PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Illuminated changes: Enhancing D-lactic acid output with UV irradiation

Improved production of compounds from methanol and Komagataella phaffii yeast achieved through DNA alteration

2025-06-17
(Press-News.org) Amid concerns over rising petroleum prices and resource depletion, organic compounds such as methanol are attracting attention as potential replacements. Though this bodes well in theory, the production of raw materials from methanol relies on costly chemical processes. An energy-saving, bio-based process is necessary for fully tapping into this resource.

To make this a reality, Associate Professor Ryosuke Yamada’s team at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Engineering has developed a Komagataella phaffii (K. phaffii) yeast strain that can efficiently produce D-lactic acid, a raw material for pharmaceuticals and bioplastics, from methanol.

In their research, the team used ultraviolet irradiation to damage K. phaffii cell DNA and induce gene mutations to improve D-lactic acid output. The exposure to ultraviolet rays successfully created a new strain, DLac_Mut2_221, that produces approximately 1.5 times more D-lactic acid.

“Further, we performed genetic analyses using next-generation sequencers and identified the genes involved in improving D-lactic acid productivity,” stated Professor Yamada. “Going forward, we plan to further improve the efficiency of D-lactic acid production from K. phaffii and develop technologies for producing other useful compounds from methanol.”

###

About OMU 

Established in Osaka as one of the largest public universities in Japan, Osaka Metropolitan University is committed to shaping the future of society through “Convergence of Knowledge” and the promotion of world-class research. For more research news, visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ and follow us on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

From food to textile – agricultural waste can become the clothes of the future

2025-06-17
Cellulose-based textile material can make the clothing sector more sustainable. Currently, cellulose-based textiles are mainly made from wood, but a study headed by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology points to the possibility of using agricultural waste from wheat and oat. The method is easier and requires fewer chemicals than manufacturing forest-based cellulose, and can enhance the value of waste products from agriculture. Making clothing from water-intensive cotton has a major impact on the climate. That’s why cellulose from other raw materials has come into focus in recent years as a more resource-smart method of textile production. Up to now, the ...

Claire Foldi advances eating disorder neuroscience research

2025-06-17
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 June 2025 - In a comprehensive Genomic Press Innovators & Ideas interview, Dr. Claire J. Foldi, an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology at Monash University, shares her journey and groundbreaking work in the field of eating disorders. Dr. Foldi's research focuses on the neurobiology of eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa, and explores how novel therapeutics, including psychedelics, may offer new avenues for treatment. Early Inspirations and Career Trajectory Dr. Foldi's fascination with human behavior and the brain's processing of experiences began during her undergraduate studies. A pivotal moment ...

Yes, in my back yard: people who live near large-scale solar projects are happy to have more built nearby

2025-06-17
Would you like living next door to a solar farm? Traditionally, it’s been thought that although people like the idea of renewable energy plants, they don’t want them close by. Now research investigating how people who live near large-scale solar projects feel about them has found that 82% of people living within an hour’s walk of current projects would support, or are neutral towards, new projects in their area.   “Most neighbors of existing large-scale solar projects either support or feel neutral about additional ...

Easily attach nanoparticles like toy blocks for industrial use!

2025-06-17
Dr. Seunggun Yu and his team at KERI's Insulation Materials Research Center have developed a groundbreaking ‘Hybrid Supraparticle Synthesis Technology’ that can attach inorganic nanoparticles to the surface of polymer microparticles through simple mechanical collisions. The ‘Hybrid Supraparticle Synthesis Technology’ that combines functional inorganic nanoparticles with polymer microparticles is being widely applied across various industries, including battery electrode materials, catalyst systems, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, semiconductor packaging, and insulating ...

LEGO improves maths and spatial ability in the classroom

2025-06-17
A simple classroom activity involving a classic childhood staple, LEGO, could improve children’s maths and spatial ability, leading researchers to demand for policymakers to shake up the school curricula and teachers’ professional development.  A new study, led by the University of Surrey, tested incorporating LEGO building into the daily teaching curriculum, leading to tangible improvements and boosting abilities for students aged six to seven.   The study, which involved 409 children from schools in Surrey and Portsmouth, demonstrated ...

Despite overall progress, low birthweight rates still high in certain Indian states

2025-06-16
Despite overall progress in bringing down low birthweight numbers across India over the past 30 years, rates remain stubbornly high in certain states, with Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, accounting for almost half of all such births, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health. Low birthweight is important, because it often signals underlying maternal health issues and poor nutrition as well as the child’s future cognitive development and susceptibility to chronic conditions in later life, note ...

Train teachers on how to get parents involved in children’s learning, say researchers

2025-06-16
Over half of primary and secondary school teachers in England have not been trained in how to support parents’ involvement in children’s learning and education at home and at school.     That’s according to research published today in the peer-reviewed journal Educational Review, which is a first study of its kind based on a survey of more than 1,700 teachers reveals concerning gaps in skills.    Led by academics from the University of Warwick and UCL, the paper shows teachers’ essential pre-qualification training fails to ...

Evolution made us cheats, now free-riders run the world and we need to change, new book warns

2025-06-16
University of Cambridge media release   Evolution made us cheats, now free-riders run the world and we need to change, new book warns   UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 00:01AM (UK TIME) ON TUESDAY 17TH JUNE 2025   To save democracy and solve the world's biggest challenges, we need to get better at spotting and exposing people who exploit human cooperation for personal gain, argues Cambridge social scientist Dr Jonathan Goodman.   In Invisible Rivals, published by Yale University Press today, Dr Goodman ...

Report outlines blueprint to grow Australia’s bioeconomy

2025-06-16
A QUT report published today into Australia’s bioeconomy has called for a national strategy and outlined the five key steps needed to grow a sustainable economic future.  The report, published by researchers from QUT and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology Madeline Smith, Dr Jerome Ramirez and Professor Ian O’Hara, says “now is the time for Australia to act, or risk losing the ability to compete in this rapidly growing global market”.  Professor O’Hara said the global bioeconomy, currently valued at US$4 trillion, was predicted by the World Bioeconomy Forum to grow ...

Medicaid cuts in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" could undermine the coverage, financial well-being, medical care, and health of low-income Americans, and lead to more than 16,500 medically-preventab

2025-06-16
Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 16 June 2025    Follow @Annalsofim on X, Facebook, Instagram, threads, and Linkedin         Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New study reveals gendered language patterns in children’s television across 60 years

Ancient fault line poses future earthquake hazard in Canada’s North

Scientists uncover DNA secrets to bolster corn crop traits

Hidden bacterial redundancy could be antibiotic game-changer

New study reveals how corals teach their offspring to beat the heat

Understanding relationship development: Towards a more rigorous approach

Surgical stroke initiative targets deadliest brain bleeds

Understanding how the superfungus Candida auris withstands antifungal treatment

Call for papers: CPA special issue on polypharmacology in cancer therapy—overcoming resistance and enhancing efficacy

An alternative adhesive for wearable medical devices

Pavlov’s dogs were conditioned to go to their treat. Why do some animals learn to interact with the bell instead?

Call for Young Editorial Board members at Current Molecular Pharmacology

MSU team develops scalable climate solutions for agricultural carbon markets

Playing an instrument may protect against cognitive aging

UNM study finds link between Grand Canyon landslide and Meteor Crater impact

Ultra-hot Jupiter’s death spiral could reveal stellar secrets

You only get one brain! The best helmet material for protecting your noggin

Neurodegeneration and stroke after GLP-1RAs in diabetes and obesity

Pediatric COVID-19 hospitalization trends by race and ethnicity, 2020-2023

Research spotlight: New genetic roadmap offers insights into obesity and diabetes

Fred Hutch leads new Vanguard Study for Cancer Screening Research Network

‘Mismatched’ transplants now safe, effective for blood cancer patients, study finds

New research helps narrow down uncertainties in near-term precipitation projections for the Asian Water Tower

AI tool accurately detects tumor location on breast MRI

Researchers use OCT imaging to uncover how the fallopian tube transports embryos

PolyU secures RGC theme-based research scheme funding to develop cost-effective and sustainable Co-GenAI model

Van Andel Institute scientists develop technique for high-resolution single cell epigenetic analysis

The Lundquist Institute wins multi-year NIH grant exceeding $11 million to transform diagnosis and treatment of deadly mucormycosis

Review suggests ending adult boosters for tetanus, diphtheria

ESMT Berlin welcomes Rebecca Schaumberg to faculty

[Press-News.org] Illuminated changes: Enhancing D-lactic acid output with UV irradiation
Improved production of compounds from methanol and Komagataella phaffii yeast achieved through DNA alteration