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Nylon 12 is valued for its exceptional properties and diverse industrial applications. Traditional chemical synthesis of nylon 12 faces significant technical challenges and environmental concerns, while bioproduction from plant-extracted decanoic acid (DDA) raises issues related to deforestation and biodiversity loss. Here, we show the development of an engineered Escherichia coli cell factory capable of biosynthesizing the nylon 12 monomer, ω-aminododecanoic acid (ω-AmDDA), from glucose. We enable de novo biosynthesis of ω-AmDDA by introducing a thioesterase specific to C12 acyl-ACP and a multi-enzyme cascade converting DDA to ω-AmDDA. Through modular pathway engineering, redesign and dimerization enhancement of the rate-limiting P450, reconstruction of redox and energy homeostasis, and enhancement of oxidative stress tolerance, we achieve a production level of 471.5 mg/L ω-AmDDA from glucose in shake flasks. This work paves the way for sustainable nylon 12 production and offers insights for bioproduction of other fatty acid-derived products. Nylon-12 monomers are traditionally produced through chemical synthesis and more recently by bioconversion of plant-derived lauric acid. Here, the authors report the construction of E. coli cell factory to enable de novo biosynthesis of the nylon 12 monomer ω-aminolauric acid from glucose.

Nylons, derived from fossil fuels, are widely used for their toughness and flexibility, but they pose environmental concerns due to their low biodegradability. This study explored an efficient method for the monomerization of polymeric nylons, specifically nylon-6 and nylon-6,6, through a combination of chemical pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis using two kinds of nylon hydrolases, NylB and NylC (Nyl series enzymes). To break down the strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between polymer chains of nylon, two pretreatment methods were investigated: homogeneous dispersion and soluble oligomerization induced by acid treatment. Homogeneous dispersion enhances water solubility, while soluble oligomerization reduces the molecular weight. These pretreatments significantly increased the enzyme sensitivity of the nylons, resulting in nearly complete conversion into monomers by Nyl series. Finally the convincing monomerization toward market products such as used fishing nets was also achieved. This study highlights the potential of this methodology for chemical recycling, offering a promising solution for reducing environmental impacts and achieving a circular economy for nylon products.

Phoenix Dancong tea essential oil possesses unique aroma characteristics and bioactivities, offering broad application potential in the food, pharmaceutical, and daily chemical fields. To achieve efficient extraction and expand its use in functional textiles, supercritical CO[sub.2] (SC-CO[sub.2]) extraction was employed to optimize the extraction process of Phoenix Dancong tea essential oil. Based on single-factor experiments, the optimal extraction conditions were determined as follows: pressure of 25 MPa, temperature of 50 °C, CO[sub.2] flow rate of 8 L/h, and extraction time of 3 h, resulting in an essential oil yield of 1.12%. Response surface methodology (RSM) revealed that the experimental data fit the regression model well (R[sup.2] = 95.49%, R[sup.2]Adj = 89.69%). Furthermore, the extracted essential oil was blade-coating to cotton, nylon, polyester, and wool fabrics to evaluate its aroma retention performance. Results indicated that cotton fibers exhibited the best absorption and sustained fragrance retention, maintaining a high odor grade even after 8 weeks. This study provides a theoretical basis and practical reference for the green extraction of Phoenix Dancong tea essential oil and its application in smart aromatic textiles.

Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) is generally considered to function as a tumor suppressor in the development of leukemia, but a growing body of evidence suggests that it has pro-oncogenic properties in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here we have demonstrated that the antileukemic effect mediated by RUNX1 depletion is highly dependent on a functional p53-mediated cell death pathway. Increased expression of other RUNX family members, including RUNX2 and RUNX3, compensated for the antitumor effect elicited by RUNX1 silencing, and simultaneous attenuation of all RUNX family members as a cluster led to a much stronger antitumor effect relative to suppression of individual RUNX members. Switching off the RUNX cluster using alkylating agent-conjugated pyrrole-imidazole (PI) polyamides, which were designed to specifically bind to consensus RUNX-binding sequences, was highly effective against AML cells and against several poor-prognosis solid tumors in a xenograft mouse model of AML without notable adverse events. Taken together, these results identify a crucial role for the RUNX cluster in the maintenance and progression of cancer cells and suggest that modulation of the RUNX cluster using the PI polyamide gene-switch technology is a potential strategy to control malignancies.

Nylon 5 and nylon 6,5 are recently explored as new commercial polyamides, of which the monomer includes δ-valerolactam. In this study, a novel catalytic activity of lysine 2-monooxygenase (DavB) was explored to produce δ-valerolactam from l-pipecolic acid (L-PA), functioning as oxidative decarboxylase on a cyclic compound. Recombinant Escherichia coli BS01 strain expressing DavB from Pseudomonas putida could synthesize δ-valerolactam from l-pipecolic acid with a concentration of 90.3 mg/L. Through the co-expression of recombinant apoptosis-inducing protein (rAIP) from Scomber japonicus, glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) from Bacillus subtilis, Δ1-piperideine-2-carboxylae reductase (DpkA) from P. putida and lysine permease (LysP) from E. coli with DavB, δ-valerolactam was produced with the highest concentration of 242 mg/L. α-Dioxygenases (αDox) from Oryza sativa could act as a similar catalyst on l-pipecolic acid. A novel δ-valerolactam synthesis pathway was constructed entirely via microbial conversion from feedstock lysine in this study. Our system has great potential in the development of a bio-nylon production process.Key points• DavB performs as an oxidative decarboxylase on L-PA with substrate promiscuity.• Strain with rAIP, GDH, DpkA, LysP, and DavB coexpression could produce δ-valerolactam.• This is the first time to obtain valerolactam entirely via biosynthesis from lysine.

Successes in biocatalytic polyester recycling have raised the possibility of deconstructing alternative polymers enzymatically, with polyamide (PA) being a logical target due to the array of amide-cleaving enzymes present in nature. Here, we screen 40 potential natural and engineered nylon-hydrolyzing enzymes (nylonases), using mass spectrometry to quantify eight compounds resulting from enzymatic nylon-6 (PA6) hydrolysis. Comparative time-course reactions incubated at 40-70 °C showcase enzyme-dependent variations in product distributions and extent of PA6 film depolymerization, with significant nylon deconstruction activity appearing rare. The most active nylonase, a NylC K variant we rationally thermostabilized (an N-terminal nucleophile (Ntn) hydrolase, NylC K -TS, T m  = 87.4 °C, 16.4 °C higher than the wild-type), hydrolyzes 0.67 wt% of a PA6 film. Reactions fail to restart after fresh enzyme addition, indicating that substrate-based limitations, such as restricted enzyme access to hydrolysable bonds, prohibit more extensive deconstruction. Overall, this study expands our understanding of nylonase activity distribution, indicates that Ntn hydrolases may have the greatest potential for further development, and identifies key targets for progressing PA6 enzymatic depolymerization, including improving enzyme activity, product selectivity, and enhancing polymer accessibility. Polyamides (PAs) or nylons are types of plastics with wide applications, but due to their accumulation in the environment, strategies for their deconstruction are of interest. Here, the authors screen 40 potential nylon-hydrolyzing enzymes (nylonases) using a mass spectrometry-based approach and identify a thermostabilized N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase as the most promising for further development, as well as crucial targets for progressing PA6 enzymatic depolymerization.

Poly(alkylene dicarboxylate)s constitute a family of biodegradable polymers with increasing interest for both commodity and speciality applications. Most of these polymers can be prepared from biobased diols and dicarboxylic acids such as 1,4-butanediol, succinic acid and carbohydrates. This review provides a current status report concerning synthesis, biodegradation and applications of a series of polymers that cover a wide range of properties, namely, materials from elastomeric to rigid characteristics that are suitable for applications such as hydrogels, soft tissue engineering, drug delivery systems and liquid crystals. Finally, the incorporation of aromatic units and α-amino acids is considered since stiffness of molecular chains and intermolecular interactions can be drastically changed. In fact, poly(ester amide)s derived from naturally occurring amino acids offer great possibilities as biodegradable materials for biomedical applications which are also extensively discussed.

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the environment, in the human food chain, and have been recently detected in blood and lung tissues. To undertake a pilot analysis of MP contamination in human vein tissue samples with respect to their presence (if any), levels, and characteristics of any particles identified. This study analysed digested human saphenous vein tissue samples (n = 5) using μFTIR spectroscopy (size limitation of 5 μm) to detect and characterise any MPs present. In total, 20 MP particles consisting of five MP polymer types were identified within 4 of the 5 vein tissue samples with an unadjusted average of 29.28 ± 34.88 MP/g of tissue (expressed as 14.99 ± 17.18 MP/g after background subtraction adjustments). Of the MPs detected in vein samples, five polymer types were identified, of irregular shape (90%), with alkyd resin (45%), poly (vinyl propionate/acetate, PVAc (20%) and nylon-ethylene-vinyl acetate, nylon-EVA, tie layer (20%) the most abundant. While the MP levels within tissue samples were not significantly different than those identified within procedural blanks (which represent airborne contamination at time of sampling), they were comprised of different plastic polymer types. The blanks comprised n = 13 MP particles of four MP polymer types with the most abundant being polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), then polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyfumaronitrile:styrene (FNS), with a mean ± SD of 10.4 ± 9.21, p = 0.293. This study reports the highest level of contamination control and reports unadjusted values alongside different contamination adjustment techniques. This is the first evidence of MP contamination of human vascular tissues. These results support the phenomenon of transport of MPs within human tissues, specifically blood vessels, and this characterisation of types and levels can now inform realistic conditions for laboratory exposure experiments, with the aim of determining vascular health impacts.

This review focuses on the polyesters such as polylactide and polyhydroxyalkonoates, as well as polyamides produced from renewable resources, which are currently among the most promising (bio)degradable polymers. Synthetic pathways, favourable properties and utilisation (most important applications) of these attractive polymer families are outlined. Environmental impact and in particular (bio)degradation of aliphatic polyesters, polyamides and related copolymer structures are described in view of the potential applications in various fields.