Editorial: Methods and Advances – Biotech progress for science and our daily lives

Sang Yup Lee and Alois Jungbauer Biotechnology Journal provides a broad range of topics in biotechnology and is a forum to communicate activities towards a bio-based economy as well as general progress in biotechnology. In this issue, you see a huge variety of topics, methods and advances, which will influence future developments in the field. This Special issue starts with an article by Lusk et al. [1] giving insights to which extent biotech food is accepted by the public. While genetically modified food are still waiting to receive public acceptance, also life stock can be genetically modified [2]. More accepted is the biotech progress on biofuels and chemical production, i.e., processing raw materials, generating completely new chemical reactions [3], as well as economically viable and environmentally sustainable processes. One example is the production of biodiesel, where lipase is used for the transesterification reaction between fatty acids and short-chain alcohol. Methanol has most often been used as a substrate because it is cheap, but at the same time responsible for inactivation of lipase. Lotti and colleagues [4] review the mechanisms behind methanol inactivation of lipases and case studies on solving inactivation problems by protein and process engineering. Due to the versatile catalytic abilities, lipases also have many more applications, which makes cost effective production of lipases with a high activity and stability an important issue. Tan and colleagues review various lipase purification techniques, both conventional and novel, that have been used for the purification of lipases of various sources [5]. Regarding production of chemicals, terpenoids are of great industrial interest for their use ranging from pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals up to biofuels. Cankar and colleagues [6] report the use of the plant Nicotiana benthamiana for the production of sesquiterpenes. The key approach is the use of an RNAi technique to silence endogenous pathways for increased (+)-valencene production, which demonstrates the potential of plant metabolic engineering for the production of terpenes. Biotechnology Journal places special emphasis on new methodologies for bioprocessing. Biotechnology Journal places special emphasis on new methodologies for bioprocessing. Biocatalysis is at the interface of biology and chemistry, and the engine for industrial biotechnology. The natural pathways found in cells are the constraints to development of new reactions. The use of metabolic engineering to further improve reaction cascades has opened completely new possibilities for discovery in the field of biocatalysis. Dudley et al. [3] review recent developments in cell-free metabolic engineering to overcome certain limitations of microbial metabolic engineering, they give an impressive insight how synthetic biology and metabolic engineering contribute to further development in this field. Microbial metabolic engineering research [3] has been blossoming over the recent years towards the goal of establishing sustainable bio-based chemical industry. In addition to its value for optimizing biosynthetic pathways, one of the promising applications includes bioconversion to produce such products that cause cellular toxicity [3]. Miniaturization and nanotechnology have contributed to improved processes materials and therapies. Typical processes such as aqueous two-phase extraction can be performed in a very small scale in parallel fashion. You can find an interesting contribution in this issue by Frampton et al. [7], who have developed nanosystems for optimization of aqueous two-phase extraction. In the field of new materials, a lot of research work has been done for cultivation of stems cells [8], scaffold for tissue engineering etc. Human pluripotent stem cells have a great potential to be used as cell therapies and many other applications. Jenkins and Farid [8] review key process economic drivers for human pluripotent stem cells with respect to the economic and operational feasibility of the bioprocess. Various factors such as bioreactor technologies, medium development, microcarriers, optimal bioprocess operating conditions are discussed. Analytical biotechnology is a key topic for rapid progress in biotechnology. For genetic variation detection in a multiplexed mode, multiplex amplification of target DNA needs to be performed. Park and colleagues [9] review multiplex technologies based on universal probe amplification for detecting SNPs, in particular related to those responsible for human diseases [9]. Due to the undesirable widespread use of cephalosporin as additive in livestock feeding, it has become important to detect cephalosporin contamination in food. Tsang and colleagues [10] report the development of a cephalosporin detecting biosensor system, showing an improved fluorescence signal and rapid response. Adenosine and its receptors are of great clinical interest as it modulates many physiological processes. Bartzoka and colleagues [11] report the development of a simple and inexpensive method for detecting adenosine by using a transparent biostrip. For example for many pharmaceutical applications, the systematic investigation of glycans is important, and thus there has been great need for high-throughput method for their analyses [12]. Çelik and colleagues [12] present a glycan array platform based on surface patterning of engineered glycophages displaying unique carbohydrate epitopes. Rarely has an upcoming method generated such as level of enthusiasm and interest that is now associated with CRISPR/Cas-9, a simple and efficient genomic editing technique with great potential for advancing basic genetic research, biotechnology, and medicine. In addition to this system, there are a number of techniques that have been developed for genome engineering and gene expression control. Song and colleagues [13] review recent advances in the development of these techniques for use in bacteria. Also in coming years Biotechnology Journal continues to publish a Special issue on “Methods and Advances”. Methods are the key for innovations and new discoveries. This issue impressively demonstrates the advances in biotechnology and we can expect several impacts in our daily lives from environment to food, and form food to medicine. Prof. Sang Yup Lee Co-Editor-in-Chief, Biotechnology Journal Prof. Alois Jungbauer Co-Editor-in-Chief, Biotechnology Journal

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