Coenzyme Q is a lipid first isolated from mitochondrial membranes in 1957. Despite seven decades of extensive study into its role in the electron transport chain, we are still uncovering the mechanisms that govern its transport from mitochondria, intracellular distribution, and functions beyond respiration. Here, we give a brief overview on recent findings on CoQ biology, focusing on its distribution and its role in ferroptotic cell death.
Understanding how sequence changes shape biological function is a central challenge in bioengineering, but the vast number of possible sequences makes exhaustive experimental testing of genetic parts infeasible. Advances in high-throughput experimentation and machine learning allow new and disruptive ways to address this conundrum. We highlight how these technologies can synergize to enable a shift from empiric, case-by-case optimization to the systematic, data-driven design of genetic parts.
Selective autophagy requires precise spatial organization to recognize and degrade cellular cargo. We recently found that low-affinity cargo-receptor interactions preserve receptor mobility, enabling formation of initiation hubs, phase-separated assemblies that drive autophagosome biogenesis. These findings suggest autophagy is not only a linear pathway but also guided by physical principles such as wetting, phase separation and multivalency, which are evolutionary conserved and offer therapeutic potential.
A simple and elegant method allows for the introduction of foreign DNA into hard-to-access bacteria: microorganisms are subjected to a brief heat shock. The method works with various bacterial genera and replaces elaborate detours involving specially engineered intermediate strains.
Adhesion (a)GPCRs integrate adhesion, mechanosensation and signaling within one polypeptide. Their long N-termini contain diverse adhesion modules and a GPCR autoproteolysis-inducing (GAIN) domain that autoproteolyzes into an N-terminal fragment and a C-terminal fragment with an intramolecular agonist (Stachel), a 7-transmembrane (TM) core and a long intracellular tail. Mechanical changes can expose the Stachel and activate the 7TM core, which then engages G proteins, arrestins or other receptors.
Fish cell cultures are a versatile but still underutilised tool in biological and environmental research. They enable controlled studies of toxicity, disease mechanisms and physiological processes at the cellular level. In addition, they offer the potential to replace animal testing and improve reproducibility. This article discusses the current areas of application for fish cell cultures and highlights prospects for their broader integration into future research.
Steroid-degrading bacteria are found in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments. During their degradation, complex steroids like cholesterol or bile acids are typically transformed into C19-steroids as intermediates, many of which exhibit endocrine activity on eukaryotic organisms. While this is exploited in pharmaceutical biotechnology, research suggests that bacterial production of these intermediates also has ecological impact in the environment.
Three-dimensional cell culture systems mimic native tissues via cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, enabling functional models for regenerative medicine and drug research. As current biomaterials lack the hierarchical complexity of the extracellular matrix (ECM), the Matrix Evolution Consortium develops bioinspired, dynamic matrices from recombinant proteins and synthetic polymers, supported by advanced processing, biosensors for real-time monitoring, and in silico modeling.
We present a novel Alveoli-on-Chip (AOC) platform that combines patient-derived organoids with organ-on-chip technology. Primary human lung cells isolated from surgical resections are expanded as organoids – creating a renewable, well-characterized cell bank – then seeded onto the AOC for physiologically relevant 3D cyclic stretch. The new alveoli array on chip mimics the gradient of mechanical stress that lung alveolar epithelial cells are exposed to. RNA sequencing revealed that mechanical stretch upregulated differentiation-associated pathways and attenuated inflammatory signaling, underscoring the platform’s potential for personalized lung research.
Das Lungenepithel besitzt eine bemerkenswerte Regenerationsfähigkeit, deren zelluläre und molekulare Grundlagen – insbesondere die beteiligten Vorläuferzellen und Differenzierungswege – jedoch nur teilweise verstanden sind. In ihrer Studie kombinieren L. R. Martins et al. (Nat Commun (2024) 15: 2246) Einzelzell-Sequenzierung mit einer funktionellen Verfolgung sich teilender Zellen (cell division tracing) und beleuchten so die komplexen Mechanismen, mit denen unterschiedliche Zell-populationen auf eine Schädigung des Lungenepithels reagieren.
Complex cell culture systems are increasingly being used to study host-pathogen interactions with high physiological relevance. In contrast to monolayer cultures, organoids, differentiated tissue models, and organ-on-chip platforms better reproduce tissue architecture and barrier function, key determinants of infection processes. While challenges remain, such as immune cell integration, ongoing methodological advances are expected to further enhance their robustness and translational impact.
2D organoid monolayers cultured on Transwells enable polarized growth and recapitulate the cellular diversity and barrier function characteristics of the human duodenum. The common practice of pre-coating the Transwells with basement membrane extract (BME) is not necessary and instead, adds an additional diffusion barrier. BME-free 2D organoid models are more physiologically relevant for studying intestinal barrier function and help to reduce animal-derived materials in line with the 3R principle.
Microbial fermentation processes commonly utilize sugars as the carbon source. With a growing world population and the inherent demand for food and feed, the field is urged to move towards alternative carbon sources. Methanol and ethylene glycol present potent so-called next-generation feedstocks, which do not directly compete with food and feed production. Exploiting the advantages of the often-neglected ethylene glycol over methanol, we were able to design and implement a synthetic pathway to produce dihydroxy butyric acid and threonine in Escherichia coli.
Living biological systems sense metabolic cues and translate them into functional responses. Reconstructing these capabilities in bottom-up synthetic biology enables the design of artificial systems with life-like regulation. Here, we describe a phase separation-based synthetic organelle that couples a metabolic signal to transcriptional control. By engineering a pyruvate-responsive DNA-binding protein to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation, we created membrane-less compartments that reversibly sequester DNA and thereby modulate gene transcription in a dose-dependent manner. These results establish metabolite-responsive synthetic organelles as versatile building blocks for synthetic cells and responsive biomaterials.
Human neural organoids, 3-dimensional cultures derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, provide a platform to study brain development in a human-specific context. Using brain region-specific organoids, we modeled the rare neurological disorder PCH2a, examined the effects of prenatal exposure to an antiepileptic drug, and studied protein secretion during organoid differentiation. Taken together, neural organoids provide a versatile model system to study human brain development and its perturbations by genetic or environmental factors.
Der Klimawandel erfordert innovative Lösungen zur CO2-Reduktion, insbesondere in urbanen Räumen. Mikroalgen bieten dabei ein großes Potenzial. Sie fixieren CO2 effizienter als terrestrische Pflanzen und benötigen 3,5-mal weniger Wasser pro Kilogramm fixierten CO2. Die Installation geschlossener Photobioreaktoren mit Mikroalgen in Stadtgebieten könnte solch ein Konzept zur Reduktion der dort herrschende CO2-Belastung sein.
Die in der Erdurzeit im Vergleich zu heute noch wesentlich häufigeren Mikroben-matten sind Orte, an denen verschiedene Mikroorganismen in engen Kontakt miteinander kommen können. Gemäß der E3-Hypothesen zur Eukaryogenese entstammen die Eukaryoten einer Symbiose aus einem anaeroben Asgard-Archaeon, das ein sulfatreduzierendes Bakterien und möglicherweise weitere Symbionten mit Auswüchsen umhüllt (entangled), umschlungen (engulfed) und versklavt (enslaved) hat.
