News Item
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Caroline Seydel
Summary: With the advent of new technologies, synthetic DNA is becoming more readily available and affordable. Regulators are preparing to intervene to prevent misuse.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Isabella Hetherington, Hana Totary-Jain
Summary: Atherosclerosis is the primary pathology underlying many cardiovascular diseases and is a major global cause of death. Current therapies focus on controlling risk factors rather than targeting the cells that cause plaque formation. This review summarizes the milestones, strengths, and limitations of current anti-atherosclerotic therapies while also exploring potential game-changing technologies such as nanomedicine, mRNA therapeutics, and gene editing for precision medicine in CVD clinical practice.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
F. Pelayo Garcia de Arquer, Dmitri Talapin, Victor Klimov, Yasuhiko Arakawa, Manfred Bayer, Edward H. Sargent
Summary: This article explores the distinctive behavior of electrons in quantum-confined semiconductor nanostructures and their impact on material properties, specifically focusing on the potential applications of zero-dimensional semiconductor quantum dots in optics and materials science.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Pardis Miri, Horia Margarit, Andero Uusberg, Keith Marzullo, Tali M. Ball, Daniel Yamins, Robert Flory, James J. Gross
Summary: In this study, the impact of a vibrotactile breathing pacer on affect measurements during cognitive stress was evaluated. The results showed that changes in breathing parameters were not responsible for the observed changes in self-report anxiety.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON AFFECTIVE COMPUTING
(2023)
Article
Business
Jaime Bonnin Roca
Summary: This article discusses the challenges encountered while teaching technological forecasting to undergraduate students. The challenges are grouped into three categories: inherent uncertainty in the forecasting process, lack of appropriate learning materials, and methodological inconsistencies. The article explores how these challenges manifest in the classroom and discusses potential solutions. Additionally, actions that the forecasting community could undertake to improve both teaching and research in this field are also proposed.
TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
(2022)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhuyu Wang, Chaojun Wang, Yuan Chen, Li Wei
Summary: Covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) are emerging as promising materials candidates for various energy storage applications, especially as capacitive electrode materials in supercapacitors. They have abundant and tunable pores, large and easily accessible surfaces, and plenty of redox-active sites. This review provides a timely and comprehensive summary of the recent progress in the design and synthesis of COF-based or COF-derived materials for capacitive energy storage applications, categorizing and introducing recent literature based on different energy storage mechanisms and material assembly or treatment approaches, and discussing the existing challenges and future directions for practical COF-based supercapacitors.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Reeta Rani Singhania, Anil Kumar Patel, Anusuiya Singh, Dibyajyoti Haldar, Shveta Soam, Chiu-Wen Chen, Mei -Ling Tsai, Cheng-Di Dong
Summary: Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is a production method that directly produces value-added compounds from biomass, reducing inputs and chemical use. However, commercialization has been limited due to low conversion efficiency. The key challenge is developing a cost-effective CBP process with bifunctional catalysts.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Abdul Ghani Olabi, Qaisar Abbas, Pragati A. Shinde, Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem
Summary: Historically, advancements in rechargeable batteries have been achieved through discoveries and development cycles. However, as battery systems become more complex and new applications emerge, strategic approaches are needed to commercialize newly developed battery chemistries. Currently, lithium-ion batteries dominate the market, but alternative battery systems based on cost-effectiveness, safety, and environmental friendliness are being explored.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Willams Barbosa, Paulo Correia, Jaqueline Vieira, Ingrid Leal, Leticia Rodrigues, Tatiana Nery, Josiane Barbosa, Milena Soares
Summary: Cultured meat, produced by 3D bioprinting, has gained traction in the scientific community and is seen as a possible alternative to conventional meat products. The growing number of related publications and advancements made by private companies and startups indicate that cultured meat as a substitute for conventional meat is becoming a reality. However, there are challenges such as regulation, acceptance, biomaterials selection, replacement of fetal bovine serum, and achieving similar texture and nutritional value to conventional meat.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Ianthe A. E. M. van Belzen, Alexander Schoenhuth, Patrick Kemmeren, Jayne Y. Hehir-Kwa
Summary: Cancer is often characterized by acquired genomic abnormalities, including structural variants (SVs), but research into the role of SVs in cancer has been limited due to challenges in detection. Biological and computational challenges hinder SV detection in cancer samples, such as intratumor heterogeneity and distinguishing tumor-specific SVs from variants present in healthy cells. Full-spectrum SV detection in cancer requires integration of multiple algorithms and sequencing technologies to accurately identify complex rearrangements.
NPJ PRECISION ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Economics
Xiaoqian Sun, Sebastian Wandelt, Anming Zhang
Summary: COVID-19 has highlighted the potential for rethinking air transportation towards pandemic-resilient systems. Challenges in technological innovation and education of aviation professionals need to be addressed in order to seize opportunities for restructuring the aviation industry in a pandemic-resilient way.
Review
Food Science & Technology
Pervin Ari Akin, Ilkem Demirkesen, Scott R. Bean, Fadi Aramouni, Ismail Hakki Boyaci
Summary: This review paper discusses different types of sorghum bread and factors that affect its properties. It also explores methods to improve the quality of sorghum flour, dough, and bread, as well as techniques for enhancing sorghum functionality.
Review
Energy & Fuels
D. Vignesh, Ela Rout
Summary: Proton conductors (PCs) are versatile materials used in proton conducting solid oxide fuel cells (PC-SOFC). While PCs offer advantages in PC-SOFC applications, they also have limitations, such as the trade-off between proton conductivity and chemical stability. The different reactive constituents in PCs lead to varying chemical stability under different conditions, affecting proton conductivity. Material engineering through acceptor defect substitutions can improve protonation and charge dynamics, but it presents challenges at higher dopant volume fractions. Understanding the factors contributing to structural and electrophysical diversities in PCs is important for future research and advanced energy applications.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Pierre Gaffuri, Elena Stolyarova, Daniel Llerena, Estelle Appert, Marianne Consonni, Stephane Robin, Vincent Consonni
Summary: The paper discusses the importance of indium, gallium, and rare-earth elements in white light emitting diodes (wLEDs), as well as the potential changes in performance and consumer preferences resulting from the reduction and substitution of critical materials. Through a choice experiment with nearly 300 consumers, the results show a positive willingness to pay for critical material-free wLEDs.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Mohammadali Habibi, Ronald D. Berger, Hugh Calkins
Summary: RF ablation has been utilized in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias for over three decades, and with improvements in catheter designs and energy delivery, the procedure is now much safer and more efficient.
Letter
Hematology
Martina Zatopkova, Tereza Sevcikova, Viola Fanfani, Zuzana Chyra, Lucie Rihova, Renata Bezdekova, David Zihala, Katerina Growkova, Jana Filipova, Lucie Cerna, Lucie Broskevicova, Fedor Kryukov, Jiri Minarik, Jana Smejkalova, Vladimir Maisnar, Lubica Harvanova, Ludek Pour, Alexandra Jungova, Tereza Popkova, Juli Rodriguez Bago, Anjana Anilkumar Sithara, Matous Hrdinka, Tomas Jelinek, Michal Simicek, Giovanni Stracquadanio, Roman Hajek
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jitong Cai, Jianan Zhan, Dan E. Arking, Joel S. Bader
Summary: This study compares the abilities of using larger cohorts and utilizing prior biological knowledge to boost the power of hypothesis testing. The results show that for GWAS, strong priors that limit testing to a subset of genes provide less power than increasing cohort sizes. Therefore, if a statistical question can be answered by larger cohort sizes, it should be answered by larger cohort sizes rather than by more complicated biased methods involving priors. Priors are better suited for non-statistical aspects of biology, such as pathway structure and causality.
BMC BIOINFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Robert G. Sears, Stephen B. Rigoulot, Alessandro Occhialini, Britany Morgan, Tayebeh Kakeshpour, Holly Brabazon, Caitlin N. Barnes, Erin M. Seaberry, Brianna Jacobs, Chandler Brown, Yongil Yang, Tayler M. Schimel, Scott C. Lenaghan, C. Neal Stewart
Summary: Nuclear energy is expected to grow in order to meet climate goals, leading to an increased need to detect leakage from nuclear plants and assess their impact on ecosystems. Mechanical sensors currently used to detect gamma radiation have limitations, prompting the development of a plant biosensor that utilizes synthetic biology to detect low-dose ionizing radiation. The radiation phytosensor has shown promising results in detecting gamma radiation exposure and functioning effectively in real-world scenarios.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Makiha Fukuda, Jitong Cai, Joel S. Bader, Jef D. Boeke
Summary: A synthetic biology approach to constructing an RNA-based genome expands our understanding of living things and opens avenues for technological advancement. Understanding the structure-function relationships of RNA sequences is critical for the precise design of an artificial RNA replicon.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hong-Wen Tang, Kerstin Spirohn, Yanhui Hu, Tong Hao, Istvan A. Kovacs, Yue Gao, Richard Binari, Donghui Yang-Zhou, Kenneth H. Wan, Joel S. Bader, Dawit Balcha, Wenting Bian, Benjamin W. Booth, Atina G. Cote, Steffi de Rouck, Alice Desbuleux, Kah Yong Goh, Dae-Kyum Kim, Jennifer J. Knapp, Wen Xing Lee, Irma Lemmens, Cathleen Li, Mian Li, Roujia Li, Hyobin Julianne Lim, Yifang Liu, Katja Luck, Dylan Markey, Carl Pollis, Sudharshan Rangarajan, Jonathan Rodiger, Sadie Schlabach, Yun Shen, Dayag Sheykhkarimli, Bridget TeeKing, Frederick P. Roth, Jan Tavernier, Michael A. Calderwood, David E. Hill, Susan E. Celniker, Marc Vidal, Norbert Perrimon, Stephanie E. Mohr
Summary: This study uses advanced methods to identify protein-protein interactions in Drosophila, generating widely useful physical and data resources for the identification of new components in pathways, complexes, and processes. The generation of reference maps of interactome networks provides a protein-centric approach to discover new components in existing pathways, complexes, and processes, which is helpful for genetic studies. The results include the FlyBi dataset and the DroRI reference interaction network, which provide a foundation for building new hypotheses about protein networks and function.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mst Shamira Sultana, Mitra Mazarei, Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes, Tarek Hewezi, Reginald J. J. Millwood, C. Neal Stewart
Summary: Trypsin inhibitors (TIs) in plants play a protective role against herbivores by reducing the biological activity of trypsin. Soybean contains two major TI classes, Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) and Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI). This study investigated the potential role of soybean TIs in plant defense against insects and nematodes. Overexpression of TI genes in soybean and Arabidopsis led to significant increase in trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activities and reduced larvae weight of corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea). However, no differences were observed in soybean cyst nematode (SCN) female index between transgenic and non-transgenic plants. The study highlights the potential applications of TI genes for insect resistance improvement in plants.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mitra Mazarei, Pratyush Routray, Sarbottam Piya, C. Neal Stewart Jr, Tarek Hewezi
Summary: In this study, a transcriptome analysis of RNA-seq data was performed to select candidate genes associated with root growth and development in soybean. Overexpression of the GmNAC19 and GmGRAB1 transcription factors in transgenic composite plants significantly increased root growth, biomass, and seed yield. Additionally, GmNAC19 overexpression enhanced water stress tolerance in the transgenic plants.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Camila Magalhaes Cardador, Luis Alexandre Muehlmann, Cintia Marques Coelho, Luciano Paulino Silva, Aisel Valle Garay, Alexandra Maria dos Santos Carvalho, Izabela Marques Dourado Bastos, Joao Paulo Figueiro Longo
Summary: The use of nucleotides in biomedical applications has been a longstanding desire in the scientific community. Nucleotides are unstable molecules and require additional protection to prolong their shelf life in a biological environment. Nano-sized liposomes have proven to be an effective tool for overcoming the instability of nucleotides. Due to their low immunogenicity and ease of preparation, liposomes have been selected as the main strategy for delivering mRNA in COVID-19 immunization. This review article presents examples of liposomes used to protect and deliver nucleotides for cancer therapy, immunostimulatory activities, enzymatic diagnostic applications, veterinarian use, and the treatment of neglected tropical diseases.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alexander C. Pfotenhauer, Alessandro Occhialini, Stacee A. Harbison, Li Li, Agnieszka A. Piatek, Curtis R. Luckett, Yongil Yang, C. Neal Stewart, Scott C. Lenaghan
Summary: Genome editing technology has been used to improve staple food crops, such as potato, by increasing their yield. In this study, CRISPR/Cas9 was used to edit the genome of potato and successfully increased the size of starch granules in tubers, resulting in increased yield. The results of this study demonstrate the enormous potential of genome editing technology for crop improvement.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zheng-Jun Guan, Min Zheng, Zhi-Xi Tang, Wei Wei, C. Neal Stewart Jr
Summary: In this study, differential expression of total protein in leaves of two transgenic oilseed rape lines and their non-transgenic parent plant was analyzed. Fourteen differential protein spots were identified, including eleven upregulated and three downregulated proteins, involved in photosynthesis, transporter function, metabolism, protein synthesis, and cell growth and differentiation. These changes in protein spots may be attributed to the insertion of foreign transgenes in transgenic oilseed rape, but transgenic manipulation does not necessarily cause significant changes in the proteomes of oilseed rape.
Article
Education & Educational Research
Heloisa Oss Boll, Matheus de Castro Leitao, Aisel Valle Garay, Ana Carolina Campos Batista, Sophia Garcia de Resende, Leonardo Ferreira da Silva, Viviane Castelo Branco Reis, Emerson Monteiro Vieira, Cintia Marques Coelho
Summary: Synthetic biology combines engineering and biology to design and create living organisms and systems for new or improved functionalities. However, teaching synthetic biology can be challenging due to a lack of specific educational materials and techniques. This study demonstrates the use of computer-assisted design (CAD) and 3D printing to create molecular models of a synthetic biological circuit, the genetic toggle switch, which positively impacted students' learning process and understanding.
FRONTIERS IN EDUCATION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Douglas Densmore, Nathan J. Hillson, Eric Klavins, Chris Myers, Jean Peccoud, Giovanni Stracquadanio
ACM JOURNAL ON EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN COMPUTING SYSTEMS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Developmental Biology
Marc Guell, Marlon R. Schneider
Article
Plant Sciences
Britany Lauren Morgan, Tayebeh Kakeshpour, Alessandro Occhialini, Gabriella King, Megan Sichterman, Stacee A. Harbison, Stephen B. Rigoulot, Holly Brabazon, Charles Neal Stewart Jr, Scott C. Lenaghan
Summary: The heterologous expression of the Escherichia coli OtsB gene in potato significantly improves the plant's resilience to various stress factors, including heat, photoperiod, herbivory, and competition. This increase in stress tolerance leads to higher tuber yield and overall stability in crop plants.
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Wei Wei, Charles Neal Stewart Jr
