Microplastics released from food containers can suppress lysosomal activity in mouse macrophages.

The ingestion and accumulation of microplastics is a serious threat to the health and survival of humans and other organisms given the increasing use of daily-use plastic products, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, whether direct microplastic contamination from plastic packaging is a threat to human health remains unclear. We analyzed the market demand for plastic packaging in Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe and identified the commonly used plastic food packaging products.

Recyclable and Reusable Natural Plant-Based Paper for Repeated Digital Printing and Unprinting.

Although paperless technologies are becoming ubiquitous, paper and paper-based materials remain one of the most widely used resources, predicted to exceed an annual total of 460 million metric tons by 2030. Given the environmental challenges, deleterious impact on natural resources, and waste associated with conventional wood-based paper manufacturing, developing more sustainable strategies to source, produce, and recycle paper from natural materials is essential. Here, the development and production of reusable and recyclable paper are reported.

Influence of Chemical and Physical Change of Pollen Microgels on Swelling/De-Swelling Behavior.

Pollen, the male microgametophyte of seed plants, is commonly used as a food and health supplement. Here, a facile method to transform sunflower pollen into pH-responsive microgels with tailored properties is presented. The structure and morphology of the pollen microgel are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and dynamic image particle analysis based on potassium hydroxide treatment with various incubation time and concentration.

Photocurable Albumin Methacryloyl Hydrogels as a Versatile Platform for Tissue Engineering.

Photopolymerization of protein-derived polymers functionalized with methacryloyl groups has been increasingly used to fabricate three-dimensional tissue constructs for biomedical applications because photocurable protein-based polymers (e.g., gelatin and collagen methacryloyl) feature spatial-temporal controllability of engineering complex constructs as well as inherent biological properties.

Species-Specific Biodegradation of Sporopollenin-Based Microcapsules.

Sporoderms, the outer layers of plant spores and pollen grains, are some of the most robust biomaterials in nature. In order to evaluate the potential of sporoderms in biomedical applications, we studied the biodegradation in simulated gastrointestinal fluid of sporoderm microcapsules (SDMCs) derived from four different plant species: lycopodium (Lycopodium clavatum L.), camellia (Camellia sinensis L.

Functional Kidney Bioengineering with Pluripotent Stem-Cell-Derived Renal Progenitor Cells and Decellularized Kidney Scaffolds.

Recent advances in developmental biology and stem cell technology have led to the engineering of functional organs in a dish. However, the limited size of these organoids and absence of a large circulatory system poses limits to its clinical translation. To overcome these issues, decellularized whole kidney scaffolds with native microstructure and extracellular matrix (ECM) are employed for kidney bioengineering, using human-induced pluripotent-stem-cell-derived renal progenitor cells and endothelial cells.