Functionalized porous carbon microspheres packed column for solid phase extraction and preconcentration of trace metal ions in food and water samples.

Porous materials play a crucial role in the extraction of trace analytes; yet, the attainment of high selectivity and efficient regeneration continues to pose a considerable problem. In this study, we employed a green method to synthesize porous carbon microspheres. These microspheres were subsequently functionalized with aminophosphonic acid to facilitate the extraction of heavy metal ions from real samples.

Conformational dynamics of superoxide dismutase (SOD1) in osmolytes: a molecular dynamics simulation study.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by the misfolding of Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). Several earlier studies have shown that monomeric apo SOD1 undergoes significant local unfolding dynamics and is the predecessor for aggregation. Here, we have employed atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the structure and dynamics of monomeric apo and holo SOD1 in water, aqueous urea and aqueous urea-TMAO (trimethylamine oxide) solutions.

Understanding the phyto-interaction of heavy metal oxide bulk and nanoparticles: evaluation of seed germination, growth, bioaccumulation, and metallothionein production.

The fast-growing use of nano-based products without proper care has led to a major public health concern. Nanomaterials contaminating the environment pose serious threat to the productivity of plants and food chain to human health. Realizing these, four vegetable crops, radish, cucumber, tomato, and alfalfa, were exposed to varying concentrations of heavy metal oxide (TiO, ZnO, AlO and CuO) submicron or bulk (BPs) and nanoparticles (NPs) to assess their impact on relative seed germination (RSG), seed surface adsorption, root/shoot tolerance index (RTI/STI), bioaccumulation, and metallothioneins (MTs) production.