Browsing by Author "Palak Rana"

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Application of Synthetic Biology Approaches to High-Yield Production of Mycosporine-like Amino Acids
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023) Varsha K. Singh; Sapana Jha; Palak Rana; Amit Gupta; Ashish P. Singh; Neha Kumari; Sonal Mishra; Prashant R. Singh; Jyoti Jaiswal; Rajeshwar P. Sinha
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the Earth’s surface is a major societal concern, and therefore, there is a significant consumer demand for cosmetics formulated to mitigate the harmful effects of UV radiation. Synthetic sunscreens being formulated to block UV penetration include inorganic metal oxide particles and organic filters. Lately, organic UV-absorbing compounds are manufactured from non-renewable petrochemicals and, as a result, there is a need to develop a sustainable manufacturing process for efficient, high-level production of a naturally occurring group of UV-absorbing compounds, namely mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), for use as a sunscreen additive to skincare products. Currently, the commercial production of MAAs for use in sunscreens is not a viable proposition due to the low yield and the lack of fermentation technology associated with native MAA-producing organisms. This review summarizes the biochemical properties of MAAs, the biosynthetic gene clusters and transcriptional regulations, the associated carbon-flux-driving processes, and the host selection and biosynthetic strategies, with the aim to expand our understanding on engineering suitable cyanobacteria for cost-effective production of natural sunscreens in future practices. © 2023 by the authors.
Characterization, DFT study and evaluation of antioxidant potentials of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in the cyanobacterium Anabaenopsis circularis HKAR-22
(Elsevier B.V., 2024) Varsha K. Singh; Bhanuranjan Das; Sapana Jha; Palak Rana; Rajnish Kumar; Rajeshwar P. Sinha
The physiological parameters such as growth, Chl a content, and photosynthetic performance of the experimental cyanobacterium Anabaenopsis circularis HKAR-22 were estimated to evaluate the cumulative effects of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Maximum induction of UV-screening molecules, MAAs, was observed under the treatment condition of PAR + UV-A + UV-B (PAB) radiations. UV/VIS absorption spectroscopy and HPLC-PDA detection primarily confirmed the presence of MAA-shinorine (SN) having absorption maxima (λmax) at 332.3 nm and retention time (RT) of 1.47 min. For further validation of the presence of SN, HRMS, FTIR and NMR were utilized. UV-stress elevated the in vivo ROS scavenging and in vitro enzymatic antioxidant capabilities. SN exhibited substantial and concentration-dependent antioxidant capabilities which was determined utilizing 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS), ferric reducing power (FRAP) and superoxide radical scavenging assay (SRSA). The density functional theory (DFT) method using B3LYP energy model and 6-311G++(d,p) basis set was implied to perform the quantum chemical calculation to systematically investigate the antioxidant nature of SN. The principal pathways involved in the antioxidant reactions along with the basic molecular descriptors affecting the antioxidant potentials of a compound were also studied. The results favor the potential of SN as an active ingredient to be used in cosmeceutical formulations. © 2023
Cyanobacteria as a Biocatalyst for Sustainable Production of Biofuels and Chemicals
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024) Varsha K. Singh; Sapana Jha; Palak Rana; Renu Soni; Rowland Lalnunpuii; Prashant K. Singh; Rajeshwar P. Sinha; Garvita Singh
The combustion of fossil fuels constitutes a significant catalyst for climate change, resulting in the annual release of about two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). The increase in CO2 emission is directly linked to a heightened occurrence of natural calamities and health-related issues. The substitution of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources is a fundamental approach to reduce the negative impacts caused by consumption of these nonrenewable energy resources. The utilisation of biological methodologies to produce environmentally friendly energy from renewable sources holds significant potential for the sustainable production of fuel. However, the cultivation of first- and second-generation biofuel crops presents a challenge, since they compete for limited cropland, hence constraining their overall viability. In contrast, photosynthetic microorganisms such as algae and cyanobacteria exhibit significant potential as third-generation biofuel catalysts, devoid of the limitations associated with contemporary biofuels. Cyanobacteria, a type of photosynthetic prokaryotes, exhibit significant potential for the direct conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into biofuels, chemicals, and various other valuable compounds. There has been a growing interest in the concept of utilising biological processes to convert carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals. The introduction of a limited number of heterologous genes has the potential to confer upon cyanobacteria the capability to convert particular central metabolites into a diverse range of end products. The progress in the field of synthetic biology and genetic manipulation has enabled the manipulation of cyanobacteria to synthesise compounds that are not generally produced by these organisms in their natural environment. This study focuses on recent papers that employ various methodologies to engineer cyanobacteria for the purpose of producing high-value compounds, such as biofuels. © 2024 by the authors.
Importance of Omics in Microalgal Biofuel Production
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Ashish P. Singh; Amit Gupta; Varsha K. Singh; Sapana Jha; Palak Rana; Rajeshwar Prasad Sinha
The oxygenic photoautotrophs, cyanobacteria, possess vital biochemical pathways in their metabolism that enable them to fix atmospheric CO[[inf]]2[[/inf]] and synthesize a variety of metabolites. Nevertheless, the economic viability of cyanobacteria-based biofuels poses a barrier, prompting the development of various strategies to enhance the production performance of these microorganisms. The creation of bioengineering methods has made it possible to manipulate cyanobacterial metabolic pathways to produce a range of valuable bioproducts through photosynthetic processes. The efficient use of cyanobacteria as photosynthetic cell factories requires a thorough comprehension of their metabolism and how it interacts with other cellular processes. The application of systems and synthetic biology tools has produced a lot of data on various metabolic pathways. However, to create effective engineering strategies for additional growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and increased production of target biochemicals, a thorough understanding of their carbon/nitrogen metabolism, pathway flux distribution, genetic regulation, and integrative analyses is needed. The field of systems biology and genomics has led to the recognition of a new paradigm in systems metabolic engineering. Specifically, a systems-based approach essential for whole-cell inquiry and prediction is a reconstruction and modeling of the genome-scale metabolic network. To highlight our present understanding of cyanobacterial metabolism, we address recent developments in integrative modeling techniques and omics investigations (genomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics) in this chapter. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
Lichen Symbiosis: A Systems Biology Perspective
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Palak Rana; Varsha K. Singh; Sapana Jha; Riya Tripathi; Ashish P. Singh; Amit Gupta; Rajeshwar Prasad Sinha
Lichens are symbionts that inhabit a wide range of ecological conditions on Earth, ranging from hot and humid tropical rainforests to cold alpines and polar ecosystems. In this symbiotic association, a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, either green algae or cyanobacteria, live in a distinctive symbiotic relationship and thrive well by mutually exchanging food, nutrients, and shelter between fungus and phototroph. In contrast to other fungal symbiotic association, lichens form noticeable and easily identifiable macroscopic vegetative thalli that display a range of diverse colors and different morphologies. Although this symbiotic association has successfully been studied for many years, very little information is available about the physiological and molecular mechanisms operating in this stable symbiotic association. This chapter will firstly give a brief account of the evolution that this symbiotic association has undergone. Moreover, it addresses the metabolic pathways and signaling and recognition mechanisms between the photobiont and the mycobiont. This chapter provides an overview of the steps that have been made thus far to apply the function of omics approaches, including transcriptomics, metabolomics, genomics, and so on, in understanding the regulation, signaling, and metabolism of lichen symbiosis. Thus, a stronger comprehension of this association will result from this. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
Metabolic Adaptations of Cyanobacteria to Environmental Stress: Mechanisms and Biotechnological Potentials
(Tech Science Press, 2025) Riya Tripathi; Varsha K. Singh; Palak Rana; Sapana Jha; Ashish P. Singh; Payel Rana; Rajeshwar Prasad Sinha
Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes. They exhibit remarkable metabolic adaptability, enabling them to withstand oxidative stress, high salinity, temperature extremes, and UV radiation (UVR). Their adaptive strategies involve complex regulatory networks that affect gene expression, enzyme activity, and metabolite fluxes to maintain cellular homeostasis. Key stress response systems include the production of antioxidants such as peroxidases (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), which detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS). To withstand environmental stresses, cyanobacteria maintain osmotic balance by accumulating compatible solutes, such as glycine betaine, sucrose, and trehalose. They also adapt to temperature and light fluctuations by modifying membrane properties and regulating photosynthetic activity. Furthermore, secondary metabolites such as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and scytonemin act as natural UV protectors. This study highlights current advances in understanding these stress tolerance mechanisms, including exopolysaccharide (EPS) formation, compatible solute accumulation, and ROS detoxification. Recent advancements in proteomics and synthetic biology have shed light on novel defense mechanisms, identifying stress-induced proteins and regulatory networks that enhance resilience. This review thoroughly explores the underlying molecular and biochemical mechanisms of cyanobacterial stress tolerance, which make them promising candidates for various biotechnological applications. Future research on cyanobacterial stress adaptation should bring together synthetic biology, omics tools, and environmental biotechnology. Using these approaches together could help create stress-tolerant cyanobacteria with improved use in farming, pollution control, and biofuel production, supporting solutions to global environmental and energy challenges. © © 2025 The Authors.
Metabolomics: An Approach to Improve Production of Cyanobacterial Natural Products
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Varsha K. Singh; Sapana Jha; Palak Rana; Ashish P. Singh; Riya Tripathi; Neha Kumari; Rajeshwar Prasad Sinha; Donat Peter Häder
Cyanobacteria are oxygenic prokaryotes that show both immense biological and chemical diversity. These ancient organisms are present in almost every type of habitat on Earth. They are a source of numerous natural products (NPs) that have significant ecological functions and biotechnological and nutritional benefits. The study of cyanobacterial metabolites has benefited from developments in bioinformatics and analytical instruments used in metabolomic investigations. This chapter examines a few studies that demonstrate the application of both targeted and untargeted metabolomics to the study of cyanobacteria’s NPs. To develop operative engineering solutions for growth enhancement, photosynthetic efficiency, and increased production, a deeper understanding of carbon/nitrogen metabolism, genetic regulation, route flux distribution, and integrative studies pertaining to the targeted biochemicals is needed. To present the state of knowledge regarding cyanobacterial metabolism, this chapter highlights the latest developments of genome-scale metabolic models (GSMMs), metabolomic analysis, and integrative modeling techniques. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
Microalgal Omics Approach in Understanding Human Health
(Springer Nature, 2024) Varsha K. Singh; Sapana Jha; Palak Rana; Amit Gupta; Ashish P. Singh; Neha Kumari; Rajeshwar P. Sinha
Microalgae, tiny photosynthetic organisms found in diverse aquatic environments, have emerged as promising sources of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits having medicinal, anticancerous and pharmaceutical applications. The invention of several genetic tools along with omics studies such as proteomics, genomics, metabolomics and transcriptomics has made it easier to understand the proper metabolic pathways as well as downstream processes. The microbial omics approach has transformed our understanding of human health. It enables the comprehensive analysis of microalgal communities and their functional capabilities, providing insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. In this chapter, we will enlighten the various components of microalgal origin having direct or indirect role on human health. Several cyanobacteria-derived secondary metabolites having pharmaceutical applications will also be discussed. It is also important to highlight the latest advancements in molecular alterations and how they can be used in algae to produce high-yield bioactive chemicals that are suitable for human consumption by enhancing algal target strains. For the purpose of directing the improvement of culture conditions, understanding the molecular pathways of bioactive substances under abiotic stress is of enormous practical importance. Such knowledge facilitates the development of personalised interventions and therapeutics to enhance human health outcomes. By continuing to advance these techniques, we can further unlock the potential of the microbiome in improving human health. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.
Microbial Multispecies Symbiosis: A Panomics View
(Springer Nature, 2024) Amit Gupta; Ashish P. Singh; Palak Rana; Varsha K. Singh; Neha Kumari; Sapana Jha; Rajeshwar P. Sinha
Symbiosis offers a technique to overcome the constraints placed on individual microbes. This is demonstrated in natural communities by symbioses like lichens and biofilms resilient to disturbances, an essential characteristic in changing environments. At the same time, microalgae undertake an array of mutualistic interactions with bacteria. Here, we discuss how the addition of microbiological and biochemical investigations to transcriptomic, metagenomic, and metabolomic techniques has helped us better understand the algal–bacterial interactions. In synthetic consortia, microorganisms adapted from the natural world or created through synthetic biology to interact are controlled by external factors. The traditional theory of dual symbiosis, which showed host-specific bacterial microbiomes, has been questioned by recent microbiome research. Recent findings about bacterial associations with lichen symbioses support the idea that they are multispecies symbioses. While numerous abiotic and biotic variables can also affect the bacterial community structure, panomics techniques have demonstrated the functional relevance of the bacterial microbiome to the whole lichen meta-organism. It has recently come to light that several photobionts and bacteria connected to lichens produce a variety of potentially valuable compounds. The abundance of biological and chemical variety within the lichen holobiome is becoming clearer due to the application of multi-omics techniques, genomics, mass spectrometry, and other analytical technologies. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.
Resilience and Mitigation Strategies of Cyanobacteria under Ultraviolet Radiation Stress
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023) Varsha K. Singh; Sapana Jha; Palak Rana; Sonal Mishra; Neha Kumari; Suresh C. Singh; Shekhar Anand; Vijay Upadhye; Rajeshwar P. Sinha
Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) tends to damage key cellular machinery. Cells may adapt by developing several defence mechanisms as a response to such damage; otherwise, their destiny is cell death. Since cyanobacteria are primary biotic components and also important biomass producers, any drastic effects caused by UVR may imbalance the entire ecosystem. Cyanobacteria are exposed to UVR in their natural habitats. This exposure can cause oxidative stress which affects cellular morphology and vital processes such as cell growth and differentiation, pigmentation, photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and enzyme activity, as well as alterations in the native structure of biomolecules such as proteins and DNA. The high resilience and several mitigation strategies adopted by a cyanobacterial community in the face of UV stress are attributed to the activation of several photo/dark repair mechanisms, avoidance, scavenging, screening, antioxidant systems, and the biosynthesis of UV photoprotectants, such as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), scytonemin (Scy), carotenoids, and polyamines. This knowledge can be used to develop new strategies for protecting other organisms from the harmful effects of UVR. The review critically reports the latest updates on various resilience and defence mechanisms employed by cyanobacteria to withstand UV-stressed environments. In addition, recent developments in the field of the molecular biology of UV-absorbing compounds such as mycosporine-like amino acids and scytonemin and the possible role of programmed cell death, signal perception, and transduction under UVR stress are discussed. © 2023 by the authors.
Secondary Metabolites in Plants: Role in Combating Environmental Stress
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Varsha K. Singh; Sapana Jha; Palak Rana; Neha Kumari; Rajeshwar Prasad Sinha; Garvita Singh
Plants are a source of numerous secondary metabolites (SMs) that are required by them to adapt and survive in the extremities. These metabolites being the by-products of primary metabolites help plants to withstand multiple biotic and abiotic stresses like pathogens, predators, drought, salinity, UV radiation, thermal, temperature, etc. Plant growth and productivity are largely affected by the endogenous levels of these metabolites. The type and endogenous levels of these metabolites depends on several factors like species, genotype, physiology, and environmental factors, etc. SMs comprise of three main groups: phenolics, nitrogen-containing compounds, and terpenes. To combat the detrimental effects of abiotic stressors, plants undergo rapid shifts in SMs biosynthesis and accumulation. As a result, SMs have a strong association with plants’ ability to survive environmental stressors. Several chemical compounds, including phytohormones have been utilized as exogenous treatments to improve plant tolerance to various stressors. This chapter highlights the SMs mediated defense responses and details the probable mechanism behind the crosstalk between phytohormones/plant growth regulators (PGRs) and various environmental stresses. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
Using systems biology to exploit the resources/natural reservoirs for biofuel production
(Elsevier, 2024) Varsha K. Singh; Niharika Sahu; Sapana Jha; Amit Gupta; Ashish P. Singh; Palak Rana; Jyoti Jaiswal; Neha Kumari; Rajeshwar P. Sinha
Energy carriers such as lipids, starch, and hydrogen found in algae can be converted into biofuels, making them a promising sustainable substitute for fossil fuels. Systems biology, which comprises several types of omics techniques, might aid in the development of algal strains for biotechnological applications by providing important insights. A variety of natural products, including those used in pharmaceuticals, commodity chemicals, polymers, and fuels, have been produced by microorganisms. Increasing interest in producing transport fuels from renewable resources has sparked a number of research efforts that aim to modify microbial systems for the enhanced production of desired products. The development of resilient and productive production hosts depends on removing the limiting factors in microbial metabolic pathways and reducing stressors brought on by the production of these compounds. Research in systems biology provides a thorough understanding of the effects of pathway engineering on the host metabolism as a whole, the detection of stressors resulting from product synthesis, and the justification for designing industrial microbes that are both optimal and economical. The genes and metabolic networks involved can be identified through genomic and transcriptomic analyses, respectively. Proteomic estimations disclose protein quantities and posttranslational modifications (PTMs), which include glycosylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination and acetylation, whereas metabolomics studies show metabolites, intermediates, and the products of the metabolism. This chapter details the applications of systems biology to better understand metabolic networks in algae and cyanobacteria, along with their role in bioenergy carrier accumulation. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.