Bioengineering the biosphere?

Bioengineering the biosphere?

SFI Working Papers contain accounts of scienti5ic work of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Santa Fe Institute. We accept papers intended for publication in peer-­‐reviewed journals or proceedings volumes, but not papers that have already appeared in print. Except for papers by our external faculty, papers must be based on work done at SFI, inspired by an invited v...

Bioengineering

While the bacteriocin Nisin has been employed by the food industry for 60 y, it remains the only bacteriocin to be extensively employed as a food preservative. This is despite the fact that the activity of Nisin against several food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria is poor and the availability of many other bacteriocins with significant potential in this regard. An alternative route to address ...

Introduction. Bioengineering the heart.

Reconnecting to the biosphere.

Humanity has emerged as a major force in the operation of the biosphere, with a significant imprint on the Earth System, challenging social-ecological resilience. This new situation calls for a fundamental shift in perspectives, world views, and institutions. Human development and progress must be reconnected to the capacity of the biosphere and essential ecosystem services to be sustained. Gov...

Lignin bioengineering.

Lignin is one of the most abundant aromatic biopolymers and a major component of plant cell walls. It occurs via oxidative coupling of monolignols, which are synthesized from the phenylpropanoid pathway. Lignin is the primary material responsible for biomass recalcitrance, has almost no industrial utility, and cannot be simply removed from growing plants without causing serious developmental de...