Repurposing bacterial secretion systems for the design of living therapeutics.

Bio-inspired density control of multi-agent swarms via leader-follower plasticity

The first and arguably most critical level of gene expression is transcription of the genetic information from DNA into RNA. Within this process, transcription initiation stands out as the key step that influences all downstream events. Central to initiation are promoters, DNA sequences that interact with the key enzyme of transcription, RNA polymerase. A single transcription unit may be controlled by one or multiple promoters, a strategy found across all domains of life. This review highlights how combinatorial promoter arrangements control gene expression in microorganisms, with brief comparisons to other organisms. We also explore how these promoter architectures function as sensors for stress-related molecules, such as antibiotics. We examine how these insights can be applied to predict previously unidentified mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Finally, the use of dual-promoters in synthetic biology is outlined and discussed.

Combining model-based and data-driven models: An application to synthetic biology resource competition.

Advances in biocontainment strategies of engineered microbes for use in humans.

Evolutionary insights and guidelines to achieve effective and high-yield non-ribosomal peptide and polyketide engineering.

Deep learning revolutionizes protein research: Advances in structure prediction, functional annotation, and engineered design.

Synthetic biology, as an emerging field that integrates life sciences and engineering technology, is driving profound transformations in global science, ethics, and legal systems. In international legal framework, the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have established initial hard law governance systems. However, these frameworks still face structural limitations in terms of technical adaptability, the scope of provisions, and institutional coordination. Soft law, with its flexibility, non-binding nature, and ability to build consensus, is increasingly becoming an essential supplement to the international response to the ethical risks of synthetic biology. International organizations, industry alliances, and non-governmental actors are constructing a multi-layered soft law governance network through ethical guidelines, policy recommendations, and codes of conduct, providing institutional support for risk identification, technology classification, and behavioral guidance. Soft law is well-suited to perform the roles of guiding and providing feedback in governance, while hard law should focus on the construction of systems of rights and responsibilities and the establishment of obligations. There is a collaborative governance model that integrates both soft and hard law. This model, characterized by “soft law guidance, hard law consolidation, and soft law feedback,” aims to create a flexible and enforceable governance framework. This approach ensures that soft law provides a timely and adaptive starting point, hard law offers a uniform and accountable foundation, and a feedback loop allows for continuous adjustment based on practical experience.

Biological reduction of Fenton sludge: Electron transfer mechanisms, regulatory strategies, and prospects.

Antimicrobial discovery from underexplored environments: unlocking specialized metabolism.

Wastewater treatment plays a pivotal role in environmental protection and sustainable development, but traditional biological treatments have drawbacks when treating complex wastewater streams that contain mixed organic contaminants, nutrients, heavy metals, and emerging contaminants. The new trends in environmental biotechnology have offered novel approaches to enhance treatment process efficiency, improve system durability, and increase resource recovery. This review critically evaluates the advances made in the context of the global environment in the area of biotechnology for wastewater treatment, with a particular emphasis on analyzing microbial innovations, genetic and synthetic biology methods, advanced bioreactor design, and novel hybrid systems. The progress in engineered microbial consortia, bioaugmentation, and metabolic pathway engineering is described, and the increased use of CRISPR-based technologies and synthetic biology to enhance pollutant degradation and optimize the process is discussed. The developments in membrane bioreactors, bioelectrochemical systems, and integrated biological physicochemical processes are evaluated in terms of their performance for treatment, energy recovery, and scalability. The specific focus is on the biotechnological elimination of newly emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are not yet well addressed by conventional treatment systems. Although considerable advances have been made in the laboratory and on pilot scales, notable research gaps remain that would prevent application in practical settings, such as the lack of field-scale validation and insufficient understanding of long-term microbial stability under varied conditions.

A review on microbial lipids conversion from organic wastes: Adaptive laboratory evolution-driven strategies for enhanced biofuel precursor synthesis.

Microbial and synthetic biology solutions for waste management and biomanufacturing off Earth.

Systems-level regulation principles for microbial lignin valorization.

Advances in the combined treatment of solid tumors with nanodelivery systems based on engineered bacteria-TME modulation.

Engineering the gut microbiome: Synthetic biology approaches for human health and disease

Modular metabolic engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica and semi-rational design of CYP716A520 for enhanced betulinic acid biosynthesis.

The convergence of synthetic biology and metagenomics: Current advances and future perspectives

Programmable AND-gate strategy to reduce false positives in rolling circle amplification.

Chemical manufacture of nitramine energetics produces hazardous waste streams. Mitigation of these waste streams could be accomplished by replacing current production processes with enzymatic or synthetic biology approaches, enabling sustainable production of these compounds. This study identifies a Streptomyces noursei biosynthetic gene cluster that produces a nitramine natural product, N-nitroglycine, via the formation of a hydrazine precursor. The combined data, along with previously reported proteomics data, define the boundaries and genetic inventory of the biosynthetic gene cluster. Furthermore, structural and thermal degradation analyses of the natural product suggest favorable properties for the use of N-nitroglycine, itself, as an energetic material. Further development of this pathway could enable sustainable approaches to produce energetic nitramines either by oxidation of non-native polyhydrazines to the corresponding polynitramines or by improving production and isolation of N-nitroglycine from S. noursei cultures.