Lipases are enzymes that hydrolyze triglycerides to fatty acids and glycerol. A typical element in lipases is a conserved motif of five amino acids (the pentapeptide), most commonly G-X-S-X-G. Lipases with the pentapeptide A-X-S-X-G are present in species of Bacillus, Paucimonas lemoignei, and the yeast Trichosporon asahii; they are usually thermotolerant and solvent resistant. Recently, while searching for true lipases in the Trichoderma harzianum genome, one lipase containing the pentapeptide AHSMG was identified. In this study, we cloned from T. harzianum strain B13-1 the lipase ID135964, renamed here as ThaL, which is 97.65% identical with the reference. We found that ThaL is a lid-containing true lipase of cluster III that belongs to a large family comprising highly conserved proteins in filamentous fungi in the orders Hypocreales and Glomerellales, in which predominantly pathogenic fungi are found. ThaL was expressed in conidia, as well as in T. harzianum mycelium, where it was cultured in liquid minimal medium. These results—together with the amino acid composition, absence of a signal peptide, mitochondrial sorting prediction, disordered regions in the protein, and lineage-specific phylogenetic distribution of its homologs—suggest that ThaL is a non-canonical effector. In summary, AHSMG-lipase is a novel lipase family in filamentous fungi, and is probably involved in pathogenicity.

The implementation of renewable energy is a viable option to reduce the use of fossil fuels and polluting emissions. Biomass is an excellent renewable energy source and is cleaner than coal. It can be obtained from organic inputs such as wood and agricultural waste and, if used sustainably, can meet the energy needs of various sectors. Densification is a technology with the potential to convert lignocellulosic waste into clean and sustainable solid biofuels. Densification involves compacting loose biomass particles using a mechanical press to produce sustainable solid biofuels with low pollutant content that are not dependent on fossil fuels. The important parameters during the manufacturing process are pressure, temperature, residence time in the press and shape of the briquettes. The production of briquettes imparts certain important properties to the briquettes, such as mechanical strength, density, combustion time and calorific quality. These properties depend on the raw material, binder and pressing process and are of utmost importance during transportation, handling and combustion of briquettes. In accordance with the above, this paper analyzes and describes the properties of different agricultural residues used in the production of briquettes and their potential as a sustainable energy source, as well as the properties that must be evaluated to define the quality of the briquettes. One of the current and future challenges is to improve the processes for producing briquettes using residual biomass and, to the minimum extent possible, binders that favor their energy and mechanical properties.

The global software industry is predominantly composed of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), highlighting the need for software quality management to ensure the proper functioning and quality of the software. This research focuses on the evaluation of the implementation of the ISO/IEC 29110 standard work products, which is a standard tailored by the ISO/IEC specifically for MSMEs, which improves the software development process by implementing two processes in its basic profile: Project Management (PM) and Software Implementation (SI). Despite this standard being tailored specifically for this type of enterprise, implementing ISO/IEC 29110 faces several challenges, such as a lack of knowledge and difficulties in adequately implementing the work products regarding the compliance of standard criteria, among others. To address these challenges, we introduce VSEST 29110, a web tool designed to evaluate the ISO/IEC 29110 standard implementation work products by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, specifically the ChatGPT model, provide detailed feedback on compliance with standard criteria, offer suggestions for improvement based on ChatGPT analysis and streamline the implementation process for MSMEs. To achieve this, our research incorporates a systematic literature review and validation through a case study by document analysis, demonstrating VSEST 29110’s effectiveness in enhancing compliance and providing comprehensive feedback compared to auditor recommendations, which impacts 69.33% on average.

Microbe–microbe interactions have been explored at the molecular level to a lesser degree than plant–pathogen interactions, primarily due to the economic impact of crop losses caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Effector proteins are well known for their role in disease development in many plant–pathogen pleinteractions, but there is increasing evidence showing their involvement in other types of interaction, including microbe–microbe interactions. Through the use of LC-MS/MS sequencing, effector candidates were identified in the in vitro interaction between a banana pathogen, Pseudocercospora fijiensis and a biological control agent, Trichoderma harzianum. The diverse interaction secretome revealed various glycoside hydrolase families, proteases and oxidoreductases. T. harzianum secreted more proteins in the microbial interaction compared to P. fijiensis, but its presence induced the secretion of more P. fijiensis proteins that were exclusive to the interaction secretome. The interaction secretome, containing 256 proteins, was screened for effector candidates using the algorithms EffHunter and WideEffHunter. Candidates with common fungal effector motifs and domains such as LysM, Cerato-platanin, NPP1 and CFEM, among others, were identified. Homologs of true effectors and virulence factors were found in the interaction secretome of T. harzianum and P. fijiensis. Further characterization revealed a potential novel effector of T. harzianum.

Currently, residual frying oil has three purposes: it is used again in the preparation of fried foods, mixed with new vegetable oil, which can cause cardiovascular disease in the consumer; it is collected by government institutions, without having an exclusive use; or it is thrown into the drain, causing serious pollution problems to water resources. An alternative is to transform it into biodiesel, through transesterification with methanol, to be used in internal combustion engines, biodiesel-diesel mixtures of 10:90, 15:85 and 20:80 (v/v), according to international regulations in such a way that, in the combustion process, less CO₂ and greenhouse gas emissions are generated. Residual frying oil served as raw material, which was collected, mixed and homogenized to evaluate physicochemical properties before transformation. The biodiesel generated had a density of 0.886 g L⁻¹, an acidity of 0.516%, a viscosity of 7.535 mm² s⁻¹, a flash point of 166.8 °C and an oxidative stability of 49 days at 25 °C. Additionally, the content of functional groups characteristic of biodiesel formation was evaluated by Infrared Spectroscopy. The Biodiesel obtained is of good quality for use in internal combustion engines and agricultural machinery, thus validating its continuous production and complying with the standard values of international regulations.