#biocatalytic

[michaelgabrill]

Detoxifying Mars: the biocatalytic elimination of omnipresent perchlorates

Lynn RothschildNASA Ames Research Center (ARC) Water is the lifeblood of human survival and civilization and is critical for our sustained exploration beyond Earth. Fortunately, Mars has plenty of water to sustain our aspirations in the form of subsurface ice. Unfortunately, it is not clean water – it is contaminated by toxic perchlorates. Perchlorate and […] from NASA https://ift.tt/V54Q7tM

[rupalic]

Specialty Enzymes Industry Future Outlook, Global Trends, Industry Share And Top Key Players

The specialty enzymes market is poised for growth, driven by technological advancements, expanding applications, and rising health consciousness. However, companies need to navigate regulatory challenges and production costs to capitalize on the market opportunities effectively.

Specialty Enzymes Market Size and Growth

Current Market Size: The specialty enzymes market has been experiencing steady growth, driven by increasing demand across various industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food and beverages, and diagnostics.

Projected Growth: According to MarketsandMarkets, the global specialty enzymes market size is estimated to be valued at USD 6.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 9.2 billion by 2029, recording a CAGR of 8.5%.

Genetic Engineering and Sustainability: Enzymes Leading the Way

Advancements in enzyme engineering have enabled the discovery of new enzymes from natural sources, ensuring their safety and efficacy in various applications. This includes their use in producing specialty pharmaceuticals and in biocatalytic processes. A recent study by the University of Notre Dame researchers in January 2022 emphasized biocatalytic depolymerization as an efficient and sustainable method for plastic treatment, addressing environmental concerns and enhancing recycling efforts. Additionally, the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) has developed an enzyme engineering platform to improve plastic degradation using directed evolution techniques. These advancements in genetic engineering and enzymes engineering for sustainable practices highlight the specialty enzymes market’s growth potential, especially in addressing environmental issues and promoting eco-friendly solutions.

Why Are Animal-Sourced Enzymes Gaining Popularity in the Specialty Enzymes Industry?

Animal-derived enzymes are often favored for their high specificity and efficiency in catalyzing biochemical reactions, which are crucial for various specialized processes. Pancreatic enzymes like trypsin and chymotrypsin are widely used in drug formulation and the production of biologics. These enzymes facilitate the precise cleavage of peptide bonds, which is vital for the development and manufacturing of therapeutic proteins and peptides. Their specificity and activity levels make them indispensable in pharmaceutical applications, significantly contributing to their market share.

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In addition, animal-derived enzymes are essential in clinical diagnostics and the food industry. For example, rennet, obtained from calves’ stomachs, is used in the coagulation process of cheese production. In clinical settings, enzymes like lactase, sourced from animals, are used in diagnostic kits to test for lactose intolerance, demonstrating their versatility in both food processing and medical diagnostics. Moreover, thrombin, derived from bovine sources, plays a crucial role in surgical procedures by promoting blood clotting and is used in topical hemostatic agents to control bleeding during surgeries. The high efficacy and reliability of thrombin in medical applications underscore the importance of animal-derived enzymes in the specialty enzymes industry.

Specialty Enzymes Market Growth Drivers

Pharmaceutical Industry Demand: Specialty enzymes are extensively used in pharmaceutical applications for drug formulation and biocatalysis, boosting market demand.

Advancements in Biotechnology: Innovations in enzyme engineering and biotechnology are enhancing enzyme efficiency and expanding their application range.

Food and Beverage Industry: Enzymes play a crucial role in improving food quality, processing, and shelf life, increasing their demand in this sector.

Rising Health Awareness: Growing consumer preference for natural and organic products is driving the demand for enzymes in nutraceuticals and dietary supplements.

North America Specialty Enzymes Set to Lead the Market

North America holds the largest specialty enzymes market share in the specialty enzymes sector, driven by several key factors. The region boasts a strong pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, supported by substantial investments in research and development. This investment climate encourages innovation, resulting in the creation of advanced enzyme-based solutions. Companies like Codexis, Inc. (US) lead the way in enzyme engineering, consistently developing new enzymes for pharmaceutical and industrial uses.

Additionally, North America’s well-established healthcare infrastructure and high demand for diagnostic tools contribute to market growth. Specialty enzymes play a vital role in various diagnostic applications, such as ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) tests, which are extensively used in medical diagnostics. The rising prevalence of chronic diseases, including cancer and diabetes, in North America further fuels the demand for these advanced diagnostic tools, boosting the specialty enzymes market.

2024's Game-Changing Innovations in Specialty Enzymes: Recent Advances

In March 2024, Biocatalysts, part of the BRAIN Biotech Group, enhanced its production capacity by adding a large-scale freeze-drying facility at its Cardiff site. This new facility would support the customization and precise formulation of enzymes for the food, beverage, and life sciences industries. By complying with kosher, halal, ISO9001:2015, and FSSC22000 standards, the facility ensured high-quality and flexible enzyme production.

In March 2024, Merck invested over USD 324.68 million in a new bioprocessing production center in Daejeon, South Korea, marking its largest life science investment in the Asia Pacific. This expansion, expected to create around 300 jobs by 2028, underscores Merck’s commitment to enhancing its capacity in this rapidly growing region.

In March 2024, Sanofi India Limited (SIL) approved an agreement with Emcure Pharmaceuticals to exclusively distribute and promote SIL’s Cardiovascular products in India. While SIL retains ownership, import, and manufacturing, Emcure would enhance engagement with healthcare professionals and broaden the reach, benefiting patients nationwide and strengthening Sanofi’s market presence.

Top Specialty Enzymes Companies

BRAIN Biotech AG (Germany)

Novozymes A/S (Denmark)

Codexis, Inc. (US)

Sanofi (France)

Merck KGaA (Germany)

Dyadic International Inc (US)

Advanced Enzyme Technologies (India)

Amano Enzyme Inc (Japan)

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland)

New England Biolabs (US)

BBI Solutions (UK)

Make an Inquiry to Address your Specific Business Needs

[spacenutspod]

Mars is the next frontier of human space exploration, with NASA, China, and SpaceX all planning to send crewed missions there in the coming decades. In each case, the plans consist of establishing habitats on the surface that will enable return missions, cutting-edge research, and maybe even permanent settlements someday. While the idea of putting boots on Martian soil is exciting, a slew of challenges need to be addressed well in advance. Not the least of which is the need to locate sources of water, which consist largely of subsurface deposits of water ice.

[sagarg889]

Single-use Filtration Assemblies Market: Emerging Trends, Regional Analysis & Future Outlook 2023 to 2033

The global single-use filtration assemblies market is predicted to be worth US$ 3.53 billion in 2023 and rise to US$ 19.28 billion by 2033. Initially, the global market was expanding at a CAGR of 19.8% from 2018 to 2022.

Smaller batch sizes, increased demand for customized treatments, and the need for adaptive and scalable solutions are the leading factors fostering the development of single-use technologies in the pharmaceutical industry.

Spending on pharmaceutical research and development for the product has increased, since single-use assemblies are essential to both small- and large-scale biopharmaceutical production.

The increasing use of single-use filter assemblies has raised questions about the impact single-use plastics have on the environment. The single-use filter assemblies sector is growing, thus the industry must come up with plans to reduce waste and promote sustainability.

Download a sample to obtain additional highlights and key points on various market @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-16852

Due to the rewards, single-use meetings have been increasingly popular over the past ten years. Many pharmaceutical and bioengineering companies plan to build their single-use manufacturing facilities in emerging nations like China, India, and South Korea, in order to position these countries as hubs for biocatalytic insourcing. This is due to the favorable controlling environment and the economy of measure in these countries.

Key Takeaways

In 2022, the United States was expanding at a share of 36.4% in the single-use filtration assemblies market.

The single-use filtration assemblies market was significantly expanding, with a size of US$ 2.98 billion in 2022.

Due to existing players’ continuous innovation, the market in the United States is expected to have a CAGR of 14.9% by 2033.

Due to the market’s enormous potential and a strong emphasis on sustainability, analysts expect it is likely to rise 1.18 times between 2022 and 2023.

The market in India is anticipated to expand at an adequate CAGR of 14% by 2033.

In 2022, Europe was expanding at a 29% share in the single-use filtration assemblies market.

Based on type, membrane filtration dominated the market with a share of 47.8% in 2022 and continues to lead the market during the forecast period.

Based on application, bioprocessing/biopharmaceuticals dominated the market with a share of 41.6% in 2022 and continue to lead the market during the forecast period.

Based on product, the filter segment dominated the market with a share of 21.2% in 2022 and continues to lead the market during the forecast period.

Critical Approaches Increasing Top Players’ Wealth

Merck Millipore, Sartorius AG, MEISSNER FILTRATION PRODUCTS, Danaher, Repligen Corporation, Cellab, Medela, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., 3M Purification, and Repligen Corporation are important participants in the market.

To effectively meet the growing demand for single-use filters among end users, notably bio manufacturers, participants are expanding their portfolio. Additionally, the companies are investing in research and development to produce cutting-edge single-use filter assemblies that function and perform better than their conventional counterparts.

Recent Developments

Albumedix, a company focused on science, was totally acquired by Sartorius in August 2022. The company aimed to enhance and bolster its reputation as a provider of cutting-edge media that includes media and crucial supporting components with just this acquisition.

In December 2021, Sartorius teamed with Sonderanlagenbau HOF, a fully integrated design and construction environment. The companies worked together to include the vertical plate freeze-thaw machines in Sartorius’ product range, in order to provide a full line of acceptable freeze-thaw supplies and equipment.

Get Full Access on this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/single-use-filtration-assemblies-market

Key Segments

By Type:

Membrane Filtration

Depth Filtration

Centrifugation

Others

By Applications:

Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing

Bioprocessing/Biopharmaceuticals

Laboratory Use

By Product:

Filters

Cartridges

Membranes

Manifold

Cassettes

Syringes

Others

By Region:

North America

Latin America

Europe

South Asia & Pacific

East Asia

Middle East & Africa

[aidevi]

Welcome the new member AIDEVI NMN21000  #aidevi  #aidevinmn#nmnsupplement This NMN is more powerful for human body absorbtion NMN from AIDEVI Longevity: https://aidevi.cc/.../aidevi-nmn21000-gift-set-nmn...Use coupon code "U9R7HTPETPUV" to SAVE 10%Other products from AIDEVI. Use coupon code "U9R7HTPETPUV" to SAVE 10%.

[amcrasto]

Bio-derived production of cinnamyl alcohol via a three step biocatalytic cascade and metabolic engineering

Bio-derived production of cinnamyl alcohol via a three step biocatalytic cascade and metabolic engineering Green Chem., 2018, Advance Article DOI: 10.1039/C7GC03325G, Paper Evaldas Klumbys, Ziga Zebec, Nicholas J. Weise, Nicholas J. Turner, Nigel S. Scrutton Cascade biocatalysis and metabolic engineering provide routes to cinnamyl alcohol. Bio-derived production of cinnamyl alcohol via a…

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Green production of chemicals for industry

Industry consumes large quantities of crude oil to produce basic substances for drugs, cosmetics, plastics, or food. However, these processes consume a lot of energy and produce waste. Biological processes with enzymes are far more sustainable. The protein molecules can catalyze various chemical reactions without auxiliary materials or solvents being required. But they are expensive and, hence, have been economically unattractive so far. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now developed a new biomaterial that considerably facilitates the use of enzymes. The results are presented in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

Catalysts ensure rapid reaction of basic substances to the end product desired with low energy consumption. Hence, they are of high significance to chemical industry. In about 90% of all chemical processes, catalysts are applied. Scientists of KIT have now developed an environmentally friendly alternative biomaterial, the use of which is associated with reduced energy consumption. "In the long term, such biocatalytic materials are to be used in automatic production of value-added basic compounds without complex synthesis and cleaning steps and with a minimum amount of waste arising," says Professor Christof Niemeyer of KIT's Institute for Biological Interfaces.

Read more.

[melbournenewsvine]

Standing Ovation wins Industria Biotecs start-up pitch

French Standing Ovation has won the start-up pitch of Industria Biotec, held for the first time in Berlin. The event presents biotechnological solutions to save the climate. The French food-tech company Standing Ovation has won the first start-up pitch at Industria Biotec, which takes place today in Berlin. Founded in 2020 and based in Paris, the food tech company aims to become a major player in the €2.5 billion vegan cheese market, part of the €27 billion vegan food market. Standing Ovation has developed a fermentation process to produce animal-free casein, the most abundant (80%) protein in cheese. Casein gives non-animal and lactose-free substitutes for cheese and dairy products the texture, taste, and physical properties of natural cheese. The innovation helps to reduce the CO2 emissions from agriculture. Casein gives milk its white appearance and physical properties. Standing Ovation SA just recently  closed an oversubscribed €12m Series A financing round led by Astanor Ventures. The company‘s business goal is to participate in the consumer hype on sustainable animal-free milk proteins. Global protein demand, and animal protein in particular, is increasingly dramatically while livestock farming represents 15% of greenhouse gas emissions. The very first Industria Biotec in Berlin focuses on the latest developments and new biotechnological products and processes that mitigate the impact of the current energy and climate crisis, such as the decarbonisation of biofuel and energy production, sustain to produce casein, the most abundant proteinin cheeseable food and vegan protein production, the recycling of waste and industrial production streams to defossilise industrial production, and the biotechnological production of chemicals. The packed international conference and networking event focuses on five streams: food, capital, waste, energy and chemicals. Five othe companies participated in the start-up pitch. Brussels-based Paleo BV develops meat and fish proteins through precision fermentation. The company, spun off from the University of Brussels in 2020, uses a patented process to produce GMO-free heme proteins that are bioidentical with six animal proteins (chicken, beef, pork, lamb, tuna and mammoth). When the hemeproteins are added to plant-based products, the result is the ultimate meat or fish experience. The company expects to launch the first GMO-free labelled alternative protein products next year. Berlin and Barcelona-based company Esencia Foods, founded in this March, produces fish and seafood products through solid state fermentation of fungal mycelium. The products are similar in taste and texture to real fish, whose natural stocks will be exhausted by 2048. Berlin-based start-up Ucaneo BIOTECH GmbH develops the world’s first cell-free Direct Air Capture technology leveraging a biocatalytic membrane to capture CO2 from the air. The company’s goal, that works at the intersection of climate tech and synthetic biology, is to capture 1% of the global CO2 emissions by 2035. The Mannheim-based Badische Peptide & Proteine GmbH (BPP) specialises in the solvent-free production and analysis of cyclic peptides and proteins using green biotechnology. German Akribion Genomics, which was spun off from BRAIN Biotech AG in September, will commercialise the BRAIN Group’s patented genome editing platform technology based on the non-Cas9 nuclease. Applications are in the optimisation of microbial production strains, agricultural and pharmaceutical biotechnology. Source link Originally published at Melbourne News Vine

[tumimmtxpapers]

Self-Activated Cascade Biocatalysis of Glucose Oxidase-Polycation-Iron Nanoconjugates Augments Cancer Immunotherapy

Biocatalytic therapy by reactive-oxygen-species-generating enzymes not only kills cancer cells directly but also stimulates an anticancer immune response and inverses the immunosuppressive microenvironment of a variety of solid tumors, which is potentially beneficial to overcoming the limitations of cancer immunotherapy. Herein, we report the in situ growth of polycation chains from glucose oxidase to generate glucose oxidase-polycation conjugates, which can be used as a template for the in situ... http://dlvr.it/SV6fCG

[lookchem]

4192-77-2 Biocatalytic dynamic kinetic reductive resolution with ketoreductase from: Klebsiella pneumoniae: The asymmetric synthesis of functionalized tetrahydropyrans

Ketoreductase from growing cells of Klebsiella pneumoniae (NBRC 3319) acts as an efficient reagent for converting racemic α-benzyl/cinnamyl substituted-β-ketoesters to the corresponding β-hydroxy esters with excellent yields and stereoselectivities (ee and de >99 %). The reactions described herein followed a biocatalytic dynamic kinetic reductive resolution (DKRR) pathway, which is reported for the first time with such substrates. It was found that the enzyme system can accept substituted mono-aryl rings with different electronic natures. In addition, it also accepts a substituted naphthyl ring and heteroaryl ring in the α-position of the parent β-ketoester. The synthesized enantiopure β-hydroxy esters were then synthetically manipulated to valuable tetrahydropyran building blocks.

[spacenutspod]

Mars is the next frontier of human space exploration, with NASA, China, and SpaceX all planning to send crewed missions there in the coming decades. In each case, the plans consist of establishing habitats on the surface that will enable return missions, cutting-edge research, and maybe even permanent settlements someday. While the idea of putting boots on Martian soil is exciting, a slew of challenges need to be addressed well in advance. Not the least of which is the need to locate sources of water, which consist largely of subsurface deposits of water ice. Herein lies another major challenge: Martian ice deposits are contaminated by toxic perchlorates, potent oxidizers that cause equipment corrosion and are hazardous to human health (even at low concentrations). To this end, crewed missions must bring special equipment to remove perchlorates from water on Mars if they intend to use it for drinking, irrigation, and manufacturing propellant. This is the purpose of Detoxifying Mars, a proposed concept selected by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program for Phase I development. The lead developer of this concept is Lynn Rothschild, a Senior Research Scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center (ARC) and the Research and Technology Lead for the Science and Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at NASA HQ. As she and her colleagues noted in their proposal, the “scale of anticipated water demand on Mars highlights the shortcomings of traditional water purification approaches, which require either large amounts of consumable materials, high electrical draw, or water pretreatment.” Graphic depiction of Detoxifying Mars: the biocatalytic elimination of omnipresent perchlorates. Credit: Lynn Rothschild Perchlorates (ClO4-) are chemical compounds that contain the perchlorate ion, which form when chlorine compounds become oxidized. Perchlorate salts are kinetically stable, very soluble, have a low eutectic temperature (the lowest possible temperature they can achieve before freezing), and become very reactive at high temperatures. Chlorate (ClO3-) salts are similar, though they are less kinetically stable than perchlorates. Perchlorates were first detected on Mars by the Wet Chemistry Laboratory (WCL) instrument on the Phoenix mission, which landed in the northern Vastitas Borealis region in May 2028. With concentrations of about 0.5% found in these northern plain soils, scientists realized why previous attempts to find organic molecules in Martian soil had failed. In short, the perchlorate prevented mass spectrometers on the Phoenix and the famed Viking 1 and 2 landers (which explored Mars between 1976 and 1980) from detecting anything. This discovery led to renewed interest in the search for organics and astrobiology studies on Mars, leading to the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. Since then, perchlorate (and likely chlorate) concentrations have been detected by multiple missions from both the surface and orbit. Here on Earth, perchlorates are naturally reduced by bacteria found in hypersaline soils, which have applications for water decontamination. Unfortunately, these same bacteria are unsuitable for off-world use since they are not spaceflight-proven. Instead, Rothschild and her team envision a bioreactor that leverages synthetic biology to take advantage of (and improve upon) this natural perchlorate-reducing process. Specifically, their method relies on two key genes found in Earth-based perchlorate-reducing bacteria (pcrAB and cld). These genes are then engineered into the spaceflight-proven Bacillus subtilis 168 bacteria strain, which will naturally convert chlorate (ClO-3) and perchlorate (ClO4-) into chloride (Cl-) and oxygen gas (O2). The oxygen gas would be immediately useable in Martian habitats or stored in tanks for extra-vehicular activities (EVAs), while the chloride could be used for various purposes, including nutrition. The process is highly sustainable, scalable, and (unlike conventional filtering systems) eliminates the need to dump the perchlorate and chlorate waste elsewhere. A collage of illustrations highlighting the novel concepts proposed by the 2024 NIAC Phase I awardees. Credit: (clockwise, from upper right) Benner/Zhang/McQuinn/Romero-Calvo/Hibberd-Kennedy/Carpenter/Bickford/Romero/Calvo/Cabauy/Landis/Rothschild/Ge-Cheng Zha/NASA With Phase I funding secured, Rothschild and her colleagues plan to test the feasibility of sending a bioreactor to Mars. The first step will be to engineer the genes PcrAB and cld into strains of B. subtilis 168 and test their perchlorate-reducing abilities. They also plan to conduct a trade study to compare the performance of their process against traditional engineering approaches, especially in terms of the mass, power, and time it takes to complete the process. The final step will consist of Rothschild and her team creating a plan to incorporate the technology into the architecture for a crewed mission to Mars. As they indicate in their proposal, the technology will also have spin-off applications for water decontamination here on Earth: “Development of our detoxification biotechnology will also lead to more efficient solutions to natural and particularly industrial terrestrial perchlorate contamination on Earth. It will also shine a spotlight on the potential of using life rather than only industrial solutions to address our environmental problems, which may spur further innovations for other terrestrial environmental challenges such as climate change. “The system will be launched as inert, dried spores stable at room temperature for years. Upon arrival at Mars, spores will be rehydrated and grown in a bioreactor that meets planetary protection standards. Martian water will be processed by the bioreactor to accomplish perchlorate reduction. Processed water can then be used or further purified as required.” Further Reading: NASA The post A Biocatalytic Reactor for Detoxifying Water on Mars! appeared first on Universe Today.

[umichenginabroad]

Study Abroad at University of Limerick

Joseph Peterson - Rising Senior in Environmental Engineering

STEM Summer Research at University of Limerick

This summer, I am assisting in the development of a biocatalytic flow reactor at the University of Limerick in Ireland, and tomorrow, Sunday, May 23, I am finally leaving! People have asked how I am feeling about the trip, and there are so many emotions I am experiencing pre departure. I am obviously excited about the trip. I’ve never been to this part of the world and I can’t wait to experience the new culture. For the past few months I’ve been researching all the best places to visit while I am in Ireland, and I just hope I can hit them all. A few places I am especially excited to visit are the Cliffs of Moher, Dublin, and Dingle. Along with excitement, I’m also nervous. Going to a new part of the world is great, but there’s also so much uncertainty. I am going on this trip with people I have never met before and I’ll also be studying something I don’t know much about. However, I’m sure I’ll be able to meet new friends and be a contributing participant to the research project. 

The weather in Ireland this time of year made packing rather challenging. Most days are in the low 60s and there is lots of rain. However, it can also get into the upper 70s, so I had to pack everything from shorts and bathing suits to jeans, jackets, and raincoats. This along with normal everyday clothes all had fit in a 50 pound suitcase. All in all, I can’t wait to start this adventure and share some stories that are a little more exciting!

[dr-tucker]

Problems caused by cell aging, DR.TUCKER+NMN help you solve

People pay more and more attention to health, making the big health industry one of the most potential industries. A healthy body can take you to see the wonderful mountains and waters and countless poetic feelings contained in the world, and can also make yourself youthful. Permanent residence, able to enjoy family happiness in family life.

The full name of NMN is β-nicotinamide mononucleotide, which is a new substance with the effect of delaying cell aging. It is also a precursor substance for the direct synthesis of NAD+ (Coenzyme I) in the human body. The human body can convert and synthesize NAD+ by ingesting NMN, which can significantly increase the level of NAD+ in the body. The aging field is highly sought after.

NAD+ is one of the most important coenzymes in the human body, participating in thousands of biocatalytic reactions in the human body, and is an essential substance for the human body. But it gradually decreases with age, by 50% every 20 years. By the age of 40, the NAD+ content in the human body is only 25% of that of a child. With the reduction of NAD+, the body will experience degenerative symptoms, such as muscle degeneration, brain loss, darkening of pigment, hair loss, etc., which is traditionally called "cellular aging".

NAD+ can maintain the chemical communication between the nucleus and mitochondria, and the reduction of communication is an important reason for cell aging. As the only substrate, NAD+ maintains the normal expression of genes, maintains the full-time function of cells, and slows down the aging of human cells, so supplementing NMN is necessary to keep the body young.

DR.TUCKER+NMN has achieved large-scale mass production of NMN through the technology of biological enzymatic method, with a purity of 99.9%. Using biological enzyme catalysts, natural catalytic production is carried out, and no chemical catalytic substances are added, so no harmful substances such as heavy metals will be produced. With the increase of age, cell aging and disease are the biggest problems, and thanks to the progress of modern technology, the appearance of DR.TUCKER+NMN can make up for this shortcoming to a large extent.

In the future, DR.TUCKER+NMN will definitely overcome obstacles, improve quality, reduce prices, overcome technical difficulties, spread NMN knowledge, and pass on healthy values, so that more and more people become the beneficiaries of NMN.

[joyfuldelusionchaosvaliant]

Science and Chemistry Classes

Turning harmful CO2 into useful chemicals

by Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB

14/01/2022

Burning fossil resources produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is harmful to the climate and contributes significantly to global warming. Fossil resources, however, remain a key resource—not just as a source of energy, but as a raw material for the chemical industry that is used in many daily essentials such as medicines, packaging, textiles, cleaning products and more. Intensive research is therefore being conducted into a number of alternatives to fossil resources.

Renewable resources are one promising option, but other alternative resource bases are also required if the availability of green synthetics is to keep up with needs in the years to come. The ability to fix CO2 in a targeted way under mild reaction conditions is another sustainable driver of a circular carbon economy.

Carbon capture from the air for lower CO2 emissions

A team of researchers at the Straubing institute branch of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, together with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg and the Technical University of Munich, has successfully performed a first ever bioelectrocatalytic conversion of CO2 into valuable substances for the chemical industry. By combining different approaches from bioelectrochemistry, enzyme biology and synthetic biology, special bioelectrodes have been developed to use renewable energy to drive enzymes to produce valuable organic molecules from the greenhouse gas in a sequential reaction similar to photosynthesis.

The aim is to capture CO2 directly from the air: "This would allow the process not only to help industry to move away from fossil resources, but also to actively drive the climate transition by reducing CO2," explains Dr. Michael Richter, Head of Innovation Field Bioinspired Chemistry at Fraunhofer IGB. "First of all, though, we needed to show that our idea of driving such a complex biocatalytic multi-enzyme reaction with electricity like this would work at all."

Hydrogel transports electrons for CO2-fixing enzymes

Their efforts were successful: The metabolic processes of microorganisms inspired the researchers to develop an electricity-based process for CO2 fixing. The main elements in this process are CO2-fixing enzymes developed by Dr. David Adam and Prof. Tobias Erb, Director of the MPI in Marburg. The next challenge was to provide the CO2-fixing enzymes with a continuous supply of the electrons needed for the reduction of CO2. This was achieved by embedding the enzymes in a redox-active hydrogel, allowing them to be electrochemically driven and bind carbon dioxide to a substrate, thus converting it into a valuable intermediate. "The process is a highly efficient reaction path, reductive carboxylation, that is highly economical and clean because it doesn't require the presence of any other substances in the system—just carbon dioxide, substrate and electrons, preferably from renewable sources," explains Dr. Leonardo Castañeda-Losada, whose doctoral thesis was dedicated to the topic of bioelectrocatalysis and who is now working on the project at Fraunhofer IGB together with Dr. Melanie Iwanow and Dr. Steffen Roth.

The hydrogels in which the enzymes do their work were specially developed at TU Munich under Prof. Nicolas Plumeré. They have been modified to be good conductors of electrons while also offering optimal working conditions for the biomolecules. "This allows us not only to apply monolayers to enzymes, but also to expand this three-dimensionally many times over, because the electrons are conducted everywhere in the gel. Because of this, the process is likely to be readily scalable for the chemical industry in the future," explains Prof. Volker Sieber, who has been pursuing CO2 storage strategies at the Straubing institute branch of Fraunhofer IGB for a long time now.

Cofactors are permanently regenerated while the process is running

The completely new approach taken by the researchers depends not only on the ability to drive an enzymatic reaction sequence successfully using electricity, but involves a highly innovative module: For the reactions to take place as intended and ultimately lead to the highest possible product yield, a continuous "doping" feed for the enzyme is needed in the form of suitable functional cofactors. These small organic molecules are used up in the course of each reaction and need to be regenerated in order to be used again. Not regenerating them is very costly and therefore uneconomical for the industry. That is why the eBioCO2n experts have found a way to regenerate them, in theory an unlimited number of times, within the same reaction systems in the hydrogels by using electricity. "A cofactor should really only need to be fed into the system once in order to be regenerated automatically again and again. In practice, though, it doesn't work quite as well as that because the cofactor does not remain stable indefinitely—but it does last a very long time," says Richter.

The researchers have a whole set of different enzymes available to them for the bioelectrocatalytic cofactor recycling process, discovered through from different organisms. The spectrum of these biomolecules could be extended on a modular basis for additional work, depending on the application, and used as a platform system. "Practically any enzyme could be selected from bioinformatic databases, manufactured by biotechnological means and incorporated into the hydrogels," says Richter. "This could conceivably allow different biobased fine chemicals to be produced. These fine chemicals could then be expanded through further enzyme cascades so they could practically be diversified as much as necessary." This is where the expertise of the Marburg MPI in particular comes in. If this can be scaled accordingly, the platform technology could become a promising business model for the chemical industry.

Platform system to be expandable and scalable without limitation

With bioinspired laboratory CO2 fixation, Fraunhofer IGB could carboxylate a coenzyme A derivative, a biomolecule that is important in many metabolic processes. "This has so far been the most challenging molecule to fix CO2 to by biocatalytic means," says Richter. "Using this technology to modify such a large and structurally sophisticated substance is no small matter." The latest challenge for the researchers is now to prove that their idea works in a reliable and scalable way and can be expanded on a modular basis. The mood at Fraunhofer IGB is optimistic, however, particularly in light of a well functioning interdisciplinary team, the researcher emphasizes. Industry partners will be brought in for follow-up projects as soon as possible.

- Shiv Prakash (Science and Chemistry Classes) India

[delicatemagazinedreamer]

Thebaine: Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction

Pharmacology

Buprenorphine is a thebaine derivative that is much stronger than morphine. Buprenorphine has a number of physiological effects. It is a partial agonist at the mu-opioid receptor, an antagonist at the epsilon-opioid receptor, a kappa-opioid receptor, and a partial-to-full agonist at the ORL1 nociceptin receptor. Buprenorphine is metabolised largely by the hepatic cytochrome P450 system's CYP3A4 isozymes into the active metabolite norbuprenorphine via N-dealkylation once ingested. Buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine are metabolised and removed in the bile through glucuronidation.Buprenorphine and buprenorphine/naloxone come in a variety of formulations that can be taken in a variety of ways.

Buprenorphine is now available in two sublingual formulations: buprenorphine hydrochloride and a 4:1 mixture of buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride. A parenteral injection (buprenorphine), a sublingual film (buprenorphine/naloxone), subdermal implants (buprenorphine), and a transdermal patch (buprenorphine) are among the other formulations (buprenorphine). Other formulations are also being looked into. Although buprenorphine can be taken orally in an ethanolic solution, it is subject to substantial first-pass metabolism, which limits.

Read more @ https://digitalgrowinfo.blogspot.com/2021/12/biocatalytic-conversion-of-thebaine-to.html

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The chemical manufacturer system involves the implementation of a chemical synthesis plan

The chemical manufacturer system involves the implementation of a chemical synthesis plan, which converts one component of a substance from very small (micrograms) to very large (hundreds of billions of kilograms per year) into another component. These materials and craftsmanship make modern life possible. They may be inorganic, organic, or even biological. They range from metals and concrete to glass, paper and plastics; from advanced composite materials and electronic materials to fertilizers, agrochemicals and dyes; from drinking water and fuels To safe refrigerants; from medicines to safe nuclear waste packaging. No matter what the ingredients of the production are, no matter what the purpose is, no matter what the scale is, process system engineers face relentless demands. These needs are to increase capital efficiency, reduce material, labor, and energy costs, while producing high-quality materials that are reliable, safe, and sustainable with minimal impact on the environment.

The specific new challenges of process systems engineering are economic and social. The globalization of chemical companies has opened up new markets linked to the general improvement of living standards around the world. At the same time, globalization has led to increasingly fierce competition worldwide. This, together with the introduction of e-commerce, has produced greater market efficiency. Although very large-scale capital-intensive industries have inherent cyclical characteristics, this has also led to a decline in manufacturing profit margins as investors increase demand for predictable profit growth.

Sustainability, reduction of hazards, and protection of health and the environment remain major concerns for the process industry. Many raw materials used—especially those derived from oil, natural gas, and some plants and animals—have been and in some cases continue to be depleted at a rate larger than known reserves or faster than replenishment reserves. In addition, the products, intermediates, solvents, catalysts and other materials that need to be produced or selected for chemical manufacturing are as safe and non-toxic as possible during use, and can be recycled or benignly degraded after use.

In addition, due to the nature of chemical conversion, there are almost always unused chemicals remaining. These chemical residues include contaminants in the raw materials, incompletely converted raw materials, inevitable by-products, non-selective reaction by-products, waste catalysts and solvents. For a long time, people have been trying to reduce the generation of this waste as much as possible, and to recycle and reuse the waste that cannot be eliminated. For those that cannot be reused, people have sought out different uses. As a last resort, people strive to safely dispose of the remaining things. The same efforts apply to any residues of energy production from fuels produced or consumed by processing industries. Of particular urgency and growing concern is the potentially harmful effects of fossil fuel combustion emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which will be discussed further in Chapters 9 and 10.

Chemical companies must meet the social and environmental challenges they face. This requires starting from different raw materials, producing new products, using new energy, and paying more attention to the generation and treatment of waste. Taking these steps will require innovations in the chemicals used, the catalysts that promote this chemical reaction, the reactors that produce products from this new chemical, and the separation technology that purifies the products and recovers everything else.

In the future, it is likely that more abundant or renewable raw materials will be used, and more materials that are currently discarded as waste will be reused, such as carbon dioxide, salt, tar and sludge. The development of these alternative raw materials and chemicals may involve more energy inputs than the raw materials currently used, so the sources and impact of any such increased energy demand need to be carefully considered. Many of these goals are included in the principles of green chemistry

Chemical reactions such as gasification, carboxylation, carbonylation, partial oxidation, and salt decomposition may receive greater attention in manufacturing. These chemical processes require the simultaneous development of more selective catalytic and biocatalytic systems and promoters, as well as processes that require fewer exotic materials than we currently have. The demand for greater capital, energy, and material efficiency will require the development of tighter integrated process systems. Such systems will require greater mass and energy recovery, more reuse of by-products, and advances in computer-aided and plant-wide process control.