Instance maps as an organising concept for complex experimental workflows as demonstrated for (nano)material safety research.

Nanosafety assessment, which seeks to evaluate the risks from exposure to nanoscale materials, spans materials synthesis and characterisation, exposure science, toxicology, and computational approaches, resulting in complex experimental workflows and diverse data types. Managing the data flows, with a focus on provenance (who generated the data and for what purpose) and quality (how was the data generated, using which protocol with which controls), as part of good research output management, is necessary to maximise the reuse potential and value of the data. Instance maps have been developed and evolved to visualise experimental nanosafety workflows and to bridge the gap between the theoretical principles of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable) data and the everyday practice of experimental researchers.

CompSafeNano project: NanoInformatics approaches for safe-by-design nanomaterials.

The CompSafeNano project, a Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) project funded under the European Union's Horizon 2020 program, aims to advance the safety and innovation potential of nanomaterials (NMs) by integrating cutting-edge nanoinformatics, computational modelling, and predictive toxicology to enable design of safer NMs at the earliest stage of materials development. The project leverages Safe-by-Design (SbD) principles to ensure the development of inherently safer NMs, enhancing both regulatory compliance and international collaboration. By building on established nanoinformatics frameworks, such as those developed in the H2020-funded projects NanoSolveIT and NanoCommons, CompSafeNano addresses critical challenges in nanosafety through development and integration of innovative methodologies, including advanced models, approaches including machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven predictive models and 1st-principles computational modelling of NMs properties, interactions and effects on living systems.

Electrochemical Switching of Laser-Induced Graphene/Polymer Composites for Tunable Electronics.

Laser reduction of graphene oxide (GO) is a promising approach for achieving flexible, robust, and electrically conductive graphene/polymer composites. Resulting composite materials show significant technological potential for energy storage, sensing, and bioelectronics. However, in the case of insulating polymers, the properties of electrodes show severely limited performance.

Coordinated conformational changes in P450 decarboxylases enable hydrocarbons production from renewable feedstocks.

Fatty acid peroxygenases have emerged as promising biocatalysts for hydrocarbon biosynthesis due to their ability to perform C-C scission, producing olefins - key building blocks for sustainable materials and fuels. These enzymes operate through non-canonical and complex mechanisms that yield a bifurcated chemoselectivity between hydroxylation and decarboxylation. In this study, we elucidate structural features in P450 decarboxylases that enable the catalysis of unsaturated substrates, expanding the mechanistic pathways for decarboxylation reaction.

Metabolomic Analysis and Computational Biology Reveal the Potential Metabolic Pathways for Improvement of Fucoxanthin and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) Biosynthesis in Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

This work aims to provide a basis for the enhancement of fucoxanthin (FCX) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) biosynthesis in the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum using metabolomics and computational biology. To achieve this, both targeted (UHPLC and GC-FID) and untargeted (FTIR and NMR) analyses were conducted throughout various stages of cell cultivation. Targeted analyses revealed that EPA concentrations peaked at the end of the logarithmic growth phase, while fucoxanthin levels remained consistent from the onset of this phase through to the stationary phase.

Biofabricated 3D Intestinal Models as an Alternative to Animal-Based Approaches for Drug Toxicity Assays.

Background: The main challenge in new drug development is accurately predicting the human response in preclinical models.

Methods: In this study, we developed three different intestinal barrier models using advanced biofabrication techniques: (i) a manual model containing Caco-2 and HT-29 cells on a collagen bed, (ii) a manual model with a Caco-2/HT-29 layer on a HDFn-laden collagen layer, and (iii) a 3D bioprinted model incorporating both cellular layers. Each model was rigorously tested for its ability to simulate a functional intestinal membrane.

Is the time to task failure during severe intensity exercise associated with muscle, blood, and respiratory changes?

The study aimed to verify the physiological and metabolic parameters associated with the time to task failure (TTF) during cycling exercise performed within the severe-intensity domain. Forty-five healthy and physically active males participated in two independent experiments. In experiment 1, after a graded exercise test, participants underwent constant work rate cycling efforts (CWR) at 115% of peak power output to assess neuromuscular function (Potentiated twitch) pre- and post-exercise.

Well-managed grass is a key strategy for carbon storage and stabilization in anthropized Amazon soils.

Soils under anthropic use in the Amazon region are often associated with soil carbon (C) stock losses. More recently, the restoration of degraded pastures and the introduction of integrated systems have changed this pattern, and soil C accumulation is often observed. This study evaluated an 11-year field experiment to quantify soil C changes and elucidate C stabilization mechanisms in areas under anthropic uses in the southern Amazon of Brazil.

Unraveling the Nanomechanical and Vibrational Properties of the Mayaro Virus.

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an emerging mosquito-borne viral pathogen whose infection results in arthritogenic disease. Despite ongoing research efforts, MAYV biology is largely unknown. Physical virology can assess MAYV nanoparticle metastability, assembly/disassembly, and polymorphism, allowing us to understand virion architecture and dynamics.

Exploring the combined toxicity of boron nitride nanosheets, cadmium and natural organic matter on Daphnia magna.

The increase in anthropogenic activities has led to the release of numerous chemicals and pollutants into aquatic ecosystems, raising significant concerns for water quality and health. Among the emerging issues is the interaction between pollutants and nanomaterials (mixture effects). In this work, it was studied the combined toxicity of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) and cadmium (Cd) incorporating the influence of natural organic matter (NOM) to enhance ecological relevance for the first time.

A metabologenomics approach reveals the unexplored biosynthetic potential of bacteria isolated from an Amazon Conservation Unit.

The Amazon, an important biodiversity hotspot, remains poorly explored in terms of its microbial diversity and biotechnological potential. The present study characterized the metabolic potential of Gram-positive strains of the Actinomycetes and Bacilli classes isolated from soil samples of an Amazon Conservation Unit. The sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene classified the strains ACT015, ACT016, and FIR094 within the genera , , and , respectively.

Internalization and Cellular Fate of Protein Corona-Coated Nanoparticles by Multimodal Multi-Scale Microscopy.

Upon exposure to biological environments, nanoparticles are rapidly coated with biomolecules, predominantly proteins, which alter their colloidal stability, biodistribution, and cell interactions. Despite extensive efforts to investigate the nanoparticles' fate, only a few studies use high-resolution characterization methods that allow in-depth characterization, and the existing methodologies are unable to differentiate particles internalized at the onset of incubation from those taken up toward the end of an incubation period. In this study, these limitations related to incubation disparities are overcame and precisely monitored the spatiotemporal displacement of colloidally stable protein corona-coated nanoparticles within cells.

The Emergence of Mem-Emitters.

The advent of memristors and resistive switching has transformed solid-state physics, enabling advanced applications such as neuromorphic computing. Inspired by these developments, we introduce the concept of Mem-emitters, devices that manipulate light-emission properties of semiconductors to achieve memory functionalities. Mem-emitters, influenced by past exposure to stimuli, offer a new approach to optoelectronic computing with potential for enhanced speed, efficiency, and integration.

Cis-eQTL analysis reveals genes involved in biological processes of the immune system in Nelore cattle.

The combination of transcriptional profiling and genotype data analyses enables the identification of genetic variants that may affect gene expression (eQTL - expression quantitative trait loci). This study aimed to identify cis-eQTL in Nellore cattle muscle tissue and determine their biological processes related to the immune system and involved eGenes. Genotypic data (SNP-Chip) and gene expression data (RNA-Seq) from a commercial population of 80 Nellore animals were evaluated.

Heterogeneous neutrophils in lung transplantation and proteolytic CXCL8 activation in COVID-19, influenza and lung transplant patient lungs.

Elevated neutrophil counts in broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluids of lung transplant (LTx) patients with chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) are associated with disease pathology. However, phenotypical characteristics of these cells remained largely unknown. Moreover, despite enhanced levels of the most potent human neutrophil-attracting chemokine CXCL8 in BAL fluid, no discrimination had been made between natural NH-terminally truncated CXCL8 proteoforms, which exhibit up to 30-fold differences in biological activity.

Glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides induce Poecilia reticulata to maintain redox equilibrium during and after coexposure to iron oxide nanoparticles (y-FeO).

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are being increasingly recognized as viable materials for environmental remediation due to their capacity to adsorb contaminants such as glyphosate (GLY) on their surfaces. Nevertheless, the ecotoxicological implications of IONPs associated with GLY necessitate thorough evaluation to ascertain the safety of such remediation strategies. In this context, the present investigation was conducted to examine hepatic biomarkers pertinent to the redox system, as well as ultrastructural hepatic alterations in Poecilia reticulata, following a 21-day exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of IONPs, iron ions (Fe), and glyphosate in its pure form (GLY) as well as a commercial glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH).

ssc-cdi: A Memory-Efficient, Multi-GPU Package for Ptychography with Extreme Data.

We introduce ssc-cdi, an open-source software package from the Sirius Scientific Computing family, designed for memory-efficient, single-node multi-GPU ptychography reconstruction. ssc-cdi offers a range of reconstruction engines in Python version 3.9.

Inhibition of Xanthomonas growth by bioactive volatiles from Pseudomonas sp. triggers remarkable changes in the phytopathogen transcriptome.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by microorganisms may have a noteworthy role in the control of plant pathogens. Xanthomonas are a well-studied group of phytobacteria that cause diverse diseases in economically important crops worldwide. Key species that infect sugarcane are X.

Disentangling the microbial genomic traits associated with aromatic hydrocarbon degradation in a jet fuel-contaminated aquifer.

Spills of petroleum or its derivatives in the environment lead to an enrichment of microorganisms able to degrade such compounds. The interactions taking place in such microbial communities are complex and poorly understood, since they depend on multiple factors, including diversity and metabolic potential of the microorganisms and a broad range of fluctuating environmental conditions. In our previous study, a complete characterization, based on high-throughput sequencing, was performed in a jet-fuel plume using soil samples and in in-situ microcosms amended with hydrocarbons and exposed for 120 days.

On the Non-Catalytic Role of Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases in Boosting the Action of PETases on PET Polymers.

Synthetic polymers are resistant to biological attack, resulting in their long-term accumulation in landfills and in natural aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are enzymes which oxidatively cleave the polysaccharide chains in recalcitrant polysaccharides such as cellulose. It has been widely hypothesised that LPMOs could be used to aid in the enzymatic breakdown of synthetic polymers.

Unveiling the impact of hypodermis on gene expression for advancing bioprinted full-thickness 3D skin models.

3D skin models have been explored as an alternative method to the use of animals in research and development. Usually, human skin equivalents comprise only epidermis or epidermis/dermis layers. Herein, we leverage 3D bioprinting technology to fabricate a full-thickness human skin equivalent with hypodermis (HSEH).