ANCA MIHAELA MOCANU1*, CONSTANTIN LUCA1, SIMONA ISABELA DUNCA2, GABRIELA CIOBANU1 1 “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, Department of Organic, Biochemical and Food Engineering, 71 A D.Mangeron Av, 700050, Iasi, Romania 2 “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaoi, Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Microbiology Labo...

Engineering cyanobacteria into photosynthetic microbial cell factories for the production of biochemicals and biofuels is a promising approach toward sustainability. Cyanobacteria naturally grow on light and carbon dioxide, bypassing the need of fermentable plant biomass and arable land. By tapping into the central metabolism and rerouting carbon flux towards desirable compound production, cyan...

Tendinopathies negatively affect the life quality of millions of people in occupational and athletic settings, as well as the general population. Tendon healing is a slow process, often with insufficient results to restore complete endurance and functionality of the tissue. Tissue engineering, using tendon progenitors, artificial matrices and bioreactors for mechanical stimulation, could be an ...

Sialylation is essential for development and regeneration in mammals. Using N-propanoylmannosamine, a novel precursor of sialic acid, we were able to incorporate unnatural sialic acids with a prolonged N-acyl side chain (e.g., N-propanoylneuraminic acid) into cell surface glycoconjugates. Here we report that this biochemical engineering of sialic acid leads to a stimulation of neuronal cells. B...

The knee meniscus is a fibrocartilaginous tissue vital to orthopedic health but critically lacking in regenerative capacity. Over 450,000 meniscectomies are performed annually in the US, and such defects are left empty due to the lack of a suitable meniscus replacement. Meniscectomies, however, have been shown to lead to osteoarthritis. Meniscus tissue generated in vitro may greatly improve cur...