Two distinct receptor-binding domains of human glycyl-tRNA synthetase 1 displayed on extracellular vesicles activate M1 polarization and phagocytic bridging of macrophages to cancer cells.

Macrophages play important roles in cancer microenvironment. Human cytosolic glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GARS1) was previously shown to be secreted via extracellular vesicles (EVs) from macrophages to trigger cancer cell death. However, the effects of GARS1-containing EVs (GARS1-EVs) on macrophages as well as on cancer cells and the working mechanisms of GARS1 in cancer microenvironment are not yet understood.

The Renewable and Sustainable Conversion of Chitin into a Chiral Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-Sheath Nanofiber for Enantioselective Adsorption.

Well-known hard-template methods for nitrogen (N)-doped chiral carbon nanomaterials require complicated construction and removal of the template, high-temperature pyrolysis, harsh chemical treatments, and additional N-doping processes. If naturally occurring chiral nematic chitin nanostructures [(C H NO ) ] in exoskeletons were wholly transformed into an N-doped carbon, this would be an efficient and sustainable method to obtain a useful chiral nanomaterial. Here, a simple, sacrificial-template-free, and environmentally mild method was developed to produce an N-doped chiral nematic carbon-sheath nanofibril hydrogel with a surface area >300 m  g and enantioselective properties from renewable chitin biomass.

Electronic properties of several two dimensional halides from ab initio calculations.

Using density functional theory, we study the electronic properties of several halide monolayers. We show that their electronic bandgaps, as obtained with the HSE hybrid functional, range between 3.0 and 7.

Quantitative Analysis of Calcium Phosphate Nanocluster Growth Using Time-of-Flight Medium-Energy-Ion-Scattering Spectroscopy.

One of the remaining challenges in material chemistry is to unveil the quantitative compositional/structural information and thermodynamic nature of inorganic materials especially in the initial nucleation and growth step. In this report, we adopted newly developed time-of-flight medium-energy-ion-scattering (TOF-MEIS) spectroscopy to address this challenge and explored heterogeneously grown nanometer-sized calcium phosphate as a model system. With TOF-MEIS, we discovered the existence of calcium-rich nanoclusters (Ca/P ∼ 3) in the presence of the non-collagenous-protein-mimicking passivating ligands.

Electrochemically Controlled Solid Electrolyte Interphase Layers Enable Superior Li-S Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries suffer from shuttle reactions during electrochemical cycling, which cause the loss of active material sulfur from sulfur-carbon cathodes, and simultaneously incur the corrosion and degradation of the lithium metal anode by forming passivation layers on its surface. These unwanted reactions therefore lead to the fast failure of batteries. The preservation of the highly reactive lithium metal anode in sulfur-containing electrolytes has been one of the main challenges for Li-S batteries.

Intracellular Protein Delivery System Using a Target-Specific Repebody and Translocation Domain of Bacterial Exotoxin.

With the high efficacy of protein-based therapeutics and plenty of intracellular drug targets, cytosolic protein delivery in a cell-specific manner has attracted considerable attention in the field of precision medicine. Herein, we present an intracellular protein delivery system based on a target-specific repebody and the translocation domain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A. The delivery platform was constructed by genetically fusing an EGFR-specific repebody as a targeting moiety to the translocation domain, while a protein cargo was fused to the C-terminal end of the delivery platform.

An ab initio study of the electronic structure of indium and gallium chalcogenide bilayers.

Using first principle calculations, we have studied the structural and electronic properties of two dimensional bilayers of indium and gallium chalcogenides. With density functional theory corrected for van der Waals interactions, the different modes of stacking were investigated in a systematic way, and several of them were found to compete in energy. Then, their band structures were obtained with the GW approximation and found to correspond to indirect bandgap semiconductors with a small dependency on the mode of stacking.

Genetically functionalized ferritin nanoparticles with a high-affinity protein binder for immunoassay and imaging.

Molecular detection of target molecules with high sensitivity and specificity is of great significance in bio and medical sciences. Here, we present genetically functionalized ferritin nanoparticles with a high-affinity protein binder, and their utility as a signal generator in a variety of immunoassays and imaging. As a high-affinity protein binder, human IgG-specific repebody, which is composed of LRR (Leucine-rich repeat) modules, was used.

Nonviral Genome Editing Based on a Polymer-Derivatized CRISPR Nanocomplex for Targeting Bacterial Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance.

The overuse of antibiotics plays a major role in the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria. A molecularly targeted, specific treatment method for bacterial pathogens can prevent this problem by reducing the selective pressure during microbial growth. Herein, we introduce a nonviral treatment strategy delivering genome editing material for targeting antibacterial resistance.

Role of Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate at the Titanium Implant Interface In Vivo: Increased Hemophilicity, Inactive Platelet Adhesion, and Osteointegration.

Titanium is the most biocompatible inorganic biomaterial with a long history of use in orthopedic and dental implants. However, promoting rapid and effective bone formation and integration onto etched, rough TiO surfaces has been a challenging topic. Here, 21 commercially available molecules are examined that met the following criteria: (1) contain phosphonic acid for stable immobilization onto TiO surfaces and (2) have a molecular weight less than 500 Da for negligible coating thickness.

Digital DNA detection based on a compact optofluidic laser with ultra-low sample consumption.

DNA lasers self-amplify optical signals from a DNA analyte as well as thermodynamic differences between sequences, allowing quasi-digital DNA detection. However, these systems have drawbacks, such as relatively large sample consumption and complicated dye labelling. Moreover, although the lasing signal can detect the target DNA, it is superimposed on an unintended fluorescence background, which persists for non-target DNA samples as well.

Control of Periodic Zigzag Structures of DNA by a Simple Shearing Method.

A periodic zigzag structure of DNA material is successfully fabricated by a simple shearing method. The periodicity of the pattern can be finely controlled by combining the mechanical shearing method with topographic patterns of microchannels. The resultant zigzag patterns can be used as a template to control the alignment of rod-like liquid crystals due to its highly regular periodicity.

Protein Binders Specific for Immunoglobulin G from Different Species for Immunoassays and Multiplex Imaging.

An immunoassay is the most widely used method for analyzing a variety of analytes based on antigen-antibody interactions in the biological and medical sciences. However, the use of secondary antibodies has certain shortcomings, such as a high cost, cross-reactivity, and loss of binding affinity during labeling. Herein, we present the development of repebodies specifically binding to immunoglobulin G with a different origin, which is a small-sized nonantibody scaffold composed of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) modules, for use in immunoassays and imaging.

Galactosylated Lipidoid Nanoparticles for Delivery of Small Interfering RNA to Inhibit Hepatitis C Viral Replication In Vivo.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery can provide an effective therapy for treating viral diseases by silencing genes involved in viral replication. In this study, a liver-targeting formulation of lipidoid nanoparticle for delivery of siRNA that targets protein kinase C-related kinase 2 (PRK2) to inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication is reported. The most effective, minimally cytotoxic lipidoid for siRNA delivery to hepatic cells is identified from a small library of alkyl epoxide-polyamine conjugates.

Biologically Inspired Materials Exhibiting Repeatable Regeneration with Self-Sealing Capabilities without External Stimuli or Catalysts.

A new insect-cuticle- and fruit-browning-mimetic film exhibiting simultaneous self-healing and self-sealing properties only by ambient oxygen without external stimuli is developed. The film is formed at the liquid/air interface via crosslinking of phenolic compounds and poly(amine) chains. The film can be self-healed over a hundred times under ambient air at room temperature without exogenous materials and stimuli.

Bimodal Control of Heat Transport at Graphene-Metal Interfaces Using Disorder in Graphene.

Thermal energy transport across the interfaces of physically and chemically modified graphene with two metals, Al and Cu, was investigated by measuring thermal conductance using the time-domain thermoreflectance method. Graphene was processed using a He ion-beam with a Gaussian distribution or by exposure to ultraviolet/O, which generates structural or chemical disorder, respectively. Hereby, we could monitor changes in the thermal conductance in response to varying degrees of disorder.

Orientation Control of Smectic Liquid Crystals via a Combination Method of Topographic Patterning and In-Plane Electric Field Application for a Linearly Polarized Illuminator.

We dynamically controlled the configuration of layering structures built by smectic A liquid crystal molecules using the combination method of the microchannel confinement and the in-plane electric field to realize the linearly polarized illuminator and bistable structures. Once a mild in-plane electric field (∼30 V) is applied between polymeric walls, the layer configuration was changed from the toric focal conic domains to periodic zigzag patterns of alternatively packed focal conic domains. The transformed zigzag patterns maintained their structures even after turning off the applied electric fields, revealing the ability for use in a bistable memory device.

Airflow-aligned helical nanofilament (B4) phase in topographic confinement.

We investigated a controlled helical nanofilament (HNF: B4) phase under topographic confinement with airflow that can induce a shear force and temperature gradient on the sample. The resulting orientation and ordering of the B4 phase in this combinational effort was directly investigated using microscopy. The structural freedom of the complex B7 phase, which is a higher temperature phase than the B4 phase, can result in relatively complex microscopic arrangements of HNFs compared with the B4 phase generated from the simple layer structure of the B2 phase.

Fast Fabrication of Sub-200-nm Nanogrooves Using Liquid Crystal Material.

Self-assembly of soft materials attracts keen interest for patterning applications owing to its ease and spontaneous behavior. We report the fabrication of nanogrooves using sublimation and recondensation of liquid crystal (LC) materials. First, well-aligned smectic LC structures are obtained on the micron-scale topographic patterns of the microchannel; then, the sublimation and recondensation process directly produces nanogrooves having sub-200-nm scale.

Amelioration of sepsis by TIE2 activation-induced vascular protection.

Protection of endothelial integrity has been recognized as a frontline approach to alleviating sepsis progression, yet no effective agent for preserving endothelial integrity is available. Using an unusual anti-angiopoietin 2 (ANG2) antibody, ABTAA (ANG2-binding and TIE2-activating antibody), we show that activation of the endothelial receptor TIE2 protects the vasculature from septic damage and provides survival benefit in three sepsis mouse models. Upon binding to ANG2, ABTAA triggers clustering of ANG2, assembling an ABTAA/ANG2 complex that can subsequently bind and activate TIE2.

Thickness-dependent photocatalytic performance of graphite oxide for degrading organic pollutants under visible light.

Photocatalysts use sustainable solar light energy to trigger various catalytic reactions. Metal-free nanomaterials have been suggested as cost-effective and environmentally friendly photocatalysts. In this work, we propose thickness-controlled graphite oxide (GO) as a metal-free photocatalyst, which is produced by exfoliating thick GO particles via stirring and sonication.

Mussel-Inspired Anisotropic Nanocellulose and Silver Nanoparticle Composite with Improved Mechanical Properties, Electrical Conductivity and Antibacterial Activity.

Materials for wearable devices, tissue engineering and bio-sensing applications require both antibacterial activity to prevent bacterial infection and biofilm formation, and electrical conductivity to electric signals inside and outside of the human body. Recently, cellulose nanofibers have been utilized for various applications but cellulose itself has neither antibacterial activity nor conductivity. Here, an antibacterial and electrically conductive composite was formed by generating catechol mediated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the surface of cellulose nanofibers.

Chiral nematic self-assembly of minimally surface damaged chitin nanofibrils and its load bearing functions.

Chitin is one of the most abundant biomaterials in nature, with 10(10) tons produced annually as hierarchically organized nanofibril fillers to reinforce the exoskeletons of arthropods. This green and cheap biomaterial has attracted great attention due to its potential application to reinforce biomedical materials. Despite that, its practical use is limited since the extraction of chitin nanofibrils requires surface modification involving harsh chemical treatments, leading to difficulties in reproducing their natural prototypal hierarchical structure, i.

Nanomechanics of Poly(catecholamine) Coatings in Aqueous Solutions.

Mussel-inspired self-polymerized catecholamine coatings have been widely utilized as a versatile coating strategy that can be applied to a variety of substrates. For the first time, nanomechanical measurements and an evaluation of the contribution of primary amine groups to poly(catecholamine) coatings have been conducted using a surface-forces apparatus. The adhesive strength between the poly(catecholamine) layers is 30-times higher than that of a poly(catechol) coating.