Weiwen Zhang

Zhen Han

This work illustrates China’s values and how they are practiced. After introducing readers to the theories, systematical structure, historical status, and influence of traditional Chinese values, it points out major developmental trends in connection with modernization. Further, it explores the significance of the contemporary reconstruction of Chinese values and argues that these values can be divided into three layers: values-based goals of national development, Chinese values concepts, and norms of values in a civil society. On this basis, it subsequently interprets the core socialist values “Prosperity, Democracy, Civility and Harmony,” the value concepts “Freedom, Equality, Justice and Rule of Law” and values-based norms “Patriotism, Dedication, Integrity and Friendship.”

Contemporary Value Systems in China

David Nielsen

Exponentially increasing information on biological organisms coupled with increasing computational power in the past decade have broadened the perspective of fundamental biological research, bringing about considerable promise and unprecedented potential for practical applications in biotechnology. As one emergent discipline, synthetic biology aims to design and engineer novel biologically-based parts, devices, and systems, in addition to redesigning existing, natural biological systems. Although previously relegated to demonstration studies, more recent research in synthetic biology has focused on the rational engineering of industrial microorganisms with the potential to address many of society’s critical challenges. Within the realm of industrial microbiology, progress in the field of synthetic biology has enabled the development of, for example, new biosynthetic pathways for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals, programmable logic controls to regulate and optimize cell function, and robust microbes for the destruction of harmful environmental contaminants. Some of the exciting examples included producing anti-malarial drug, anti- cancer taxol precursor and various biofuel molecules in E. coli and yeast. In addition, these researches have also greatly enhanced our understanding of the cellular machinery and its regulation in some of the industry important microbes, laying an important foundation for further design and engineering of biological function for even greater application. For these reasons, we present here a collection of articles from the leading edge of the field of synthetic biology, with a specific focus on the development in industrial microorganisms. It is the intent of this collection to reach a wide audience whose interests and expertise spans from development of novel synthetic biology methodologies and theories (both experimental and computational) to practical applications seeking to address issues facing the world today.

Synthetic biology applications in industrial microbiology

Johan H. J. Leveau

Ferdi L. Hellweger

Jan-Ulrich Kreft

Clara Prats

Recent technological advances in single-cell microbiology, using flow cytometry, microfluidics, x-ray fluorescence microprobes, and single-cell -omics, allow for the observation of individuals within populations. Simultaneously, individual-based models (or more generally agent-based models) allow for individual microbes to be simulated. Bridging these techniques forms the foundation of individual-based ecology of microbes (µIBE). µIBE has elucidated genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity that has important consequences for a number of human interests, including antibiotic or biocide resistance, the productivity and stability of industrial fermentations, the efficacy of food preservatives, and the potential of pathogens to cause disease. Individual-based models can help us to understand how these sets of traits of individual microbes influence the above. This eBook compiles all publications from a recent Research Topic in Frontiers in Microbiology. It features recent research where individual observational and/or modelling techniques are applied to gain unique insights into the ecology of microorganisms. The Research Topic “The Individual Microbe: Single-Cell Analysis and Agent-Based Modelling” arose from the 2016 @ASM conference of the same name hosted by the American Society for Microbiology at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. We are grateful to ASM for funding and hosting this conference.

Weiwen Zhang

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