Biology subjects

Lage, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Lage, A..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Resolved vs. uncontrolled inflammation: a mathematical model to decipher the role of innate immunity.

Neutrophils and macrophages related processes have been described as relevant during the inflammation resolution after an acute damage. Nevertheless, understanding the impact of both cells and the processes in which they are involved is still an open debate. Specifically, several studies have been focused on elucidate their impact in the dynamic outcome of resolution vs uncontrolled response. In this work, we develop a mathematical model that describe the dynamic of the innate immune response after an acute damage. Our model includes all the described processes that mediate this response, including the regulatory mechanisms carried out by type-2 macrophages (M2). Additionally, we estimate the resolution indices to quantify the efficiency of resolution mechanisms by controlling the initial expansion of Neutrophils and/or the subsequent contraction kinetics of the cell response. We predict that the processes of cells influx into the inflamed site, Neutrophil apoptosis and type-1 macrophage (M1)-mediated efferocytosis, are the ones that have an impact on the final outcome, but interfering in different resolution indices. In particular, we predict that the partial reduction of Neutrophil influx and the increase of M1-mediated efferocytosis rate are the best strategies to control the Neutrophil initial expansion. On the other hand, the partial reduction of M1 cells influx or the increase of Neutrophil apoptosis rate are predicted as good strategies to accelerate the Neutrophils decay during the contraction phase of the response.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2023

Perpetual bioplastic production by a cyanobacteria-dominated microbiome

Departing from the conventional axenic and heterotrophic cultures, our research ventures into unexplored territory by investigating the potential of photosynthetic microbiomes for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) synthesis, a biodegradable polyester that presents a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics. Our investigation focused on a cyanobacteria-enriched microbiome, dominated by Synechocystis sp. and Synechococcus sp., cultivated in a 3 L photobioreactor under non-sterile conditions, achieving significant PHB production--up to 28% dry cell weight (dcw) over a span of 108 days through alternating cycles of growth and accumulation. Nile Blue staining and Transmission Electron Microscope visualization allowed to successfully confirm the presence of PHB granules within cyanobacteria cells. Furthermore, the overexpression of PHA synthase during the accumulation phase directly correlated with the increased PHB production. Also, gene expression changes revealed glycogen as the primary storage compound, but under prolonged macronutrient stress, there was a shift of the carbon flux towards favoring PHB synthesis. Finally, analysis through proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance further validated the extracted polymer as PHB. Overall, it was demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of using phototrophic microbiomes to continuous production of PHB in a non-sterile system. This study also offers valuable insights into the metabolic pathways involved.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2023

Species composition determines bioplastics production in photosynthetic microbiomes: strategy to enrich cyanobacteria PHB-producers

The aim of this study was to set the operating mode in regards to nutrients, temperature and light to use as a strategy to enrich a microbiome rich in cyanobacteria in polyhidroxybutyrate (PHB)-producers in order to enhance this biopolymer production. Alternate growth and accumulation phases were conducted for 179 days in a 3 L photobioreactor. Although, presence of green microalgae potentially reduced PHB production, the microbiome produced up to 22 % dry cell weight (dcw) PHB. Results suggested that this methodology could be applied to a robust microbiome rich in cyanobacteria to boost PHB production.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2023

New strategy for bioplastic and exopolysaccharides production: Enrichment of field microbiomes with cyanobacteria

Seven photosynthethic microbiomes were collected from field environmental samples to test their potential in polyhydroxybutirate (PHB) and exopolysaccharides (EPS) production, two alternatives to chemical-based polymers. Microscope observations together with microbial sequence analysis revealed the microbiome enrichment in cyanobacteria after culture growth under phosphorus limitation. PHB and EPS production were studied under three culture factors (phototrophy, mixotrophy and heterotrophy) by evaluating and optimizing the effect of three parameters (organic and inorganic carbon and days under light:dark cycles) by Box-Behnken design. Results showed that optimal conditions for both biopolymers synthesis were microbiome-dependent; however, the addition of organic carbon boosted PHB production in all the tested microbiomes, producing up to 14%dcw PHB with the addition of 1.2 g acetate{middle dot}L-1 and seven days under light:dark photoperiods. The highest EPS production was 59 mg{middle dot}L-1 with the addition of 1.2 g acetate{middle dot}L-1 and four days under light:dark photoperiods. The methodology used in this article is suitable for enriching microbiomes in cyanobacteria, and for testing the best conditions for bioproducts synthesis for further scale up.

bioengineering↗