Peeking under the hood of early embryogenesis: Using tools and synthetic biology to understand native control systems and sculpt tissues.

Early embryogenesis requires rapid division of pluripotent blastomeres, regulated genome activation, precise spatiotemporal signaling to pattern cell fate, and morphogenesis to shape primitive tissue architectures. The complexity of this process has inspired researchers to move beyond simple genetic perturbation into engineered devices and synthetic biology tools to permit temporal and spatial manipulation of the control systems guiding development. By precise alteration of embryo organization, it is now possible to advance beyond basic analytical strategies and directly test the sufficiency of models for developmental regulation. Separately, advances in micropatterning and embryoid culture have facilitated the bottom-up construction of complex embryo tissues allowing ex vivo systems to recapitulate even later stages of development. Embryos fertilized and grown ex vivo offer an excellent opportunity to exogenously perturb fundamental pathways governing embryogenesis. Here we review the technologies developed to thermally modulate the embryo cell cycle, and optically regulate morphogen and signaling pathways in space and time, specifically in the blastula embryo. Additionally, we highlight recent advances in cell patterning in two and three dimensions that have helped reveal the self-organizing properties and gene regulatory networks guiding early embryo organization.

Unraveling the relationship between key aroma components and sensory properties of fragrant peanut oils based on flavoromics and machine learning.

Key aroma components of 33 fragrant peanut oils with different aroma types were screened by combined using flavoromics and machine learning. A total of 108 volatile compounds were identified and 100 kinds of them were accurately quantified, and 38 compounds out of them were with odorant activity value ≥1. The 33 peanut oils presented varied intensity of 'fresh peanuts', 'roasted nut', 'burnt', 'over-burnt', 'sweet', 'peanut butter-like', 'puffed food' and 'exotic flavor', and could be classified into four aroma types, namely raw, light, thick and salty. Partial least squares regression analysis, random forest and classification regression tree revealed that 2-acetyl pyrazine had a negative effect on 'fresh peanuts' and could distinguish raw flavor samples well; 2-methylbutanal and 4-vinylguaiacol were key compounds of 'roasted nut' and had significant differences (P < 0.0001) in thick and raw flavor samples; furfural contributed to the 'puffed food' as well as key compound of salty flavor.

A high-resolution Orbitrap Mass spectral library for trace volatile compounds in fruit wines.

The overall aroma is an important factor of the sensory quality of fruit wines, which attributed to hundreds of volatile compounds. However, the qualitative determination of trace volatile compounds is considered to be very challenging work. GC-Orbitrap-MS with high resolution and high sensitivity provided more possibilities for the determination of volatile compounds, but without the high-resolution mass spectral library. For accuracy of qualitative determination in fruit wines by GC-Orbitrap-MS, a high-resolution mass spectral library, including 76 volatile compounds, was developed in this study. Not only the HRMS spectrum but also the exact ion fragment, relative abundance, retention indices (RI), CAS number, chemical structure diagram, aroma description and aroma threshold (ortho-nasally) were provided and were shown in a database website (Food Flavor Laboratory, http://foodflavorlab.cn/ ). HRMS library was used to successfully identify the volatile compounds mentioned above in 16 fruit wines (5 blueberry wines, 6 goji berry wines and 5 hawthorn wines). The library was developed as an important basis for further understanding of trace volatile compounds in fruit wines.

Integrating cellular dimensions with cell differentiation during early development.

Early embryo development is characterized by alteration of cellular dimensions and fating of blastomeres. An emerging concept is that cell size and shape drive cellular differentiation during early embryogenesis in a variety of model organisms. In this review, we summarize recent advances that elucidate the contribution of the physical dimensions of a cell to major embryonic transitions and cell fate specification in vivo. We also highlight techniques and newly evolving methods for manipulating the sizes and shapes of cells and whole embryos in situ and ex vivo. Finally, we provide an outlook for addressing fundamental questions in the field and more broadly uncovering how changes to cell size control decision making in a variety of biological contexts.