Biotechnology articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The spread of many infectious diseases substantially relies on aerosol transmission to the respiratory tract. Here, the authors design an intranasal mask with the ability to intercept viral aerosols, entrap and inactivate virus, thus preventing respiratory tract infection.

    • Xiaoming Hu
    • , Shuang Wang
    •  & Wei Wei

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Neurostimulators are often bulky and uncomfortable. Researchers report a wireless, leadless, and battery-free ultrasound receiver that wraps around the target peripheral nerve and allows precise modulation of organ function, providing a framework for future bioelectronic medicines

    • Tong Li
    • , Zhidong Wei
    •  & Zhang-Qi Feng

  • Q&A
    | Open Access

    Summary: Cultivated or cultured meat is promising to revolutionize the food industry in the coming years to decades, helping to resolve concerns related to the environmental impact and ethical implications linked to conventional meat production. We talked to Dr. Sandhya Sriram, the Group CEO and Co-founder of Shiok Meats Pte. Ltd., Singapore; Prof. Shulamit Levenberg, the former Dean of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the Technion, current Director of the Technion Center for 3D Bioprinting and The Rina & Avner Schneur Center for Diabetes Research, as well as the Co-founder and Chief Scientific Adviser of Aleph Farms, Israel; and Dr. Timothy Olsen, Head of Cultured Meat in the Life Science business at Merck KGaA, Germany; about this relatively new and quickly developing sector. They explain what their teams are working on, including the biggest recent accomplishments, speak about the main challenges facing the field and how they can be resolved, and share their visions about the future of cultivated meat, aiming to provide more equitable and sustainable access to nutritious food for the growing world population.

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages in the arterial wall is a critical step in atherosclerosis. Here, the authors show that downregulation of Zeb1 in macrophages promotes lipid accumulation and atherosclerotic plaque formation while its restoration with macrophage-targeted nanoparticles reverses these effects.

    • M. C. Martinez-Campanario
    • , Marlies Cortés
    •  & Antonio Postigo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Reconstructing transcriptome-wide spatially-resolved gene expressions requires modelling nonlinear patterns and spatial structures in RNA profiling data. Here, authors introduce a graph-guided neural hierarchical tensor decomposition model that incorporates spatial and functional relations for the task.

    • Tianci Song
    • , Charles Broadbent
    •  & Rui Kuang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Prediction of enzyme kinetic parameters is essential for designing and optimising enzymes for various biotechnological and industrial applications. Here, authors presented a prediction framework (UniKP), which improves the accuracy of predictions for three enzyme kinetic parameters.

    • Han Yu
    • , Huaxiang Deng
    •  & Xiaozhou Luo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cultured meat technology promises to alleviate protein shortages, but still faces many challenges. Here, the authors achieve serum-free myogenic differentiation of porcine pre-gastrulation epiblast stem cells and generate meat-like tissue via edible plant-based scaffolds without any animal compounds.

    • Gaoxiang Zhu
    • , Dengfeng Gao
    •  & Jianyong Han

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in its earliest stage can prevent the disease and delay the symptoms. Here the authors identify a potential Alzheimer’s biomarker from tear fluid, and develop a nanoparticle-based immunoassay for its detection, demonstrating potential in Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

    • Sojeong Lee
    • , Eunjung Kim
    •  & Seungjoo Haam

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Spatial transcriptomics (ST) enables gene expression characterisation within tissue sections, but comparing across sections and technologies remains challenging. Here, authors develop STalign to spatially align ST data and demonstrate applications including aligning to common coordinate frameworks.

    • Kalen Clifton
    • , Manjari Anant
    •  & Jean Fan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Pathogenic variants of DDX3X are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) and cancer. Here, the authors perform saturation genome editing of DDX3X to test the functional impact of 12,776 variants, develop a machine learning classifier to identify variants relevant for NDD, and show that DDX3X predominantly acts as a tumour suppressor in cancer.

    • Elizabeth J. Radford
    • , Hong-Kee Tan
    •  & Matthew E. Hurles

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Microbial rhodopsins are major contributors to global light harvesting on Earth, but their role in carbon fixation is unclear. Here, the authors construct an artificial photosynthesis system by combining rhodopsin with an extracellular electron uptake mechanism for photoelectrosynthetic CO2 fixation in Ralstonia eutropha.

    • Weiming Tu
    • , Jiabao Xu
    •  & Wei E. Huang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electrical stimulation of the neuromuscular system holds promise for therapeutic biomedical applications, but is currently restricted by power. Here, the authors introduce fully implantable resonator-based designs achieving ±20 V compliance and >300 mW output, enabling multichannel, biphasic, current-controlled operation to evoke functional gate patterns for 6-weeks in freely behaving rats.

    • Alex Burton
    • , Zhong Wang
    •  & Philipp Gutruf

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A pan-betacoronavirus vaccine will likely require the elicitation of antibodies against spike regions conserved across diverse coronaviruses. Here, authors computationally engineer and experimentally validate immunogens to elicit antibodies against two such spike regions.

    • A. Brenda Kapingidza
    • , Daniel J. Marston
    •  & Mihai L. Azoitei

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It’s challenging to produce natural products using single strains of engineered microbes fed by renewable carbon sources. Here, the authors assemble a microbial consortium consisting of engineered S. stipitis and S. cerevisiae for streamlined production of (S)-norcoclaurine from glucose and xylose simultaneously.

    • Meirong Gao
    • , Yuxin Zhao
    •  & Zengyi Shao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The interaction of membrane-resident proteins plays an essential role in biological processes. Here the authors describe cellular biosensors based on chimeric receptors, as a tool to study the interaction of receptor-ligand pairs such as immune checkpoint molecules or virus attachment proteins and their receptors.

    • Maximilian A. Funk
    • , Judith Leitner
    •  & Peter Steinberger

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Long-read single-cell RNA sequencing is capable of detecting isoform-level gene expression and genomic alterations such as mutations and gene fusions, thereby providing cell-specific genotype-phenotype information. Here, the authors use long-read scRNA-seq on metastatic ovarian cancer samples and detect cell-type specific isoforms and gene fusions that may otherwise be misclassified in short-read data.

    • Arthur Dondi
    • , Ulrike Lischetti
    •  & Niko Beerenwinkel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chemical inducer of dimerization (CID) modules can be used to effectively control biological processes; however, CID modules have been explored primarily in engineering cells for in vitro applications using inducers that have limited clinical utility. Here, the authors identify a CID module with favorable properties to enable rapid translation from in vitro applications to potential use in humans.

    • Stacey E. Chin
    • , Christina Schindler
    •  & Natalie J. Tigue

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Achieving successful in vivo cartilage regeneration remains challenging. Here they present a cell-free, multiple hydrogen-bond crosslinked hydrogel loaded with tannic acid and Kartogenin with ultra-durable mechanical properties and stage-dependent drug release behavior to promote cartilage regeneration.

    • Yuxuan Yang
    • , Xiaodan Zhao
    •  & Xuesi Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Methods for the wireless, continuous monitoring and analysis of activities directly from the throat skin have not been developed. Here, the authors present a stretchable device platform that provides wireless measurements and machine learning-based analysis of vibrations and muscle electrical activities from the throat.

    • Hongcheng Xu
    • , Weihao Zheng
    •  & Libo Gao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    One carbon compounds such as CO2, methanol and formate are cost-effective and environmentally friendly microbial feedstocks for biomanufacturing. Here, the authors report the oxygen tolerant reductive glycine pathway in Komagataella phaffii can co-assimilate CO2, methanol and formate.

    • Bernd M. Mitic
    • , Christina Troyer
    •  & Diethard Mattanovich

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Symbiosis should be maintained during the oral regeneration period. Herein, authors develop an occlusive membrane that induces symbiosis, thereby improving the performance of guided bone generation therapy.

    • Woojin Choi
    • , Utkarsh Mangal
    •  & Jinkee Hong

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The oral delivery of nano-drug delivery systems (Nano-DDS) remains challenging. Here the authors construct core–shell mesoporous silica nanoparticles with virus-like nanospikes and demonstrate the versatility of these nanoparticles as Nano-DDS to achieve efficient oral drug delivery by mimicking structural feature, chiral recognition, and gene encapsulation of viruses.

    • Zhentao Sang
    • , Lu Xu
    •  & Heran Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Geometrical complexities of blood vessels alter biophysical behaviors of circulating tumor cells, influencing cancer metastasis. Here, the authors develop a 3D bioprinted in vitro brain blood vessel-on-a-chip to investigate continuities between vascular geometry and metastatic cancer development.

    • Wonbin Park
    • , Jae-Seong Lee
    •  & Dong-Woo Cho

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The treatment of diabetic wounds tends to be hindered by complex wound environments, and the critical role of the microenvironment in the chronic diabetic wounds has not been explored for therapeutic development. Here, the authors develop a wound microenvironment-responsive microneedle bandage to achieve self-enhanced, catabolic and dynamic therapy of chronic wounds.

    • Li Yang
    • , Dan Zhang
    •  & Xiaowei Zeng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies detect transcript distribution in space. Here, authors present a deep learning based method SPACEL for cell type deconvolution, spatial domain identification and 3D alignment, showcasing it as a valuable toolkit for ST data analysis

    • Hao Xu
    • , Shuyan Wang
    •  & Kun Qu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The cis-peptide bond is rare in natural proteins and its impact on protein folding is elusive. Here the authors break the conventional understanding that cis-amide-favoring residues destabilize proteins, elucidate the principles of peptoid cis-trans isomerization in collagen folding, and showcase the use of cis-amide-favoring residues in building programmable and functional peptidomimetics.

    • Rongmao Qiu
    • , Xiaojing Li
    •  & Yang Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Engineering ammonium excretion diazotrophs suffers from severe penalties to the bacteria. Here, the authors utilize a thermo-sensitive glutamine synthetase-based regulatory switch that permits diurnal changes in diazotrophic lifestyle, coincident with seasonal temperatures for cereal cultivation.

    • Yuqian Tang
    • , Debin Qin
    •  & Yi-Ping Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding T cell behaviour in cancers is vital for improving immunotherapies. Here, the authors present spatially resolved T cell receptor sequencing (SPTCR-seq), a technology that annotates T cell receptors within the tumour ecosystem.

    • Jasim Kada Benotmane
    • , Jan Kueckelhaus
    •  & Dieter Henrik Heiland

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Verticillum wilt is an important cotton disease caused by fungal pathogen Verticillium dahiae. Here, the authors assemble the genomes of defoliating and non-defoliating isolates of the pathogen, identify virulence gene SP3, and develop a disease control strategy using polyethyleneimine-coated MXene quantum dots.

    • Ping Qiu
    • , Jiayue Li
    •  & Longfu Zhu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A pan-genome can reduce bias in genetic diversity analysis inherent in using a single reference genome. Here, the authors assemble genomes of 10 diverse apple accessions, conduct pan-genome analysis together with three existing genomes, and reveal the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase homolog MMK2 in fruit coloration.

    • Ting Wang
    • , Shiyao Duan
    •  & Ting Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Current techniques for visualizing cell generated forces suffer from throughput limitations. Here, Gu et al. introduced photonic crystal cellular force microscopy, inspired by chameleons, enabling visualization and quantification of vertically directed cell forces, well-suited for drug screening.

    • Qiwei Li
    • , Zaozao Chen
    •  & Zhongze Gu

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