Stability studies of an amylase and a protease for cleaning processes in the food industry

Digital Twin Fundamentals of mRNA In Vitro Transcription in Variable Scale Toward Autonomous Operation

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the rapid development of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccines and new RNA-based therapeutic methods. However, the approval rate for candidates has the potential to be increased, with a significant number failing so far due to efficacy, safety, and manufacturing deficiencies, hindering equitable vaccine distribution during pandemics. This study focuses on optimizing the production of mRNA, a critical component of mRNA-based vaccines, using a scalable machine by investigating the key mechanisms of mRNA in vitro transcription. First, kinetic parameters for the mRNA production process were determined. The validity of the determination and the robustness of the model are demonstrated by predicting different reactions with and without substrate limitations as well as different transcripts. The optimized reaction conditions, including temperature, urea concentration, and concentration of reaction-enhancing additives, resulted in a 55% increase in mRNA yield with a 33% reduction in truncated mRNA. Additionally, the feasibility of a segmented flow approach allowed for high-throughput screening (HTS), enabling the production of 20 vaccine candidates within a short time frame, representing a 10-fold increase in productivity, compared to nonsegmented reactions limited by the residence time in the plug flow reactor. The findings presented for the first time here contribute to the development of a fully continuous and efficient manufacturing process for mRNA and other cell and gene therapy drugs/vaccine candidates as presented in our previous work, which discussed the integration of process analytical technologies and predictive process models in a Biopharma 4.0 facility to enable the production of clinical and large-scale doses, ensuring a rapid and resilient supply of critical therapeutics. The results in this study especially highlight that the same machine and equipment can be used for screening and manufacturing different drug candidates in continuous operation. By streamlining production and adhering to quality standards, this approach enhances the industry's ability to respond swiftly to pandemics and public health emergencies, addressing the urgent need for accessible and effective vaccines.

Production of dehairing protease by Bacillus cereus VITSN04: a model cradle-to-cradle approach for sustainable greener production of leathers

Despite several attempts over decades, process scalability and sustainability remain a challenge to produce an environmental-friendly enzyme to gain industrial attention. In the present study, microbial degradation of chrome shavings (chromium-collagen leather waste) and the resulting collagen hydrolysate for producing the dehairing protease by Bacillus cereus VITSN04 were investigated in a lab-scale fermentor. Scale-up degradation of shavings resulted in higher recovery of collagen hydrolysate (76%) within 72 h compared to shake flasks (68% in 120 h). Earlier achieved medium composition of collagen hydrolysate (12 g L-1) and molasses (15 g L-1) appeared to induce amylase at the high rate, despite the maximal production of protease (203.8 ± 0.18 U mL-1), which was analysed by ANS fluorescence spectroscopy. Optimization of the media containing collagen hydrolysate (12 g L-1) and molasses (5 g L-1) was effective in producing protease (170.6 ± 0.1 U mL-1) and reduced the co-synthesis of amylase (48.2 ± 0.09 U mL-1). The controlled fermentation process by feeding molasses during the exponential growth phase had enhanced the dehairing protease production (∼2.96 fold). The produced protease then partitioned through the biphasic system and showed significant dehairing of goat skins on the pilot scale. Thus, the scalability of the process to produce dehairing enzymes using waste, generated at the site of its use, offers hope for sustainable greener production of leathers.

Investigation into the chemical modification of α-amylase using octenyl succinic anhydride: enzyme characterisation and stability studies

The present study describes the chemical modification of α-amylase using succinic anhydride (SA), phthalic anhydride (PA) and a novel modifier viz. 2-octenyl succinic anhydride (2-OSA). SA-, PA- and 2-OSA-α-amylases displayed a 50%, 91% and 46% increase in stability at pH 9, respectively; as compared to unmodified α-amylase. PA-α-amylase showed a significant increase in Ea and ΔH_a^#, and a concomitant decrease in ΔS_a^#. The modified α-amylases exhibited improved thermostability as reflected by significant reductions in K_d and ΔS_d^#, and increments in t_1/2, D-, E_d, ΔH_d^# and ΔG_d^# values. The modified α-amylases displayed variable stabilities in the presence of different surfactants, inhibitors, metal ions and organic solvents. Interestingly, the chemical modification was found to confer resistance against inactivation by Hg²⁺ on α-amylase. The conformational changes in modified α-amylases were investigated using intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, ANS (extrinsic) tryptophan fluorescence, and dynamic fluorescence quenching. Both intrinsic and extrinsic tryptophan fluorescence spectra showed increased fluorescence intensity for the modified α-amylases. Chemical modification was found to induce a certain degree of structural rigidity to α-amylase, as shown by dynamic fluorescence quenching. Analysis of the CD spectra by the K2d method using the DichroWeb online tool indicated evident changes in the α-helix, β-sheet and random coil fractions of the α-amylase secondary structure, following chemical modification using anhydrides. PA-α-amylase exhibited the highest productivity in terms of hydrolysis of starch at 60 °C over a period of 5 h indicating potential in varied biotechnological applications.

Novel Detection Method for Evaluating the Activity of an Alkaline Serine Protease from Bacillus clausii

Until now, the detection methods for serine proteases have been quite time-consuming or cannot indicate the "real" protease activity. Here, a rapid and simple method for determining the "real" activity of serine proteases toward AAPX (a kind of mixed polypeptide substrates, with X representing 20 standard amino acids) was developed. This AAPX method has high reliability, sensitivity, and repeatability and can be used for detecting the serine protease activity spectrophotometrically. Additionally, the site-directed saturation mutagenesis library of alkaline serine protease PRO (BcPRO) from Bacillus clausii was screened with this AAPX method. Three beneficial mutants S99R, S99H, and S99W were identified, and S99W displayed the highest activity. In comparison to wild-type BcPRO, S99W exhibited enhanced catalytic performance toward eight AAPX monomers, and the molecular dynamics simulation revealed the mechanism responsible for its improved activity toward AAPM. Consequently, this work provides an efficient method for detecting, characterizing, mining, and high-throughput screening of serine proteases.

Compatibility and Washing Performance of Compound Protease Detergent

Protease is the main enzyme of detergent. Through the combination of different proteases and the combination of protease and detergent additives, it can adapt to different washing conditions to improve the washing effect. In this experiment, whiteness determination, microscope scanning, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to detect the whiteness values of the cloth pieces before and after washing, as well as the stain residue between the fibers on the surface of the cloth pieces. The protease detergent formula with better decontamination and anti-deposition effects was selected. The combination of alkaline protease, keratinase, and trypsin was cost-effective in removing stains. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the molecular weight of the protein significantly changed after adding the enzyme preparation during washing, and the molecular weight of the protein was directly proportional to protein redeposition. The composite protease had a better comprehensive decontamination effect, and when compatible with suitable surfactants, anti-redeposition agents, and water-softening agents, the compound protease detergent exhibited a stronger decontamination ability than commercial detergents.

Discovery of Novel Cyclic Salt Bridge in Thermophilic Bacterial Protease and Study of its Sequence and Structure

The plausible explanation behind the stability of thermophilic protein is still yet to be defined more clearly. Here, an in silico study has been undertaken by investigating the sequence and structure of protease from thermophilic (tPro) bacteria and mesophilic (mPro) bacteria. Results showed that charged and uncharged polar residues have higher abundance in tPro. In extreme environment, the tPro is stabilized by high number of isolated and network salt bridges. A novel cyclic salt bridge is also found in a structure of tPro. High number of metal ion-binding site also helps in protein stabilization of thermophilic protease. Aromatic-aromatic interactions also play a crucial role in tPro stabilization. Formation of long network aromatic-aromatic interactions also first time reported here. Finally, the present study provides a major insight with a newly identified cyclic salt bridge in the stability of the enzyme, which may be helpful for protein engineering. It is also used in industrial applications for human welfare.

Revisiting the scope and applications of food enzymes from extremophiles

Microorganisms from extreme environments tend to undergo various adaptations due to environmental conditions such as extreme pH, temperature, salinity, heavy metals, and solvents. Thus, they produce enzymes with unique properties and high specificity, making them useful industrially, particularly in the food industries. Despite these enzymes' remarkable properties, only a few instances can be reported for actual exploitation in the food industry. This review's objectives are to highlight the properties of these enzymes and their prospects in the food industry. First, an introduction to extremophilic organisms is presented, followed by the categories and application of food enzymes from extremophiles. Then, the unique structural features of extremozymes are shown. This review also covers the prospective applications of extremozymes in the food industry in a broader sense, including degradation of toxins, deconstruction of polymers into monomers, and catalysis of multistep processes. Finally, the challenges in bioprocessing of extremozymes and applications in food are presented. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Enzymes are important players in food processing and preservation. Extremozymes, by their nature, are ideal for a broad range of food processing applications, particularly those that require process conditions of extreme pH, temperature, and salinity. As the global food industry grows, so too will grow the need to research and develop food products that are diverse, safe, healthy, and nutritious. There is also the need to produce food in a sustainable way that generates less waste or maximizes waste valorization. We anticipate that extremozymes can meet some of the research and development needs of the food industry.