear explanation and realistic experience. Furthermore, it had been highlighted across the study cohorts that the quiz questions helped to enhance their understanding on the underlying principles of the laboratory techniques. The overall conclusion of this study was that structured simulation-based activities which provide clear instructions and explanation would support significant improvements in students learning.
Co-pyrolysis of biomass with abundantly available materials could be an economical method for production of bio-fuels. However, elimination of oxygenated compounds poses a considerable challenge. Catalytic co-pyrolysis is another potential technique for upgrading bio-oils for application as liquid fuels in standard engines. This technique promotes the production of high-quality bio-oil through acid catalyzed reduction of oxygenated compounds and mutagenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons. This work aims to review and summarize research progress on co-pyrolysis and catalytic co-pyrolysis, as well as their benefits on enhancement of bio-oils derived from biomass. This review focuses on the potential of plastic wastes and coal materials as co-feed in co-pyrolysis to produce valuable liquid fuel. This paper also proposes future directions for using this technique to obtain high yields of bio-oils.
Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with delayed yeast extract feeding (DYEF) was conducted in a 2-L bioreactor equipped with in-situ recovery using a gas stripping in order to enhance biobutanol production from lignocellulosic biomass of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB). This study showed that 2.88 g/L of biobutanol has been produced from SSF with a similar yield of 0.23 g/g as compared to separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). An increase of 42% of biobutanol concentration was observed when DYEF was introduced in the SSF at 39 h of fermentation operation. Biobutanol production was further enhanced up to 11% with a total improvement of 72% when in-situ recovery using a gas stripping was implemented to reduce the solvents inhibition in the bioreactor. In overall, DYEF and in-situ recovery were able to enhance biobutanol production in SSF.
Health biotechnology has rapidly become vital in helping healthcare systems meet the needs of the poor in developing countries. This key industry also generates revenue and creates employment opportunities in these countries. To successfully develop biotechnology industries in developing nations, it is critical to understand and improve the system of health innovation, as well as the role of each innovative sector and the linkages between the sectors. Countries' science and technology capacities can be strengthened only if there are non-linear linkages and strong interrelations among players throughout the innovation process; these relationships generate and transfer knowledge related to commercialization of the innovative health products. The private sector is one of the main actors in healthcare innovation, contributing significantly to the development of health biotechnology via knowledge, expertise, resources and relationships to translate basic research and development into new commercial products and innovative processes. The role of the private sector has been increasingly recognized and emphasized by governments, agencies and international organizations. Many partnerships between the public and private sector have been established to leverage the potential of the private sector to produce more affordable healthcare products. Several developing countries that have been actively involved in health biotechnology are becoming the main players in this industry. The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of the private sector in health biotechnology development and to study its impact on health and economic growth through case studies in South Korea, India and Brazil. The paper also discussed the approaches by which the private sector can improve the health and economic status of the poor.
Recombinant protein overexpression, an important biotechnological process, is ruled by complex biological rules which are mostly unknown, is in need of an intelligent algorithm so as to avoid resource-intensive lab-based trial and error experiments in order to determine the expression level of the recombinant protein. The purpose of this study is to propose a predictive model to estimate the level of recombinant protein overexpression for the first time in the literature using a machine learning approach based on the sequence, expression vector, and expression host. The expression host was confined to Escherichia coli which is the most popular bacterial host to overexpress recombinant proteins. To provide a handle to the problem, the overexpression level was categorized as low, medium and high. A set of features which were likely to affect the overexpression level was generated based on the known facts (e.g. gene length) and knowledge gathered from related literature. Then, a representative sub-set of features generated in the previous objective was determined using feature selection techniques. Finally a predictive model was developed using random forest classifier which was able to adequately classify the multi-class imbalanced small dataset constructed. The result showed that the predictive model provided a promising accuracy of 80% on average, in estimating the overexpression level of a recombinant protein.
The coexistence of algae and bacteria in nature dates back to the very early stages when life came into existence. The interaction between algae and bacteria plays an important role in the planet ecology, cycling nutrients, and feeding higher trophic levels, and have been evolving ever since. The emerging concept of algal-bacterial consortia is gaining attention, much towards environmental management and protection. Studies have shown that algal-bacterial synergy does not only promote carbon capture in wastewater bioremediation but also consequently produces biofuels from algal-bacterial biomass. This review has evaluated the optimistic prospects of algal-bacterial consortia in environmental remediation, biorefinery, carbon sequestration as well as its contribution to the production of high-value compounds. In addition, algal-bacterial consortia offer great potential in bloom control, dye removal, agricultural biofertilizers, and bioplastics production. This work also emphasizes the advancement of algal-bacterial biotechnology in environmental management through the incorporation of Industry Revolution 4.0 technologies. The challenges include its pathway to greener industry, competition with other food additive sources, societal acceptance, cost feasibility, environmental trade-off, safety and compatibility. Thus, there is a need for further in-depth research to ensure the environmental sustainability and feasibility of algal-bacterial consortia to meet numerous current and future needs of society in the long run.
Reversed micellear system (RMS) is an innovative technique used for the isolation, extraction and purification of proteins and enzymes. Studies have demonstrated that RMS is an efficient purification technology for extracting proteins and enzymes from natural plant materials or fermentation broth. Lately, reverse micelles have created wider biological applications and with the ease of scaling up and the possibility for continuous process has made RMS a vital purification technique in various field. In this study, an extensive review of RMS with the current application in biotechnology will be examined. This review provides insights with the fundamental principles, key variables and parameters of RMS. In addition, a comparative study of RMS with other liquid-liquid extraction techniques are included. The present review aims to provide a general overview of RMS by summarising the research works, since the introduction of the technology to current development.
Given their advantages of high photosynthetic efficiency and non-competition with land-based crops, algae, that are carbon-hungry and sunlight-driven microbial factories, are a promising solution to resolve energy crisis, food security, and pollution problems. The ability to recycle nutrient and CO2 fixation from waste sources makes algae a valuable feedstock for biofuels, food and feeds, biochemicals, and biomaterials. Innovative technologies such as the bicarbonate-based integrated carbon capture and algae production system (BICCAPS), integrated algal bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS), as well as ocean macroalgal afforestation (OMA), can be used to realize a low-carbon algal bioeconomy. We review how algae can be applied in the framework of integrated low-carbon circular bioeconomy models, focusing on sustainable biofuels, low-carbon feedstocks, carbon capture, and advances in algal biotechnology.
Heralded by the revelation of the double helical structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, the 21st century is aptly designated the biotechnology century. The 20th century of physics, which saw the transformation of silicon into computing magic, was embraced with enthusiasm by virtually every household. However, unlike her predecessor, the same cannot be said about the advancements in biomedicine.
Gene therapy has become a significant issue in science-related news. The principal concept of gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. Although gene therapy was originally conceived as a way to treat life-threatening disorders (inborn defects, cancers) refractory to conventional treatment, it is now considered for many nonlife-threatening conditions, such as those adversely impacting a patients quality of life. An extensive range of efficacious vectors, delivery techniques, and approaches for developing gene-based interventions for diseases have evolved in the last decade. The lack of suitable treatment has become a rational basis for extending the scope of gene therapy. The aim of this review is to investigate the general methods by which genes are transferred and to give an overview to clinical applications. Maximizing the potential benefits of gene therapy requires efficient and sustained therapeutic gene expression in target cells, low toxicity, and a high safety profile. Gene therapy has made substantial progress albeit much slower than was initially predicted. This review also describes the basic science associated with many gene therapy vectors and the present progress of gene therapy carried out for various surface disorders and diseases. The conclusion is that, with increased pathobiological understanding and biotechnological improvements, gene therapy will become a standard part of clinical practice.
The attention on genetically modified (GM) food industry is increasing due to the flourishing
of biotechnology. However, there are some debates on the associated benefits and risks of
employing modification technology in food industry. This study strives to examine the causes
that determine consumers’ benefit and risk perceptions on GM foods. Besides, the influence of
perceived benefit and risk of GM food on consumers’ attitude is investigated. The empirical
results of this study showed that GM food knowledge, and GM food characteristics have been
acting as important predictors of both benefits and risks perceptions. Further, it is also found
that perceived benefits showed significant positive influence on attitude, and attitude affects
purchase intention towards GM food. Research implications to policy makers, scientists, and
market practitioners are covered, in which suggestions and recommendations are provided
to these parties. Lastly, research implications and recommendations to future research are
discussed.
The innovations and developments in microbiology, biomedical sciences, and biotechnology come along with the challenges of biological risk (biorisk). Biorisk is defined as the "combination of the probability of occurrence of harm and the severity of that harm where the source of harm is a biological agent or toxin." Biorisk is a borderless challenge to the global community. Hence, all universities, colleges, centers of bio-excellence, and institutions of higher learning can and should do their bit to educate technical members, academicians, students and stakeholders (LASS) for the efficient and comprehensive biorisk management (BRM) for our and future generations safety and sustainability.
Microalgae are autotroph organisms that utilise light energy to synthesize various high-value bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, proteins and lipids. Due to its fast growth rate and capability to survive in harsh environment, microalgae nowadays are applied in various industrial areas. The process of obtaining microalgae-based biomolecules starts with the selection of suitable microalgae strain, cultivation, followed by downstream processing of the biomass (i.e., pre-treatment, harvesting, extraction and purification). The end products of the processes are biofuels and other valuable bioproducts. Nevertheless, low production yield and high-cost downstream processes are the emerging bottlenecks which need to be addressed in the upscaling of extracted compounds from microalgae biomass. To conclude, tremendous efforts are required to overcome these challenges to revolutionize microalgae into a novel and green factory of different bioactive compounds for industrial necessities to satisfy and fulfil global demands.