Early Warning Measurement of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in Wastewaters by Mass Spectrometry.

Wastewater surveillance has rapidly emerged as an early warning tool to track COVID-19. However, the early warning measurement of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) in wastewaters remains a major challenge. We herein report a rapid analytical strategy for quantitative measurement of VOCs, which couples nested polymerase chain reaction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (nPCR-LC-MS).

Investigation of active site amino acid influence on carbon and chlorine isotope fractionation during reductive dechlorination.

Reductive dehalogenases (RDases) are corrinoid-dependent enzymes that reductively dehalogenate organohalides in respiratory processes. By comparing isotope effects in biotically catalyzed reactions to reference experiments with abiotic corrinoid catalysts, compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) has been shown to yield valuable insights into enzyme mechanisms and kinetics, including RDases. Here, we report isotopic fractionation (ε) during biotransformation of chloroform (CF) for carbon (εC = -1.

Cold Temperature Limits to Biodiesel Use under Present and Future Climates in North America.

Cold weather operability is sometimes a limiting factor in the use of biodiesel blends for transportation. Regional temperature variability can therefore influence biodiesel adoption, with potential economic and environmental implications. This study assesses present and future biodiesel cold weather operability limits in North America according to temperature data from weather stations, atmospheric reanalysis, and global climate models with highest resolution over Ontario, Canada.

Fibrous hydrogels under biaxial confinement.

Confinement of fibrous hydrogels in narrow capillaries is of great importance in biological and biomedical systems. Stretching and uniaxial compression of fibrous hydrogels have been extensively studied; however, their response to biaxial confinement in capillaries remains unexplored. Here, we show experimentally and theoretically that due to the asymmetry in the mechanical properties of the constituent filaments that are soft upon compression and stiff upon extension, filamentous gels respond to confinement in a qualitatively different manner than flexible-strand gels.

Evaluating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) removal across granular activated carbon (GAC) filter-adsorbers in drinking water treatment plants.

Granular activated carbon (GAC) was harvested from six filter-adsorbers that are used for taste and odour control in three drinking water treatment plants in Ontario, Canada, and evaluated for the removal of perfluorooctanic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) using minicolumn tests under different operational conditions. Parallel column tests were conducted using unsterilized GAC and sterilized GAC to distinguish adsorption from potential biodegradation of PFOA and PFOS across the GAC. It was observed that the GAC could achieve approximately 20% to 55% of PFOA and PFOS removal even after a long period of GAC operation (e.

Bioprocessing of biowaste derived from food supply chain side-streams for extraction of value added bioproducts through biorefinery approach.

Food chain-based waste is generated in tonnes globally and this has led to release of greenhouse gases, poor air quality, land and water pollution. Food wastes are generated in tremendous quantity globally from local producer to international consumers and traders. Authors have used systematic literature review to identify the research gaps, thematic areas, methodology, sustainable techniques and future directions of processing food supply chain waste.

Trends in Droplet Microfluidics: From Droplet Generation to Biomedical Applications.

Over the past decade, droplet microfluidics has attracted growing interest in biology, medicine, and engineering. In this feature article, we review the advances in droplet microfluidics, primarily focusing on the research conducted by our group. Starting from the introduction to the mechanisms of microfluidic droplet formation and the strategies for cell encapsulation in droplets, we then focus on droplet transformation into microgels.

Improving the Kumada Catalyst Transfer Polymerization with Water-Scavenging Grignard Reagents.

Conjugated polymers have received widespread interest as optoelectronic materials. Recently, these macromolecules have been adopted for biologically relevant applications, such as sensors, imaging agents, and drug delivery vectors. A major limitation of the chemistry used to prepare these classes of compounds is that the resultant polymers themselves are not tolerant to water or are not inherently water-soluble.

Aqueous zinc batteries: Design principles toward organic cathodes for grid applications.

The development of low-cost and sustainable grid energy storage is urgently needed to accommodate the growing proportion of intermittent renewables in the global energy mix. Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are promising candidates to provide grid storage due to their inherent safety, scalability, and economic viability. Organic cathode materials are especially advantageous for use in zinc-ion batteries as they can be synthesized using scalable processes from inexpensive starting materials and have potential for biodegradation at their end of life.

Quantification of nickel, cobalt, and manganese concentration using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy.

Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy is one of the most effective, inexpensive, flexible, and simplest analytical techniques to measure species concentration in the liquid phase. It has a wide range of applications such as wastewater treatment, dye degradation, colloidal nanoparticle characterization. It is used in almost every spectroscopy laboratory for routine analysis or research.

Enzymatic synthesis of kraft lignin-acrylate copolymers using an alkaline tolerant laccase.

Softwood kraft lignin is a major bioresource relevant to the production of sustainable bio-based products. Continued challenges to lignin valorization, however, include poor solubility in organic solvents and in aqueous solutions at neutral pH. Herein, an alkaline tolerant laccase was used to graft acrylate functionalities onto softwood kraft lignin, which is expected to enhance the reactivity of lignin with isocyanate when producing bio-based polyurethanes.

Triclosan uptake and transformation by the green algae Euglena gracilis strain Z.

Triclosan is an antimicrobial chemical present in consumer products that is frequently detected in aquatic environments. In this research, we investigated the role of a common freshwater microalgae species, Euglena gracilis for triclosan uptake and transformation in open-water treatment wetlands. Lab-scale wetland bioreactors were created under various conditions of light (i.

Macrophages Actively Transport Nanoparticles in Tumors After Extravasation.

Nanoparticles need to navigate a complex microenvironment to target cells in solid tumors after extravasation. Diffusion is currently the accepted primary mechanism for nanoparticle distribution in tumors. However, the extracellular matrix can limit nanoparticle diffusion.

Impact of Tumor Barriers on Nanoparticle Delivery to Macrophages.

The delivery of therapeutic nanoparticles to target cells is critical to their effectiveness. Here we quantified the impact of biological barriers on the delivery of nanoparticles to macrophages in two different tissues. We compared the delivery of gold nanoparticles to macrophages in the liver versus those in the tumor.

Biomimetic hydrogel supports initiation and growth of patient-derived breast tumor organoids.

Patient-derived tumor organoids (PDOs) are a highly promising preclinical model that recapitulates the histology, gene expression, and drug response of the donor patient tumor. Currently, PDO culture relies on basement-membrane extract (BME), which suffers from batch-to-batch variability, the presence of xenogeneic compounds and residual growth factors, and poor control of mechanical properties. Additionally, for the development of new organoid lines from patient-derived xenografts, contamination of murine host cells poses a problem.

PACER: a novel 3D plant cell wall model for the analysis of non-catalytic and enzymatic responses.

Background: Substrate accessibility remains a key limitation to the efficient enzymatic deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass. Limited substrate accessibility is often addressed by increasing enzyme loading, which increases process and product costs. Alternatively, considerable efforts are underway world-wide to identify amorphogenesis-inducing proteins and protein domains that increase the accessibility of carbohydrate-active enzymes to targeted lignocellulose components.

Untangling Mucosal Drug Delivery: Engineering, Designing, and Testing Nanoparticles to Overcome the Mucus Barrier.

Mucus is a complex viscoelastic gel and acts as a barrier covering much of the soft tissue in the human body. High vascularization and accessibility have motivated drug delivery to various mucosal surfaces; however, these benefits are hindered by the mucus layer. To overcome the mucus barrier, many nanomedicines have been developed, with the goal of improving the efficacy and bioavailability of drug payloads.

Evaluating the relative adsorption and biodegradation of 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin across granular activated carbon filter-adsorbers.

This study investigated the relative contributions of adsorption vs. biodegradation towards 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and geosmin removal in the granular activated carbon (GAC) harvested from six filter-adsorbers in three drinking water treatment plants in the Great Lakes region. Column tests using azide-treated (sterilized) and untreated GAC in parallel were used to isolate the two effects.

Updated Calibrated Model for the Prediction of Molecular Frontier Orbital Energies and Its Application to Boron Subphthalocyanines.

A diverse range of computational methods have been used to calibrate against available data and to compare against the correlation for the prediction of frontier orbital energies and optical gaps of novel boron subphthalocyanine (BsubPc) derivatives and related compounds. These properties are of fundamental importance to organic electronic material applications and development, making BsubPcs ideal candidates in pursuit of identifying promising materials for targeted applications. This work employs a database of highly accurate experimental data from materials produced and characterized in-house.

Biotinylated Lipid-Coated NaLnF Nanoparticles: Demonstrating the Use of Lanthanide Nanoparticle-Based Reporters in Suspension and Imaging Mass Cytometry.

Lanthanide nanoparticles (LnNPs) have the potential to be used as high-sensitivity mass tag reporters in mass cytometry immunoassays. For this application, however, the LnNPs must be made colloidally stable in aqueous buffers, demonstrate minimal non-specific binding to cells, and have functional groups to attach antibodies or other targeting agents. One possible approach to address these requirements is by using lipid coating to modify the surface of the LnNPs.

Assessment of Alkylated and Unsubstituted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Air in Urban and Semi-Urban Areas in Toronto, Canada.

22 alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (alk-PAHs) were characterized in ambient air individually for the first time in urban and semi-urban locations in Toronto, Canada. Five unsubstituted PAHs were included for comparison. Results from the measurements were used to estimate benzo[]pyrene equivalent toxicity (BaPeq) of individual compounds in order to investigate the significance of a single compound in contributing to the overall toxic equivalency (TEQ) of air mixtures.

Peptide-Polydopamine Nanocomposite Hydrogel for a Laser-Controlled Hydrophobic Drug Delivery.

Smart antibacterial systems, delivering antimicrobials in a highly controlled manner, are one strategy toward fighting the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Here, we engineer a laser-responsive antimicrobial nanocomposite hydrogel combining a peptide amphiphile and a photothermally active polydopamine nanoparticle (PDNP) to entrap the hydrophobic rifampicin within the hydrophilic hydrogel matrix. We show that the ability of the gelator to interact and retain rifampicin within the gel induced structural changes in its nanofiber network and mechanical properties.

Understanding adsorption and biodegradation in granular activated carbon for drinking water treatment: A critical review.

Drinking water treatment plants use granular activated carbon (GAC) to adsorb and remove trace organics, but the GAC has a limited lifetime in terms of adsorptive capacity and needs to be replaced before it is exhausted. Biological degradation of target contaminants can also occur in GAC filters, which might allow the GAC to remain in service longer than expected. However, GAC biofiltration remains poorly understood and unpredictable.

Degradable methacrylic acid-based synthetic hydrogel for subcutaneous islet transplantation.

Islet transplantation is a promising regenerative therapy that would reduce the dependence of type 1 diabetic patients on insulin injections. However, islet transplantation is not yet widely available, in part because there is no ideal transplant site. The subcutaneous space has been highlighted as a promising transplant site, but it does not have the vasculature required to support an islet graft.

Flexible, robust, and high-performance gas sensors based on lignocellulosic nanofibrils.

Gas detection in flexible electronics demands novel materials with superior sensing performance that have high mechanically strength, are flexible, low-cost, and sustainable. We explore a composite sensing nanopaper based on lignocellulosic cellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) as a renewable and mechanically strong substrate that enables the fabrication of flexible, and highly sensitive gas sensors. In the system the hydrophobic lignin covalently bonds to cellulose in the nanofibrils, increasing the nanopaper water-resistance and limiting sensing materials response to humidity.