Phys.org October 7, 2024 Mussels exploit the exceptional adhesive properties of 3,4-Dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (DOPA) to adhere to a wide range of surfaces. Through the optimization of the DOPA incorporation system researchers at Rice University demonstrated significantly improved binding abilities to various organic and metallic materials. DOPA incorporation system was also applied to engineer adhesive bacteria which increased their binding capability to diverse materials including 400 folds of improvement to polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Enhancement in PET binding allowed a unique approach for PET degradation and Genetic Code Expansion in cell engineering… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Tag Archives: Microorganisms
Magnetic bacteria point the way
Science Daily June 27, 2023 Magnetotactic bacteria contain magnetosomes, iron crystals wrapped in a membrane, which arrange themselves to align with the Earth’s magnetic field, causing the bacteria to travel in the direction of Earth’s magnetic field lines leading north or south. Magnetosome-producing microorganisms can sense and move toward the redox gradient. Researchers in Japan collected a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney. The mineralogical and geochemical characterization of the vent chimney sample showed an internal iron redox gradient. The electron microscopy of particles collected from the chimney sample revealed magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) cells with bullet-shaped magnetosomes, and there were minor occurrences […]