Editorial for 'Issue focus on 2nd Costa Rica biophysics symposium - March 11th-12th, 2021'.

This Editorial describes both the motivation for, and the five articles appearing in, the Issue Focus dedicated to the 2nd Costa Rica Biophysics Symposium which was held in March 2021. Some recent history about both the symposium and developments in science occurring within Costa Rica is described.

Announcing the call for the Issue Focus on the 2nd Costa Rican Biophysics Symposium-virtual meeting, March 2021.

This Commentary is a call for submissions for the upcoming Issue Focus that will highlight some of the scientific topics discussed during the 2 Costa Rica Biophysics Symposium.

Biogardens as constructed wetlands in tropical climate: A case study in the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.

In Costa Rica, <10% of wastewater is treated before its discharge. This generates a significant impact on the environment, public health, and tourism industry, which is one of the country's main economic activities. Biogardens, subsurface flow artificial wetlands, are alternative systems for the treatment of wastewater.

Mechanistic Investigation into DNA Modification by a Ru ,Rh Bimetallic Complex.

Despite significant progress in the treatment of cancer, there remains an urgent need for more effective therapies that also have less impact on patient wellbeing. Photodynamic therapy employs targeted light activation of a photosensitizer in selected tissues, thereby reducing off-target toxicity. Our group previously reported a Ru ,Rh bimetallic architecture that displays multifunctional covalent photomodification of DNA in the therapeutic window in an oxygen-independent manner, features that are essential for treating deep and hypoxic tumors.

Resazurin Live Cell Assay: Setup and Fine-Tuning for Reliable Cytotoxicity Results.

In vitro cytotoxicity tests allow for fast and inexpensive screening of drug efficacy prior to in vivo studies. The resazurin assay (commercialized as Alamar Blue) has been extensively utilized for this purpose in 2D and 3D cell cultures, and high-throughput screening. However, improper or lack of assay validation can generate unreliable results and limit reproducibility.

Detecting Chronic Post-Traumatic Osteomyelitis of Mouse Tibia via an IL-13Rα2 Targeted Metallofullerene Magnetic Resonance Imaging Probe.

Differential diagnosis of chronic post-traumatic osteomyelitis (CPO) from aseptic inflammation remains challenging, since both pathological processes share similar clinical symptoms. Here we utilized a novel targeted metallofullerene nanoparticle based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe IL-13-TAMRA-GdN@C(OH)(CHCHCOOH) to detect CPO in mouse tibia via overexpressed IL-13Rα2 receptors. The functionalized metallofullerene was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Exploring the activity of a polyazine bridged Ru(ii)-Pt(ii) supramolecule in F98 rat malignant glioma cells.

The mixed-metal supramolecular complex, [(Phphen)Ru(dpp)PtCl], displays significant DNA modification, cell growth inhibition, and toxicity towards F98 malignant glioma cells following visible light irradiation. The design of this complex affords superior cellular uptake and antiproliferative activity compared to the classic chemotherapeutic agent, cisplatin.

A new class of Ru(II) polyazine agents with potential for photodynamic therapy.

Appending anthracene units to [(bpy)2Ru(dpp)](2+) results in Ru(II) agents that exhibit dynamic photoreactivity towards DNA and protein. [(Anthbpy)(bpy)Ru(dpp)](2+) and [(Anthbpy)2Ru(dpp)](2+) are the first metal-organic Ru(II) agent with dpp ligands shown to photomodify DNA in the presence or absence of oxygen, while also binding protein in an oxygen-dependent manner.