Fc-binding nanodisc restores antiviral efficacy of antibodies with reduced neutralizing effects against evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Passive antibody therapies, typically administered via parenteral routes, have played a crucial role in the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has revealed significant limitations of this approach, primarily due to mutational escape and the inadequate delivery of antibodies to the upper respiratory tract. To overcome these challenges, we propose a novel prophylactic strategy involving the intranasal delivery of an antibody in combination with an Fc-binding nanodisc.

Engineering the future of medicine: Natural products, synthetic biology and artificial intelligence for next-generation therapeutics.

The eXchange Unit between Thiolation domains approach and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tools like Synthetic Intelligence are transforming nonribosomal peptide synthetase and polyketide synthase engineering, enabling the creation of novel bioactive compounds that address critical challenges like antibiotic resistance and cancer. These innovations expand chemical space and optimize biosynthetic pathways, offering precise and scalable therapeutic solutions. Collaboration across synthetic biology, AI, and clinical research is essential to translating these breakthroughs into next-generation treatments and revolutionizing drug discovery and patient care.

Physicochemical properties and biological interaction of calcium silicate-based sealers - in vivo model.

Objectives: To investigate volumetric changes, in vivo biocompatibility, and systemic migration from eight commercial endodontic sealer materials in paste/paste, powder/liquid, and pre-mixed forms.

Materials And Methods: The sealers AH Plus Bioceramic, AH Plus Jet, BioRoot RCS, MTApex, Bio-C Sealer, Bio-C Sealer Ion+, EndoSequence BC Sealer and NeoSEALER Flo were studied. After characterisation by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry (XRD), tubes were implanted in Wistar rats' alveolar bone and subcutaneous tissues.

Uniform volumetric single-cell processing for organ-scale molecular phenotyping.

Extending single-cell analysis to intact tissues while maintaining organ-scale spatial information poses a major challenge due to unequal chemical processing of densely packed cells. Here we introduce Continuous Redispersion of Volumetric Equilibrium (CuRVE) in nanoporous matrices, a framework to address this challenge. CuRVE ensures uniform processing of all cells in organ-scale tissues by perpetually maintaining dynamic equilibrium of the tissue's gradually shifting chemical environment.

Revealing catalyst restructuring and composition during nitrate electroreduction through correlated operando microscopy and spectroscopy.

Electrocatalysts alter their structure and composition during reaction, which can in turn create new active/selective phases. Identifying these changes is crucial for determining how morphology controls catalytic properties but the mechanisms by which operating conditions shape the catalyst's working state are not yet fully understood. In this study, we show using correlated operando microscopy and spectroscopy that as well-defined CuO cubes evolve under electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction conditions, distinct catalyst motifs are formed depending on the applied potential and the chemical environment.

Expanding the frontiers of electrocatalysis: advanced theoretical methods for water splitting.

Electrochemical water splitting, which encompasses the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), offers a promising route for sustainable hydrogen production. The development of efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts is crucial for advancing this technology, especially given the reliance on expensive transition metals, such as Pt and Ir, in traditional catalysts. This review highlights recent advances in the design and optimization of electrocatalysts, focusing on density functional theory (DFT) as a key tool for understanding and improving catalytic performance in the HER and OER.

Biocementation beyond the Petri dish, scaling up to 900 L batches and a meter-scale column.

Microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP), which leverages ureolytic microorganisms, has received significant attention during the past decade as a promising method for sustainable building and geoenvironmental applications. However, transitioning from lab-scale experimentation to volumes suitable for practical use poses challenges. This study addresses these obstacles by screening and analyzing over 50 strains sourced from (i) a natural environment in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland; (ii) microorganism banks; and (iii) an industry-scale bioreactor.

Improving the thermal and hydrophobic properties of bamboo biocomposite as sustainable acoustic absorbers.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the potential of chemical modification to improve the hydrophobic properties and thermal stability of bamboo fibers and to evaluate the sound absorption performance of raw and modified fibers. To achieve this goal, bamboo fibers were modified using stearic acid coatings and aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles. The results showed that the modification of fibers with stearic acid (STA) can improve the contact angle and hydrophobicity of bamboo fibers, so that for modified fibers with a concentration of 0.

Life cycle comparison of industrial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling and mining supply chains.

Recycling lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) can supplement critical materials and improve the environmental sustainability of LIB supply chains. In this work, environmental impacts (greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, energy consumption) of industrial-scale production of battery-grade cathode materials from end-of-life LIBs are compared to those of conventional mining supply chains. Converting mixed-stream LIBs into battery-grade materials reduces environmental impacts by at least 58%.

Advancing neutron imaging techniques to highest resolution with fluorescent nuclear track detectors.

Neutron imaging is a nondestructive and noninvasive inspection technique with a wide range of potential applications. However, the fundamentals of this technique still need to be improved, one of which involves achieving micrometer scale or even better resolution, which is a challenging task. Recently, a high-resolution neutron imaging device based on fine-grained nuclear emulsions was developed.

Silver single atoms and nanoparticles on floatable monolithic photocatalysts for synergistic solar water disinfection.

Photocatalytic water disinfection technology is highly promising in off-grid areas due to abundant year-round solar irradiance. However, the practical use of powdered photocatalysts is impeded by limited recovery and inefficient inactivation of stress-resistant bacteria in oligotrophic surface water. Here we prepare a floatable monolithic photocatalyst with ZIF-8-NH loaded Ag single atoms and nanoparticles (Ag/ZIF).

Mechanical force-induced interlayer sliding in interfacial ferroelectrics.

Moiré superlattices in two-dimensional stacks have attracted worldwide interest due to their unique electronic properties. A typical example is the moiré ferroelectricity, where adjacent moirés exhibit opposite spontaneous polarization that can be switched through interlayer sliding. However, in contrast to ideal regular ferroelectric moiré domains (equilateral triangles) built in most theoretical models, the unavoidable irregular moiré supercells (non-equilateral triangles) induced by external strain fields during the transfer process have been given less attention.

Triplet-ground-state nonalternant nanographene with high stability and long spin lifetimes.

High-spin carbon-based polyradicals exhibit significant potential for applications in quantum information storage and sensing; however, their practical application is hampered by limited structural diversity and chemical instability. Here, we report a straightforward synthetic and isolation method for synthesizing a nonalternant nanographene (1) with a triplet ground state. Moving beyond the classic m-xylylene scaffold for high-spin organic molecules, seven-five-seven (7-5-7)-membered rings are introduced to create stable high-spin diradicals with half-lives (t) as long as 101 days.

Branched endosomal disruptor (BEND) lipids mediate delivery of mRNA and CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complex for hepatic gene editing and T cell engineering.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the preeminent non-viral drug delivery vehicle for mRNA-based therapies. Immense effort has been placed on optimizing the ionizable lipid (IL) structure, which contains an amine core conjugated to lipid tails, as small molecular adjustments can result in substantial changes in the overall efficacy of the resulting LNPs. However, despite some advancements, a major barrier for LNP delivery is endosomal escape.

Chemical catalyst manipulating cancer epigenome and transcription.

The number and variety of identified histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) are continually increasing. However, the specific consequences of each histone PTM remain largely unclear, primarily due to the lack of methods for selectively and rapidly introducing a desired histone PTM in living cells without genetic engineering. Here, we report the development of a cell-permeable histone acetylation catalyst, BAHA-LANA-PEG-CPP44, which selectively enters leukemia cells, binds to chromatin, and acetylates H2BK120 of endogenous histones in a short reaction time.

Determination of main influence mechanism of fulvic acid on arsenic removal by ferric chloride.

In this study, synthetic wastewater containing 110 µg/L arsenate (As(V)), 0-20 mg/L fulvic acid (FA), and 0-12.3 mg/L phosphate was treated with 3 mg/L Fe. The mechanisms of FA and phosphate effects on As(V) removal by ferric chloride were determined using 0.

Rapid screening of inorganic arsenic in groundwater on-site by a portable three-channel colorimeter.

Rapid screening of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in groundwater used for drinking by hundreds of millions of mostly rural residents worldwide is crucial for health protection. Most commercial field test kits are based on the Gutzeit reaction that uses mercury-based reagents for color development, an environmental concern that increasingly limits its utilization. This study further improves the Molybdenum Blue (MB) colorimetric method to allow for faster screening with more stable reagents.

Cotreatment strategy for hazardous arsenic-calcium residue and siderite tailings via arsenic fixation as scorodite.

Siderite tailings is a potentially cost-free iron (Fe) source for arsenic (As) fixation in hazardous arsenic-calcium residues (ACR) as stable scorodite. In this study, a pure siderite reagent was employed to investigate the mechanism and optimal conditions for As fixation in ACR via scorodite formation, while the waste siderite tailings were used to further demonstrate the cotreatment method. The cotreatment method starts with an introduction of sulfuric acid to the ACR for As extraction and gypsum precipitation, and is followed by the addition of HO to oxidize As(III) in the extraction solutions and finalized by adding siderite with continuous air injection for scorodite formation.

[Construction and application of an inducible transcriptional regulatory tool from in ].

Transcriptional regulation based on transcription factors is an effective regulatory method widely used in microbial cell factories. Currently, few naturally transcriptional regulatory elements have been discovered from and applied. Moreover, the discovered elements cannot meet the demand for specific metabolic regulation of exogenous compounds due to the high background expression or narrow dynamic ranges.

Elucidating the Origins of High Capacity in Iron-Based Conversion Materials: Benefit of Complementary Advanced Characterization toward Mechanistic Understanding.

ConspectusLithium-ion batteries are recognized as an important electrochemical energy storage technology due to their superior volumetric and gravimetric energy densities. Graphite is widely used as the negative electrode, and its adoption enabled much of the modern portable electronics technology landscape. However, developing markets, such as electric vehicles and grid-scale storage, have increased demands, including higher energy content and a diverse materials supply chain.

Enhancing dark fermentative biohydrogen and VFA production via ozone pre-treatment.

This study investigates the effects of ozone pre-treatment on two types of organic wastes: secondary sludge (SS) and wine vinasse (WV). Ozone pre-treatment of SS, a semi-solid waste, significantly increased the Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and Total Volatile Fatty Acids (TVFAs) through hydrolysis. Conversely, ozone pre-treatment of WV, a liquid organic waste, reduced the availability of soluble biodegradable substrates and decreased the concentration of carboxylic acids with carbon chain length higher than 4.

Enhancing performance of in-situ synthesized biocompatible shape memory polyurethane acrylate by cellulose nanocrystals.

This study presents the development of biocompatible and biodegradable nanocomposites utilizing renewable cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in polycaprolactone (PCL)-based polyurethane acrylates (PUA) through in situ polymerization. First, CNCs were derived from cotton linter via acid hydrolysis; then functionalized with 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane to produce silane-modified CNCs (S-CNCs). CNCs offered uniform dispersion in PUA up to 2 wt% loading, resulting in significant property enhancements, including ~60 % increase in tensile strength and ~25 % increase in Young's modulus.

Effect of nanocomposite chitosan/hydroxyapatite pH-induced hydrogels on the osteogenic differentiation of spheroids from adipose stem cells.

Chitosan is gaining scientific recognition as a hydrogel in bone tissue engineering (BTE) due to its ability to support osteoblast attachment and proliferation. However, its low mechanical strength and lack of structural integrity limit its application. Nanometric hydroxyapatite (HA) is used as a filler to enhance the mechanical properties and osteoinductivity of hydrogels.

Advanced flame-retardant biocomposites: Polylactic acid reinforced with green gallic acid‑iron‑phosphorus coated flax fibers.

This study introduces a sustainable approach for enhancing the fire retardancy and smoke suppression of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites, contributing to addressing one of the major challenges in biocomposites that limits their application in various engineering fields, as automotive and construction sectors. Flax fibers (FF) were surface functionalized with a novel organic-inorganic hybrid flame retardant (FR), offering a sustainable bioinspired approach that mitigates potential mechanical properties impairment and FR leaching, which can cause environmental concerns and reduced composite durability. The process involves a three-step coating procedure.