Best Biotech

Chiral amines are vital structural motifs in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, where enantiomeric purity governs bioactivity and environmental behavior. We identified a novel (R)-selective amine transaminase (MwoAT) from Mycobacterium sp. via genome mining, which exhibits activity toward the synthesis of the chiral amine (R)-1-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine. The enzyme displayed optimal activity at pH 7.0 and 40 °C, with high thermostability and solvent tolerance. Using an AlphaFold3-guided semi-rational engineering strategy integrating molecular docking, alanine scanning, and saturation mutagenesis, residue L175 was pinpointed as critical for substrate binding. The resulting L175G variant exhibited a 2.1-fold increase in catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) and improved thermal stability. Applied to the asymmetric synthesis of (R)-1-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine—a precursor for the antihypertensive drug dilevalol and potential scaffold for crop protection agents—the mutant achieved 26.4% conversion with ≥99.9% ee. The enzyme also accepted several ketones relevant to agrochemical synthesis, underscoring its versatility. This work delivers an engineered biocatalyst for sustainable chiral amine production and demonstrates an AI-assisted protein engineering framework applicable to both medicinal and agricultural chemistry.

Caffeine is a widely occurring plant defence chemical that occurs in the nectar of some plants, e.g. Coffea or Citrus spp., where it may influence pollinator behaviour to enhance pollination. Previous laboratory work found inexperienced bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) located new food sources emitting a learned floral odour more consistently if they had been fed caffeine in association with the odour and a food reward. Inexperienced bees primed with caffeine also made more initial visits to target robotic flowers emitting the target odour, compared to control bees or those primed with odour alone. We tested whether these behaviours could be replicated under semi-field conditions in strawberry crops, to improve crop pollination and hence marketable yield. In three trials in mini-polytunnels, odour/caffeine-primed and control bumblebee colonies were allowed to forage on strawberry crops with nectar-rich distractor flowers present. Some small effects of caffeine priming were observed (a slight increase in the proportion of visits to the target flowers in one trial), but after controlling for polytunnel identity, the priming treatment did not influence crop yield and quality. While caffeine priming of commercial bumblebee colonies may have potential to improve pollination in crops, further research is needed to optimise the system for in-field use.

SummaryVolatile aroma compounds are important chemical cues for insects. Behavioral responses to specific odors differ strongly between insect species, and the exact causative molecules are often unknown. Beer is frequently used in insect traps because it combines hundreds of plant and microbial aromas that attract many insects. Here, we analyzed responses of the pest fruit fly Drosophila suzukii and benign Drosophila melanogaster to beers with different chemical compositions. Using extensive chemical and behavioral assays, we identified ecologically relevant chemicals that influence drosophilid behavior and that induce different odor-evoked activity patterns in the antennal lobe of the two species obtained by functional imaging. Specific mixes of compounds increased the species-specificity and sex-specificity of lures in both laboratory and greenhouse settings. Together, our study shows how examining insect responses to highly complex natural mixtures of aroma compounds provides insight into insect-specific behavioral responses and also opens avenues for improved pest control.

The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae is a polyphagous herbivore with a worldwide distribution, and is a serious pest in tomato and other crops. As an alternative to chemical pesticides, biological control with the release of natural enemies such as predatory mites represent an efficient method to control T. urticae in many crops, but not in tomato. Other biological control agents, such as beneficial microbes, as well as chemical compounds, which can act as plant defense elicitors that confer plant resistance against pests and pathogens, may prove promising biological solutions for the suppression of spider mite populations in tomato. Here, we assessed this hypothesis by recording the effects of a series of fungal and bacterial strains and the plant strengthener acibenzolar-s-methyl for their plant-mediated effects on T. urticae performance in two tomato cultivars. We found significant negative effects on the survival, egg production and spider mite feeding damage on plants inoculated with microbes or treated with the plant strengthener as compared to the control plants. Our results highlight the potential of beneficial microbes and plant strengtheners in spider mite suppression in addition to plant disease control.

Abstract Increasing evidence of brain-immune crosstalk raises expectations for the efficacy of novel immunotherapies in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the lack of methods to understand brain tissues make it difficult to examine therapeutics. Here, we investigated the changes of spatial transcriptomic signatures and brain cell type using the 10x Genomics Visium platform in immune modulated AD models by various treatments. To proceed with an analysis suitable for a single spot-based transcriptomics, we first organized a workflow for segmentation of neuroanatomical regions, establishment of appropriate gene combinations, and comprehensive review of altered brain cell signatures. Ultimately, we investigated spatial transcriptomic changes following administration of immunomodulators, NK cell supplements and anti-CD4 antibody, that ameliorate behavior impairment, and designated brain cells and regions showing probable associations with behavior changes. We provided the customized analytic pipeline into an application named STquantool. Thus, we anticipate that our approach can help researchers to interpret real action of drug candidate by simultaneously investigating the dynamics of all transcripts for development of novel AD therapeutics.

The tomato russet mite (TRM), Aculops lycopersici, and powdery mildew (PM), Oidium neolycopersici, are two major problems in tomato cultivation for which no effective biocontrol solutions exist to date. In a greenhouse compartment, we investigated the potential of preventatively establishing the iolinid omnivorous mite Pronematus ubiquitus on potted tomato plants to control both pest and pathogen simultaneously. Using Typha pollen, P. ubiquitus established well on tomato plants, with numbers reaching up to 250 motiles per tomato leaflet. The built-up population was capable of controlling subsequent infestations with both TRM and PM. This represents the first report of an arthropod protecting a crop against pests as well as disease. The implementation of P. ubiquitus in tomato crops could be a real game-changer as it eliminates the need for repeated pesticide use or sulphur applications. The finding that arthropods can effectively control diseases opens up new opportunities for biological crop protection. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.