Category: microbiology

High fidelity DNA synthesis and high fidelity DNA polymerase are the drivers of modern synthetic biology

May 17, 2024

DNA synthesis is at the heart of modern synthetic biology because it affords researchers the freedom to design their protein and implement it through specific gene sequence changes at the DNA level. To afford this level of fine control requires high fidelity DNA synthesis technologies and high fidelity DNA polymerase that enable long read high … More High fidelity DNA synthesis and high fidelity DNA polymerase are the drivers of modern synthetic biology

Broad-spectrum antibiotics may be more effective in treating tuberculosis than the current narrow spectrum antibiotics

May 7, 2024

Mycobacteria tuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen, and thus, it is difficult to be eradicated based on current antibiotic therapy where there is insufficient dose of the drug that reach the bacterial cell hiding inside a human cell. Therefore, we can treat the active form of tuberculosis (TB) with an aggressive broad spectrum antibiotic regiment that … More Broad-spectrum antibiotics may be more effective in treating tuberculosis than the current narrow spectrum antibiotics

Glyoxylate cycle is not essential for supporting aerobic growth in bacterial species

April 22, 2024

Aerobic growth brings with it the metabolic byproducts of oxygen mediated reactions. Chief culprit is reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can induce an oxidative stress response. Research has suggested that glyoxylate cycle in many bacteria could help ameliorate oxidative stress in cells, and help provide a conducive environment for aerobic respiration. This suggests that glyoxylate … More Glyoxylate cycle is not essential for supporting aerobic growth in bacterial species

Recap of my research journey (2004 to present)

April 19, 2024

My research journey started in May 2004 with a UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme) project on biosorption of copper using local marine seaweed in Prof. Chen Jiaping’s lab at National University of Singapore. Currently, I am working on developing quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay and device for detecting Helicobacter pylori in stomach gastric samples. … More Recap of my research journey (2004 to present)

Gene expression studies inform us of the underlying mechanisms that give rise to an observed phenotype

April 18, 2024

In recent years, gene expression studies have moved into an essential item in many biological studies. Such determination of gene expression pattern could occur at the mRNA or protein level, and helps us understand the molecular underpinnings of certain phenotype at the macroscale. For example, in Escherichia coli cultivated under anaerobic conditions, there is likely … More Gene expression studies inform us of the underlying mechanisms that give rise to an observed phenotype

Enzymes with broad substrate specificity may still be useful in specific contexts despite leading to undesired biotransformations in biocatalysis and metabolic engineering

April 8, 2024

Biocatalysis and metabolic engineering is built upon pushing carbon flux down a predetermined pathway route to yield a product. This necessarily require the enlistment of enzymes able to perform each step of the metabolic pathway designed. Typically, enzymes enlisted for the task should have narrow substrate specificity to reduce the possibilities of undesired biotransformations generating … More Enzymes with broad substrate specificity may still be useful in specific contexts despite leading to undesired biotransformations in biocatalysis and metabolic engineering

Increased aeration in biotechnological fermentation may not lead to increased product yield

April 7, 2024

Oxygen is the essential ingredient to power oxidative phosphorylation that yield higher amount of ATP, useful for cell growth and increased product yield. This has led to the concept of increasing oxygen supply to improve product yield. But, there are limitations to this approach as the maximal dissolved oxygen concentration in water at saturation is … More Increased aeration in biotechnological fermentation may not lead to increased product yield

Plasmid extraction is essential for retrieving the plasmid for downstream applications in qPCR or transformation to another microbial host

April 5, 2024

Plasmid is a small circular piece of chromosome important for delivering genes into a microbial host to effect genetic engineering, and to confer the microbe with new metabolic functions and properties. Typically, an assembled plasmid is transformed into Escherichia coli DH5α to replicate the plasmid to higher copy numbers. Essentially, the E. coli cell is … More Plasmid extraction is essential for retrieving the plasmid for downstream applications in qPCR or transformation to another microbial host

Microbes secrete antimicrobial compounds at stationary phase to better compete for scarce nutrients

April 4, 2024

Stationary phase refers to the growth phase there is an equilibrium between cell death and cell division. Thus, cell numbers are approximately constant during stationary phase. In many microbial species, many natural products such as antibiotics and antimicrobials are secreted during stationary phase. Given the energy intensive nature in which such natural products are synthesized, … More Microbes secrete antimicrobial compounds at stationary phase to better compete for scarce nutrients

Yeast extract is a rich source of vitamins and growth factors for microbial culture

April 1, 2024

In the formulation of many microbial culture medium, it is inevitable to find yeast extract as a significant component of the complex medium. In simple terms, yeast extract is a rich source of vitamins and growth factors that enhance the microbiological medium, enabling it to culture more types of microbes, as well as take the … More Yeast extract is a rich source of vitamins and growth factors for microbial culture