Discover the latest articles from leading science journals in the Muser Press weekly roundup, showcasing impactful research published this week.
Table of Contents
Green recipe: Engineered yeast boosts D-lactic acid production
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have discovered the ideal genetic “recipe” to turn yeast into a tiny yet powerful eco-friendly factory that converts methanol into D-lactic acid, a key compound used in biodegradable plastics and pharmaceuticals. This approach could help reduce reliance on petroleum-based processes and contribute to more sustainable chemical production.
The study was published in Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts.
Lactic acid is widely used in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and bioplastics. It exists in two forms: L-lactic acid and D-lactic acid. Compared to its counterpart, D-lactic acid is much less available and much more expensive.
“Most lactic acid bacteria can only produce L-lactic acid whilst chemical synthesis methods yield only a mixture of both forms,” said Ryosuke Yamada, an associate professor at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Engineering and lead author of this study.
Seeking a more efficient way to produce D-lactic acid, the team turned to Komagataella phaffii, a yeast capable of utilizing methanol. Their goal was to pinpoint the optimal combination of D-lactate dehydrogenase (D-LDH) genes and promoters in K. phaffii that would maximize the yeast’s ability to produce D-lactic acid from methanol. D-LDH is a key enzyme responsible for converting precursor molecules into D-lactic acid, while promoters are DNA sequences that regulate gene expression.
After testing five different D-LDH genes and eight promoters, the researchers identified an ideal mix that boosted D-lactic acid production by 1.5 times compared to other methanol-based methods.
“To the best of our knowledge, our engineered yeast achieved the highest-ever reported yield using methanol as the sole carbon source,” Yamada said.
These findings show that engineered yeast strains can be tailored to produce a wide range of useful compounds for commercial use. With growing global concerns over fossil fuels depletion and environmental impact, the ability to synthesize chemicals from renewable carbon sources like methanol is deemed a critical advancement for sustainability.
“This study demonstrates that by carefully optimizing gene and promoter combinations, we can significantly enhance the efficiency of microbial processes, offering a viable alternative to traditional, petroleum-based chemical production,” Yamada said.
Journal Reference:
Inoue, Y., Yamada, R., Matsumoto, T. et al., ‘Enhancing D-lactic acid production by optimizing the expression of D-LDH gene in methylotrophic yeast Komagataella phaffii’, Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts 17, 149 (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s13068-024-02596-0
Article Source:
Press Release/Material by Osaka Metropolitan University
Climate warming and heatwaves accelerate global lake deoxygenation, study reveals
Freshwater ecosystems require adequate oxygen levels to sustain aerobic life and maintain healthy biological communities. However, both long-term climate warming and the increasing frequency and intensity of short-term heatwaves are significantly reducing surface dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in lakes worldwide, according to a new study published in Science Advances.
Led by Prof. SHI Kun and Prof. ZHANG Yunlin from the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with researchers from the Nanjing University and the UK’s Bangor University, the study quantifies the effects of continuous climate warming and intensified heatwave events on surface DO levels in lakes worldwide. The research team utilized an extensive dataset and applied a data-driven model to analyze surface DO variations across more than 15,000 lakes over the past two decades.
The study reveals a widespread decline in surface DO concentrations, with 83% of the studied lakes exhibiting significant deoxygenation. Notably, the average rate of deoxygenation in lakes exceeds that of both oceans and rivers, highlighting the severity of this issue.
The researchers further explored the roles of climate warming and eutrophication in shaping surface DO concentrations. Their findings indicate that climate warming, by reducing oxygen solubility, contributes to 55% of global surface deoxygenation. Meanwhile, increasing eutrophication accounts for approximately 10% of the total global surface oxygen loss.
Historical trends in heatwaves were also analyzed, with their impacts on surface DO levels quantitatively assessed. The study shows that heatwaves exert rapid and pronounced effects on surface DO decline, resulting in a 7.7% reduction in surface DO compared to conditions under average climatological temperatures.
These findings underscore the profound impact of climate change on freshwater ecosystems, emphasizing the urgent need for mitigation and adaptation strategies to preserve lake ecosystems worldwide. The study provides crucial insights for policymakers and environmental managers working to combat the escalating threat of freshwater deoxygenation.
Journal Reference:
Yibo Zhang, Kun Shi, R. Iestyn Woolway, Xiwen Wang, and Yunlin Zhang, ‘Climate warming and heatwaves accelerate global lake deoxygenation’, Science Advances 11, 12, eadt5369 (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adt5369
Article Source:
Press Release/Material by Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology | Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Other science articles published this week
Abrupt Changes in the Timing and Magnitude of the North Atlantic Bloom Over the 21st Century
Kelly, S., Popova, E., Yool, A., Jebri, F., Oliver, S., & Srokosz, M. (2025) | DOI: 10.1029/2024JC022284 | Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Effects of Urbanization and Climate Change on Heat Stress Under Relatively Dry and Wet Warm Conditions in a Semi-Arid Urban Environment
Salamanca-Palou, F., Guzman-Echavarría, G., Vanos, J., Moseley, P., Domino, M. E., & Georgescu, M. (2025) | DOI: 10.1029/2024EF004983 | Earth’s Future
Benefits of Calibrating a Global Hydrological Model for Regional Analyses of Flood and Drought Projections: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Basin
Zhao, F., Nie, N., Liu, Y., Yi, C., Guillaumot, L., Wada, Y., et al. (2025). | DOI: 10.1029/2024WR037153 | Water Resources Research
The Ocean System Pathways (OSPs): A New Scenario and Simulation Framework to Investigate the Future of the World Fisheries
Maury, O., Tittensor, D. P., Eddy, T. D., Allison, E. H., Bahri, T., Barrier, N., et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1029/2024EF004851 | Earth’s Future
Developing a Southern Ocean Marine Ecosystem Model Ensemble to Assess Climate Risks and Uncertainties
Murphy, K., Fierro-Arcos, D., Rohr, T., Green, D., Novaglio, C., Baker, K., et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1029/2024EF004849 | Earth’s Future
Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Pan Evaporation in Iran Using Quantile Trend Regression and Mann-Kendall Methods
Ghasemi, A. R., & Esmaeilpour, M. (2025) | DOI: 10.1029/2024EA003933 | Earth and Space Science
Changes in the Factors Influencing Forest Floor Terpenoid Emissions During Post-Fire Forest Succession
Zhang-Turpeinen, H., Aaltonen, H., Tang, J., Kou, D., Kivimäenpää, M., Rinnan, R., & Pumpanen, J. (2025) | DOI: 10.1029/2024JG008113 | Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
Temporal and Phenological Modulation of the Impact of Increasing Drought Conditions on Vegetation Growth in a Humid Big River Basin: Insights From Global Comparisons
Xiao, J., Terrer, C., Gentine, P., Tateno, R., Fan, L., Ma, M., et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1029/2024EF005720 | Earth’s Future
Chemical Weathering Rates, C-Q Relationships, Fluxes, Dam Impact and pCO2 Potential in the Ganga Headwaters: Insights From Weekly Time-Series Data
Shaifullah & Sen, I. S. (2025) | DOI: 10.1029/2024GB008320 | Global Biogeochemical Cycles
The coupled effect of climate change and LUCC on meteorological drought in a karst drainage basin, Southwest China
He, Z., Gu, X., Wang, M. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-93035-z | Scientific Reports
Monitoring, modeling, and forecasting long-term changes in coastal seawater quality due to climate change
Guan, X., Huang, H., Ke, X. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57913-4 | Nature Communications
Decreasing dynamic predictability of global agricultural drought with warming climate
Wu, H., Su, X., Huang, S. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02289-y | Nature Climate Change
Long-term stability of soil spectral libraries with chemical and spectral insights
Shepherd, J.E., Kanner, O., Amir, O. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-93792-x | Scientific Reports
Notable uncertainties in near real-time CO2 emission estimates in China
Hu, H., Geng, G., Xu, R. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41612-025-00991-4 | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Shifting influences of Indian Ocean Dipole and western Pacific subtropical high on annual precipitation δ18O in southern East Asia
Zhang, J., Yu, W., Thompson, L.G. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41612-025-01000-4 | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Global warming risks dehydrating and inflaming human airways
Edwards, D.A., Edwards, A., Li, D. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02161-z | Communications Earth & Environment
The severe 2020 coral bleaching event in the tropical Atlantic linked to marine heatwaves
Rodrigues, R.R., Gonçalves Neto, A.H., Vieira, E.A. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02195-3 | Communications Earth & Environment
Climate’s firm grip on glacier ablation in the Cordillera Darwin Icefield, Tierra del Fuego
Temme, F., Sommer, C., Schaefer, M. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57698-6 | Nature Communications
Climate driven generative time-varying model for improved decadal storm power predictions in the Mediterranean
Diodato, N., Di Salvo, C. & Bellocchi, G. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02196-2 | Communications Earth & Environment
Global distribution and predictive modeling of Vibrio vulnificus abundance
Riedinger, D.J., Hassenrück, C., Herlemann, D. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02182-8 | Communications Earth & Environment
The response of tropical cyclone hazard to natural and forced patterns of warming
Lin, J., Lee, CY., Camargo, S.J. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41612-025-00997-y | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Impacts of tourism on LULC and LST dynamics in district Buner and Shangla, Pakistan
Ullah, W., Ahmad, K., Tahir, A.A. et al. (225) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94230-8 | Scientific Reports
Multidecadal drought impacts on the Lower Colorado Basin with implications for future management
Scanlon, B.R., Pool, D.R., Rateb, A. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02149-9 | Communications Earth & Environment
Isotopic source signatures of stratospheric CO inferred from in situ vertical profiles
Hooghiem, J.J.D., Gromov, S., Kivi, R. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41612-025-00986-1 | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Rising nitrogen deposition leads to only a minor increase in CO2 uptake in Earth system models
Kou-Giesbrecht, S., Arora, V.K., Jones, C.D. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01943-1 | Communications Earth & Environment
Quantifying both socioeconomic and climate uncertainty in coupled human–Earth systems analysis
Morris, J., Sokolov, A., Reilly, J. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57897-1 | Nature Communications
Reduced North Pacific Deep Water formation across the Northern Hemisphere Glaciation
de Graaf, F., Ford, H.L., Burls, N. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58069-x | Nature Communications
Arctic warming as a potential trigger for the warm blob in the northeast Pacific
Chen, HH., Wang, Y., Li, X. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41612-025-00900-9 | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
A westward shift of heatwave hotspots caused by warming-enhanced land–air coupling
Zhang, K., Zuo, Z., Mei, W. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02302-4 | Nature Climate Change
Distributional outcomes of urban heat island reduction pathways under climate extremes
Eyni, A., Zaitchik, B.F., Hobbs, B.F. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-93896-4 | Scientific Reports
Biological enhancement of cloud droplet concentrations observed off East Antarctica
Mallet, M.D., Miljevic, B., Humphries, R.S. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41612-025-00990-5 | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Drought legacies delay spring green-up in northern ecosystems
Liu, Y., Zhang, Y., Peñuelas, J. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02273-6 | Nature Climate Change
Factors influencing the agricultural extension model sites in Iran
Amghani, M.S., Miladi, H., Savari, M. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94151-6 | Scientific Reports
Future climate response to observed strong El Niño analogues
Trascasa-Castro, P., Ruprich-Robert, Y. & Maycock, A.C. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41612-025-01003-1 | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Elevational dynamics of vegetation changes in response to climate change on the Tibetan plateau
Pu, G., Han, L., Chen, L. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94896-0 | Scientific Reports
Future enhanced threshold effects of wildfire drivers could increase burned areas in northern mid- and high latitudes
Zhao, H., Zhang, Z., Wang, X. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02202-7 | Communications Earth & Environment
Tropical cyclones enhance photosynthesis in moisture-stressed regions of India
Kashyap, R., Kuttippurath, J. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41612-025-00988-z | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Land snail shell morphology as a new Paleomonsoon proxy
Shen, H., Bao, R., Li, C. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-91903-2 | Scientific Reports
Dynamic failure mechanisms and hazard evaluation of rock collapse induced by extreme rainfall in Changbai County highways
Liu, X., Lang, Q., Zhang, J. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94756-x | Scientific Reports
New coasts emerging from the retreat of Northern Hemisphere marine-terminating glaciers in the twenty-first century
Kavan, J., Szczypińska, M., Kochtitzky, W. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02282-5 | Nature Climate Change
Climate influence on the early human occupation of South America during the late Pleistocene
Becerra-Valdivia, L. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58134-5 | Nature Communications
An interpretable machine learning model for seasonal precipitation forecasting
Pinheiro, E., Ouarda, T.B.M.J. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02207-2 | Communications Earth & Environment
Seasonal velocity patterns provide insights for the soft-bed subglacial hydrology continuum
Hart, J.K., Baurley, N.R., Bonnie, A. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02198-0 | Communications Earth & Environment
An inclusive classification optimization model for land use and land cover classification
Ma, L., Li, X. & Hou, J. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-91260-0 | Scientific Reports
Solid-state 31P NMR reveals the biological organophosphorus compounds as the dominant phosphorus species in Saharan dust aerosols
Violaki, K., Panagiotopoulos, C., Avalos, C.E. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02164-w | Communications Earth & Environment
Dynamic correlation analysis of sectoral electricity consumption and urban carbon concentration using machine learning models
Teng, Y., Zhang, H., Zhan, Y. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94201-z | Scientific Reports
Integrating geospatial, hydrogeological, and geophysical data to identify groundwater recharge potential zones in the Sulaymaniyah basin, NE of Iraq
Mohammed, S.H., Mohammed, M.A.A., Karim, H.A. et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94603-z | Scientific Reports
Livelihood vulnerability index: Assessment of climatic changes in flood affected areas of Mianwali district, Punjab, Pakistan
Akram A, Tahir A, Alam A, Waheed A (2025) | DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0315398 | PLoS ONE
Understanding climate-sensitive diseases in Bangladesh using systematic review and government data repository
Kabir MI, Hossain DM, Shawon MTH, Khan MMA, Islam MS, Hossain AS, et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313031 | PLoS ONE
Modelling the potential impact of climate change on the productivity of soybean in the Nigeria Savannas
Bebeley JF, Tofa AI, Kamara AY, Jibrin JM, Solomon R, Adeleke MA, et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313786 | PLoS ONE
Incremental and transformational climate change adaptation factors in agriculture worldwide: A comparative analysis using natural language processing
Gil-Clavel S, Wagenblast T, Filatova T (2025) | DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0318784 | PLoS ONE
Epidemiological dynamics of dengue in Peru: Temporal and spatial drivers between 2000 and 2022
Rufasto Goche KS, Lizarbe Castro MV, Lozano Zanelly GA, Lira Camargo WM, Ascayo Velasquez EY, Murillo Carrasco AG, et al. (2025) | DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319708 | PLoS ONE
Climate-induced risks, adaptation, and mitigation responses: a comparative study on climate-stressed coastal communities
Swarnokar SC, Mou SI, Sharmi SD, Iftikhar A and Jesmin S (2025) | DOI: 10.3389/fclim.2025.1553579 | Frontiers in Climate
Prediction of potential habitat of Verbena officinalis in China under climate change based on optimized MaxEnt model
Chen S, Jiang Z, Song J, Xie T, Xue Y and Yang Q (2025) | DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1563070 | Frontiers in Plant Science
Assessing the potential distribution of Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão (Aroeira) in the Caatinga under climate change scenarios
da Costa DB, de Lima RB, Caraciolo Ferreira RL, de Paula A, de Oliveira CP, Aleixo da Silva JA, Gomes JP, Santana MMM and Pereira ALL (2025) | DOI: 10.3389/ffgc.2025.1519432 | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Climate smart management practices add value to mature organic almond production system
Krach RJ, Daley CA and Liles GC (2025) | DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1527898 | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Providing the transport sector in Europe with fossil free energy – a model-based analysis under consideration of the MENA region
Krüger C, Doré L, Janßen T, Saurat M, Nebel A and Viebahn P (2025) | DOI: 10.3389/fenrg.2025.1524907 | Frontiers in Energy Research
Landscape configuration in seagrass meadows and its influence on carbon stock in reef lagoon systems
Herrera-Silveira JA, Palafox-Juárez EB, Mendoza-Martínez JE, Montero Muñoz JL and Teutli Hernández C (2025) | DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1320194 | Frontiers in Marine Science
Featured image credit: kjpargeter | Freepik
