bims-livmat 2025-12-07 papers

Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2025 Dec 03. pii: S0958-1669(25)00141-7. [Epub ahead of print]97 103397

Design principles for adaptive and evolving engineered living materials.

Yifan Cui, Mark W Tibbitt, Timothy K Lu, Tzu-Chieh Tang.

Engineered living materials (ELMs) combine living cells, typically microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeasts, or filamentous fungi, with structural carrier matrices to form systems capable of sensing, growth, and self-repair. Most current designs emphasize programming the microbes to render otherwise static materials functional. A less explored dimension is leveraging reciprocal microbial-material interactions themselves to engineer adaptive and evolving living materials as integrated systems. Achieving such dynamic behavior requires understanding how support matrices influence microbial behavior and how cells, in turn, reshape material properties over time. This review outlines key modes of cell-material interactions as a framework for expanding the functional toolbox of ELMs and for creating sustainable and programmable materials that respond to their environments and evolve.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2025.103397

Food Chem. 2025 Nov 26. pii: S0308-8146(25)04553-4. [Epub ahead of print]499 147301

Stabilization of probiotics: A focus on crosslinked encapsulation to improve their survival.

Defeng Shu, Yongkai Yuan, Mengjie Ma, Jinlong Xu.

Probiotic viability during processing, storage, and digestion remains a critical challenge. Crosslinked encapsulation offers a promising approach to enhance probiotic stability and targeted delivery (encapsulation efficiency typically >80 %; highest gastrointestinal survival up to ∼90 %). This review summarizes recent advances in enzyme-, ion-, chemical-, and dual-cross-linking strategies, highlighting their mechanisms, advantages, and challenges. Enzyme cross-linking ensures food-grade safety under mild conditions, ionic systems such as calcium-alginate show excellent scalability, and chemical and dual methods provide multifunctionality and improved protection. Comparative evaluation reveals that calcium-alginate remains the most industrially mature, while enzymatic and chemical cross-linking hold potential for next-generation functional foods. Future research should optimize reaction conditions, improve scalability, and integrate sustainable materials to advance industrial translation and clinical applications of crosslinked probiotic delivery systems.

Keywords: Cross-linking; Encapsulation; Probiotics; Survival

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.147301

Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2025 Dec 02.

Eying up predatory bacteria: living antimicrobials for ocular infections.

Robert M Q Shanks, Eric G Romanowski, Dhara R Patel, Daniel E Kadouri.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The growing threat of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, particularly in ocular infections like bacterial keratitis, necessitates alternative therapeutic strategies. This review evaluates the potential therapeutic role of predatory bacteria as novel live antimicrobials, offering a timely exploration of their potential in overcoming resistance mechanisms such as biofilm formation and persister cell development.
RECENT FINDINGS: Predatory bacteria, including Bdellovibrio bacterovorus and Micavibrio aerguinosavorus selectively target Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while sparing Gram-positive ocular surface. They exhibit rapid bactericidal activity and efficacy against biofilms, persister cells, and antibiotic-resistant pathogens, but induce little inflammation. Advances in storage and delivery methods, such as lyophilization, cryomicroneedles, and thermoresponsive hydrogels, have potential to increase their therapeutic feasibility. However, in-vivo efficacy remains variable and their narrow spectrum limits effectiveness against Gram-positive pathogens.
SUMMARY: Predatory bacteria present a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics in ocular therapeutics, particularly for drug-resistant infections. Integration of predatory bacteria with bacteriophages or conventional antibiotics may further optimize their potential. Continued translational research is essential to address current limitation and to validate their safety and efficacy for human or veterinary applications.

Keywords: ; antibiotic resistance; endophthalmitis; keratitis; predatory bacteria

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/ICU.0000000000001200