Biotechnological advances in plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for sustainable agriculture.

The rhizosphere, the soil zone surrounding plant roots, serves as a reservoir for numerous beneficial microorganisms that enhance plant productivity and crop yield, with substantial potential for application as biofertilizers. These microbes play critical roles in ecological processes such as nutrient recycling, organic matter decomposition, and mineralization. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) represent a promising tool for sustainable agriculture, enabling green management of crop health and growth, being eco-friendly alternatives to replace chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Echoes of the Mind: Auditory Charles Bonnet Syndrome.

Musical hallucinations (MH) represent a rare and complex auditory phenomenon where individuals perceive music without external stimuli. This case study explores auditory Charles Bonnet syndrome (ACBS) in a 51-year-old male with a history of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The patient reported hearing recognizable prayer chants, initially perceived as external sounds from a nearby temple.

CRISPR/Cas12a ribonucleoprotein mediated editing of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase of Spodoptera frugiperda.

In insect genome editing CRISPR/Cas9 is predominantly employed, while the potential of several classes of Cas enzymes such as Cas12a largely remain untested. As opposed to Cas9 which requires a GC-rich protospacer adjacent motif (PAM), Cas12a requires a T-rich PAM and causes staggered cleavage in the target DNA, opening possibilities for multiplexing. In this regard, the utility of Cas12a has been shown in only a few insect species such as fruit flies and the silkworm, but not in non-model insects such as the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, a globally important invasive pest that defies most of the current management methods.

Progress in the Optimization of Compositional Design and Thermomechanical Processing of Metastable β Ti Alloys for Biomedical Applications.

Over the past few years, significant research and development in the manufacturing industry related to the medical field has been done. The aim has been to improve existing biomaterials and bioimplants by exploring new methods and strategies. Beta titanium alloys, known for their exceptional strength-to-modulus ratio, corrosion resistance, biocompatibility, and ease of shaping, are expected to play a crucial role in manufacturing the next generation of biomedical equipment.

Computational analysis of affinity dynamics between the variants of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (RBD) and human ACE-2 receptor.

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 resulted in a significant worldwide health emergency known as the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis has been marked by the widespread of various variants, with certain ones causing notable apprehension. In this study, we harnessed computational techniques to scrutinize these Variants of Concern (VOCs), including various Omicron subvariants.