Dimethyl phthalate exposure induces cognitive impairment via COX2-mediated neuroinflammation.

AIM: The present work explored the mechanism of dimethyl phthalate (DMP, the environmental contaminant) exposure in inducing cognitive impairment. METHODS: Targets and regulatory networks related to DMP-brain injury-cognitive impairment were analyzed through network pharmacology. DMP exposure was carried out to simulate DMP environmental uptake, whereas Morris water maze was performed for examining cognitive impairment. Additionally, inflammatory cytokine levels within tissues were measured. hematoxylin-eosin staining(H&E) and Nissl staining was conducted to examine brain tissue injury, while Western blot was carried out for identifying protein levels. After applying.Small interfering RNA(siRNA-COX2) and celecoxib-COX2 inhibitors separately, we analyzed impacts of DMP. Besides, in vitro experiments were performed to analyze impacts of DMP on microglial activation. RESULTS: As suggested by network pharmacology,Cyclooxygenase-2-PTGS2 (COX2) showed significant relation to DMP, and it exerted its effect via COX2. Following DMP exposure, mice experienced obvious cognitive impairment and brain damage, besides, microglial cells were activated, and inflammatory cytokines were up-regulated. Applying siRNA-COX2 and celecoxib-COX2 suppressed DMP's impact and mitigated mouse cognitive impairment. Based on in vitro analysis, DMP led to microglial activation and neuroinflammation. CONCLUSION: DMP exposure causes neuroinflammation via the COX2-regulated microglial activation, thus leading to cognitive impairment. COX2 may serve as the key action target of DMP.

First report of ISKpn26 element mediating mgrB gene disruption in the ST1 colistin- and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae cluster isolated from a patient with chest infection.

Colistin is used as a last-line therapy against carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP). However, colistin resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae is increasingly reported worldwide. This study aims to investigate the instrumental role of insertion sequence (IS) elements in colistin resistance through mgrB disruption in K. pneumoniae during treatment. Five clinical isolates of CRKP, designated KPN1~KPN5 were collected from the lower respiratory tract of a patient with chest infection before and after treatment with colistin. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the broth microdilution method. Whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics were used to analyze the sequence types (STs), resistance genes, and genetic characteristics of the five isolates of K. pneumoniae. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing indicated that all five K. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to cephalosporins (ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, and cefepime), several carbapenems (imipenem, meropenem), cefoperazone-sulbactam, piperacillin-tazobactam, ciprofloxacin, and fosfomycin, whereas they were sensitive to amikacin and tigecycline. In addition, three of these isolates were resistant to colistin, with minimum inhibitory concentration values of >8 mg/L. Whole genome sequencing revealed that all five K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to sequence type 1 (ST1), which shared an identical blaKPC-2. Notably, disruption of mgrB by the ISKpn26 insertion sequence was shown to be the primary colistin resistance mechanism during the treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ISKpn26 element mediating mgrB disruption in the ST1 colistin and CRKP obtained from a patient with chest infection in mainland China. This study provides new research ideas to explore the clinical drug resistance mechanism of CRKP and the critical need to monitor and understand resistance mechanisms to preserve the efficacy of last-line antibiotics such as colistin. IMPORTANCE: Of note, this chapter gives an update on colistin resistance in sequence type 1 Klebsiella pneumoniae, by focusing on the mgrB disrupted by ISKpn26 element.

Targeted gene sequencing and transcriptome sequencing reveal characteristics of NUP98 rearrangement in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND: NUP98 rearrangements (NUP98-r) are rare but overrepresented mutations in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. NUP98-r is often associated with chemotherapy resistance and a particularly poor prognosis. Therefore, characterizing pediatric AML with NUP98-r to identify aberrations is critically important. METHODS: Here, we retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological features, genomic and transcriptomic landscapes, treatments, and outcomes of pediatric patients with AML. RESULTS: Nine patients with NUP98-r mutations were identified in our cohort of 142 patients. Ten mutated genes were detected in patients with NUP98-r. The frequency of FLT3-ITD mutations differed significantly between the groups harboring NUP98-r and those without NUP98-r (P = 0.035). Unsupervised hierarchical clustering via RNA sequencing data from 21 AML patients revealed that NUP98-r samples clustered together, strongly suggesting a distinct subtype. Compared with that in the non-NUP98-r fusion and no fusion groups, CMAHP expression was significantly upregulated in the NUP98-r samples (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analyses demonstrated that patients harboring NUP98-r (P < 0.001) and WT1 mutations (P = 0.030) had worse relapse-free survival, and patients harboring NUP98-r (P < 0.008) presented lower overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: These investigations contribute to the understanding of the molecular characteristics, risk stratification, and prognostic evaluation of pediatric AML patients.

The Role of Luminescent Coupling in Monolithic Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells.

Luminescent coupling (LC) is a key phenomenon in monolithic tandem solar cells. This study presents a nondestructive technique to quantitatively evaluate the LC effect, addressing a gap in the existing predictions made by optical modeling. The method involves measuring the ratio of photons emitted from the high bandgap top cell that escape through the rear, contributing additional current to the bottom cell, and to those escaping from the front side of top cell. The findings indicate that in the analyzed monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, more than 85% of the emitted photons escaping from the perovskite top cell are used to generate additional current in the bottom cell. This process notably reduces the mismatch in the generated current between each subcell, particularly when the current is limited by the low bandgap subcell. The presented method is applicable to a variety of monolithic tandem structures, providing vital information for subcell characterization, providing vital information for predicting energy output and optimization for outdoor applications.

Comparison of plasma and blood cell samples in metagenomic next-generation sequencing for identification of the causative pathogens of fever.

Background: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of plasma DNA has become an attractive diagnostic method for infectious diseases; however, the rate of false-positive results is high. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of mNGS in plasma versus blood cell samples for immunocompromised children with febrile diseases. Methods: The results of conventional microbiological test (CMT) and mNGS using plasma and blood cells in 106 patients with 128 episodes of febrile diseases from the Department of Hematology/Oncology were analyzed and described. Results: The positivity rates for CMT and mNGS of plasma and blood cells were 35.9 %, 84.4 % and 46.9 %, respectively (P < 0.001). Notably, mNGS identified multiple pathogens in a single specimen in 68.5 % of plasma samples and 38.3 % of blood cell samples (P < 0.001). Furthermore, plasma and blood cell mNGS identified causative pathogens in 58 and 46 cases, accounting for 53.7 % and 76.7 % of the mNGS-positive cases for each sample type, respectively (P = 0.002). By integrating results from both plasma and blood cell samples, causative pathogens were identified in 77 cases (60.2 %), enhancing sensitivity to 87.5 % but reducing specificity to 15.0 %, compared to plasma (65.9 % sensitivity and 20.0 % specificity) and blood cell samples (52.3 % sensitivity and 80.0 % specificity). Conclusions: mNGS of plasma is sensitive but has a high false-positive rate, while mNGS of blood cells has low sensitivity but higher specificity.

Incidence and risk factors of systemic lupus erythematosus in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Immune disorders and autoantibodies has been noted in both primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Whether the two disorders are correlated is unclear. The lack of evidence on the incidence of and risk factors for SLE in primary ITP patients poses a challenge for prediction in clinical practice. Therefore, we conducted this study. Methods: The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023403665). Web of Science, Cochrane, PubMed, and EMBASE were searched for articles published from inception to 30 September 2023 on patients who were first diagnosed with primary ITP and subsequently developed into SLE. Furthermore, the risk factors were analyzed. Study quality was estimated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The statistical process was implemented using the R language. Results: This systematic review included eight articles. The incidence of SLE during the follow-up after ITP diagnosis was 2.7% (95% CI [1.3-4.4%]), with an incidence of 4.6% (95% CI [1.6-8.6%]) in females and 0 (95% CI [0.00-0.4%]) in males. Older age (OR = 6.31; 95% CI [1.11-34.91]), positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) (OR = 6.64; 95% CI [1.40-31.50]), hypocomplementemia (OR = 8.33; 95% CI [1.62-42.91]), chronic ITP (OR = 24.67; 95% CI [3.14-100.00]), organ bleeding (OR = 13.67; 95% CI [2.44-76.69]), and female (OR = 20.50; 95% CI [4.94-84.90]) were risk factors for subsequent SLE in ITP patients. Conclusion: Patients with primary ITP are at higher risk of SLE. Specific follow-up and prevention strategies should be tailored especially for older females with positive ANA, hypocomplementemia, or chronic ITP. In subsequent studies, we need to further investigate the risk factors and try to construct corresponding risk prediction models to develop specific prediction strategies for SLE.

Dissecting the genome sequence of a clinical isolated Cunninghamella bertholletiae Z2 strain with rich cytochrome P450 enzymes (Article).

Mucormycosis is receiving much more attention because of its high morbidity and extremely high mortality rate in immunosuppressed populations. In this study, we isolated a Cunnignhamella bertholletiae Z2 strain from a skin lesion of a 14 year, 9 months old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who die of infection from the Z2 strain. Genome sequencing was performed after isolation and amplification of the Z2 strain to reveal potential virulence factors and pathogenic mechanisms. The results showed that the genome size of the Z2 strain is 30.9 Mb with 9213 genes. Mucoral specific virulence factor genes found are ARF, CalN, and CoTH, while no gliotoxin biosynthesis gene cluster was found, which is a known virulence factor in Aspergillus fumigatus adapted to the environment. The Z2 strain was found to have 69 cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are potential drug resistant targets. Sensitivity testing of Z2 showed it was only inhibited by amphotericin B and posaconazole. Detailed genomic information of the C. bertholletiae Z2 strain may provide useful data for treatment.

The effect of the plasma methotrexate concentration during high-dose methotrexate therapy in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Two hundred and thirty-one acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) children with 1376 high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) courses (3-5 g/m2) were enrolled to analyze the influence of the plasma MTX concentration (CMTX) in ALL. The 24-h target peak CMTX (C24h) was set at 33 µmol/l for low-risk (LR) and 65 µmol/l for intermediate/high-risk (IR/HR) groups. The median C24h was 42.0 µmol/l and 69.7 µmol/l for LR and IR/HR groups, respectively. MTX excretion delay was observed in 14.6% of courses, which was more frequent in IR/HR groups (56.9% vs. LR group 40.2%, p = .014) and T-ALL patients (82.6% vs. B-ALL 47.1%, p = .001). MTX-related toxicities were more common in courses with MTX excretion delay. However, survival between the patients who failed to reach the target C24h or not, with or without MTX excretion delay, was comparable. These findings suggest that, owing to the effectiveness of risk stratification chemotherapy, CMTX does not exert an independent influence on the prognosis of childhood ALL.

Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics Promotes the Progression of Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease: Association with Induction of Microglial Pyroptosis.

We focused on investigating the effects and mechanisms of polystyrene (PS) microplastics in Alzheimer's disease (AD). PS could promote the cognitive impairment in mice and antagonize the action of PS. Meanwhile, it could promote microglial pyroptosis and aggravate neuroinflammation. In vitro results also showed that PS induced pyroptosis of BV2 and RAW264.7, after GSDMD silencing, such pyroptosis was inhibited. Our study found that PS aggravated neuroinflammation by inducing microglial pyroptosis, thereby promoting the progression of cognitive impairment in AD. This finding offers new support and reference for the induction of AD progression by environmental factors.

Atractylenolide I improves behaviors in mice with depression-like phenotype by modulating neurotransmitter balance via 5-HT2A.

To explore the antidepressant effects and targets of atractylenolide I (ATR) through a network pharmacological approach. Relevant targets of ATR and depression analyzed by network pharmacology were scored (identifying 5-HT2A targets). Through elevated plus maze, open field, tail suspension, and forced swimming tests, the behavioral changes of mice with depression (chronic unpredictable mild stress [CUMS]) were examined, and the levels of neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine (5-HT, DA, and NE) were determined. The binding of ATR to 5-HT2A was verified by small molecular-protein docking. ATR improved the behaviors of CUMS mice, elevated their levels of neurotransmitters 5-HT, DA, and NE, and exerted a protective effect on their nerve cell injury. After 5-HT2A knockout, ATR failed to further improve the CUMS behaviors. According to the results of small molecular-protein docking and network pharmacological analysis, ATR acted as an inhibitor by binding to 5-HT2A. ATR can improve the behaviors and modulate the neurotransmitters of CUMS mice by targeting 5-HT2A.

The predictive utility of cytokines, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein among febrile pediatric hematology and oncology patients with severe sepsis or septic shock.

Severe sepsis and septic shock are life-threatening for pediatric hematology and oncology patient receiving chemotherapy. Th1/Th2 cytokines, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) are all thought to be associated with disease severity. The aim of this study was to prospectively verify the utility of Th1/Th2 cytokines and compare them with PCT and CRP in the prediction of adverse outcomes. Data on patients were collected from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2020. Blood samples were taken for Th1/Th2 cytokine, CRP, and PCT measurements at the initial onset of infection. Severe infection (SI) was defined as severe sepsis or septic shock. Th1/Th2 cytokine levels were determined by using flow cytometric bead array technology. In total, 7,735 febrile episodes were included in this study. For SI prediction, the AUCs of IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α were 0.814, 0.805 and 0.624, respectively, while IL-6 and IL-10 had high sensitivity and specificity. IL-6 > 220.85 pg/ml and IL-10 > 29.95 pg/ml had high odds ratio (OR) values of approximately 3.5 in the logistic regression. Within the subgroup analysis, for bloodstream infection (BSI) prediction, the AUCs of IL-10 and TNF-α were 0.757 and 0.694, respectively. For multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) prediction, the AUC of CRP was 0.606. The AUC of PCT for mortality prediction was 0.620. In conclusion, IL-6 and IL-10 provide good predictive value for the diagnosis of SI. For children with SI, IL-10 and TNF-α are associated with BSI, while CRP and PCT are associated with MODS and death, respectively.

Gastrodin improves nerve cell injury and behaviors of depressed mice through Caspase-3-mediated apoptosis.

AIM: We investigated the effects and target of gastrodin (GAS) for treating depression through network pharmacology combined with experimentation. METHODS: The therapeutic target and signal of GAS for depression were analyzed by network pharmacology. Depression in mice was mimicked with a chronic unpredictable mouse stress (CUMS) model. Through open field, elevated plus maze, forced swimming, and tail suspension tests, the effects of GAS on the CUMS mice behaviors were examined, and the levels of neurotransmitters were detected. The histopathological changes were assayed by H&E and IHC staining, and the protein expressions were detected by Western blotting. Small molecule-protein docking and molecular dynamics experiments were conducted to simulate the binding mode between GAS and Caspase-3. RESULTS: Network pharmacological analysis revealed that Caspase-3 was the action target of GAS. GAS could improve depression-like behaviors in CUMS mice, elevate their neurotransmitter levels, ameliorate their nerve cell injury, and inhibit their Caspase-3 expression. After knocking out Caspase-3, the effects of GAS were inhibited. Molecular dynamics simulation and small molecule-protein docking found that GAS bound to Caspase-3 at SER25, inhibiting the maturation and activation of Caspase-3. CONCLUSION: We find that GAS can act as a Caspase-3 inhibitor, which improves depression-like behaviors and nerve cell injury in CUMS mice by inhibiting Caspase-3-mediated apoptosis.

LncRNA-AC020978 Promotes Metabolic Reprogramming in M1 Microglial Cells in Postoperative Cognitive Disorder via PKM2.

The present work aimed to explore the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-AC020978 in postoperative cognitive disorder (POCD) and the underlying mechanism. The POCD mouse model was constructed through isoflurane anesthesia + abbreviated laparotomy. The AC020978 expression in brain tissue was silenced after lentivirus injection, then Morris water maze test was conducted to detect the cognitive disorder level, flow cytometry was performed to analyze M1 macrophage level, ELISA was carried out to measure inflammatory factor levels, H&E, Nissl and immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the pathological changes in brain tissue, and Western blotting assay was adopted to detect protein expression. In addition, microglial cells were cultured in vitro, after lentivirus infection, the effect of AC020978 on the M1 polarization of microglial cells and glycolysis was observed. AC020978 overexpression promoted POCD progression and aggravated cognitive disorder in mice; in addition, the proportion of peripheral and central M1 cells increased, the inflammatory factor levels were upregulated, and microglial cells were activated. By contrast, AC020978 silencing led to cognitive disorder in mice and suppressed microglial cell activation and M1 polarization. In vitro experimental results indicated that AC020978 promoted the expression and phosphorylation of PKM2, which promoted inflammatory response through enhancing microglial cell glycolysis and M1 polarization. AC020978 interacts with PKM2 to promote the glycolysis and M1 polarization of microglial cells, thus regulating cognitive disorder and central inflammation in POCD.

Minimal residual disease detection by next-generation sequencing of different immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in pediatric B-ALL.

While the prognostic role of immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IGH) rearrangement in minimal residual disease (MRD) in pediatric B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) has been reported, the contribution of light chain loci (IGK/IGL) remains elusive. This study is to evaluate the prognosis of IGH and IGK/IGL rearrangement-based MRD detected by next-generation sequencing in B-ALL at the end of induction (EOI) and end of consolidation (EOC). IGK/IGL rearrangements identify 5.5% of patients without trackable IGH clones. Concordance rates for IGH and IGK/IGL are 79.9% (cutoff 0.01%) at EOI and 81.0% (cutoff 0.0001%) at EOC, respectively. Patients with NGS-MRD < 0.01% at EOI or <0.0001% at EOC present excellent outcome, with 3-year event-free survival rates higher than 95%. IGH-MRD is prognostic at EOI/EOC, while IGK-MRD at EOI/EOC and IGL-MRD at EOI are not. At EOI, NGS identifies 26.2% of higher risk patients whose MRD < 0.01% by flow cytometry. However, analyzing IGK/IGL along with IGH fails to identify additional higher risk patients both at EOI and at EOC. In conclusion, IGH is crucial for MRD monitoring while IGK and IGL have relatively limited value.

Icariin improves cognitive impairment by inhibiting ferroptosis of nerve cells.

AIM: We investigated the effect and mechanism of Icariin (ICA) on improving neurobehavioral ability of mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: We selected 10-month-old APP/PS1 mice (AD) and wild-type C57BL/6J mice (Normal). After intragastric administration of ICA, Morris water maze was employed to detect neurobehavioral improvements, and to assay key ferroptosis indicators and oxidative stress levels. The common target of ICA for resisting ferroptosis and AD was predicted by network pharmacology. RESULTS: ICA could improve the neurobehavioral, memory and motor abilities of AD mice. It could lower the ferroptosis level and enhance the resistance to oxidative stress. After inhibition of MDM2, ICA could no longer improve the cognitive ability of AD mice, nor could it further inhibit ferroptosis. Network pharmacological analysis revealed that MDM2 might be the target of ICA action. CONCLUSIONS: We found that ICA can inhibit ferroptosis of nerve cells, thereby ameliorating neural damage in mice with AD.

Intracranial Rosai­Dorfman disease complicated by mucosa­associated lymphoid tissue: A case report.

Intracranial Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare, self-limiting histiocytic disease of unknown etiology. Extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) is also rare and intracranial RDD complicated by MALT lymphoma is even rarer. The present study reports a case of a 55-year-old female who was admitted to The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University (Jiaxing, China) with headache for half a month and ptosis of the right eyelid for 4 days. Computerised tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a right parasellar tumor and, subsequently, subtotal resection of the tumor was performed. Postoperative pathology revealed intracranial RDD complicated by MALT lymphoma. The patient received chemotherapy after surgery and achieved good therapeutic effects. After 12 months of follow-up, the residual tumor disappeared and the ptosis prominently improved. To the to the best of the authors' knowledge, the present case is the first reported case of an adult intracranial RDD complicated by MALT lymphoma.

Paeoniflorin suppresses neuronal ferroptosis to improve the cognitive behaviors in Alzheimer's disease mice.

Aim of this research was to examine the impact of paeoniflorin (Pae) in suppressing the occurrence of ferroptosis in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study utilized APP/PS1 mice with AD as the experimental subjects. Following the administration of Pae, the cognitive behaviors of mice were evaluated and the key indexes of ferroptosis were measured, as well as levels of oxidative stress (OS). For in-vitro experiments, Erastin was adopted for inducing the ferroptosis of PC12 cells, and the level of cell ferroptosis was detected after Pae treatment. Pae improved the cognitive ability of AD mice, reduced the level of ferroptosis, decreased the iron ion and MAD levels in brain tissues, and increased SOD expression. In PC12 cells, Pae suppressed the Erastin-induced ferroptosis, mitigated oxidative damage, and reduced the level of ROS. Based on the findings from our research, it was observed that Pae exhibited a specific binding affinity to P53, leading to the suppression of ferroptosis. This mechanism ultimately resulted in the improvement of nerve injury in mice with AD.

Case report: Diagnosis and treatment of delayed epidural pyogenic abscess after brain tumor operation: a report of 5 cases and review of the literature.

Objective: To explore the clinical manifestations and treatment of delayed epidural pyogenic abscess after brain tumor surgery. Method: To retrospectively analyze the medical records of 5 patients with delayed epidural pyogenic abscess after brain tumor surgery in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2020, including clinical manifestations, laboratory results, imaging findings, treatment measures, prognosis, etc. The causes of epidural abscesses were analyzed, and the treatment methods and prognosis were evaluated. Result: Among the 5 cases, there were 4 male and 1 female patient, aged 52-75 years. Three cases were gliomas and 2 cases were meningiomas. Four cases received postoperative radiotherapy, and 1 case had open frontal sinus during operation. None of the surgical incisions were infected. The time between the tumor surgery and the discovery of an epidural abscess was 1.5 to 24 months. All 5 patients had headaches, 1 case had a fever, and 2 cases had limb dysfunction. Three cases had elevated blood inflammatory markers. MRI- DWI showed restricted diffusion. All 5 patients underwent surgery, 4 patients had bone flap removed, and 1 patient had bone flap retained. Bacterial culture was positive in 3 cases and negative in 2 cases. All 5 cases were cured, followed up for 1.5-9 years, and no epidural abscess recurred. Conclusion: The clinical manifestations and laboratory results of delayed epidural pyogenic abscess after brain tumor surgery are not specific, but MRI-DWI has specificity. Postoperative radiotherapy for brain tumors and intraoperative opening of the frontal sinus may be associated with delayed epidural pyogenic abscess. For patients with normal skin flap and no serious inflammation of the bone flap, clinicians can attempt to preserve the bone flap.

Engineered nickel bioaccumulation in Escherichia coli by NikABCDE transporter and metallothionein overexpression.

Mine wastewater often contains dissolved metals at concentrations too low to be economically extracted by existing technologies, yet too high for environmental discharge. The most common treatment is chemical precipitation of the dissolved metals using limestone and subsequent disposal of the sludge in tailing impoundments. While it is a cost-effective solution to meet regulatory standards, it represents a lost opportunity. In this study, we engineered Escherichia coli to overexpress its native NikABCDE transporter and a heterologous metallothionein to capture nickel at concentrations in local effluent streams. We found the engineered strain had a 7-fold improvement in the bioaccumulation performance for nickel compared to controls, but also observed a drastic decrease in cell viability due to metabolic burden or inducer (IPTG) toxicity. Growth kinetic analysis revealed the IPTG concentrations used based on past studies lead to growth inhibition, thus delineating future avenues for optimization of the engineered strain and its growth conditions to perform in more complex environments.