Generation of Nanoyeast Single-Chain Variable Fragments as High-Avidity Biomaterials for Dengue Virus Detection

Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for medical applications

BACKGROUND

During the last decades, the advancements in synthetic biology opened the doors for a profusion of cost-effective, fast, and ecologically friendly medical applications priorly unimaginable. Following the trend, the genetic engineering of the baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, propelled its status from an instrumental ally in the food industry to a therapy and prophylaxis aid.

MAIN TEXT

In this review, we scrutinize the main applications of engineered S. cerevisiae in the medical field focusing on its use as a cell factory for pharmaceuticals and vaccines, a biosensor for diagnostic and biomimetic assays, and as a live biotherapeutic product for the smart in situ treatment of intestinal ailments. An extensive view of these fields' academic and commercial developments as well as main hindrances is presented.

CONCLUSION

Although the field still faces challenges, the development of yeast-based medical applications is often considered a success story. The rapid advances in synthetic biology strongly support the case for a future where engineered yeasts play an important role in medicine.

A universal reagent for detection of emerging diseases using bioengineered multifunctional yeast nanofragments

Accurate and early detection of biomarkers provides the molecular evidence for disease management, allowing prompt actions and timely treatments to save lives. Multivalent biomolecular interactions between the probe and biomarker as well as controlled probe orientation on material surfaces are keys for highly sensitive detection. Here we report the bioengineering of programmable and multifunctional nanoprobes, which can provide rapid, specific and highly sensitive detection of emerging diseases in a range of widely used diagnostic systems. These nanoprobes composed of nanosized cell wall fragments, termed as synthetic bionanofragments (SynBioNFs), are generated by the fragmentation of genetically programmed yeast cells. SynBioNFs display multiple copies of biomolecules for high-affinity target binding and molecular handles for the precisely orientated attachment on surfaces used in diagnostic platforms. SynBioNFs are demonstrated for the capture and detection of SARS-CoV-2 virions using multiple diagnostic platforms, including surface-enhanced Raman scattering, fluorescence, electrochemical and colorimetric-based lateral flow systems with sensitivity comparable with the gold-standard reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Addressing the Silent Spread of Monkeypox Disease with Advanced Analytical Tools

Monkeypox disease is caused by a virus which belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus of the poxviridae family. This disease has recently spread out to several non-endemic countries. While some cases have been linked to travel from endemic regions, more recent infections are thought to have spread in the community without any travel links, raising the risks of a wider outbreak. This state of public health represents a highly unusual event which requires urgent surveillance. In this context, the opportunities and technological challenges of current bio/chemical sensors, nanomaterials, nanomaterial characterization instruments, and artificially intelligent biosystems collectively called "advanced analytical tools" are reviewed here, which will allow early detection, characterization, and inhibition of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) in the community and limit its expansion from endemic to pandemic. A summary of background information is also provided from biological and epidemiological perspective of monkeypox to support the scientific case for its holistic management using advanced analytical tools.

Detection of Dengue Virus 2 with Single Infected Mosquito Resolution Using Yeast Affinity Bionanofragments and Plasmonic SERS Nanoboxes

Dengue disease is an emerging global threat triggered by dengue virus (DENV) transmission, primarily by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The accurate surveillance and sensitive detection of DENV in mosquito populations are critical for the protection of human populations worldwide that are in the habitat of these mosquito species. There are four DENV serotypes with DENV2 reported to cause the most severe complications. There are limited ultrasensitive methods to early detect DENV2 mosquito infection and prevent human infection. Herein, we report an innovative nanobased immunoassay platform for early, specific, and ultrasensitive detection of DENV2-secreted nonstructural 1 (NS1) protein biomarker in single infected mosquitoes with the limit of detection of 500 fg of recombinant DENV2 NS1. The high sensitivity and DENV2 serotype specificity of the platform are the result of using nanomixing, plasmonic SERS nanoboxes, and yeast affinity bionanofragments displaying single-chain variable fragments (nanoyeast scFvs). Nanoyeast scFvs used for high affinity capture of DENV2 NS1 provided an innovative and cost-efficient alternative to monoclonal antibodies and differentiated DENV2 NS1 from other DENV serotypes and Zika virus NS1. The platform used electrohydrodynamically driven nanomixing to enhance NS1 capture by the nanoyeast scFvs while reducing nonspecific interactions. High sensitivity detection of captured DENV2 NS1 was achieved using NS1-specific surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanotags. These nanotechnologies provide a significant innovation for early DENV2 detection in single infected mosquitoes, improving the accurate surveillance of mosquito habitats and preventing infection and severe disease arising from DENV2 transmission.