Xanthobacter autotrophicus (X. autotrophicus) simultaneously fixes N2 and CO2, making it a promising bacterium for the development of sustainable technologies. Recent studies have integrated this species into bio-inorganic hybrid systems, which combine microbes with inorganic components for various applications from chemical synthesis to energy generation. While microbes in these systems are often viewed as mere catalytic components for targeted reactions, their specific metabolic activity may significantly influence the efficiency of the system. To investigate how X. autotrophicus responds in such hybrid contexts, we studied the bacteria under electrochemical water-splitting conditions in which generated H2 served as a reducing equivalent for N2 reduction into biomass, an output valuable as a biofertilizer. Upon metabolomic and proteomic analyses, significant changes in protein expression and metabolite abundance were observed. Specifically, metabolites glycerate-3-phosphate and acetyl-CoA, products of carbon fixation, were more abundant, suggesting a greater availability of energy. Proteomic data revealed proteins involved in nitrogen fixation and assimilation to be upregulated, suggesting more efficient nitrogen-fixation and biomass accumulation. This research not only deepens our understanding of X. autotrophicus’s metabolism but also demonstrates the utility of multi-omic analyses for bio-inorganic hybrid systems, potentially helping guide the development of more sustainable technologies.

Using Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) coupled with an Orbitrap mass analyzer, unknown active trace elements and the presence of drug residues were identified on U.S. dollar bills. Prior to analysis, the $1 and $10 banknotes were sourced directly from a bank to eliminate confounding variables associated with circulation or prior contact. Through practicing both surface spotting and full-immersion methanol extraction methods, trace amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, diazepam, fentanyl, and phenethylamine were detected on three separate bills. All compounds exhibited high mass accuracy (within ±7 ppm) and clear peak intensities. Based on the results, the surface-spotting yielded stronger signals than complete immersion, suggesting degradation is probable during prolonged solvent exposure. These findings demonstrate unique sensitivity and speed of ambient ionization mass spectrometry for forensic screening of everyday objects. The ability to detect drug residues on supposedly untouched currency has important implications for public health, forensic science, and law enforcement while emphasizing the potential for widespread contamination through incidental contact. Additionally, this research demonstrates the possibilities using the non-destructive technique and its potential for screening illicit substances in high-traffic materials, informing contamination risk assessments, improving detection workflows, and supporting broader efforts to monitor drug proliferation in society.

Pre-workout supplements are common among adults as a source of energy prior to physical activity and are consumed by nearly a third of the U.S. population. Most pre-workout supplements (PWS) are unregulated by the FDA and contain several amphetamine-like compounds, which are known to disrupt the regulation of core circadian clock genes, altering sleep-wake cycles. Overconsumption of amphetamine-like compounds leads to desynchronization of clock genes and is linked to a myriad of metabolic diseases with whole-body consequences. Consumers rely on the accuracy of vendors' nutritional facts labels to prevent overconsumption; however, an abundance of research has shown that nutritional supplements such as PWS are commonly mislabeled. This paper investigates vendor’s nutrition facts label accuracy for PWS and batch-to-batch variability in ingredient qualification and concentration quantification.

The development of stable electrolytes for highly reducing environments remains a major challenge in electrochemical research. Conventional electrolytes like tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBA PF₆) degrade via Hofmann elimination, limiting use in strongly basic conditions. This study focuses on synthesizing a universal supporting electrolyte stable across various solvents and highly basic reduced species. Tetraalkylammonium-based electrolytes were synthesized and evaluated for solubility and electrochemical stability. Key candidates—6-azaspiro[5.5]undecanium (ASU), trimethylneopentylammonium (NTM), and tetramethylammonium (TMA) salts—were analyzed via cyclic voltammetry and spectroscopic techniques. ASU and NTM resisted deprotonation but had poor solubility in tetrahydrofuran (THF). In contrast, TMA BArF exhibited both solubility and electrochemical stability, making it a strong candidate for extreme conditions. These findings address key limitations in electrolyte decomposition that hinder the progress of energy storage technologies. Ongoing work focuses on synthesizing 36 adamanzane (ADZ), a structurally rigid cation with potential for superior stability and conductivity. This research informs electrolyte design for extreme electrochemical environments and lays the groundwork for future advancements in energy storage.

Peptidomimetics bearing alternatives to α-amide bonds have been leveraged in the design of pharmaceuticals to circumvent the metabolic instability of amides to hydrolysis, while maintaining peptide-like geometries. This study focuses on secondary amine linkages between amino acid residues, a structural motif present in approved drugs, to guide genome mining efforts for discovery of fungal pseudopeptide natural products and their biocatalysts, aiding development of novel pharmaceuticals bearing such scaffolds. Given the frequency of phosphoserine as a substrate for known enzymes synthesizing secondary amine-containing pseudopeptide, we hypothesized that a fungal serine kinase, previously unreported in fungal metabolism, may colocalize with pseudopeptide synthesizing enzymes in fungal genomes. Our approach revealed a conserved 3-enzyme biosynthetic cassette encoding a free serine kinase, ATP-grasp ligase, and PLP-dependent cysteine synthase-like enzyme. Through in vitro reconstitution, we biochemically characterized such enzymes in constructing a pseudopeptide scaffold featuring secondary amine linkages. This work provides a genome mining framework for discovering natural product pseudopeptide diversity.