Articles tagged with Biocatalysis
Scientists have developed a method to encapsulate enzymes in a protective molecular cage, enabling efficient and recyclable reactions at high temperatures. This breakthrough has far-reaching implications for sustainable chemical manufacturing and could lead to the creation of new products in industries such as cosmetics.
A new study uses deep learning to predict how fast biochar materials break down antibiotic contaminants, offering a faster path toward cleaner water and smarter environmental remediation. The model reveals key mechanistic insights, including catalyst properties contributing 59.3% of the predictive power.
Researchers at Tokyo University of Science engineered CYP107J1 enzyme from Bacillus subtilis into a more practical tool for selective oxidation chemistry. The modified enzyme showed 28-fold higher catalytic activity and successfully converted indole into indigo, a commercially important blue dye.
Researchers developed amine-functionalized biochar/cellulose acetate hybrid membranes using microalgae biomass, improving water filtration and reducing foulant adhesion. The modified membranes achieved a water flux of 169.1 L m⁻² h⁻¹ and 64.1% removal of natural organic matter.
Complex systems exhibit emergent properties due to water's unique polarity, enabling DNA to store information and proteins to adopt specific structures. This order forms the basis for complex molecules to develop unpredictable properties, driving the evolution of life.
A novel oral nanoreactor targets isoamylamine, a gut-derived metabolite associated with age-related cognitive decline, by degrading it through monoamine oxidase. The treatment also reduces oxidative stress and improves spatial learning and recognition memory in aged mice.
Researchers developed an AI tool to predict how effectively biochar materials break down antibiotics, offering a faster and smarter way to design environmental cleanup technologies. The framework accurately estimates reaction rates and provides scientific insights into material characteristics that influence performance.
Researchers created a novel material by converting microalgae biomass into biochar and modifying it with amine functional groups, producing hybrid filters with enhanced purification performance. The new membranes achieved better pollutant rejection and improved resistance to fouling.
Researchers at The University of Osaka developed a molecular design strategy to reconcile the trade-off between polymer material's durability and degradability. They created a tough material whose enzymatic degradation can be switched on or off using light, allowing for precise programming of its lifetime.
Researchers developed a process to convert phytate into bioavailable phosphate using a biocatalyst, improving phosphorus recycling efficiency. The method uses engineered yeast cells displaying the enzyme phytase, which can efficiently and stably convert organic phosphorus into usable phosphate.
A team of biochemists at UC Santa Cruz has developed a new approach that significantly shortens the process of finding biologically beneficial molecules. They achieved synthesis of kainic acid in just two steps, overcoming traditional challenges in screening and identifying promising enzyme variants.
A team from the University of Illinois developed a photobiocatalytic platform that enables Escherichia coli to produce complex molecules through light-driven enzymatic reactions. This breakthrough broadens the capabilities of biomanufacturing, offering a promising avenue for sustainable production of chemicals and materials.
Combining enzymes with biochar breaks down pollutants into less harmful compounds, improving efficiency and durability. Biochar-immobilized enzymes have demonstrated impressive results in water treatment and soil remediation.
Researchers at NUS have discovered that certain DNA phosphates can act as catalysts for producing mirror-image versions of medicinal compounds. This new method uses 'ion-pairing' to guide chemical reactions, simplifying the process and making it more sustainable.
Scientists have identified an ancient enzyme called methylthio-alkane reductase (MAR) that breaks down organic sulfur compounds to create ethylene. The discovery opens the door for understanding how these enzymes work and potentially harnessing them for sustainable biofuel production.
Pharmaceutical scientists at NUS developed DOMEK method to characterise enzyme-substrate interactions, enabling analysis of thousands of potential substrates. The technique combines mRNA display and next-generation sequencing to calculate specificity constant for each substrate.
A team of researchers has developed a new method to produce sturdy and reusable bioplastics from domestic raw materials, reducing reliance on petroleum-based chemicals. The bioplastics, known as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), have similar levels of toughness and malleability to traditional plastics, but are infinitely recyclable.
Scientists create ferritin structures with precisely arranged histidine residues to drive oxidation reactions in a highly effective metal-free peroxidase. This approach eliminates the need for metal cofactors and enhances catalytic activity.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new method for rapid scalable preparation of uniform nanostructures directly from block polymers, significantly reducing processing time from weeks to just minutes.
Researchers at Kyungpook National University have developed a new approach to map and engineer enzymes for enhanced plastic recycling. They employ landscape profiling to identify efficient biocatalysts for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET), producing high-purity monomers under mild conditions.
Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have synthesized a biodegradable nylon precursor through artificial photosynthesis, producing an eco-friendly alternative plastic. The breakthrough utilizes L-alanine and ammonia to create raw materials for a nylon-type biodegradable plastic.
Researchers developed ProteinReDiff, an AI-powered method to redesign proteins for improved ligand binding. The approach uses initial protein sequences and ligand SMILES strings, reducing reliance on detailed structural data.
Researchers have successfully combined electrocatalysis and biocatalysis to produce methanol from carbon dioxide. The hybrid process uses enzymes to catalyze the final steps, achieving high selectivity and efficiency.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute developed a new, efficient metabolic pathway to convert acetyl-CoA into pyruvate, enabling effective CO2 utilization. The 'lactyl-CoA mutase' enzyme can produce valuable products like 3-hydroxypropionate for sustainable plastics.
The integration of MXene with cellulose creates a material with enhanced photothermal, electrothermal, biocidal, and piezoelectric characteristics. The composite showcases remarkable pressure sensitivity, efficient electromagnetic interference shielding, and superior antibacterial activity.
Researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo create terpene-based chiral capsules that facilitate the easy preparation of well-defined host–guest composites with tunable chiroptical properties. The resulting composites can be used in water without organic solvents, paving the way for advances in cutting-edge optical technologies.
Researchers isolated three bacterial strains that produce amylase enzymes from sugar factory waste, showing great potential for production. The optimal conditions for amylase production were found to be 37°C and pH 7.0, leading to increased enzyme activity.
Researchers develop an artificial fusion protein combining UndB with catalase, creating a whole cell biocatalyst that converts fatty acids to alkenes with high efficiency. The biocatalyst produces pure 1-alkene as a valuable biofuel and can be used to generate a large number of hydrocarbons.
Researchers developed a permeable and robust polymer-silica hybrid armor on cell catalyst, enhancing enzyme stability and inhibiting leakage. The new technology showed improved permeability and mechanical strength, leading to higher yields and longer half-lives in biomanufacturing processes.
A research team has developed a biocatalytic process to produce nitriles using enzymes, eliminating the need for highly toxic cyanide. The process works at room temperature and produces less harmful waste, making it a promising technology for the fragrance industry.
Researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology developed a biocatalyzed carboxylation reaction using Thermoplasma acidophilum malic enzyme to fix CO2, increasing the yield and sustainability of the process. The method can be tailored for selective synthesis of wider carboxylation products, unlocking new avenues for renewable resources.
Researchers have discovered a novel transition-metal-free aluminosilicate ferrierite zeolite catalyst that enables direct conversion of methane to methanol. The new process achieves 305 π mol gˑ minǘ methanol production rate with high selectivity, presenting an environmentally friendly solution for converting greenhouse gases into valu...
Researchers created an enzyme with a reactive boronic acid group, enabling faster and more selective catalytic reactions. This breakthrough has potential applications in the pharmaceutical industry, offering a greener alternative to traditional chemical synthesis methods.
The IRIS beamline at BESSY II has been extended with a nanoscope, enabling the imaging and spectroscopy of structures smaller than a thousandth of a human hair. This upgrade allows researchers to study biological systems, catalysts, polymers, and quantum materials with unprecedented resolution.
A new research project, PHOTOZYME, aims to develop photobiocatalytic tools to convert basic chemicals into chiral molecules. The project combines biocatalysis, photochemistry, and directed evolution to create sustainable molecular synthesis.
A team of researchers has determined the detailed mechanism of cyclization catalyzed by the cyclization domain of cyclic β-1,2-glucan synthase from Thermoanaerobacter italicus. The study reveals that the enzyme produces β-glucosidase-resistant compounds and features a transglycosylation reaction.
Researchers have identified two essential ferredoxins that play a key role in determining the performance of iron nitrogenase. The discovery opens up new possibilities for elucidating and maximizing nitrogenase's potential, which could lead to sustainable enzymatic production of ammonia and carbon compounds.
Researchers developed a new enzyme that uses formamides as a substrate for biocatalysis, achieving equivalent or slightly better results than traditional formate-based systems. The enzyme converts formamides into NADPH, producing CO2 as a waste product and opening up new possibilities for asymmetric reductive amination.
Graphene quantum dots have been designed to enhance catalytic performance using a diatomic doping strategy, resulting in impressive peroxidase-mimicking activity. This metal-free nanozyme has shown high efficacy in inducing apoptosis and ferroptosis of cancer cells with minimal side effects.
Researchers at the Max-Planck-Institute have developed a synthetic biochemical cycle that directly converts CO2 into Acetyl-CoA using three modules implemented in E.coli. The THETA cycle has shown promising results with improved acetyl-CoA yield through optimization and in vivo feasibility testing.
Researchers have elucidated the molecular mechanism of formaldehyde poisoning in a class of efficient hydrogen-producing biocatalysts. The study suggests that modifying the enzyme to resist formaldehyde inhibition could enable its use in bio-based industrial processes and understanding metabolic pathways.
Microorganisms in the intestinal flora utilize beta-elimination to break down glycosides, enabling humans to absorb healthy plant natural products. The 'enzyme scissors' mechanism is a universal catalytic principle allowing for efficient cleavage of various glycosides.
Researchers used tiny beads to immobilize enzymes from edible fungus Agrocybe aegerita, protecting them from plasma treatment and increasing stability up to 44 times. The study paves the way for new biocatalytic applications combining enzymes with technical plasmas.
Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum developed a method to increase oxygen stability of [FeFe] hydrogenase enzyme using site-directed mutagenesis, electrochemistry, X-ray crystallography and molecular dynamics simulations. Blockages in dynamic water channels near the H-cluster were found to improve oxygen resistance.
Enzyme-based materials exhibit unparalleled stability, durability, and catalytic activity due to self-assembling junctions. Foams can facilitate more efficient production of valuable compounds, such as tagatose, in sustainable processes.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new method to create unnatural amino acids, expanding the toolkit of human biochemistry. This breakthrough could lead to novel protein-based therapies and organic chemistry branches.
Researchers develop a new method for fixing carbon dioxide using formic acid, which can replace conventional chemical manufacturing processes with carbon-neutral biological methods. The process produces formaldehyde, a non-toxic substance that can be fed into metabolic pathways to create valuable substances.
Researchers from Graz University of Technology have developed a novel method for producing central components of mRNA vaccines using biocatalytic synthesis. This approach achieves a yield of 92-95% compared to 40-50% for chemical processes, making it more efficient and cost-effective.
Researchers have developed a novel and cost-effective anode catalyst that can improve and stabilize power generation performance of MFCs treating vegetable oil industry wastewater. The study investigates modification of electrodes to increase bacterial adhesion and efficient electron transfer.
Soil bacteria have been used to produce prodrugs by selectively epoxidating indole and indene. This breakthrough enables the sustainable biocatalysis of active pharmaceutical ingredients with high purity.
Researchers discovered a new enzyme with molecular protection against oxygen, increasing its resistance by genetic modification. This breakthrough aims to improve protein dynamics and control inorganic centre reactivity for carbon-neutral hydrogen production.
Researchers developed a novel method to create deep nanochannels in hard and brittle materials like silica, diamond, and sapphire. By employing femtosecond laser direct writing technology, they achieved sub-100-nm feature sizes and ultrahigh aspect ratios.
The THERACAT project aims to deliver drugs only to tumor sites using bio-orthogonal catalysis, a promising approach for targeted cancer treatment. Researchers developed nanoparticles bearing metal catalysts to efficiently convert inactive pro-drugs into active drugs at the tumor site.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute successfully revived ancient enzymes, revealing a novel protein component that increased CO2 specificity in Rubisco. This discovery provides new insights into the evolution of modern photosynthesis and suggests adding new components may improve its efficiency.
Researchers at KAUST have found that molybdenum plays a central role in electrochemical hydride transfer, a process for producing valuable chemicals or carbon-free fuels. The discovery could enable more sustainable production of sustainable fuels and chemicals.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new method to boost biocatalytic activity using synthetic polymers that stimulate biofilm formation. The study found that hydrophobic polymers outperform mildly cationic polymers, increasing biomass and biocatalytic activity in E. coli.
Researchers uncover novel enzymatic transformation for carbon-carbon bond formation, enabling efficient bioproduction of bioactive compounds. The discovery paves the way for sustainable chemistry and comprehensive development of a new class of natural products.
A team of researchers developed a simple yet powerful strategy for creating new enzymes with novel reactivity that can produce valuable chemical compounds. They used photobiocatalysis to repurpose naturally occurring enzymes and achieved an enantioselective biocatalytic reaction.
A new study reveals that two equal charges in enzymes do not repel each other, but instead attract, facilitating chemical reactions. The researchers used protein crystallography to obtain a structural snapshot of the substrate before the reaction and found an attractive interaction between the enzyme and substrate.
Researchers have discovered an enhanced reaction rate when gold and palladium nanoparticles are placed on a conductive support, leading to faster production of bio-derived chemicals and fuels. This new approach combines electrocatalysis and thermal catalysis to design novel catalyst systems.