Submit to BioTech Review for BioTech

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

BioTech, Volume 12, Issue 4 (December 2023) – 5 articles

Issues are regarded as officially published after their release is announced to the table of contents alert mailing list.
You may sign up for e-mail alerts to receive table of contents of newly released issues.
PDF is the official format for papers published in both, html and pdf forms. To view the papers in pdf format, click on the "PDF Full-text" link, and use the free Adobe Reader to open them.

Order results

Result details

Section

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

24 pages, 4054 KiB

Open AccessReview

Fungicide Resistance in Botrytis spp. and Regional Strategies for Its Management in Northern European Strawberry Production

Roland W. S. Weber

and

Antonios Petridis

BioTech 2023, 12(4), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech12040064 - 19 Nov 2023

Viewed by 329

Abstract

Grey mould, caused by Botrytis cinerea and other Botrytis spp., is a major cause of fruit rot in strawberries and other fruit crops worldwide. Repeated fungicide applications are essential in order to secure harvests. However, resistance to all currently registered single-site fungicides is widespread. The rising importance of strains with multiple resistance to most or all fungicides is of particular concern. These strains may be introduced into fields via contaminated nursery plants and/or by immigration from adjacent plots. On the basis of research conducted in northern German and Danish strawberry production, a concept to manage fungicide resistance under northern European conditions has been developed and put into regional strawberry production practice. This principally includes the testing of nursery plants for fungicide-resistant Botrytis strains prior to planting; the restricted and specific use of fungicides at flowering in the production fields, taking account of the resistance spectrum within the local Botrytis population; and crop sanitation measures such as the removal of rotting fruits at the beginning of harvest. Further options such as protected cultivation, reduced fertilisation and biological control are also discussed. The practical implementation of such a strategy in northern Germany and Denmark has been shown to reduce the occurrence of multi-resistant strains to a tolerable steady-state level. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 381 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Controversial Nature of Some Non-Starter Lactic Acid Bacteria Actively Participating in Cheese Ripening

Svetoslav G. Dimov

BioTech 2023, 12(4), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech12040063 - 09 Nov 2023

Viewed by 621

Abstract

This mini review deals with some controversial non-starter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB) species known to be both human and animal pathogens but also health-promoting and probiotic. The focus is on Lactococcus garvieae, two Streptococcus species (S. uberis and S. parauberis), four Weissella species (W. hellenica, W. confusa, W. paramesenteroides, and W. cibaria), and Mammalicoccus sciuri, which worldwide, are often found within the microbiotas of different kinds of cheese, mainly traditional artisanal cheeses made from raw milk and/or relying on environmental bacteria for their ripening. Based on literature data, the virulence and health-promoting effects of these bacteria are examined, and some of the mechanisms of these actions are reviewed. Additionally, their possible roles in cheese ripening are also discussed. The analysis of the literature data available so far showed that, in general, the pathogenic and the beneficial strains, despite belonging to the same species, show somewhat different genetic constitutions. Yet, when the safety of a given strain is assessed, genomic analysis on its own is not enough, and a polyphasic approach including additional physiological and functional tests is needed. Full article

14 pages, 1409 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tracking of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Longitudinally Using Biosensor and Patient-Reported Data: A Report on the Fully Decentralized Mobile Study to Measure and Predict Lupus Disease Activity Using Digital Signals—The OASIS Study

and

BioTech 2023, 12(4), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech12040062 - 09 Nov 2023

Viewed by 415

Abstract

(1) Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex disease involving immune dysregulation, episodic flares, and poor quality of life (QOL). For a decentralized digital study of SLE patients, machine learning was used to assess patient-reported outcomes (PROs), QOL, and biometric data for predicting possible disease flares. (2) Methods: Participants were recruited from the LupusCorner online community. Adults self-reporting an SLE diagnosis were consented and given a mobile application to record patient profile (PP), PRO, and QOL metrics, and enlisted participants received smartwatches for digital biometric monitoring. The resulting data were profiled using feature selection and classification algorithms. (3) Results: 550 participants completed digital surveys, 144 (26%) agreed to wear smartwatches, and medical records (MRs) were obtained for 68. Mining of PP, PRO, QOL, and biometric data yielded a 26-feature model for classifying participants according to MR-identified disease flare risk. ROC curves significantly distinguished true from false positives (ten-fold cross-validation: p < 0.00023; five-fold: p < 0.00022). A 25-feature Bayesian model enabled time-variant prediction of participant-reported possible flares (P(true) > 0.85, p < 0.001; P(nonflare) > 0.83, p < 0.0001). (4) Conclusions: Regular profiling of patient well-being and biometric activity may support proactive screening for circumstances warranting clinical assessment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Computational Biology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 2214 KiB

Open AccessHypothesis

Bacterial Proteases as Potentially Exploitable Modulators of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Logic from the Literature, Informatics, and Inspiration from the Dog

Gerald H. Lushington

Annika Linde

and

Tonatiuh Melgarejo

BioTech 2023, 12(4), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech12040061 - 30 Oct 2023

Viewed by 646

Abstract

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic left many intriguing mysteries. Retrospective vulnerability trends tie as strongly to odd demographics as to exposure profiles, genetics, health, or prior medical history. This article documents the importance of nasal microbiome profiles in distinguishing infection rate trends among differentially affected subgroups. (2) Hypothesis: From a detailed literature survey, microbiome profiling experiments, bioinformatics, and molecular simulations, we propose that specific commensal bacterial species in the Pseudomonadales genus confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 infections by expressing proteases that may interfere with the proteolytic priming of the Spike protein. (3) Evidence: Various reports have found elevated Moraxella fractions in the nasal microbiomes of subpopulations with higher resistance to COVID-19 (e.g., adolescents, COVID-19-resistant children, people with strong dietary diversity, and omnivorous canines) and less abundant ones in vulnerable subsets (the elderly, people with narrower diets, carnivorous cats and foxes), along with bioinformatic evidence that Moraxella bacteria express proteases with notable homology to human TMPRSS2. Simulations suggest that these proteases may proteolyze the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in a manner that interferes with TMPRSS2 priming. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology of Human Disease)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 4060 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Human TIMP1 Is a Growth Factor That Improves Oocyte Developmental Competence

Yolanda Manríquez-Treviño

Blanca Sánchez-Ramírez

Juan Alberto Grado-Ahuir

Beatriz Castro-Valenzuela

Carmen González-Horta

and

M.Eduviges Burrola-Barraza

BioTech 2023, 12(4), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech12040060 - 08 Oct 2023

Viewed by 574

Abstract

Oocyte developmental competence is the ability of a mature oocyte to be fertilized and subsequently support embryonic development. Such competence is gained during folliculogenesis and is facilitated by the bidirectional communication into a compacted cumulus–oocyte complex (COC). Human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP1) participates in biological processes, including cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of TIMP1 as a growth factor on the in vitro maturation (IVM) culture of bovine COCs to improve oocyte developmental competence. All TIMP1 treatments (50, 100, and 150 ng/mL) favored the COCs’ compaction structure (p < 0.05). TIMP1 at 150 ng/mL produced more oocytes in metaphase II compared to the other treatments (p < 0.05). The 150 ng/mL TIMP1 generated oocytes with the most (p < 0.05) cortical granules below the plasma membrane (pattern I). In a parthenogenesis assay, oocyte IVM in 50 ng/mL of TIMP1 produced the most blastocyst compared to the other treatments (p < 0.05). The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that 50 ng/mL of TIMP1 was the best condition to develop oocyte competence because it was associated with the COC compact and cortical granule pattern I. TIMP1 influences the development of oocyte competence when added to the IVM culture medium of COCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural and Food Biotechnology)

► Show Figures