Defense-associated reverse transcriptases define an emerging class of noncanonical DNA-writing systems
December 2026
Defense-associated reverse transcriptases (DRTs) are emerging as a mechanistically diverse class of bacterial antiviral enzymes. Rather than acting simply as RNA-to-DNA copying proteins, they generate...
Eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesis: Chassis diversification, system engineering, and emerging applications
December 2026
The eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) system, endowed with intrinsic post-translational modification capabilities and a complex molecular chaperone network, efficiently synthesizes functional...
Development and clinical validation of a multiplex visual POCT platform based on RT-RAA-CRISPR/Cas12a for porcine diarrheal viruses
December 2026
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine rotavirus A (PoRVA), and porcine sapelovirus (PSV) are major causative agents of severe diarrhea in swine and frequently occur as co-infections, leading...
The acetylation mechanism and engineering strategy of isocitrate lyase for optimizing biosynthesis in Escherichia coli
December 2026
Lysine acetylation is a widespread post-translational modification that fine-tunes cell physiology and metabolism. Yet its application in metabolic engineering remains underexplored. Here, we report...
Enhanced production of l-histidine in Escherichia coli through systematic metabolic engineering and CER controlled fermentation
December 2026
l-Histidine is an essential amino acid with important applications in pharmaceuticals and nutrition, highlighting the demand for efficient microbial production platforms. This study developed a high-performance...
Directed evolution of heme biosynthetic enzymes enabled by a growth-coupled heme biosensor in Corynebacterium glutamicum
December 2026
Heme is an essential cofactor involved in diverse cellular processes and is an important target for microbial biosynthesis. However, engineering microbial heme production remains challenging due to...
Facile production of d-arabinitol from waste cells via artificial in vitro enzymatic cascade
December 2026
d-Arabinitol is a high-value platform chemical widely applied in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries, yet conventional production suffers from low conversion efficiency, prolonged cycles,...
Efficient PE system PE7-scFv-MLH1dn by optimizing the configuration of La and MLH1dn
December 2026
Prime editing is a versatile gene editing technology that has undergone significant enhancements since its inception. Currently, a recently reported prime editing system, PE7 combined with MLH1dn, incorporates...
Engineering the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 as a host organism for coliphage production
December 2026
Bacteriophage therapy emerges as a pivotal alternative in the ongoing battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Employing probiotic bacteria as hosts for bacteriophage production bestows several...
Profiling heterologous 3′ terminator-dependent expression variation in Aspergillus oryzae
December 2026
Transcriptional terminators are key to defining transcript boundaries, ensuring mRNA maturation, and maintaining expression stability, yet they remain underexplored in filamentous fungi. Here, we systematically...
Transposon-based genome editing of industrial microorganisms: advances, challenges, and prospects
December 2026
As mobile genetic elements, transposons play a crucial role in the adaptive evolution and genome engineering of industrial microorganisms. Their applications range from high-throughput functional genomics,...
Systems engineering of Escherichia coli for high-level hydroxytyrosol production
December 2026
Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is a potent polyphenolic antioxidant widely utilized in the biomedical and food industries. However, its high-level microbial biosynthesis is primarily hindered by the metabolic...
The direct conversion of strictosamide to pumiloside in planta expands the camptothecin biosynthetic pathway
December 2026
Cancer is a globally devastating disease that severely threatens human health and impedes social development. Camptothecin and its derivatives serve as crucial chemotherapeutic agents in clinical cancer...
Synergistic interactions in designed bacterial consortia: Dual effects on control rusty root rot and growth promotion in ginseng
December 2026
Ginseng rusty root rot, caused by Ilyonectria robusta, is the most severe soil-borne disease affecting ginseng cultivation. A synthetic microbial community (SynCom) was developed for the first time...
A cell-free system for 1,6-hexanediamine synthesis using bulk chemical caprolactam as the feedstock
December 2026
Biomanufacturing, with its advantages of mildness, low carbon emissions, and renewability, drives the frontier of green chemistry and sustainable development. However, complex metabolic pathways and...
Engineering of fructose-6-phosphate aldolase for one-carbon conversion to mannitol in a designed biotransformation system
December 2026
Developing artificial synthetic pathways for converting one-carbon compounds into value-added chemicals represents a promising strategy for carbon-neutral manufacturing. Enzymatic C–C bond formation...
Structure characterization assists rational design of polyethyleneglycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) substituted hyaluronic acid
December 2026
Polyethyleneglycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) is a new generation of cross-linker with the advantages of low toxicity and improved elasticity. The physicochemical properties of PEGDE-HA are closely related...
Engineered bacteria in disease diagnosis and therapy: A synthetic biology perspective
December 2026
Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary field that integrates knowledge and techniques from modern biology and many other disciplines to design and construct novel biological systems or to modify...
Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for co-production of ergothioneine, salidroside and gadusol
December 2026
Ergothioneine (EGT), salidroside and gadusol are high-value cosmetic ingredients valued for their moisturizing, skin-brightening and ultraviolet (UV)-protective properties. Leveraging Saccharomyces...
Progresses of transposon research in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
December 2026
Transposons are mobile genetic elements that have attracted sustained scientific interest since their discovery in maize, evolving into indispensable tools in genetic research. Saccharomyces cerevisiae...
Engineering an asymmetric cross-feeding consortium in Ogataea polymorpha driven by sulfur metabolism
December 2026
Microbial cell factories offer a sustainable route for chemical production, yet reconstructing complex pathways in a single host often leads to metabolic burden and imbalanced flux. Here we establish...
Metabolic engineering and adaptive laboratory evolution enhance squalene production in Yarrowia lipolytica
September 2026
Squalene, a multifunctional natural compound with diverse bioactivities, has significant potential in the nutraceutical and health industries. Microbial synthesis using engineered cell factories represents...
De novo biosynthesis of putrescine from glucose using engineered Escherichia coli in a two-step process
September 2026
Putrescine, is a key monomer for the synthesis of high-performance polymer materials. However, its sustainable microbial production remains challenging in yield and efficiency. In this study, we developed...
XRE-type transcriptional regulator ProR controls prodigiosin synthesis in Serratia marcescens JNB5-1
September 2026
The gram-negative bacterium Serratia marcescens produces various secondary metabolites, including prodigiosin, althiomycin, and serratamolide. Among these, prodigiosin exhibits multiple biological activities...
Utilization, metabolic regulation and applications of hydrophobic substrates in Yarrowia lipolytica
September 2026
The efficient use of hydrophobic substrates such as n-alkanes and fatty acids as carbon and energy sources is an important native ability of Yarrowia lipolytica. This review summarizes the crucial characteristics...