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CRISPR utilizing Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9) and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) employing catalytically inactive SpCas9 (SpdCas9) have gained popularity for Escherichia coli engineering. To integrate the SpdCas9‐based CRISPRi module using CRISPR while avoiding mutual interference between SpCas9/SpdCas9 and their cognate single‐guide RNA (sgRNA), this study aimed at exploring an alternative Cas nuclease orthogonal to SpCas9. We compared several Cas9 variants from different microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus (SaCas9) and Streptococcus thermophilius CRISPR1 (St1Cas9) as well as Cas12a derived from Francisella novicida (FnCas12a). At the commonly used E. coli model genes  LacZ, we found that SaCas9 and St1Cas9 induced DNA cleavage more effectively than FnCas12a. Both St1Cas9 and SaCas9 were orthogonal to SpCas9 and the induced DNA cleavage promoted the integration of heterologous DNA of up to 10 kb, at which size St1Cas9 was superior to SaCas9 in recombination frequency/accuracy. We harnessed the St1Cas9 system to integrate SpdCas9 and sgRNA arrays for constitutive knockdown of three genes, knock‐in pyc and knockout adhE, without compromising the CRISPRi knockdown efficiency. The combination of orthogonal CRISPR/CRISPRi for metabolic engineering enhanced succinate production while inhibiting byproduct formation and may pave a new avenue to E. coli engineering. Orthogonal St1Cas9 and SpdCas9 can be combined for CRISPR/CRISPRi‐mediated metabolic engineering (gene integration, knockout, and suppression) to enhance succinate production in Escherichia coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An iron-catalyzed synthesis of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids from alkynes and carbon dioxide was developed. This reaction proceeds through hydromagnesiation of alkynes followed by carbon dioxide insertion under atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature in the presence of iron and a Grignard reagent as a catalyst and hydride source, respectively. Several symmetrical and unsymmetrical alkynes were transformed into the corresponding acids in good to excellent yields. The methodology provides an efficient route to the synthesis of vinyl carboxylic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two flame‐retardant epoxy curing agents, 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐yl‐tris(4‐hydroxyphenyl)methane (1) and 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐yl‐ (4‐aminophenyl)‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)methane (2), were prepared by a facile, economic, one‐pot procedure. The structures of the curing agents were confirmed by IR, high‐resolution mass, 1‐D, and 2‐D NMR spectra. A reaction mechanism was proposed for the preparation, and the effect of electron withdrawing/donating effects on the stabilization of the carbocation was discussed. (1‐2) served as curing agents for diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), dicyclopentadiene epoxy (HP‐7200), and cresol novolac epoxy (CNE). Properties such as glass transition temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal decomposition temperature, and flame retardancy of the resulting epoxy thermosets were evaluated. The resulting epoxy thermosets show high Tg, low thermal expansion, moderate thermostability, and excellent flame retardancy. The bulky biphenylene phosphinate pendant makes polymer chains difficult to rotate, explaining the high Tg and low thermal expansion characteristic. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7898–7912, 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]