An opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the newly appointed group of Dr Hassan Salem at the John Innes Centre in the Department of Molecular Microbiology. This post is funded...

AI and machine learning are kicking synthetic biology up to new levels of innovation. Researchers see huge potential for novel drugs and other chemicals; some also see risks.

Nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs) are conserved molecular switches that regulate innate immunity across diverse domains of life. While best known for their roles in i...

An immunity-like system functions as a lysis control hub to promote gene transfer agent particle release from host bacterial cells, suggesting that bacterial immune systems may be co-opted to promote ...

Formicamycins and their biosynthetic precursors, the fasamycins, form part of the phenylnaphthacenoid family of polyketide natural products. A recent atroposelective total synthesis of formicamycin H brought into question our original stereochemical assignment of the axially chiral linkage between C-6 and C-7. To address this, we obtained an X-ray crystal structure for formicamycin H that unambiguously confirmed our original assignment as the Sa atropisomer. X-ray structures for multiple additional fasamycins and formicamycins confirmed that this is common to all congeners. However, these studies identified a compounded error made by us whereby several structures previously reported as para-methoxy were found to have ortho-methoxy groups on the hanging E-ring. To address this for congeners that did not crystallize or gave nondiffracting crystals, we turned to the surprisingly underutilized 1,n-ADEQUATE NMR experiment. In total, we generated X-ray structures for 15 phenylnaphthacenoid metabolites and by combining these results report the corrected structures for three formicamycins, six fasamycins, and three biosynthetic lactone intermediates, noting that several revised fasamycin structures now match previously reported naphthacemycins. Our results highlight the utility of 1,n-ADEQUATE experiments for regiochemical determination in polysubstituted aromatic molecules. Moreover, our investigations uncovered a potential deracemization step during biosynthesis of the formicamycin framework.

Funding Opportunities The Biofortification Hub offers funding to support innovative research, collaboration, events and mobility between Academia and Industry. Type of funding

The John Innes Centre and its industrial and academic partners have been awarded UK Government funding to help deliver four ambitious projects that unleash the potential of precision breeding…

EXPERT REACTION: Genetically modified purple tomato approved in Australia A genetically modified purple tomato has received all necessary approvals for commercial sale in Australia, accord