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Journal articleZhao A, Jüstel JPM, Jones MP, et al., 2026,
Circular and scalable leather alternatives from fungal fruiting bodies
, Cleaner Materials, Vol: 21Fungal leather alternatives, intended to imitate animal leather, are popular with fashion designers. Most fungal leather alternatives rely on ‘as-grown’ mycelium networks, which are time-intensive to grow and difficult to scale. We present a leather alternative designed for scalability, utilising mushroom residues and papermaking methods. Flexible chitin-glucan sheets were produced from Agaricus bisporus mushrooms with tensile strengths up to 20 MPa, values approaching those of synthetic and bovine leather (∼13 MPa and 10–31 MPa, respectively), and strains-to-failure of 16–18% (compared to 15–60% and 31–69%, respectively). Sheet aesthetics and mechanical properties were tailored through modified fungal pulp extraction, dyeing, and reinforcement with cellulose-based fibres to achieve tear strengths comparable to bovine leather (104–107 N/mm compared to 42–106 N/mm). Mushroom residue-based sheets demonstrated a solution aligned with the principles of circularity, converting underutilised by-products into wearable garments to reduce waste and resource use in the fashion and textile industries.
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Journal articleSun M, Gao AX, Ye B, et al., 2026,
Advances in engineering and applications of synthetic phase-separated membraneless organelles in biotechnology
, Synthetic and Systems Biotechnology, Vol: 13, Pages: 37-49, ISSN: 2405-805XMembraneless organelles (MLOs) formed through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) constitute crucial dynamic microenvironments within cells, capable of selectively concentrating specific molecules and regulating biochemical reactions. Based on the working mechanisms of natural MLOs, researchers have designed and constructed various synthetic MLOs. These MLOs have been applied in regulating enzyme activity, optimizing metabolic pathways, regulating gene expression, producing recombinant proteins, and developing functional biomaterials. Here, we systematically summarized the design strategies, characterization techniques, and client protein recruitment methods for synthetic MLOs, and categorically reviewed their application progress in the biotechnology field. We also discussed current challenges faced in the practical applications of synthetic MLOs and future research directions. This review aims to provide theoretical guidance and practical reference for the design and application of LLPS-driven synthetic MLOs, thereby promoting their innovative development in synthetic biology and biotechnology.
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Journal articleZhang B, Murali GG, Quitéria TFH, et al., 2026,
Easy repair enabled by an interleaving ‘weak link’ strategy to localise damage in laminated fibre-reinforced polymer-matrix composites
, Composites Part B: Engineering, Vol: 323, ISSN: 1359-8368An interleaving strategy for polymer matrix composite laminates is proposed to create a mechanical fuse allowing interlaminar damage to be localised in the interleaf, which can subsequently be repaired. To create the mechanical fuse, the laminates are interleaved with thermoplastic polymer films with suitable mechanical properties to act as a repairable weak link. Carbon fibre/epoxy laminates interleaved with polystyrene (PS) were investigated by three-point flexure and static indentation tests. In the three-point bending tests, shear–driven damage was observed in the interleaved region, and this damage was subsequently repaired by application of heat and pressure. After two damage-repair cycles, the stiffness was virtually fully recovered, and the shear strength restored to 88% of the pristine value. In the static indentation tests, the stiffness and damage onset force of the specimens recovered to 84% and 70% of the pristine values, respectively, after three damage-repair cycles.
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Journal articleFink N, de Freitas Naves L, Gamboa-Meléndez H, et al., 2026,
Advances in metabolic engineering for the production of sustainable aviation fuels
, Current Opinion in Biotechnology, Vol: 100, ISSN: 0958-1669Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are critical for decarbonising the hard-to-abate aviation sector, which significantly contributes to global CO2 emissions. Conventional SAF production routes, such as Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids, Fischer-Tropsch and Alcohol-to-Jet, offer drop-in compatibility but are constrained by feedstock availability, high costs and environmental impacts. This review highlights, as promising alternatives, microbial bioproduction via precision fermentation of SAF-relevant compounds from low-cost feedstocks, with reduced land use and enhanced circularity. Here, we focus on microbially derived SAF precursors such as alcohols, terpenes, fatty acid ethyl esters, methyl ketones and saturated hydrocarbons, as well as recent advances in host engineering, pathway design, and bioprocess optimisation.
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Journal articleHowlett P, Durairaj A, Gan J, et al., 2026,
Adjusting for the diagnostic accuracy of CXR in the dose-response relationship between cumulative silica exposure and silicosis in miners.
, Occup Environ MedINTRODUCTION: A recent meta-analysis confirmed that chest X-ray (CXR) has low sensitivity for diagnosing silicosis. We re-estimated previously published dose-response relationships between cumulative respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure and silicosis risk, under the assumptions that sensitivity was either fixed or relative to the population proportion of severe silicosis. METHODS: We combined unpublished logistic regression models from Scottish coal miners with meta-analysis results to model how CXR sensitivity changed according to cumulative RCS exposure. We assumed specificity was 0.95. Among mining cohorts, we calculated the difference in the cumulative risk of silicosis between the unadjusted and fixed and relative scenarios. Finally, we re-estimated a published dose-response meta-analysis and associated absolute risk reductions (ARR). RESULTS: The cumulative risk of silicosis was substantially higher in both the fixed and relative sensitivity scenarios compared with the unadjusted estimate in all mining cohorts. This was most pronounced in the relative scenario and when cumulative RCS exposures were below approximately 6 mg/m³-years. A reduction in cumulative RCS exposure from 4 to 2mg/m³-years corresponded to larger ARRs in the fixed and relative scenarios than the unadjusted scenario; 382 (95% CI 361 to 399) and 529 (95% CI 353 to 592) cases per 1000 miners compared with 313 (95% CI 288 to 333) cases per 1000 miners, respectively. DISCUSSION: We relied on a single estimate of the proportion of severe disease to link sensitivity and cumulative RCS exposure. Nevertheless, adjusting for the reduced diagnostic accuracy of CXR for silicosis suggests the burden of silicosis is underestimated in published mining cohorts.
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Journal articleGao C, Meng X, Chen X, et al., 2026,
Surface immune signaling unlocks NLR activation through mRNA alternative splicing.
, Science, Vol: 393, Pages: 65-70Plants activate pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI) to combat pathogens. However, how these systems coordinate immune activation while preventing autoimmunity remains poorly understood. In this study, we uncovered a regulatory mechanism in which surface immune signaling unlocks nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptor activation through mRNA splicing. We identified an N-terminal prodomain in the potato late blight resistance protein Rpi-vnt1.1 that inhibits resistosome formation, preventing potential autoactivation of this NLR. Upon pathogen perception, PTI signaling induced alternative splicing of Rpi-vnt1.1 mRNA, removing this inhibitory element. This primed Rpi-vnt1.1 for activation by the Phytophthora infestans effector AVRvnt1, enabling resistosome assembly and immune signaling. The widespread conservation of N-terminal extensions in coiled coil-type NLRs points to a common regulatory mechanism in preventing potential autoactivation while preserving pathogen sensitivity.
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Journal articleOdenkirk MT, Chaparro JM, Montgomery NT, et al., 2026,
Correction to “Multi-laboratory assessment reveals variable ion species profiles in electrospray ionization mass spectrometer”
, Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, Vol: 37, Pages: 1683-1684, ISSN: 1044-0305We are requesting a correction of inaccurate author affiliations. Specifically, the correct affiliation for Juliana Chaura, Gabriel Esteban Velez, and Andres Jaramillo-Botero should be iÓMICAS Research Institute, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali 760031, ColombiaThe correct author list and affiliations are shown in the Author Information with this Correction.
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Journal articleDowney DG, Schulze I, Eich A, et al., 2026,
Safety and antimicrobial efficacy of CSL787, a novel nebulized IgG therapy, in patients with bronchiectasis: results from a randomized phase 1 trial.
, Am J Respir Crit Care Med, Vol: 212, Pages: 1643-1646 -
Journal articleSun M, Ye B, Zhao Y, et al., 2026,
5'-End Translationalization: Iterative Assembly of Leaderless Polycistronic Amplifiers for Context-Independent Expression in the Food-Grade Bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum.
, J Agric Food Chem, Vol: 74, Pages: 19859-19870Corynebacterium glutamicum is a crucial food-grade (GRAS) bacterial chassis widely utilized for the industrial production of amino acids and nutraceuticals. However, the efficient production of recombinant proteins and secondary metabolites in this host remains limited by context dependence and low translational efficiency. To overcome this, we introduce a 5'-end translationalization strategy. By repurposing passive 5' untranslated regions (5'UTRs) into actively translated fore-cistrons, we converted conventional monocistronic designs into context-independent, leaderless polycistronic designs (PCDs). This assembly of concatenated fore-cistrons functions as a translational amplifier, largely decoupling protein output from mRNA abundance. We validated this platform by optimizing two biomanufacturing paradigms: achieving a 4.07-fold enhanced secretion of OmlA, a porcine vaccine antigen, and boosting biosynthesis of the food-grade pigment indigoidine to 1.20 g/L (a 7.33-fold increase over baselines). Together, this framework establishes a versatile, portable toolkit to overcome translational bottlenecks, enabling robust hyperproduction of recombinant proteins and engineered metabolites in biotechnology.
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Journal articleYu Y, Lu R, Sun M-L, et al., 2026,
Single cell oil enriched in ricinoleic acid biosynthesis from glucose via metabolically rewired oleaginous yeast.
, Metab Eng, Vol: 96, Pages: 80-91Ricinoleic acid, an industrially high-value hydroxy fatty acid traditionally sourced from castor seed oil. However, plant-based production is plagued by challenges such as inherent toxicity, environmental risks, and unstable supply. Microbial biosynthesis provides a safer and more sustainable alternative, eliminating the need for land cultivation, shortens production cycles, and mitigates the toxicity risks associated with castor seed harvesting. Furthermore, microbial production of ricinoleic acid in the form of single cell oil (SCO) confers significant advantages over free fatty acid, including enhanced stability and reduced cytotoxicity. In this study, the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica was metabolically rewired via a multi-pronged strategy: boosting the synthesis of oleoyl-CoA (the precursor of ricinoleic acid), mimicking plant acyl editing to refine phosphatidylcholine pool precursors, promoting the assembly of ricinoleic acid into storage triacylglycerols, and suppressing competing degradation pathways. Employing this integrated engineering approach, the final engineered strain YY-20 accumulated 729.4 mg/L of ricinoleic acid in shake flask cultures, accounting for 28.3% of total fatty acids. More notably, fed-batch fermentation in a bioreactor achieved a record-high ricinoleic acid titer of 6.0 g/L (comprising 26.1% of total fatty acids), accompanied by 22.8 g/L of SCO and a lipid content of 37.3% dry cell weight. These results demonstrate the efficacy of coordinated lipid pathway engineering in establishing Y. lipolytica as a robust microbial cell factory for hydroxy fatty acid production. The high SCO titer and efficient ricinoleic acid synthesis underscore the potential of this platform for the scalable industrial biomanufacturing of ricinoleic acid and other high-value unusual fatty acids.
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