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<title>bioRxiv Subject Collection: Synthetic Biology</title>
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This feed contains articles for bioRxiv Subject Collection "Synthetic Biology"
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<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.13.738295v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Biocontainment attenuation of mobile DNA host range in a wastewater microbiome 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.13.738295v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Biocontainment systems designed to attenuate the spread of mobile DNA are challenging to evaluate within microbiomes of engineered environments. To better understand how toxin-based biocontainment systems affect horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in a microbiome, we evaluated the host range of pairs of plasmids using orthogonal catalytic RNA (cat-RNA) that amend distinct barcodes to 16S rRNA following HGT. We show that mobilizable (5 kb) and self-mobilizable (60 kb) plasmids, which use the same RP4 transfer machinery but different origins of replication, overlap in their host range when conjugated in parallel into a wastewater community, with 127 of the 143 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) presenting barcoding signals from both plasmids (89%). We also find that mobilizable plasmids with or without the Escherichia coli CcdB toxin overlap in host range in a wastewater community. Among the two most abundant orders, CcdB attenuated the barcoding signal in Aeromonadales more consistently than Enterobacteriales, which have F plasmids containing the CcdB-CcdA toxin-antitoxin system used for biocontainment. Also, CcdB decreased the abundance of the mobilizable plasmid by >100-fold and yielded mutations in 85% of the reads. Together, these findings reveal how pairs of plasmids expressing orthogonal cat-RNA can be used to monitor the effects of plasmid-encoded traits on mobile DNA persistence following HGT. They also highlight challenges when using biocontainment systems containing genes related to those found in the microbiomes targeted for engineering.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Selinidis, M. A., Seamons, T., Stadler, L. B., Silberg, J. J., Chappell, J. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.13.738295</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Biocontainment attenuation of mobile DNA host range in a wastewater microbiome]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.13.737974v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Minimal Data, Maximal Insight (MDMI): A Structure-guided Pipeline for Discovering Functional Alternatives in Peptide-Protein Interfaces 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.13.737974v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Discovering functional peptides across vast sequence space remains a formidable challenge, particularly when experimental training data is scarce. We present Minimal Data Maximal Insight (MDMI), a two-stage structure-guided computational pipeline that designs functional peptide variants using only a small, annotated dataset. Rather than relying on sequence information alone, MDMI integrates three-dimensional structural features derived from predicted peptide-protein complexes into a machine learning model that captures interface geometry and binding energetics. This structure-aware predictor, paired with a genetic algorithm for sequence exploration, reduced false positives from 70% to close to zero in an all-negative benchmark panel compared with a sequence-only model in computational benchmarking, and produced approximately four-fold more high-confidence in silico binders than state-of-the-art peptide/protein design baselines. Using the split-GFP system as a testbed, where fluorescence provides a direct functional readout of peptide-protein complementation, MDMI identified peptides with up to 38% sequence divergence from wild-type in Stage 1 while retaining measurable activity. In Stage 2, motif-guided recombination of successful Stage 1 variants produced highly divergent yet functional peptides bearing over 50% sequence difference from wild-type, revealing two distinct functional clusters in sequence space. As further validation, a top-performing candidate expressed as a full-length GFP fusion retained a GFP-like emission profile, supporting formation of a fluorescent GFP-like scaffold. These results demonstrate that structure-informed pipelines can uncover remote functional sequence space from minimal data, with broad implications for peptide and therapeutic analog discovery.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Bayat, P., Perkins, S. J., Clancy, S., Patel, S. S., Yin, R. F., Bozovicar, K., Singh, S., Shrestha, S., Moustafa, Z., Zayani, R., IWE, I., Bayat, S., Kelly, P., Vigar, J. R. J., White, V. Y., Xie, M., Simchi, M., Palter, S., Nguyen, J., Zeisler, I. Y., Wu, B., Pardee, K. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.13.737974</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Minimal Data, Maximal Insight (MDMI): A Structure-guided Pipeline for Discovering Functional Alternatives in Peptide-Protein Interfaces]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.13.738173v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Programmable and Dynamic DNA Localisation at Synthetic Cell Membranes 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.13.738173v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Spatial and temporal organisation of membrane-associated components is fundamental to cellular signalling, yet remains difficult to engineer in minimal synthetic systems. In synthetic cells, DNA and RNA nanotechnology offer programmable molecular organisation at membranes, while in vitro transcription (IVT) enables gene expression-driven regulation. However, integrating these systems within cell-like compartments, such as giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), remains challenging due to undesirable interactions between transcription machinery and nucleic acid assemblies. Here, we present a modular strategy that couples in situ RNA production to dynamic DNA localisation at GUV synthetic cell membranes. RNA strands, transcribed within GUVs, function as linkers that recruit DNA-conjugated cargo to lipid membranes, enabling programmable spatial organisation. Using this framework, we achieved reversible membrane localisation through toehold-mediated strand displacement and RNase H-mediated degradation. This work establishes a gene expression-driven platform for programmable and dynamic control of membrane-associated components in synthetic cells, providing a foundation for constructing dynamic signalling assemblies and higher-order cellular behaviours.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Dack, C., Li, B., Newell, C., Booth, M. J. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-14</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.13.738173</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Programmable and Dynamic DNA Localisation at Synthetic Cell Membranes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-14</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.10.737877v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Engineering a flexible loop in S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthetase enables production of SAM nucleobase analogues with selective biochemical and cellular activity 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.10.737877v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM), an essential cofactor in all forms of life, is synthesized by the enzyme methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) from methionine and ATP. The adenine moiety in SAM appears to have no direct function in catalysis, and some MAT homologs can utilize natural nucleotide triphosphates in vitro, producing the corresponding SAM nucleobase analogues. However, the molecular determinants of nucleotide choice of the MAT enzyme and the cellular significance of the nucleobase in SAM are unclear. In this study, using structure- and bioinformatics-guided mutagenesis, we identify a flexible active-site loop as a major determinant of nucleotide specificity in MAT. Loop mutations and loop swaps convert ATP-selective Escherichia coli MAT into variants that accept GTP, CTP, and UTP, enabling enzymatic synthesis and purification of S-guanosyl-, S-cytosyl-, and S-uracyl-L-methionine. Further, we show that these analogues partially rescue the growth of an E. coli SAM auxotroph under SAM-limited growth conditions. Biochemical assays show that the analogues bind the tested SAM-utilizing enzymes; they serve as substrates for E. coli SAM decarboxylase but do not support detectable methyl transfer by E. coli DNA adenine methyltransferase. These results establish the flexible loop as a gatekeeper of MAT nucleotide specificity and show that this loop can be engineered to produce SAM analogues which can selectively participate in downstream cellular metabolism.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Hazra, A. B., Kalita, D. B., Bhattacharyya, A., Gupte, V., Venugopal, V., Pattathil, A. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.10.737877</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Engineering a flexible loop in S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthetase enables production of SAM nucleobase analogues with selective biochemical and cellular activity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.10.737758v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
ARCHIVE: Machine-Guided Design of an Efficient Open-Ended DNA Recording Device to Increase Resolution of Multiplexed Cell History Tracking 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.10.737758v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Engineering cell-based devices to record events into DNA has potential both as a non-ablative research tool and in the clinic for enacting gene-circuit-based logic of cell therapies conditional on cell history. Whether as a means of understanding interactions on the single-cell level, or reconstructing histories of cellular events, a cellular DNA recording device has widespread utility, with prime editing-based methods at the forefront of this endeavor, notably peCHYRON. Yet, the resolution of such open-ended recording tools are inherently constrained by edit insertion efficiency and cannot yet capture RNA-polymerase II-transcribed signals, which represent a large segment of functionally-defined endogenous gene-regulatory architectures. Here we present ARCHIVE (Amplified Recording of Cellular Histories into Information-dense Vectors of Events), capable of integrating RNA-encoded signals into a predefined genomic recording locus with high efficiency. By utilizing deep-learning assisted prediction of prime-editing efficiency as a surrogate fitness model for generative in silico pegRNA evolution, we developed a recording device with an order-of-magnitude improvement in temporal resolution (efficiency of iterative message integration steps) compared to the state of the art; a capability we establish here at the level of constitutive promoter tracking. We expect ARCHIVE to serve as a launching point for more advanced mammalian synthetic-biology recording devices for both functional genomics and therapeutics research.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Rosenstein, A. H., Garton, M. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.10.737758</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[ARCHIVE: Machine-Guided Design of an Efficient Open-Ended DNA Recording Device to Increase Resolution of Multiplexed Cell History Tracking]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.12.738062v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Air-driven aldehyde synthesis in engineered bacteria via gene deletion and aryl-alcohol oxidase profiling 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.12.738062v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Engineered bacterial routes for oxidation of non-native alcohols face three challenges: Nicotinamide-dependent enzymes are coupled to cellular redox metabolism, nicotinamide-independent aryl-alcohol oxidases (AAOs) usually express poorly in bacteria, and aldehyde products are rapidly modified by host enzymes. Here, we address these limitations by engineering aldehyde-retaining Escherichia coli for discovery and application of soluble bacterial AAOs. Screening 51 candidates revealed a high-expression sequence cluster containing enzymes that are active on diverse aromatic and furan-based alcohols. Pairing the top-performing AAO with designer pathways in aldehyde-retaining cells enabled modular C-N and C-C bond forming cascades starting from supplied alcohols. By making both the oxidase and its product compatible with the host, this work advances air-driven oxidation of diverse alcohols as a programmable entry point to aldehyde-derived chemistry in engineered bacteria.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Dickey, R. M., Bryan, J., Somasundaram, V., Anderson, S. R., Phan, N., Kunjapur, A. M. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-13</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.12.738062</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Air-driven aldehyde synthesis in engineered bacteria via gene deletion and aryl-alcohol oxidase profiling]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-13</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.10.737725v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A microbial growth-coupled platform for in vivo interrogation of Rubisco oxygenase activity 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.10.737725v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Rubisco catalyzes the primary CO2-fixing reaction of the biosphere, yet its competing oxygenation reaction reduces net global carbon fixation and has resisted direct exploration in living cells. Here, we engineer an auxotrophic Escherichia coli strain in which 2-phosphoglycolate, the direct product of Rubisco oxygenation, becomes essential for growth, making bacterial fitness a quantitative proxy for oxygenation flux in vivo. This provides direct access to catalytic selectivity, something previously inaccessible to carboxylation-coupled assays. The platform enables screening of phylogenetically diverse Form II Rubisco and phosphoribulokinase (Prk) variants circumventing protein purification and extensive in vitro characterization. Adaptive laboratory evolution under oxygenation-selective pressure identified two mutations: Rubisco M115I genetically rebalances the in vivo carboxylation/oxygenation trade-off (resulting in 6-fold reduction in kcat,C), while Prk N216T improves overall flux without altering selectivity. This platform makes Rubiscos least-studied catalytic function selectable and evolvable in vivo, opening the carboxylation/oxygenation trade-off to systematic genetic dissection and engineering.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Orsi, E., Kabuth, K., Cusimano, S., Herlov-Wagner, M., Verbakel, R., Luppino, F., Partipilo, M., de Pins, B., Noor, E., Hümmler, L. M., Mülleder, M., Lindner, S. N., Ralser, M., Nikel, P. I. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.10.737725</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A microbial growth-coupled platform for in vivo interrogation of Rubisco oxygenase activity]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.05.736620v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
BxbI-mediated insertion of a 77kb human RET sensitive haplotype into the mouse genome to generate a humanized model of Hirschsprung disease 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.05.736620v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a complex developmental disorder of the enteric nervous system, primarily driven by regulatory variants within enhancer elements of the RET gene. To investigate how these variants lead to aganglionosis, we developed a humanized mouse model by inserting an intact 77kb human RET genomic locus into the Rosa26 safe-harbor locus. Utilizing "big DNA" synthetic biology and Bxb1-mediated recombination, we integrated the complete human locus including all exons, introns, and upstream regulatory elements which we validated via nanopore and short-read sequencing. Functional analysis confirmed in vivo human RET expression; however, our initial HSCR-associated "sensitive" haplotype expressed at only 21% of wild-type levels. This significant reduction proved insufficient to rescue the viability when endogenous mouse Ret was deleted. We identified that this deficiency is partially driven by five risk SNPs within established enhancers. Specifically, using CRISPR/Cas9 to restore a conserved Sox10 binding site (converting a sensitive SNP to a protective one) increased RET expression by 1.9-fold and restored transcription factor binding. This study provides a robust framework for modeling human-specific regulatory disorders and demonstrates the critical impact of non-coding variation on disease pathogenesis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Fine, R. D., Low, B. E., Rollins, J., Laurent, J. M., Wiles, M. V., Zuberi, A., Boeke, J. D., Chakravarti, A. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.05.736620</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[BxbI-mediated insertion of a 77kb human RET sensitive haplotype into the mouse genome to generate a humanized model of Hirschsprung disease]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.06.736670v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Extracellular injection system combined with peptides for intracellular Staphylococcus aureus treatment 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.06.736670v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The inaccessibility of intracellular bacteria has long rendered the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections an challenge. Studies have demonstrated that the extracellular injection system PVC can accurately deliver proteins into cells, which would not need small molecules, and enables effective intracellular delivery of antimicrobial peptides for treatment. Accordingly, we selected antimicrobial peptides including Cecropin, LL37 and Indolicidin that possess potent bactericidal activity, and established the Directed Antimicrobial Assault platform (DAAT) by leveraging the intracellular delivery capacity of PVC. DAAT Cecropin, DAAT LL37 and DAAT Indolicidin inhibited intracellular bacteria in a dose-dependent manner, with DAAT LL37 reaching 86.76% inhibition; after 72 h of treatment, viable-cell numbers reduse to 66--82-fold those of the control. Tail-fibre retargeting enabled direct extracellular S. aureus killing, while combined DAAT therapy promoted wound healing in mice. These findings expand the utility of PVC-derived nanosyringes and establish DAAT as a modular platform for intracellular antimicrobial peptide therapy.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Feng, L., Qiao, Y., Xu, H., Wang, G., Ren, S., Ouyang, X., Song, N., Zhao, X., Feng, X. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.06.736670</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Extracellular injection system combined with peptides for intracellular Staphylococcus aureus treatment]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.09.737387v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
MozClo: An Expanded MoClo Toolset for Large Multigene Assembly and Plant Transformations 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.09.737387v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The Modular Cloning (MoClo) and PhytoBrick standards have revolutionized plant synthetic biology by establishing a standardized, hierarchical assembly grammar. However, as the engineering of complex metabolic pathways, multi-trait stacks, and synthetic gene circuits expands, existing toolkits hit practical boundaries in assembly capacity and fixed grammars. To overcome these bottlenecks, we present MozClo, an expansion of the MoClo/PhytoBrick architecture. MozClo expands the standard Level 1 assembly framework to 10 positions using new L1 acceptors, end-linkers and dummy parts. We also identify and resolve a critical, sticky-end collision at L1 position 7 that has caused assembly failures during L2 cloning of large plasmids. To address commercial DNA synthesis length constraints and to lower cloning costs, we designed a universal 5-in-1 gene fragment multiplexing system. This architecture embeds up to five distinct parts flanked by orthogonal pairs of BpiI restriction sites into a single synthesized fragment, allowing them to sort independently into their respective L0 acceptor plasmids while maintaining complete modular flexibility of part types. Finally, we provide Level 2 cloning backbones with built in selection genes for common soybean transformation methods to facilitate downstream plant selection. Together, these advancements reduce DNA synthesis overhead and accelerate the construction of complex multigene payloads for plant biotechnology.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Straub, G., Aldrich, D., Tobin, C. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.09.737387</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[MozClo: An Expanded MoClo Toolset for Large Multigene Assembly and Plant Transformations]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.02.736143v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Transcription-induced coacervation accelerates and sensitizes cell-free biosensing 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.02.736143v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cell-free biosensors leverage in vitro gene expression reactions to detect chemicals. While inexpensive, modular, and distributable, these platforms are constrained by slow readouts at ambient temperatures, precluding practical field operation. In cells, phase separation accelerates biochemical reactions; however, recapitulating these gains in vitro has remained challenging for complex biochemistries. Here, we report the first self-assembling coacervate system that accelerates in vitro transcription. Prepared by simple mixing, coacervation with spermine and polyacrylic acid occurs dynamically in response to NTP consumption and co-localizes DNA templates and RNA polymerase to accelerate transcription, mimicking intracellular phenomena. We exploit this discovery to accelerate the cell-free biosensing of six ligands, demonstrating that coacervation can preserve platform modularity, improve sensitivity, retain lyophilization compatibility, function in field matrices, and reduce ambient-temperature time-to-signal by hours. This work contributes to a growing understanding of phase separation in biology and advances the use of membrane-less organization for real-world applications.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Feng, S., Rasmussen, R., Garcia, A., Clark, L., Srivastava, S., Lucks, J. B. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.02.736143</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Transcription-induced coacervation accelerates and sensitizes cell-free biosensing]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.09.737403v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Deoxyribonucleotide incorporation reshapes mRNA design beyond canonical ribonucleotide boundaries 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.09.737403v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is canonically composed of ribonucleotides, with sporadic incorporation of deoxyribonucleotides into natural RNA transcripts being traditionally regarded as a rare, deleterious error arising from transcriptional infidelity. Here, we challenge this paradigm by demonstrating controlled partial substitution of ribonucleotides with deoxyribonucleotides during in vitro transcription (IVT) generates intact, stable and fully translationally competent IVT-mRNA. Unexpectedly, chimeric DNA-RNA backbone modification exhibits markedly enhanced IVT-mRNA translation several fold across multiple cell types and in vivo via diverse dosing routes relative to their ribonucleotide-based counterparts. 25% substitution of cytidine triphosphate with deoxycytidine triphosphate achieved best-performing translational output, surpassing the current gold-standard N1-methylpseudouridine (m1{Psi})-modified IVT-mRNA in a B16-OVA tumor vaccination model. These findings identify nucleotide class composition as a previously unrecognized parameter governing IVT-mRNA function and establish hybrid ribonucleotide-deoxyribonucleotide backbone engineering as a versatile strategy to expand the chemical space for next-generation mRNA therapeutics.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Ding, X., Liao, R., Bampi, G. B., Zhang, D., Guan, S., Rosenecker, J. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.09.737403</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Deoxyribonucleotide incorporation reshapes mRNA design beyond canonical ribonucleotide boundaries]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.08.737360v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Fabrication and Use of a 32-Well LED-Embedded Microplate for Optogenetic Dynamic Control 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.08.737360v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
SUMMARYThis protocol describes how to fabricate, program, and operate a 32-well LED-embedded microplate for optogenetic studies (LEMOS 2.0) inside a microplate reader to enable high-throughput optogenetic stimulation and quantitative gene expression measurements in microbial cultures.

Optogenetic control enables light-actuated regulation of gene expression and provides a programmable interface between living cells and electronic systems. However, routine prototyping of optogenetic constructs remains limited by infrastructure. Existing closed-loop platforms often require chemostats, microfluidics, robotic handling, or custom optical sensors, which can increase cost, reduce accessibility, or constrain measurement performance.

Here, we present LEMOS 2.0, an updated LED-Embedded Microplate for Optogenetic Studies, a low-cost device for optogenetic stimulation and gene-circuit characterization inside standard off-the-shelf microplate readers. LEMOS 2.0 builds on the original LEMOS platform by increasing throughput from 16 to 32 microwells and reducing light leakage between adjacent microwells, allowing dark conditions to be used as an additional illumination state. The device consists of a 3D-printed frame, individually addressable LEDs positioned next to each microwell, a rechargeable battery, and an onboard microcontroller for Bluetooth-based wireless communication. Biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane microwells are cast directly into the device by replica molding, allowing bacterial cultures to be stimulated while optical density and fluorescence are measured by the microplate reader.

This protocol describes the full LEMOS 2.0 workflow, including device fabrication, circuit assembly, Arduino programming, PDMS microwell casting, plate-reader setup, strain and culture preparation, automated experiment execution, device cleanup, and fluorescence/OD600 data analysis. As a demonstration, the protocol uses the CcaSR optogenetic system, in which sfGFP expression is activated by green light and repressed by red light. LEMOS 2.0 is intended to make optogenetic perturbation and gene-expression characterization more accessible to wet-lab users, enabling faster design-build-test-learn cycles without requiring specialized bioreactor or microfluidic infrastructure.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jaiswal, B., Black, T., Namboothiri, H. R., Pochana, K., Hu, C. Y. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.08.737360</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Fabrication and Use of a 32-Well LED-Embedded Microplate for Optogenetic Dynamic Control]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.03.736388v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
An Unusual Follower Peptide is Required for Biosynthesis of the Antibiotic Lasso Peptide Triculamin 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.03.736388v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Triculamin is a potent antibiotic lasso peptide first isolated in 1967. Previous studies have demonstrated that its biosynthesis follows a non-canonical logic unlike any other lasso peptide. In this study, we investigate the role of the unusual follower peptide and demonstrate that it is essential for efficient biosynthesis. Using structural prediction and targeted mutations of key conserved residues, we hypothesize that the interactions between the follower peptide and the macrocyclase create an enzyme-substrate complex that ensures delivery of the core peptide to the enzyme active site. Moreover, we demonstrate that analogs of the lasso peptide can be produced by modifying the core peptide, highlighting the substrate promiscuity of the lasso macrocyclase and identifying lysine-3 in the lasso peptide ring as the site of acetylation. Lastly, we achieve successful heterologous expression in Burkholderia sp. FERM 3421, which proves to be a superior heterologous host.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Svenningsen, T., Merrild, A., Petersen, A. B., Dos Reis, A. N., Pold, A. M., Lange, H., Torring, T. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.03.736388</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[An Unusual Follower Peptide is Required for Biosynthesis of the Antibiotic Lasso Peptide Triculamin]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.05.736665v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
AAV delivered lysosome-targeting chimeras mediate sustained antibody depletion in vivo 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.05.736665v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Immunoglobulins (e.g., IgGs) are critical effectors of the adaptive immune system that when overexpressed or dysregulated can result in autoimmune diseases. Thus, depletion of IgGs can be a promising therapeutic avenue. Here we developed genetically-encoded lysosome targeting chimeras (GELYTACs) that target circulating IgGs for clearance and degradation. The GELYTACs comprised two protein modules derived from insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and an IgG-binding nanobody, respectively, and mediated clearance of plasma IgG via the lysosomal trafficking receptor IGF2R. To achieve long-lasting IgG depletion, we encoded GELYTACs in an AAV gene therapy vector and established continuous expression in mice. We also developed conditional GELYACs that are activatable with disease-specific proteases or small molecule drugs. This work establishes GELYTACs as a possible therapeutic modality that is deliverable using genetic medicine approaches.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Yang, J. L., Loh, K. Y., Sandoval Espinoza, C. R., Schuster, D., Deisseroth, K., Bertozzi, C. R. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.05.736665</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[AAV delivered lysosome-targeting chimeras mediate sustained antibody depletion in vivo]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.03.736350v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Domain Insertion Improves the Precision of a CRISPR Adenine Base Editor 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.03.736350v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Adenine base editors (ABEs) enable efficient A*T to G*C conversion, but their broad activity windows frequently cause unintended bystander edits. We hypothesized that insertion of a bulky, inert protein domain into the base editor would limit the effective reach of the deaminase, thereby preferentially directing editing to the intended target adenine.

Here, we systematically map domain insertion sites within the high-activity TadA8e adenine base editor using structure-guided design and computational inference. We find that TadA8e accepts domain insertions at multiple surface sites, with overall activity and editing window width dependent on insert position rather than domain identity. Excitingly, inserting domains at residue L68 preserved robust editing across multiple genomic loci while tightly focusing the editing window around position 5. Insertion of superfolder GFP at this site produced a base editor variant with a narrower editing window, the ability to track edited cells by fluorescence, and markedly reduced Cas-independent off-target editing. Our work highlights domain insertion engineering as a powerful strategy to create more focused and precise CRISPR base editors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Müller, M. M., Southern, N. T., Niopek, D. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-10</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.03.736350</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Domain Insertion Improves the Precision of a CRISPR Adenine Base Editor]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-10</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.02.736048v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Engineered probiotic Escherichia coli-mediated intestinal nicotine clearance alleviates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.02.736048v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Nicotine accumulates in the gut and drives non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) via the gut-liver axis, yet no effective clinical intervention is currently available. To address this challenge, the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) was engineered for in situ nicotine clearance in the gut. Mutational screening of nicotine oxidoreductase 2 (PpNicA2) identified a highly active variant, PpNicA2A107R. Its incorporation into EcN together with an electron transfer protein (CycN) and a newly identified transporter (T3/T7) yielded 80% nicotine-degrading activity. Chromosomal integration of this module generated a stable strain, EcN-N12, which in NASH mouse models depleted intestinal nicotine, rescued hepatic lipid metabolism, alleviated tissue damage, and intercepted the nicotine-mediated gut-liver axis pathological progression. This work thus offers an effective and clinically translatable approach for nicotine-associated diseases.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Zuo, N., Cai, X., Wang, W., Ren, Z., Jiang, Z., Jiang, W., Song, X., Gu, Y. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.02.736048</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Engineered probiotic Escherichia coli-mediated intestinal nicotine clearance alleviates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.28.735069v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Directed evolution of compact synthetic promoters via AlphaGenome and genetic algorithms 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.28.735069v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Compact tissue-specific promoters are highly desirable for gene therapy because viral vectors possess limited packaging capacity. However, existing promoter engineering strategies rely primarily on rational design or de novo sequence generation and lack efficient approaches for compressing long native promoters while preserving regulatory specificity. Although genome foundation models have substantially improved sequence-to-function prediction, they have not been effectively translated into computational platforms for promoter engineering.

Here, we present VirEvo, a computational promoter engineering framework that integrates a virtual dual-luciferase assay (VirDLA), genome-foundation-model-guided genetic evolution, and an orthogonal Pan-Tissue Consistency Filter (PTCF). VirDLA introduces an internal-reference normalization strategy inspired by dual-luciferase reporter assays, enabling relative comparison of promoter activity across tissues without retraining AlphaGenome. Guided by these normalized activity scores, VirEvo iteratively optimizes promoter selectivity, off-target activity, and sequence length.

Using the human p16INK4a promoter as a proof of concept, VirEvo evolved a compact synthetic promoter, SRP2M, of only 398 bp, representing an 85.9% reduction in sequence length. Experimental validation using dual-luciferase reporter assays in senescent IMR90 fibroblasts demonstrated that SRP2M retained 77% of wild-type senescence selectivity while reducing basal leakage to 52% of the wild-type level.

Together, these results demonstrate the feasibility of genome-foundation-model-guided promoter engineering. VirEvo provides a generalizable framework for designing compact tissue-specific regulatory elements and extends the application of genome foundation models from functional prediction to synthetic regulatory engineering.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nie, L. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.06.28.735069</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Directed evolution of compact synthetic promoters via AlphaGenome and genetic algorithms]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.03.736327v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Expanding all-α-helical protein space through rational computational design 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.03.736327v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
De novo protein design is advancing rapidly1,2. This is being driven by AI to generate protein backbones, sequences, and structural models3-7. As a result, de novo designed proteins are becoming larger and more complex8-10, and increasingly explore new protein structures11,12. By contrast, natural proteins have evolved structural and functional complexity by modular combination of recurring protein domains13. Approximately 25% of these natural domains are mostly -helical structures14. Here we show how these can be expanded using rational computational design. Following the domain classification scheme CATH15, we build complex all- de novo proteins hierarchically using sequence-to-structure relationships for helix-helix interactions, systematic rules to connect helices, computational tools to design loops, and in silico evaluation. The pipeline starts with a target architecture of free-standing helices. These are connected into a topology by considering local arrangements of helical bundles using understood sequence-to-structure relationships for helix packing. Single-chain sequences are completed using template- and AI-based methods. Finally, AlphaFold models are assessed to give small numbers of designs for experimental validation. We test 31 designs for 14 different architectures and 25 topologies. 75% of these express as stable, monomeric, water-soluble proteins; and >30% yield X-ray crystal structures matching the designs to atomic accuracy and with new-to-nature structures. Finally, several of the scaffolds are functionalised through one-shot designs to deliver ion, small-molecule and protein binders.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Albanese, K. I., Chubb, J. J., Gutierrez-Rus, L. I., Leng, X., Kurgan, K. W., Mylemans, B., Ozga, K., Petrenas, R., Romanyuk, A. V., Acevedo-Jake, A. M., Roca-Martinez, J., Cross, S. J., Anderson, J. L. R., Clayden, J., Leggett, G. J., McManus, J. J., Oliver, T. A. A., Orengo, C. A., Scrutton, N. S., Wilson, A. J., Boyle, A. L., Woolfson, D. N. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.03.736327</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Expanding all-α-helical protein space through rational computational design]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.01.735724v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable Of Growth And Replication 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.01.735724v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Cells are the fundamental unit of life. Yet there is no natural cell for which all its life-essential functions are understood. Here we demonstrate a complete cell cycle for a synthetic cell undergoing selection, with genome replication, growth, resource acquisition via feeding, and genetically encoded division. The cell is encoded via a 90kb genome that includes functions needed for resource uptake, transcription, translation, growth, genome replication, and division. The resulting synthetic cell is sufficiently encouraging to support routinization of synthetic cell engineering workflows, and will ultimately underlie diverse applications across all of biotechnology.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Gaut, N. J., Deich, C., Cash, B., Hoog, T., Engelhart, A. E., Adamala, K. P. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.01.735724</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable Of Growth And Replication]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.01.735888v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Linker-Length Landscape Mapping Enables Coupling of Diverse Synthetic Chemically Induced Dimerization Systems to Molecular Readouts 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.01.735888v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Programmable molecular biology increasingly requires strategies for converting engineered recognition or proximity modules into measurable outputs, particularly within transcriptional regulation, RNA imaging, and CRISPR-associated systems. Synthetic chemically induced dimerization (CID) systems provide a class of programmable recognition modules for such applications, yet generalized strategies for coupling structurally diverse CIDs to functional readouts remain limited. Here, we introduce a CID-to-output conversion strategy based on engineering of the linker-mediated coupling interface. Using single-fluorescent-protein sensors as an experimentally tractable optical model readout, we systematically varied paired N- and C-terminal linkers flanking circularly permuted green fluorescent protein (cpGFP) to map coupling landscapes across synthetic CID systems derived from combinatorial selection and computational protein design. The results revealed strong non-additive interactions across paired linkers and suggest that linker length is a first-order determinant of CID-to-output coupling. Across nanobody-, monobody-, and de novo-designed CID architectures, this framework yielded functional sensors with dynamic ranges up to 1270% and robust responses in mammalian cells. Together, this work demonstrates that effective CID-to-output conversion can be achieved by empirically mapping the linker-mediated coupling interface, providing a practical route for adapting synthetic CID to diverse programmable molecular readouts and nucleic-acid-associated synthetic biology systems



O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=94 SRC="FIGDIR/small/735888v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">
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org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@19e6145org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1040b47org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@809d4forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d7b4f9_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP  M_FIG C_FIG
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Pan, Y., Kang, S., Nakajima An, D., Yu, Y., DiMaio, F., Gu, L. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.01.735888</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Linker-Length Landscape Mapping Enables Coupling of Diverse Synthetic Chemically Induced Dimerization Systems to Molecular Readouts]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.01.735182v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Photoswitchable optoGPCRs for reversible control of Gs and arrestin signalling 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.01.735182v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
OptoGPCRs are light-activatable G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) used for optogenetic control of physiological processes. Most existing optoGPCRs are based on monostable opsins, which are limited by photobleaching and irreversibility. The bistable jumping spider rhodopsin 1 (JSR1) carrying the single point mutant S199F introduces a [~]150 nm spectral separation between the active and inactive states, enabling bidirectional control with distinct wavelengths of light. Here, we show that JSR1-S199F demonstrates robust, light-reversible arrestin recruitment and Gq/i protein activity. We then engineered JSR1-S199F-based optoGPCRs with Gs protein activity, expanding the limited repertoire of bistable Gs-coupled opsins. Specifically, we present optoDRD1, a chimeric optoGPCR that redirects the native Gq/i protein activity of JSR1 towards the Gs pathway of the dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1). Through systematic screening of intracellular domain combinations, we identified an optimal chimeric configuration comprising ICL2, ICL3, helix 8, and the C-terminus from DRD1. The resulting optoGPCR is activated by violet light ({lambda}max = 397 nm) and deactivated by green light ({lambda}max = 531 nm) at physiologically relevant light intensities. A single violet light pulse drives sustained Gs signalling for several hours, while green light deactivation enables precise signal termination at any timepoint. OptoDRD1 closely mimics wild-type DRD1 signalling kinetics and G protein selectivity. Compared to JellyOp, the only previously characterised natively Gs-coupled opsin, optoDRD1 shows higher signal amplitude and reversibility over multiple light cycles. We further demonstrate optoDRD1s utility for optogenetic control of Gs-regulated processes in vitro, including insulin secretion in human {beta}-cells and signalling modulation in a neuronal cell line, supporting its potential for in vivo applications. The biochemical stability and known structure of JSR1 make it a robust scaffold for this rational engineering and for future biophysical characterization. Together, optoDRD1 and JSR1-S199F expand the optoGPCR toolkit and open new opportunities for dissecting dopaminergic signalling, Gs-mediated physiology, and GPCR signalling pharmacology.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Walter, D., McDowell, R., Isaikina, P., Pantiru, A., Ravimohan, H., Deupi, X., Lucas, R. J., Schertler, G. F. X. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.01.735182</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Photoswitchable optoGPCRs for reversible control of Gs and arrestin signalling]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.08.737257v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Crowdsourced riboregulators reveal design principles for programmable RNA switching 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.08.737257v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
RNA-based sensors offer powerful and programmable control of gene expression, yet our understanding of the structural principles that govern their potential design space remains incomplete. Here, we challenged a community of designers to generate novel riboregulators capable of activating translation in response to specific RNA targets. Participants submitted diverse sequence architectures, which were synthesized and evaluated in a cell-free transcription-translation system. Across 100 designs, community-generated riboregulators displayed wide variability in activation dynamics, fold change, and structural features, outperforming some canonical toehold-switch designs and achieving up to 80-fold activation. Structural ensemble analyses identified accessibility patterns near the ribosome binding site that distinguish high- from low-performing regulators, highlighting the central role of RBS sequestration and release in modulating expression. Together, we demonstrate community-driven design can expand the accessible structural space of riboregulators and uncover mechanistic features governing translational activation. Our findings establish quantitative links between RNA folding energetics and gene expression output, providing design principles for next-generation programmable RNA sensors.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Robson, J. M., Moussas, G., Francis, D., Green, A. A. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.07.08.737257</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Crowdsourced riboregulators reveal design principles for programmable RNA switching]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.25.734514v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Targeted DNA nicking enables efficient, single-step and counterselection-free editing of bacteriophage genomes 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.25.734514v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Genetic manipulation of bacteriophages is essential for interrogating phage biology and advancing antimicrobial therapies. However, current genome editing approaches can be inefficient, require multiple steps, or drastically reduce phage titers. Here, we show that targeted DNA nicking enables template-mediated editing of phage genomes in one step without reducing phage titers. Using T7 phage, we show that Cas9-mediated nicking achieved up to 100% recombination across multiple loci, including substitutions and deletions of up to 200 bp and insertions of up to 500 bp, all while preserving phage titers. Editing in T7 was RecA-independent and extended to other phages. Leveraging high titers, we engineered a T7 library of over 440,000 tail-fiber mutants, with isolated mutants restoring infection of two LPS-deficient Escherichia coli hosts by shifting recognition to core LPS components. Overall, DNA nicking is a simple and distinct editing strategy that can advance phage genome engineering, genetic interrogation, and antimicrobial development.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Englert, F., Valappil, S. K., Kubilius, J., Jones, S. K., Mutalik, V. K., Beisel, C. L., Patinios, C. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.06.25.734514</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Targeted DNA nicking enables efficient, single-step and counterselection-free editing of bacteriophage genomes]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.25.734245v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Impact of coding region accessibility and uridine chemistry on translation in mRNA-DNA hybrid origami 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.25.734245v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a prerequisite for programmable protein expression, but its therapeutic and synthetic-biology applications are limited by instability and susceptibility to degradation. Hybridizing mRNA to short DNA strands can fold it into a compact origami nanostructure, protecting it from degradation but impeding ribosome access. However, how such a folded mRNA is translated, and which parts must be left unpaired, remain unclear. Here we fold an EGFP-encoding mRNA into a six-helix bundle and leave defined regions of the coding sequence unpaired to examine what the ribosome requires. We find that the start of the coding sequence must be accessible for translation, whereas leaving the far end unpaired makes no difference. Counterintuitively, leaving more of the coding sequence unpaired does not help: translation first falls and then partially recovers as the unpaired region lengthens, a reproducible pattern set by how that region folds rather than by its length. Modified mRNAs carrying 5-methoxyuridine or N1-methylpseudouridine still fold correctly into the six-helix bundle and show the non-monotonic translation pattern; the modification only shifts the overall level of protein produced, with N1-methylpseudouridine giving the most. Together these results begin to define how a folded mRNA can be made both stable and efficiently translated.



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]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ DAmico, C., Mykkänen, M., Saarinen, S., Säkkinen, V., Kostiainen, M. A. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.06.25.734245</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Impact of coding region accessibility and uridine chemistry on translation in mRNA-DNA hybrid origami]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.25.734632v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Synergistic CRISPR-Cas Antimicrobials through Essential and Defensive Gene Cotargeting in Staphylococcus aureus 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.25.734632v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Multidrug-resistant pathogens pose a major threat to One Health. Within the past decade, CRISPR-Cas systems have been explored as sequence-specific antimicrobials. While chromosomal injury has been considered the primary mechanism underlying pathogen killing by CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials, the synergistic role of gene disruption together with chromosomal injuries remains poorly understood. In this study, we characterized a new class of CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials that simultaneously cotarget essential and defensive genes to enhance potency against the clinically relevant pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. High-throughput CRISPR screening identified top-performing guide RNAs for twenty functionally diverse essential and defensive genes across the S. aureus genome. CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials were modularly formulated to target single or multiple gene loci and packaged in phage-like particles for specific delivery. By engineering an S. aureus production host with a chromosomally integrated anti-CRISPR protein, we demonstrated efficient production of CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials targeting any S. aureus chromosomal locus without self-targeting. Characterization of CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials with single guide RNA designs revealed that potency varied according to targeted gene function, achieving up to a 4-log10 reduction in viability and outperforming traditional antibiotics. Multiplexed configurations were consistently more effective than single-targeting designs, with the top-performing design demonstrating a 4.7-log10 reduction in viability. Cotargeting essential and defensive genes revealed synergies that led to improved lethality and attenuated resistance, with enhanced activity in biofilms compared to traditional antibiotics. Genes involved in signaling and stress responses were important defensive targets for developing cotargeting CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials. Overall, this study establishes design principles for synergistic CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials applicable to next-generation precision antimicrobial development.

SIGNIFICANCEThe ability to effectively combat multidrug-resistant pathogens is of primary importance to One Health. This study develops a generalizable design principle for formulating potent CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials that exploit synergistic cotargeting strategies for enhanced pathogen killing. In addition to chromosomal injuries, we found that disruption of gene function plays a crucial role in determining the lethality of CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials, providing a generalizable framework for effective CRISPR-Cas antimicrobial design. The development of a CRISPR-Cas antimicrobial production host with stable, chromosomally integrated anti-CRISPR genes greatly expands the modularity, adaptability, and efficiency of formulating CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials and enables deeper insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in eliminating multidrug-resistant pathogens.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Dooley, D. S., Trinh, C. T. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.06.25.734632</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Synergistic CRISPR-Cas Antimicrobials through Essential and Defensive Gene Cotargeting in Staphylococcus aureus]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.25.734638v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
LUstiGE, Light responsive Ustilago maydis Gene Expression: Optogenetic control of morphogenesis and pathogenesis in the corn fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.25.734638v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
The basidiomycete Ustilago maydis is a well-characterized model organism for studying pathogen-host interactions and of great interest for a broad spectrum of biotechnological applications. We set here to develop light inducible molecular tools to enable dynamic studies on signaling networks and fungi-host communication, and for metabolic engineering approaches. In particular, light-controlled, optogenetic switches provide quantitative, spatio-temporal control capabilities, are minimal invasive and reversible. We engineered two blue light-inducible LOV-domain-based gene expression switches, to up- (Blue-ON) and down-regulate (Blue-OFF) gene expression, and performed a functional characterization in sporidia and hyphae of U. maydis. Profiting from the dynamic control ranges and rapid kinetics, we implemented the optoswitches to control cell morphology by initiating the transition from a haploid sporidial cellular morphotype to filaments upon regulation of the levels of the polarity factor Rac1 and its constitutive active mutant Q61L. In addition to showing how expression level of effectors can be precisely regulated as an approach to understand fungi-plants interaction, we show in two proof-of-principle applications targeted control over U. maydis filamentous fungal invasion of plant tissue and the mechanisms of tumor formation. For this we placed under Blue-ON and Blue-OFF control two U. maydis effectors, See1 (Seedling efficient effector 1) and TIN2 (Tumor inducing 2), and tumor formation was assayed on maize leaves. Taken together, this study established blue-light switches as effective tools to control morphogenesis and pathogenesis in U. maydis.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tang, K., Müller, M. D., Hüsemann, L., Zuo, W., Rybecky, A., Heucken, N., Postma, J., van Wijlick, L., Doehlemann, G., Feldbrügge, M., Zurbriggen, M. D. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-09</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.06.25.734638</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[LUstiGE, Light responsive Ustilago maydis Gene Expression: Optogenetic control of morphogenesis and pathogenesis in the corn fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-09</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.23.733941v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Complete elucidation and heterologous reconstruction of the biosynthetic pathway of camptothecin 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.23.733941v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Camptothecin derivatives are first-line anticancer drugs used worldwide for the treatment of diverse malignant tumors. However, the biosynthetic pathway of camptothecin has remained elusive for five decades. Here, we fully map its entire biosynthetic route. We discovered five key missing enzymes (OpCAR, OpSDR11, OpCS, OpGH1, and OpSTR) via the combination of MALDI mass spectrometry imaging, single-cell RNA sequencing and co-expression analysis. Meanwhile, we demonstrated a free flavin mononucleotide triggered the non-enzymatic 6-5-6 to 6-6-5 fused-ring skeleton rearrangement, filling the last gap in camptothecin biosynthesis. Finally, we validated this identified pathway and achieved the de novo biosynthesis of camptothecin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These discoveries uncover the long-standing mystery underlying camptothecin and pave the way for manufacturing camptothecin and its derivatives through synthetic biology approaches.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Zhang, T., Xiong, Y., Chen, K., Wu, S., Yan, X., Zhou, J., Wang, Y., Yang, C., Wang, P., Zhou, Z. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.06.23.733941</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Complete elucidation and heterologous reconstruction of the biosynthetic pathway of camptothecin]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.17.732819v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
3' Exonuclease-mediated DNA assembly at room temperature and below 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.17.732819v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
DNA assembly is a cornerstone of synthetic biology, enabling the construction of bespoke genetic systems for applications ranging from metabolic engineering to DNA nanotechnology. Conventional Gibson Assembly (GA), the most widely used method, relies on 5' exonucleolytic resection and elevated temperatures ([~]50 {degrees}C), which together prevent the retention of 5' modifications and restrict compatibility with temperature-sensitive functionalities.

Here, we report a DNA assembly strategy, 3 exonuclease-mediated low-temperature DNA assembly (3LTDA), which generates complementary 5' overhangs while preserving 5' end integrity. This approach enables the efficient assembly of blunt-ended, 5'-functionalised DNA fragments into both linear and circular constructs at ambient temperature (21 {degrees}C), with some assembly observed at temperatures as low as 4{degrees}C. We systematically optimise reaction conditions and demonstrate that this method supports efficient plasmid re-circularisation and multi-fragment assembly, including the construction of a [~]12.5 kbp plasmid from multiple DNA components. Comparative analysis across several DNA substrates shows that, under their respective optimal conditions, this approach matches or exceeds GA performance, improving assembly efficiency by up to 12.8%. Sequence analysis confirms high fidelity with no detectable base-pairing errors across assembled junctions.

Crucially, this method preserves chemically functionalised 5' termini, enabling downstream conjugation and biochemical functionality. Retention of azide and biotin modifications was verified through fluorescence imaging, bead-based co-localisation, and enzymatic activity in ELISA-based assays. This is in contrast to GA-assembled controls, which showed complete loss of functionality under comparable conditions. We further assembled 5 kbp dsDNA using 3LTDA from four independent segments, three with different fluorescence reporters, and the fourth containing a biotin group for microparticle conjugation, each on the 5 end. Under fluorescence illumination, bead-bound DNA with all three fluorescence markers were detected. Conventional GA assembled constructs, on the other hand, failed to retain the reporter groups and the fluorescent images did not show the presence of any fluorescent markers.

In addition to enhanced performance, the method could also reduce reagent cost and eliminate the need for elevated temperatures, simplifying workflows and expanding the applicability of multi-functionalised DNA constructs. Collectively, this work establishes 3LTDA as a robust, low-temperature alternative to conventional GA, with advantages for applications requiring precise chemical modification, temperature-sensitive components, or deployment outside conventional laboratory environments.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Irving, O. J., Khan, C. J., Albrecht, T. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.06.17.732819</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[3' Exonuclease-mediated DNA assembly at room temperature and below]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
<item rdf:about="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.10.731501v1?rss=1">
<title>
<![CDATA[
Generative Drug Design in a Loop with dtSFM 
]]>
</title>
<link>
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.10.731501v1?rss=1
</link>
<description><![CDATA[
Directed evolution consisting of iterative rounds of diversification, selection, and counter-selection, underlies modern protein and antibody engineering, yet small-molecule drug design still advances largely through high-throughput screening and medicinal-chemistry intuition. Transformer softmax attention is mathematically identical to the Boltzmann distribution that governs molecular binding at thermal equilibrium1, an isomorphism that prescribes a sequence-native Specificity Foundation Model (SFM)2. This framework was recently applied across seven molecular recognition domains3,4 and scaled into the drug-target SFM (dtSFM), the first to pair a full-scale encoder with a generative decoder5. Whether such a model can be driven, iteratively and under selection, to optimize leads rather than sample them once has not been shown. Here we present GenLoop, a closed generative drug design loop that turns single-pass generation into directed evolution of chemistry. dtSFM generates target-conditioned molecules and reranks them by their thermodynamic compatibility score. An orthogonal structural verifier, AlphaFold 3, is used that shares no architecture or training data with dtSFM. Cheminformatics filters enforce developability, and generative evolution is performed on the structurally verified candidates, selecting for predicted binders and counter-selecting against off-target chemistry. Applied across twelve drug targets spanning pharmacologically distinct mechanism classes, GenLoop produced AlphaFold 3-verified designs that reached the structural confidence of the approved drug for five of the twelve targets, with the best designs at interface iPTM 0.93-0.98 and PAE 0.8-2.0 [A], as well as resolving paralog selectivity across nine targets. Two full disease campaigns followed. For the cystic-fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, GenLoop designed nine developability-filtered and structurally novel lead candidates (iPTM up to 0.93, interface PAE 2.3 [A]) targeting all three orthogonal sites of the approved drug Trikafta. For the GLP-1 receptor family, dtSFM engineered tunable single-, dual-, and triple-receptor incretin designs, yielding 23 central-pocket candidates that are structurally novel at median iPTM 0.89 and interface PAE 1.95 [A]. GenLoop with dtSFM brings directed evolution to small molecules through computational-thermodynamic selection; wet-lab validation is the immediate next step.
]]></description>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Reddy, S. T. ]]></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2026-07-08</dc:date>
<dc:identifier>doi:10.64898/2026.06.10.731501</dc:identifier>
<dc:title><![CDATA[Generative Drug Design in a Loop with dtSFM]]></dc:title>
<dc:publisher>Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</dc:publisher>
<prism:publicationDate>2026-07-08</prism:publicationDate>
<prism:section></prism:section>
</item>
</rdf:RDF>
