TY - JOUR A1 - Röhlen, Desiree A1 - Pilas, Johanna A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Selmer, Thorsten T1 - Development of an amperometric biosensor platform for the combined determination of l-Malic, Fumaric, and l-Aspartic acid JF - Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology N2 - Three amperometric biosensors have been developed for the detection of L-malic acid, fumaric acid, and L -aspartic acid, all based on the combination of a malate-specific dehydrogenase (MDH, EC 1.1.1.37) and diaphorase (DIA, EC 1.8.1.4). The stepwise expansion of the malate platform with the enzymes fumarate hydratase (FH, EC 4.2.1.2) and aspartate ammonia-lyase (ASPA, EC 4.3.1.1) resulted in multi-enzyme reaction cascades and, thus, augmentation of the substrate spectrum of the sensors. Electrochemical measurements were carried out in presence of the cofactor β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and the redox mediator hexacyanoferrate (III) (HCFIII). The amperometric detection is mediated by oxidation of hexacyanoferrate (II) (HCFII) at an applied potential of + 0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl. For each biosensor, optimum working conditions were defined by adjustment of cofactor concentrations, buffer pH, and immobilization procedure. Under these improved conditions, amperometric responses were linear up to 3.0 mM for L-malate and fumarate, respectively, with a corresponding sensitivity of 0.7 μA mM−1 (L-malate biosensor) and 0.4 μA mM−1 (fumarate biosensor). The L-aspartate detection system displayed a linear range of 1.0–10.0 mM with a sensitivity of 0.09 μA mM−1. The sensor characteristics suggest that the developed platform provides a promising method for the detection and differentiation of the three substrates. Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12010-017-2578-1 SN - 1559-0291 VL - 183 SP - 566 EP - 581 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Muschallik, Lukas A1 - Molinnus, Denise A1 - Bongaerts, Johannes A1 - Pohl, Martina A1 - Wagner, Torsten A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Siegert, Petra A1 - Selmer, Thorsten T1 - (R,R)-Butane-2,3-diol Dehydrogenase from Bacillus clausii DSM 8716T: Cloning and Expression of the bdhA-Gene, and Initial Characterization of Enzyme JF - Journal of Biotechnology N2 - The gene encoding a putative (R,R)-butane-2,3-diol dehydrogenase (bdhA) from Bacillus clausii DSM 8716T was isolated, sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli. The amino acid sequence of the encoded protein is only distantly related to previously studied enzymes (identity 33–43%) and exhibited some uncharted peculiarities. An N-terminally StrepII-tagged enzyme variant was purified and initially characterized. The isolated enzyme catalyzed the (R)-specific oxidation of (R,R)- and meso-butane-2,3-diol to (R)- and (S)-acetoin with specific activities of 12 U/mg and 23 U/mg, respectively. Likewise, racemic acetoin was reduced with a specific activity of up to 115 U/mg yielding a mixture of (R,R)- and meso-butane-2,3-diol, while the enzyme reduced butane-2,3-dione (Vmax 74 U/mg) solely to (R,R)-butane-2,3-diol via (R)-acetoin. For these reactions only activity with the co-substrates NADH/NAD+ was observed. The enzyme accepted a selection of vicinal diketones, α-hydroxy ketones and vicinal diols as alternative substrates. Although the physiological function of the enzyme in B. clausii remains elusive, the data presented herein clearly demonstrates that the encoded enzyme is a genuine (R,R)-butane-2,3-diol dehydrogenase with potential for applications in biocatalysis and sensor development. Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2017.07.020 SN - 0168-1656 VL - 258 SP - 41 EP - 50 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pinkenburg, Olaf A1 - Schiffels, Johannes A1 - Selmer, Thorsten T1 - Das CoLibry-Konzept – ein Werkzeugkasten für die Synthetische Biologie: Bioproduktion JF - BIOspektrum N2 - Regardless of size or destination, synthetic biology starts with com-parably small information units, which need to be combined and properly arranged in order to achieve a certain goal. This may be the de novo synthesis of individual genes from oligonucleotides, a shuffling of protein domains in order to create novel biocatalysts, the assembly of multiple enzyme encoding genes in metabolic pathway design, or strain development at the production stage. The CoLibry concept has been designed in order to close the gap between recombinant production of individual genes and genome editing. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12268-016-0734-8 VL - 22 IS - 6 SP - 593 EP - 595 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Kasper, Katharina A1 - Schiffels, Johannes A1 - Krafft, Simone A1 - Kuperjans, Isabel A1 - Elbers, Gereon A1 - Selmer, Thorsten T1 - Biogas Production on Demand Regulated by Butyric Acid Addition T2 - IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. Bd. 32 Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/32/1/012009 SN - 1755-1315 N1 - ICARET 2016, International Conference on Advances in Renewable Energy and Technologies, Putrajaya, MY, Feb 23-25, 2016 VL - 32 SP - 012009/1 EP - 012009/4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pilas, Johanna A1 - Mariano, K. A1 - Keusgen, M. A1 - Selmer, Thorsten A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Optimization of an Enzyme-based Multi-parameter Biosensor for Monitoring Biogas Processes JF - Procedia Engineering Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2015.08.702 SN - 1877-7058 N1 - Part of special issue "Eurosensors 2015" VL - 120 SP - 532 EP - 535 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schiffels, Johannes A1 - Selmer, Thorsten T1 - A flexible toolbox to study protein-assisted metalloenzyme assembly in vitro JF - Biotechnology and Bioengineering Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bit.25658 SN - 1097-0290 VL - 112 IS - 11 SP - 2360 EP - 2372 PB - Wiley CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pilas, Johanna A1 - Iken, Heiko A1 - Selmer, Thorsten A1 - Keusgen, Michael A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Development of a multi‐parameter sensor chip for the simultaneous detection of organic compounds in biogas processes JF - Physica status solidi (a) N2 - An enzyme-based multi-parameter biosensor is developed for monitoring the concentration of formate, d-lactate, and l-lactate in biological samples. The sensor is based on the specific dehydrogenation by an oxidized β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent dehydrogenase (formate dehydrogenase, d-lactic dehydrogenase, and l-lactic dehydrogenase, respectively) in combination with a diaphorase from Clostridium kluyveri (EC 1.8.1.4). The enzymes are immobilized on a platinum working electrode by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde (GA). The principle of the determination scheme in case of l-lactate is as follows: l-lactic dehydrogenase (l-LDH) converts l-lactate into pyruvate by reaction with NAD+. In the presence of hexacyanoferrate(III), the resulting reduced β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) is then regenerated enzymatically by diaphorase. The electrochemical detection is based on the current generated by oxidation of hexacyanoferrate(II) at an applied potential of +0.3 V vs. an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The biosensor will be electrochemically characterized in terms of linear working range and sensitivity. Additionally, the successful practical application of the sensor is demonstrated in an extract from maize silage. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pssa.201431894 SN - 1862-6319 VL - 212 IS - 6 SP - 1306 EP - 1312 PB - Wiley CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Biselli, Manfred A1 - Selmer, Thorsten A1 - Öhlschläger, Peter A1 - Baumann, Marcus A1 - Förster, Arnold A1 - Poghossian, Arshak T1 - Forschung „zwischen“ den Disziplinen: das Institut für Nano- und Biotechnologien JF - Analytik news : das Online-Labormagazin für Labor und Analytik N2 - "Biologie trifft Mikroelektronik", das Motto des Instituts für Nano- und Biotechnologien (INB) an der FH Aachen, unterstreicht die zunehmende Bedeutung interdisziplinär geprägter Forschungsaktivitäten. Der thematische Zusammenschluss grundständiger Disziplinen, wie die Physik, Elektrotechnik, Chemie, Biologie sowie die Materialwissenschaften, lässt neue Forschungsgebiete entstehen, ein herausragendes Beispiel hierfür ist die Nanotechnologie: Hier werden neue Werkstoffe und Materialien entwickelt, einzelne Nanopartikel oder Moleküle und deren Wechselwirkung untersucht oder Schichtstrukturen im Nanometerbereich aufgebaut, die neue und vorher nicht bekannte Eigenschaften hervorbringen. Vor diesem Hintergrund bündelt das im Jahre 2006 gegründete INB die an der FH Aachen vorhandenen Kompetenzen von derzeit insgesamt sieben Laboratorien auf den Gebieten der Halbleitertechnik und Nanoelektronik, Nanostrukturen und DNA-Sensorik, der Chemo- und Biosensorik, der Enzymtechnologie, der Mikrobiologie und Pflanzenbiotechnologie, der Zellkulturtechnik, sowie der Roten Biotechnologie synergetisch. In der Nano- und Biotechnologie steckt außergewöhnliches Potenzial! Nicht zuletzt deshalb stellen sich die Forscher der Herausforderung, in diesem Bereich gemeinsam zu forschen und Schnittstellen zu nutzen, um so bei der Gestaltung neuartiger Ideen und Produkte mitzuwirken, die zukünftig unser alltägliches Leben verändern werden. Im Folgenden werden die verschiedenen Forschungsbereiche kurz zusammenfassend vorgestellt und vorhandene Interaktionen anhand von exemplarisch ausgewählten, aktuellen Forschungsprojekten skizziert. Y1 - 2012 VL - Publ. online PB - Dr. Beyer Internet-Beratung CY - Ober-Ramstadt ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Heine, A. A1 - Herrmann, G. A1 - Selmer, Thorsten A1 - Terwesten, F. A1 - Buckel, W. A1 - Reuter, K. T1 - High resolution crystal structure of clostridium propionicum β-Alanyl-CoA:Ammonia Lyase, a new member of the "Hot Dog Fold" protein superfamily JF - Proteins N2 - Clostridium propionicum is the only organism known to ferment β-alanine, a constituent of coenzyme A (CoA) and the phosphopantetheinyl prosthetic group of holo-acyl carrier protein. The first step in the fermentation is a CoA-transfer to β-alanine. Subsequently, the resulting β-alanyl-CoA is deaminated by the enzyme β-alanyl-CoA:ammonia lyase (Acl) to reversibly form ammonia and acrylyl-CoA. We have determined the crystal structure of Acl in its apo-form at a resolution of 0.97 Å as well as in complex with CoA at a resolution of 1.59 Å. The structures reveal that the enyzme belongs to a superfamily of proteins exhibiting a so called “hot dog fold” which is characterized by a five-stranded antiparallel β-sheet with a long α-helix packed against it. The functional unit of all “hot dog fold” proteins is a homodimer containing two equivalent substrate binding sites which are established by the dimer interface. In the case of Acl, three functional dimers combine to a homohexamer strongly resembling the homohexamer formed by YciA-like acyl-CoA thioesterases. Here, we propose an enzymatic mechanism based on the crystal structure of the Acl·CoA complex and molecular docking. Proteins 2014; 82:2041–2053. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/prot.24557 SN - 1097-0134 (E-Journal); 0887-3585 (Print) VL - 82 IS - 9 SP - 2041 EP - 2053 PB - Wiley-Liss CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Abulnaga, El-Hussiny A1 - Pinkenburg, Olaf A1 - Schiffels, Johannes A1 - E-Refai, Ahmed A1 - Buckel, Wolfgang A1 - Selmer, Thorsten T1 - Effect of an Oxygen-Tolerant Bifurcating Butyryl Coenzyme A Dehydrogenase/Electron-Transferring Flavoprotein Complex from Clostridium difficile on Butyrate Production in Escherichia coli JF - Journal of bacteriology Y1 - 2013 SN - 1098-5530 [E-Journal] SN - 0021-9193 [Print] VL - 195 IS - 16 SP - 3704 EP - 3713 ER -