Frontier technology

Enzymes are important biological catalysts in all living cells: they facilitate chemical reactions, through which all molecules important for living organisms are produced from specific substrates. Most living organisms possess thousands of different enzymes, each of which is responsible for a very specific reaction. The combined action of all enzymes constitutes the metabolic system, which…

Since DeepMind launched AlphaFold, many scientists have used AlphaFold to predict protein structures, and many scientists say that the AI system has greatly helped their scientific work. But behind the brilliance is a shadow, and some studies have questioned the accuracy of AlphaFold, arguing that some of the predicted proteins are useless. Some scientists have…

What are the minimum genes required for a cell to survive? To answer this question, researchers adopted a design build test cycle strategy to synthesize a Mycoplasma filamentosum chromosome containing only 473 genes, and it can replicate and produce free living bacterial cells during the experimental observation cycle [2]. This smallest cell removed 428 genes…

Abstract Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gaseous microbial metabolite, and its role in intestinal diseases is highly controversial. This is mainly due to the difficulty of accurately measuring H2S and the use of model systems that cannot accurately represent the human intestinal environment for research. In this paper, the engineered Escherichia coli designed by the…

Many microorganisms accumulate compatible solutes to counteract external pressures such as high osmotic pressure, high temperature, drying, and freezing. Among numerous compatible solutes, tetrahydropyrimidine stands out for its significant efficacy in effectively protecting halophilic cells from osmotic pressure imbalance and maintaining the stability of intracellular biomolecules. Recent studies have shown that tetrahydropyrimidine has the potential…

According to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan, a protein engineering method using simple, cost-effective experiments and machine learning models can predict which proteins are effective for specific purposes. This method has profound potential in assembling proteins and peptides, and can be used for applications ranging from industrial tools to therapeutic…

With the continuous intensification of global climate change, environmental pollution and other issues, “clean energy” has become a hot topic on a global scale. As a renewable energy source, clean energy can not only meet the growing energy needs of human society, but also alleviate the current energy crisis and environmental problems to a certain…

The emergence of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology has significantly changed the landscape of gene editing, providing scientists with unprecedented convenience and efficiency in freely manipulating genes. However, the accuracy of CRISPR gene editing is crucial for ensuring clinical safety and avoiding accidental and permanent genotoxicity. In recent years, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing has made advanced T…

Despite containing only 7.5 artificial chromosomes, highly edited strains still survive and replicate. Biologists have developed a yeast whose genome contains over 50% of artificially synthesized DNA. Standard brewing yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) stores its genetic blueprint on 16 chromosomes. In the new strain, 6.5 of these chromosomes were edited and synthesized in the laboratory, while…