Genetically modified indigenous Pseudomonas aeruginosa drove bacterial community to change positively toward microbial enhanced oil recovery applications.

AIMS: Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is cost-effective and eco-friendly for oil exploitation. Genetically modified biosurfactants-producing high-yield strains are promising for ex-situ MEOR. However, can they survive and produce biosurfactants in petroleum reservoirs for in-situ MEOR? What is their effect on the native bacterial community? METHODS AND RESULTS: A genetically modified indigenous biosurfactants-producing strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PrhlAB was bioaugmented in simulated reservoir environments. Pseudomonas aeruginosa PrhlAB could stably colonize in simulated reservoirs. Biosurfactants (200 mg l-1) were produced in simulated reservoirs after bio-augmenting strain PrhlAB. The surface tension of fluid was reduced to 32.1 mN m-1. Crude oil was emulsified with an emulsification index of 60.1%. Bio-augmenting strain PrhlAB stimulated the MEOR-related microbial activities. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and biosurfactants-producing bacteria were activated, while the hydrogen sulfide-producing bacteria were inhibited. Bio-augmenting P. aeruginosa PrhlAB reduced the diversity of bacterial community, and gradually simplified the species composition. Bacteria with oil displacement potential became dominant genera, such as Shewanella, Pseudomonas, and Arcobacter. CONCLUSIONS: Culture-based and sequence-based analyses reveal that genetically modified biosurfactants-producing strain P. aeruginosa PrhlAB are promising for in-situ MEOR as well.

Highly efficient uranium uptake by the eco-designed cocamidopropyl betaine-decorated Na-P1 coal fly-ash zeolite.

In some locations around the globe, the U concentrations may exceed WHO standards by 2-folds therefore, effective yet environmentally wise solutions to purify radioactive waters are of significant importance. Here, the optimized and fully controlled coal-fly-ash based Na-P1 zeolite functionalization by employing novel, biodegradable biosurfactant molecule - cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) is showcased. The zeolite's surface decoration renders three composites with varying amounts of introduced CAPB molecule (Na-P1 @ CAPB), with 0.44, 0.88, and 1.59-times External Cation Exchange Capacity (ECEC). Wet-chemistry experiments revealed extremely high U adsorption capacity (qmax = 137.1 mg U/g) unveiling preferential interactions of uranyl dimers with CAPB molecules coupled with ion-exchange between Na+ ions. Multimodal spectroscopic analyses, including Fourier-Transformed Infra-Red (FT-IR), X-ray Photoelectron (XPS), and X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS), showed the hexavalent oxidation state of U, and no secondary release of the CAPB molecule from the composite. The EXAFS signals fingerprint changes in the interatomic distances of adsorbed U, showing the impact of the O and N, heteroatoms present in the CAPB molecule on U binding mechanism. The presented research outcomes showcase the easy, scalable, optimized, and environmentally friendly synthesis of biofunctional zeolite effectively purifying the real-life U-bearing wastewaters from the vicinity of the Pribram deposit (Czech Republic).

Complete genome sequence analysis of a biosurfactant-producing bacterium Bacillus velezensis L2D39.

Biosurfactants are amphipathic molecules with high industrial values owing to their chemical properties and stability under several environmental conditions. They have become attractive microbial products in the emerging biotechnology industry, offering a potential environmentally-friendly alternative to synthetic surfactants. Nowadays, several types of biosurfactants are commercially available for a wide range of applications in healthcare, agriculture, oil extraction and environmental remediation. In this study, a marine bacterium Bacillus velezensis L2D39 with the capability of producing biosurfactants was successfully isolated and characterized. The complete genome sequence of the bacterium B. velezensis L2D39 was obtained using PacBio Sequel HGAP.4, resulting in a sequence consisting of 4,140,042 base pairs with a 46.2 mol% G + C content and containing 4071 protein-coding genes. The presence of gene clusters associated with biosurfactants was confirmed through antiSMASH detection. The analysis of complete genome sequence will provide insight into the potential applications of this bacterium in biotechnological and natural product biosynthesis.

Production and characterization of rhamnolipid biosurfactant from thermophilic Geobacillus stearothermophilus bacterium isolated from Uhud mountain.

Introduction: Biosurfactants have been given considerable attention as they are potential candidates for several biotechnological applications. Materials and methods: In this study, a promising thermophilic biosurfactant-producing HA-2 was isolated from the volcanic and arid region of Uhud mountain, Madinah, Saudi Arabia. It was identified using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The biosurfactant production ability was screened using different methods such as the drop collapse test, oil spreading test, hemolytic activity test, CTAB test, and emulsification index. The ability of rhamnolipid production by the tested strain was confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of rhlAB. The affinity of thermophilic HA-2 to hydrophobic substrates was also investigated. Optimization of biosurfactant production was conducted. The biological activities of produced surfactant were investigated. Results and discussion: The isolated HA-1 was identified as Geobacillus stearothermophilus strain OR911984. It could utilize waste sunflower frying oil (WSFF) oil as a low-cost carbon source. It showed high emulsification activity (52 ± 0.0%) and positive results toward other biosurfactant screening tests. The strain showed high cell adhesion to hexane with 41.2% cell surface hydrophobicity. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated the presence of hydrophobic chains that comprise lipids, sugars, and hydrophilic glycolipid components. The optimization results showed the optimal factors included potato peel as a carbon source with 68.8% emulsification activity, yeast extract as a nitrogen source with 60% emulsification activity, a pH of 9 (56.6%), and a temperature of 50° (72%). The kinetics showed that optimum biosurfactant production (572.4 mg/L) was recorded at 5 days of incubation. The produced rhamnolipid biosurfactant showed high antimicrobial activity against some human and plant pathogenic bacterial and fungal isolates and high antioxidant activity (90.4%). In addition, it enhanced wheat (Triticum aestivum) growth, with the greatest enhancement obtained with the 5% concentration. Therefore, thermophilic G. stearothermophilus is a promising rhamnolipid biosurfactant producer that utilizes many organic wastes. The produced biosurfactant could be applied as a promising emulsifier, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and plant growth promoter.

A Low-Cost Ecofriendly Oxidation Process to Manufacture High-Performance Polymeric Biosurfactants Derived from Municipal Biowaste.

Biosurfactants account for about 12% of the global value of the surfactant market, which is currently dominated by synthetic surfactants obtained from fossil sources. Yet, the production of biosurfactants from renewable feedstock is bound to increase, driven by the increasing pressure from both society and governments for chemistry-based industries to become more ecofriendly and economically sustainable. A photo-chemical oxidation process is reported here, yielding new biosurfactants from urban biowaste in water that perform as a solvent and terminal oxidant reagent at room temperature without the addition of conventional oxidants and catalysts. Products with 200-500 kDa molecular weight are obtained. They lower the surface tension of water down to 34 mN/m at 0.5-2 g/L concentration. The estimated cost is rather low (0.1-1.5 EUR/kg), which is competitive with the cost of synthetic surfactants but much lower than the cost of the best-performing bacterial surfactants. For the implementation of the photo-chemical oxidation process at the industrial level, the results suggest that the new biosurfactants obtained in the present work may not reach the performance level of the best-performing bacterial surfactants capable of lowering the surface tension of water down to 28 mN/m. Yet, the biosurfactants produced by the photo-chemical process have a greater chance of being marketed on large scales.

The Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Biosurfactants: A Review.

Surfactants, also known as surface-active agents, have emerged as an important class of compounds with a wide range of applications. However, the use of chemical-derived surfactants must be restricted due to their potential adverse impact on the ecosystem and the health of human and other living organisms. In the past few years, there has been a growing inclination towards natural-derived alternatives, particularly microbial surfactants, as substitutes for synthetic or chemical-based counterparts. Microbial biosurfactants are abundantly found in bacterial species, predominantly Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. The chemical structures of biosurfactants involve the complexation of lipids with carbohydrates (glycolipoproteins and glycolipids), peptides (lipopeptides), and phosphates (phospholipids). Lipopeptides, in particular, have been the subject of extensive research due to their versatile properties, including emulsifying, antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. This review provides an update on research progress in the classification of surfactants. Furthermore, it explores various bacterial biosurfactants and their functionalities, along with their advantages over synthetic surfactants. Finally, the potential applications of these biosurfactants in many industries and insights into future research directions are discussed.

Determining the accuracy and suitability of common analytical techniques for sophorolipid biosurfactants.

To determine the performance of a sophorolipid biosurfactant production process, it is important to have accurate and specific analytical techniques in place. Among the most popular are the anthrone assay, gravimetric quantification (hexane:ethyl acetate extraction), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The choice of analytical tool varies depending on cost, availability, and ease of use; however, these techniques have never been compared directly against one another. In this work, 75 fermentation broths with varying product/substrate concentrations were comprehensively tested with the 3 techniques and compared. HPLC-ultraviolet detection (198 nm) was capable of quantifying C18:1 subterminal hydroxyl diacetylated lactonic sophorolipid down to a lower limit of 0.3 g/L with low variability (<3.21%). Gravimetric quantification of the broths following liquid:liquid extraction with hexane and ethyl acetate showed some linearity (R2 = .658) when compared to HPLC but could not quantify lower than 11.06 g/L, even when no sophorolipids were detected in the sample, highlighting the non-specificity of the method to co-extract non-sophorolipid components in the final gravimetric measure. The anthrone assay showed no linearity (R2 = .129) and was found to cross-react with media components (rapeseed oil, corn steep liquor, glucose), leading to consistent overestimation of sophorolipid concentration. The appearance of poor biomass separation during sample preparation with centrifugation was noted and resolved with a novel sample preparation method with pure ethanol. Extensive analysis and comparisons of the most common sophorolipid quantification techniques are explored and the limitations/advantages are highlighted. The findings provide a guide for scientists to make an informed decision on the suitable quantification tool that meets their needs, exploring all aspects of the analysis process from harvest, sample preparation, and analysis.

Revision of the sophorolipid biosynthetic pathway in Starmerella bombicola based on new insights in the substrate profile of its lactone esterase.

BACKGROUND: Sophorolipids (SLs) are a class of natural, biodegradable surfactants that found their way as ingredients for environment friendly cleaning products, cosmetics and nanotechnological applications. Large-scale production relies on fermentations using the yeast Starmerella bombicola that naturally produces high titers of SLs from renewable resources. The resulting product is typically an extracellular mixture of acidic and lactonic congeners. Previously, we identified an esterase, termed Starmerella bombicola lactone esterase (SBLE), believed to act as an extracellular reverse lactonase to directly use acidic SLs as substrate. RESULTS: We here show based on newly available pure substrates, HPLC and mass spectrometric analysis, that the actual substrates of SBLE are in fact bola SLs, revealing that SBLE actually catalyzes an intramolecular transesterification reaction. Bola SLs contain a second sophorose attached to the fatty acyl group that acts as a leaving group during lactonization. CONCLUSIONS: The biosynthetic function by which the Starmerella bombicola 'lactone esterase' converts acidic SLs into lactonic SLs should be revised to a 'transesterase' where bola SL are the true intermediate. This insights paves the way for alternative engineering strategies to develop designer surfactants.

Enhanced low-cost lipopeptide biosurfactant production by Bacillus velezensis from residual glycerin.

Biosurfactants (BSFs) are molecules produced by microorganisms from various carbon sources, with applications in bioremediation and petroleum recovery. However, the production cost limits large-scale applications. This study optimized BSFs production by Bacillus velezensis (strain MO13) using residual glycerin as a substrate. The spherical quadratic central composite design (CCD) model was used to standardize carbon source concentration (30 g/L), temperature (34 °C), pH (7.2), stirring (239 rpm), and aeration (0.775 vvm) in a 5-L bioreactor. Maximum BSFs production reached 1527.6 mg/L of surfactins and 176.88 mg/L of iturins, a threefold increase through optimization. Microbial development, substrate consumption, concentration of BSFs, and surface tension were also evaluated on the bioprocess dynamics. Mass spectrometry Q-TOF-MS identified five surfactin and two iturin isoforms produced by B. velezensis MO13. This study demonstrates significant progress on BSF production using industrial waste as a microbial substrate, surpassing reported concentrations in the literature.

Application of Biosurfactants in Medical Sciences.

Biosurfactants derived from microorganisms have attracted widespread attention in scientific research due to their unique surface activity, low toxicity, biodegradability, antibacterial properties, and stability under extreme conditions. Biosurfactants are widely used in many fields, such as medicine, agriculture, and environmental protection. Therefore, this review aims to comprehensively review and analyze the various applications of biosurfactants in the medical field. The central roles of biosurfactants in crucial medical areas are explored, like drug delivery, induction of tumor cell differentiation or death, treating bacterial and viral effects, healing wounds, and immune regulation. Moreover, a new outlook is introduced on optimizing the capabilities of biosurfactants through modification and gene recombination for better use in medicine. The current research challenges and future research directions are described, aiming to provide valuable insights for continuous study of biosurfactants in medicine.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon: underpinning the contribution of specialist microbial species to contaminant mitigation in the soil.

The persistence of PAHs poses a significant challenge for conventional remediation approaches, necessitating the exploration of alternative, sustainable strategies for their mitigation. This review underscores the vital role of specialized microbial species (nitrogen-fixing, phosphate-solubilizing, and biosurfactant-producing bacteria) in tackling the environmental impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These resistant compounds demand innovative remediation strategies. The study explores microbial metabolic capabilities for converting complex PAHs into less harmful byproducts, ensuring sustainable mitigation. Synthesizing literature from 2016 to 2023, it covers PAH characteristics, sources, and associated risks. Degradation mechanisms by bacteria and fungi, key species, and enzymatic processes are examined. Nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria contributions in symbiotic relationships with plants are highlighted. Biosurfactant-producing bacteria enhance PAH solubility, expanding microbial accessibility for degradation. Cutting-edge trends in omics technologies, synthetic biology, genetic engineering, and nano-remediation offer promising avenues. Recommendations emphasize genetic regulation, field-scale studies, sustainability assessments, interdisciplinary collaboration, and knowledge dissemination. These insights pave the way for innovative, sustainable PAH-contaminated environment restoration.

Molecular Basis of Yeasts Antimicrobial Activity-Developing Innovative Strategies for Biomedicine and Biocontrol.

In the context of the growing concern regarding the appearance and spread of emerging pathogens with high resistance to chemically synthetized biocides, the development of new agents for crops and human protection has become an emergency. In this context, the yeasts present a huge potential as eco-friendly agents due to their widespread nature in various habitats and to their wide range of antagonistic mechanisms. The present review focuses on some of the major yeast antimicrobial mechanisms, their molecular basis and practical applications in biocontrol and biomedicine. The synthesis of killer toxins, encoded by dsRNA virus-like particles, dsDNA plasmids or chromosomal genes, is encountered in a wide range of yeast species from nature and industry and can affect the development of phytopathogenic fungi and other yeast strains, as well as human pathogenic bacteria. The group of the "red yeasts" is gaining more interest over the last years, not only as natural producers of carotenoids and rhodotorulic acid with active role in cell protection against the oxidative stress, but also due to their ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic yeasts, fungi and bacteria using these compounds and the mechanism of competition for nutritive substrate. Finally, the biosurfactants produced by yeasts characterized by high stability, specificity and biodegrability have proven abilities to inhibit phytopathogenic fungi growth and mycelia formation and to act as efficient antibacterial and antibiofilm formation agents for biomedicine. In conclusion, the antimicrobial activity of yeasts represents a direction of research with numerous possibilities of bioeconomic valorization as innovative strategies to combat pathogenic microorganisms.

Synthesis and characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles from Lawsonia inermis and its effect on the biodegradation of crude oil hydrocarbon.

Crude oil hydrocarbons are considered major environmental pollutants and pose a significant threat to the environment and humans due to having severe carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. Bioremediation is one of the practical and promising technology that can be applied to treat the hydrocarbon-polluted environment. In this present study, rhamnolipid biosurfactant (BS) produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PP4 and green synthesized iron nanoparticles (G-FeNPs) from Lawsonia inermis was used to evaluate the biodegradation efficiency (BE) of crude oil. The surface analysis of G-FeNPs was carried out by using FESEM and HRTEM to confirm the size and shape. Further, the average size of the G-FeNPs was observed around 10 nm by HRTEM analysis. The XRD and Raman spectra strongly confirm the presence of iron nanoparticles with their respective peaks. The BE (%) of mixed degradation system-V (PP4+BS+G-FeNPs) was obtained about 82%. FTIR spectrum confirms the presence of major functional constituents (C=O, -CH3, C-O, and OH) in the residual oil content. Overall, this study illustrates that integrated nano-based bioremediation could be an efficient approach for hydrocarbon-polluted environments. This study is the first attempt to evaluate the G-FeNPs with rhamnolipid biosurfactant on the biodegradation of crude oil.

Three strategy rules of filamentous fungi in hydrocarbon remediation: an overview.

Remediation of hydrocarbon contaminations requires much attention nowadays since it causes detrimental effects on land and even worse impacts on aquatic environments. Tools of bioremediation especially filamentous fungi permissible for cleaning up as much as conceivable, at least they turn into non-toxic residues with less consumed periods. Inorganic chemicals, CO2, H2O, and cell biomass are produced as a result of the breakdown and mineralization of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants. This paper presents a detailed overview of three strategic rules of filamentous fungi in remediating the various aliphatic, and aromatic hydrocarbon compounds: utilizing carbons from hydrocarbons as sole energy, Co-metabolism manners (Enzymatic and Non-enzymatic theories), and Biosorption approaches. Upliftment in the degradation rate of complex hydrocarbon by the Filamentous Fungi in consortia scenario we can say, "Fungal Talk", which includes a variety of cellular mechanisms, including biosurfactant production, biomineralization, and precipitation, etc., This review not only displays its efficiency but showcases the field applications - cost-effective, reliable, eco-friendly, easy to culture as biomass, applicable in both land and any water bodies in operational environment cleanups. Nevertheless, the potentiality of fungi-human interaction has not been fully understood, henceforth further studies are highly endorsed with spore pathogenicity of the fungal species capable of high remediation rate, and the gene knockout study, if the specific peptides cause toxicity to any living matters via Genomics and Proteomics approaches, before application of any in situ or ex situ environments.

The Combined Effects of Azoxystrobin and the Biosurfactant-Producing Bacillus sp. Kol B3 against the Phytopathogenic Fungus Fusarium sambucinum IM 6525.

This study aimed to evaluate how the combined presence of the synthetic fungicide azoxystrobin (AZ) and the biosurfactant-producing Bacillus sp. Kol B3 influences the growth of the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium sambucinum IM 6525. The results showed a noticeable increase in antifungal effectiveness when biotic and abiotic agents were combined. This effect manifested across diverse parameters, including fungal growth inhibition, changes in hyphae morphology, fungal membrane permeability and levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). In response to the presence of Fusarium and AZ in the culture, the bacteria changed the proportions of biosurfactants (surfactin and iturin) produced. The presence of both AZ and/or Fusarium resulted in an increase in iturin biosynthesis. Only in 72 h old bacterial-fungal co-culture a 20% removal of AZ was noted. In the fungal cultures (with and without the addition of the bacteria), the presence of an AZ metabolite named azoxystrobin free acid was detected in the 48th and 72nd hours of the process. The possible involvement of increased iturin and ROS content in antifungal activity of Bacillus sp. and AZ when used together are also discussed. Biosurfactants were analyzed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Microscopy techniques and biochemical assays were also used.

Protective effects of microbial biosurfactants produced by Bacillus halotolerans and Candida parapsilosis on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice: Impact of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties via TGF-ß1/Smad-3 pathway and miRNA-326.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an irreversible disease which considered the most fatal pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary toxicity including IPF is the most severe adverse effect of bleomycin, the chemotherapeutic agent. Based on the fact that, exogenous surfactants could induce alveolar stabilization in many lung diseases, the aim of this study was to explore the effects of low cost biosurfactants, surfactin (SUR) and sophorolipids (SLs), against bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice due to their antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Surfactin and sophorolipids were produced by microbial conversion of frying oil and potato peel wastes using Bacillus halotolerans and Candida parapsilosis respectively. These biosurfactants were identified by FTIR, 1H NMR, and LC-MS/MS spectra. C57BL/6 mice were administered the produced biosurfactants daily at oral dose of 200 mg kg-1 one day after the first bleomycin dose (35 U/kg). We evaluated four study groups: Control, Bleomycin, Bleomycin+SUR, Bleomycin+SLs. After 30 days, lungs from each mouse were sampled for oxidative stress, ELISA, Western blot, histopathological, immunohistochemical analyses. Our results showed that the produced SUR and SLs reduced pulmonary oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the lungs of bleomycin induced mice as they suppressed SOD, CAT, and GST activities also reduced NF-κß, TNF-α, and CD68 levels. Furthermore, biosurfactants suppressed the expression of TGF-ß1, Smad-3, and p-JNK fibrotic signaling pathway in pulmonary tissues. Histologically, SUR and SLs protected against lung ECM deposition caused by bleomycin administration. Biosurfactants produced from microbial sources can inhibit the induced inflammatory and fibrotic responses in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Wastewater treatment using moving bed biofilm reactor technology: a case study of ceramic industry.

Biological approaches and coagulation are frequently used to reduce the chemical oxygen demand (COD) for treatment of ceramic effluent water. The technology known as the moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) can accomplish this goal. Further, the process of emulsification-aided innovative MBBR using biosurfactants can be proposed for ceramic effluent treatment. In a step-by-step upgrading scheme, biosurfactants and a consortia of halophilic and halotolerant microbial culture was utilized for the treatment of the effluent water. Over the course of 21 days, a progressive decrease in COD of up to 95.79% was achieved. Over the next 48 h period, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) was reduced by 98.3%, while total suspended solids (TSS) decreased by 79.41%. With the use of this innovative MBBR technology, biofilm formation accelerated, lowering the COD, BOD, and TSS levels. This allows treated water to be used for further research on recycling it back into the ceramics sector and repurposing it for agricultural purposes. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Implementation of modified MBBR technology for the treatment of effluent water. Biosurfactants could reduce in the organic and inorganic loads. Increase in MLSS values with COD removal observed. The plant operations without the use of chemical coagulants was effective with biosurfactants. Biofilm formation on carriers was scraped and the presence of surfactin and rhamnolipid was confirmed.

Biodegradation of a complex hydrocarbon mixture and biosurfactant production by Burkholderia thailandensis E264 and an adapted microbial consortium.

Bioremediation is considered to be an effective treatment for hydrocarbon removal from polluted soils. However, the effectiveness of this treatment is often limited by the low availability of targeted contaminants. Biosurfactants produced by some microorganisms can increase organic compound solubility and might then overcome this limitation. Two different inocula producers of biosurfactants (Burkholderia thailandensis E264 and SHEMS1 microbial consortium isolated from a hydrocarbon-contaminated soil) were incubated in Bushnell-Haas medium supplemented with hydrocarbons to investigate their biodegradation potential. Experimental results showed their ability to degrade 9.1 and 6.1% of hydrocarbons respectively after 65 days of incubation with an initial total hydrocarbon concentration of 16 g L-1. The biodegradation was more effective for the light and medium fractions (C10 to C36). B. thailandensis and SHEMS1 consortium produced surfactants after 14 days of culture during the stationary phase with hydrocarbons as the sole carbon and energy source. However, biosurfactant production did not appear to directly increase hydrocarbon degradation efficiency. The complexity and recalcitrance of hydrocarbon mixture used in this study appeared to continue to limit its biodegradation even in the presence of biosurfactants. In conclusion, B. thailandensis and SHEMS1 consortium can degrade recalcitrant hydrocarbon compounds and are therefore good candidates for the bioremediation of environments polluted by total hydrocarbons.

Does regulation hold the key to optimizing lipopeptide production in Pseudomonas for biotechnology?

Lipopeptides (LPs) produced by Pseudomonas spp. are specialized metabolites with diverse structures and functions, including powerful biosurfactant and antimicrobial properties. Despite their enormous potential in environmental and industrial biotechnology, low yield and high production cost limit their practical use. While genome mining and functional genomics have identified a multitude of LP biosynthetic gene clusters, the regulatory mechanisms underlying their biosynthesis remain poorly understood. We propose that regulation holds the key to unlocking LP production in Pseudomonas for biotechnology. In this review, we summarize the structure and function of Pseudomonas-derived LPs and describe the molecular basis for their biosynthesis and regulation. We examine the global and specific regulator-driven mechanisms controlling LP synthesis including the influence of environmental signals. Understanding LP regulation is key to modulating production of these valuable compounds, both quantitatively and qualitatively, for industrial and environmental biotechnology.