Engineering microbes for enhancing the degradation of environmental pollutants: A detailed review on synthetic biology.

Anthropogenic activities resulted in the deposition of huge quantities of contaminants such as heavy metals, dyes, hydrocarbons, etc into an ecosystem. The serious ill effects caused by these pollutants to all living organisms forced in advancement of technology for degrading or removing these pollutants. This degrading activity is mostly depending on microorganisms owing to their ability to survive in harsh adverse conditions. Though native strains possess the capability to degrade these pollutants the development of genetic engineering and molecular biology resulted in engineering approaches that enhanced the efficiency of microbes in degrading pollutants at faster rate. Many bioinformatics tools have been developed for altering/modifying genetic content in microbes to increase their degrading potency. This review provides a detailed note on engineered microbes - their significant importance in degrading environmental contaminants and the approaches utilized for modifying microbes. The genes responsible for degrading the pollutants have been identified and modified fir increasing the potential for quick degradation. The methods for increasing the tolerance in engineered microbes have also been discussed. Thus engineered microbes prove to be effective alternate compared to native strains for degrading pollutants.

Interaction of eugenol-based anti-tuberculosis nanoemulsion with bovine serum albumin: A spectroscopic study including Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, and Ethambutol.

Tuberculosis (TB), a deadly infectious disease, is primarily caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The misuse of antibiotics has led to the development of drug resistance, prompting researchers to explore new technologies to combat multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB). Phospholipid-based nanotherapeutics, such as nanoemulsions, are gaining traction as they enhance drug solubility, stability, and bioavailability. Our study focuses on the interaction between Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and a drug-loaded nanoemulsion based on Eugenol. This nanoemulsion incorporates Eugenol, Clove, cinnamon oil, and first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs like Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, and Ethambutol. The primary objective is to assess the biosafety profile of the nanoemulsion upon interaction with BSA. We employed Fluorescence, UV-visible, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to analyze this interaction. UV-visible spectroscopy detected changes in hydrophobicity due to structural alterations in BSA near the tryptophan residue, leading to the formation of ground-state complexes. Fluorescence spectroscopy demonstrated that the nanoemulsion effectively quenched fluorescence originating from tryptophan and tyrosine residues. Studies using synchronous and three-dimensional spectroscopy point to a potential modification of the aromatic environment of BSA by the nanoemulsion. Resonance light scattering spectra indicated the formation of large aggregates due to the interaction with the nanoemulsion. The second derivative FTIR spectra showed an increase in the magnitude of secondary structure bands, suggesting a conformational shift. This research has significant pharmacological implications for developing safer, more targeted drug delivery systems. The information obtained from the interaction of the nanoemulsion with the blood carrier protein is vital for the future development of superior carriers with minimal adverse effects on patients. It is crucial to remember that conformational changes brought on by drug-ligand complexes attaching to carrier proteins may have negative consequences. Therefore, this study enhances the in vitro evaluation of potential adverse effects of the nanoemulsion on serum proteins.

Advances in the application of immobilized enzyme for the remediation of hazardous pollutant: A review.

Nowadays, ecofriendly, low-cost, and sustainable alternatives techniques have been focused on the effective removal of hazardous pollutants from the water streams. In this context, enzyme immobilization seems to be of specific interest to several researchers to develop novel, effective, greener, and hybrid strategies for the removal of toxic contaminants. Immobilization is a biotechnological tool, anchoring the enzymes on support material to enhance the stability and retain the structural conformation of enzymes for catalysis. Recyclability and reusability are the main merits of immobilized enzymes over free enzymes. Studies showed that immobilized enzyme laccase can be used up to 7 cycles with 66% efficiency, peroxidase can be recycled to 2 cycles with 50% efficiency, and also cellulase to 3 cycles with 91% efficiency. In this review, basic concepts of immobilization, different immobilization techniques, and carriers used for immobilization are summarized. In addition to that, the potential of immobilized enzymes as the bioremediation agents for the effective degradation of pollutants from the contaminated zone and the impact of different operating parameters are summarized in-depth. Further, this review provides future trends and challenges that have to be solved shortly for enhancing the potential of immobilized systems for large-scale industrial wastewater treatment.