Artificial intelligence-driven rational design of ionizable lipids for mRNA delivery.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have proven effective in mRNA delivery, as evidenced by COVID-19 vaccines. Its key ingredient, ionizable lipids, is traditionally optimized by inefficient and costly experimental screening. This study leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual screening to facilitate the rational design of ionizable lipids by predicting two key properties of LNPs, apparent pKa and mRNA delivery efficiency.

Reconstitution of pluripotency from mouse fibroblast through Sall4 overexpression.

Somatic cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by overexpressing defined transcription factors. Specifically, overexpression of OCT4 alone has been demonstrated to reprogram mouse fibroblasts into iPSCs. However, it remains unclear whether any other single factor can induce iPSCs formation.

Substrate-Mediated Growth of Au Nanowires Under Weak CTAB Control and Rapid Au Deposition.

The selective Au deposition at the Au-substrate interface is known to give ultrathin Au nanowires and the synthesis usually employs strong thiol-based ligands. It is shown that, by increasing the rate of Au deposition, weak cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) can be made to behave like a strong ligand, so that it induces Active Surface Growth and gives Au nanowires. The ligand strength also depends on the packing interactions in the ligand layer, in the order of CTAB, CTAB, and CTAB.

Slow-release boron fertilizer improves yield and nutritional profile of L. grown in Northeast China by increasing boron supply capacity.

The northeastern part of China is a traditional sugar beet cultivation area where the soils are classified generally as the black and albic soil types with low boron (B) availability. Boron fertilizer can increase soil B content and significantly improve crop yield and quality. At present, the effects of slow-release B fertilizer on beet root yield and quality remain unclear.

Understanding the influence of plant genetic factors on rhizosphere microbiome assembly in .

Introduction: Functional rhizosphere microbiomes (FRM) are critical for plant health and yield. However, the ecological succession of FRM and their links to plant genetic factors across the life cycle of perennial plants remain poorly understood.

Methods: This study profiled FRM, including plant-beneficial bacteria (PBB) and fungal plant pathogens (FPP), across different developmental stages of .