Comparative toxicological analysis of two pristine carbon nanomaterials (graphene oxide and aminated graphene oxide) and their corresponding degraded forms using human in vitro models.

Despite the wide application of graphene-based materials, the information of the toxicity associated to some specific derivatives such as aminated graphene oxide is scarce. Likewise, most of these studies analyse the pristine materials, while the available data regarding the harmful effects of degraded forms is very limited. In this work, the toxicity of graphene oxide (GO), aminated graphene oxide (GO-NH), and their respective degraded forms (dGO and dGO-NH) obtained after being submitted to high-intensity sonication was evaluated applying in vitro assays in different models of human exposure.

Toxicological assessment of pristine and degraded forms of graphene functionalized with MnOx nanoparticles using human in vitro models representing different exposure routes.

The development of novel advanced nanomaterials (NMs) with outstanding characteristics for their use in distinct applications needs to be accompanied by the generation of knowledge on their potential toxicological impact, in particular, that derived from different occupational risk exposure routes, such as inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. The harmful effects of novel graphene-metal oxide composites on human health are not well understood, many toxicological properties have not been investigated yet. The present study has evaluated several toxicological effects associated with graphene decorated with manganese oxide nanoparticles (GNA15), in a comparative assessment with those induced by simple graphene (G2), on human models representing inhalation (A549 cell line), ingestion (HT29 cell line) and dermal routes (3D reconstructed skin).

On the Tunability of Toxicity for Viologen-Derivatives as Anolyte for Neutral Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries.

Viologen-derivatives are the most widely used redox organic molecules for neutral pH negative electrolyte of redox flow batteries. However, the long-established toxicity of the herbicide methyl-viologen raises concern for deployment of viologen-derivatives at large scale in flow batteries. Herein, we demonstrate the radically different cytotoxicity and toxicology of a series of viologen-derivatives in in vitro assays using model organisms representative of human and environmental exposure, namely human lung carcinoma epithelial cell line (A549) and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Identification of Aquaporins Involved in Hydrogen Peroxide Signaling.

is a robust microbial cell factory for organic acid production. However, the regulation of many industrially important pathways is still poorly understood. The regulation of the glucose oxidase (Gox) expression system, involved in the biosynthesis of gluconic acid, has recently been uncovered.

Lab-on-a-chip for the easy and visual detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva based on sensory polymers.

The initial stages of the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 showed that early detection of the virus in a simple way is the best tool until the development of vaccines. Many different tests are invasive or need the patient to cough up or even drag a sample of mucus from the throat area. Besides, the manufacturing time has proven insufficient in pandemic conditions since they were out of stock in many countries.

Advances in experimental and computational methodologies for the study of microbial-surface interactions at different omics levels.

The study of the biological response of microbial cells interacting with natural and synthetic interfaces has acquired a new dimension with the development and constant progress of advanced omics technologies. New methods allow the isolation and analysis of nucleic acids, proteins and metabolites from complex samples, of interest in diverse research areas, such as materials sciences, biomedical sciences, forensic sciences, biotechnology and archeology, among others. The study of the bacterial recognition and response to surface contact or the diagnosis and evolution of ancient pathogens contained in archeological tissues require, in many cases, the availability of specialized methods and tools.

Toxicology assessment of manganese oxide nanomaterials with enhanced electrochemical properties using human in vitro models representing different exposure routes.

In the present study, a comparative human toxicity assessment between newly developed MnO nanoparticles with enhanced electrochemical properties (GNA35) and their precursor material (MnO) was performed, employing different in vitro cellular models representing main exposure routes (inhalation, intestinal and dermal contact), namely the human alveolar carcinoma epithelial cell line (A549), the human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT29), and the reconstructed 3D human epidermal model EpiDerm. The obtained results showed that MnO and GNA35 harbour similar morphological characteristics, whereas differences were observed in relation to their surface area and electrochemical properties. In regard to their toxicological properties, both nanomaterials induced ROS in the A549 and HT29 cell lines, while cell viability reduction was only observed in the A549 cells.

Comparative toxicological assessment of three soils polluted with different levels of hydrocarbons and heavy metals using in vitro and in vivo approaches.

The biological effects induced by the pollutants present in soils, together with the chemical and physical characterizations, are good indicators to provide a general overview of their quality. However, the existence of studies where the toxicity associated to soils contaminated with mixtures of pollutants applying both in vitro and in vivo models are scarce. In this work, three soils (namely, Soil 001, Soil 002 and Soil 013) polluted with different concentrations of hydrocarbons and heavy metals were evaluated using different organisms representative of human (HepG2 human cell line) and environmental exposure (the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas putida and, for the in vivo evaluation, the annelid Enchytraeus crypticus).

Evaluation of biostimulation, bioaugmentation, and organic amendments application on the bioremediation of recalcitrant hydrocarbons of soil.

In the present work, the operational conditions for improving the degradation rates of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) in contaminated soil from a machinery park were optimized at a microcosms scale along a 90-days incubation period. In this study, bioremediation strategies and an organic amendment have been tested to verify the remediation of soil contaminated with different hydrocarbons, mineral oils, and heavy metals. Specifically, designed biostimulation and bioaugmentation strategies were compared with and without adding vermicompost.

Toxicological assessment of nanocrystalline metal alloys with potential applications in the aeronautical field.

The development of new candidate alloys with outstanding characteristics for their use in the aeronautical field is one of the main priorities for the sector. In this context, nanocrystaline (nc) alloys are considered relevant materials due to their special features, such as their exceptional physical and mechanical properties. However, another important point that needs to be considered with newly developed alloys is the potential toxicological impact that these materials may have in humans and other living organisms.

Low Toxicological Impact of Commercial Pristine Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on the Yeast .

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted the attention of academy and industry due to their potential applications, being currently produced and commercialized at a mass scale, but their possible impact on different biological systems remains unclear. In the present work, an assessment to understand the toxicity of commercial pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the unicellular fungal model is presented. Firstly, the nanomaterial was physico-chemically characterized, to obtain insights concerning its morphological features and elemental composition.

Interactive effect of biochar and compost with Poaceae and Fabaceae plants on remediation of total petroleum hydrocarbons in crude oil contaminated soil.

The current study was dedicated to finding the effect of soil amendments (biochar and compost) on plants belonging to Poaceae and Fabaceae families. Plants selected for the phytoremediation experiment included wheat (Triticum aestivum), maize (Zea mays), white clover (Trifolium repens), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum). The physiological and microbial parameters of plants and soil were affected negatively by the 4 % TPHs soil contamination.

Processing Optimization and Toxicological Evaluation of "Lead-Free" Piezoceramics: A KNN-Based Case Study.

Due to the ever-increasing limitations of the use of lead-based materials, the manufacturing of lead-free piezoceramics with competitive piezoelectric properties and established nontoxicity is considered a priority for the scientific and industrial community. In this work, a lead-free system based on sodium potassium niobate (KNN), opportunely modified with MgNbO (MN), was prepared through a combination of a mechanochemical activation method and air sintering, and its toxicity was evaluated. The effect of the mechanical processing on the microstructure refinement of the processed powders was established by X-ray diffraction and the average crystallite size content of the NbO species was evaluated.

In vitro safety evaluation of rare earth-lean alloys for permanent magnets manufacturing.

Due to their exceptional physico-chemical and magnetic characteristics, rare earth (RE) permanent magnets are applied in multiple critical technologies. However, several environmental and economic difficulties arising from obtaining RE elements have prompted the search of alternatives with acceptable magnetic properties but containing a lower percentage of these elements in their composition. The aim of this work was to perform a preliminary toxicological evaluation of three forms of newly developed RE-lean alloys (one NdFeTi and two NdFeSi alloys) applying different in vitro assays, using as a benchmark a commercial NdFeB alloy.

Global Transcriptional Response of to Blocked Active Citrate Export through Deletion of the Exporter Gene.

is the major industrial citrate producer worldwide. Export as well as uptake of citric acid are believed to occur by active, proton-dependent, symport systems. Both are major bottlenecks for industrial citrate production.

Toxicological assessment of commercial monolayer tungsten disulfide nanomaterials aqueous suspensions using human A549 cells and the model fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The utilization of tungsten disulfide (WS) nanomaterials in distinct applications is raising due to their unique physico-chemical properties, such as low friction coefficient and high strength, which highlights the necessity to study their potential toxicological effects, due to the potential increase of environmental and human exposure. The aim of this work was to analyze commercially available aqueous dispersions of monolayer tungsten disulfide (2D WS) nanomaterials with distinct lateral size employing a portfolio of physico-chemical and toxicological evaluations. The structure and stoichiometry of monolayer tungsten disulfide (WS-ACS-M) and nano size monolayer tungsten disulfide (WS-ACS-N) was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, whereas a more quantitative approach to study the nature of formed oxidized species was undertaken employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Assessment of Physico-Chemical and Toxicological Properties of Commercial 2D Boron Nitride Nanopowder and Nanoplatelets.

Boron nitride (BN) nanomaterials have been increasingly explored for potential applications in chemistry and biology fields (e.g., biomedical, pharmaceutical, and energy industries) due to their unique physico-chemical properties.

Toxicological evaluation of MnAl based permanent magnets using different in vitro models.

Due to economic, environmental and geopolitical issues, the development of permanent magnets with a composition free of rare earth elements and with acceptable magnetic properties has been considered a priority by the international community, being MnAl based alloys amongst the most promising candidates. The aim of this work was to evaluate the toxicity of powders of two forms of newly developed MnAl(C) permanent magnets through exposure experiments applying three model organisms, using as a benchmark powders of a commercial rare-earth-containing magnet (NdFeB). For this purpose, the direct exposure to the different particles suspensions as well as to magnets leachates was evaluated.

Fate assessment of commercial 2D MoS aqueous dispersions at physicochemical and toxicological level.

The physicochemical properties and the toxicological potential of commercially available MoS nanoparticles with different lateral size and degradation stage were studied in the present research work. To achieve this, the structure and stoichiometry of fresh and old aqueous suspensions of micro-MoS and nano-MoS was analyzed by Raman, while x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy allowed to identify more quantitatively the nature of the formed oxidized species. A, the toxicological impact of the nanomaterials under analysis was studied using adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549 cells) and the unicellular fungus S.

Toxicological response of the model fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae to different concentrations of commercial graphene nanoplatelets.

Graphene nanomaterials have attracted a great interest during the last years for different applications, but their possible impact on different biological systems remains unclear. Here, an assessment to understand the toxicity of commercial polycarboxylate functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (GN) on the unicellular fungal model Saccharomyces cerevisiae was performed. While cell proliferation was not negatively affected even in the presence of 800 mg L of the nanomaterial for 24 hours, oxidative stress was induced at a lower concentration (160 mg L), after short exposure periods (2 and 4 hours).

Interaction Analysis of Commercial Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles with Unicellular Systems and Biomolecules.

The ability of commercial monolayer graphene oxide (GO) and graphene oxide nanocolloids (GOC) to interact with different unicellular systems and biomolecules was studied by analyzing the response of human alveolar carcinoma epithelial cells, the yeast and the bacteria to the presence of different nanoparticle concentrations, and by studying the binding affinity of different microbial enzymes, like the α-l-rhamnosidase enzyme RhaB1 from the bacteria and the AbG β-d-glucosidase from sp. (strain ATCC 21400). An analysis of cytotoxicity on human epithelial cell line A549, (colony forming units, ROS induction, genotoxicity) and (luminescence inhibition) cells determined the potential of both nanoparticle types to damage the selected unicellular systems.

Aspergillus niger citrate exporter revealed by comparison of two alternative citrate producing conditions.

Currently, there is no consensus regarding the mechanism underlying Aspergillus niger citrate biosynthesis and secretion. We hypothesise that depending on the experimental setup, extracellular citrate accumulation can have fundamentally different underlying transcriptomic landscapes. We show that varying the amount and type of supplement of an arginine auxotrophic A.

Forward Genetics by Genome Sequencing Uncovers the Central Role of the Locus in Hydrogen Peroxide Induced Glucose Oxidase Expression.

is an industrially important source for gluconic acid and glucose oxidase (GOx), a secreted commercially important flavoprotein which catalyses the oxidation of β-D-glucose by molecular oxygen to D-glucolactone and hydrogen peroxide. Expression of , the GOx encoding gene and the concomitant two step conversion of glucose to gluconic acid requires oxygen and the presence of significant amounts of glucose in the medium and is optimally induced at pH 5.5.