Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kenza Djeghdi, Ullrich Steiner, Bodo D. Wilts
Summary: The bright colors of Pachyrhynchus weevils are due to complex dielectric nanostructures within their elytral scales. The red scales exhibit a periodic diamond structure, while the blue scales exhibit diamond morphology only on the single scattering unit level with disorder on longer length scales.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Hector D. Perez, Ignacio E. Grossmann
Summary: Optimization problems with discrete-continuous decisions are traditionally modeled using (non)linear mixed-integer programming. Generalized disjunctive programming (GDP) provides a more general way of modeling such systems using algebraic constraints and logic. This work extends GDP to address modeling and solving systems with nested disjunctions, and proves that explicitly modeling nested disjunctions is superior to traditional methods.
OPTIMIZATION AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Sahar Choukir, Derek Aranguren van Egmond, Benjamin D. Hatton, Glenn D. Hibbard, Chandra Veer Singh
Summary: The development of additive manufacturing allows for precise manufacturing of lattice materials. This study investigates the effect of disorder properties of honeycombs on stiffness, strength, fracture toughness, and crack propagation paths. The results show that pseudo-order realizations with moderate disorder demonstrate the best strength-toughness trade-off. With increased plasticity, there is a significant increase in fracture toughness but a decrease in strength compared to regular honeycombs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing Wang, Siming Zhao, Guang Min, Dongling Qiao, Binjia Zhang, Meng Niu, Caihua Jia, Yan Xu, Qinlu Lin
Summary: This study investigates how the interplay between starch and proteins affects the multi-scale structures of starch during thermal processing. The results show that starch-globular protein interactions accelerate starch granule swelling but decrease paste stability, while starch-casein interactions have opposite effects.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lingji Hua, Chi Zhang, Ali Shomali, Benoit Coasne, Dominique Derome, Jan Carmeliet
Summary: This study simulates the sorption-deformation interplay in hierarchical porous cellulose structures and reveals the mechanisms in materials with different slit-pore sizes. It shows that the sorption behavior in the hybrid system is similar to that of bulk cellulose before capillary condensation, and the interaction between micropores and mesopores influences the deformation after condensation.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Andrea Francesco Russillo, Giuseppe Failla
Summary: This paper proposes an exact reduced-order dynamic-stiffness model for studying the dynamics of two-dimensional hierarchical beam lattices. The model accurately condenses the nodal degrees of freedom of the lattice structure internal to the unit cell and connected to the primary nodes, and allows for the exact modal response to external loading in both time and frequency domains. The proposed model is validated through numerical comparisons with standard finite-element solutions in ABAQUS.
THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Tony Yu, Mark Petrovic, Aria Attia, Diego Galindo, Mark C. Staub, Seyong Kim, Christopher Y. Li, Michele Marcolongo
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the effects of mineralization on cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, as well as the impact of periodicity of BCP nanofiber shish kebab (BCP NFSK) structures on cell behavior. Results showed that mineralized BCP NFSK templates significantly increased ALP activity in cells, while varying periodicity did not show a statistical difference in ALP activity, suggesting that surface chemistry played a larger role than surface roughness.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART B-APPLIED BIOMATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Martijn Wehrens, Laurens H. J. Krah, Benjamin D. Towbin, Rutger Hermsen, Sander J. Tans
Summary: This study reveals that catabolic enzyme expression in E. coli cells continuously responds to metabolic fluctuations, which is regulated by the cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cAMP receptor protein (CRP) system. The study uses single-cell microscopy, genetic constructs, and mathematical modeling to show how fluctuations circulate through the metabolic and genetic network at sub-cell-cycle timescales. The findings suggest that the cAMP-CRP system may have evolved to control both internal metabolic fluctuations and external growth conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Siqi Wang, Yu Xiao, Yongjin Chen, Shang Peng, Dongyang Wang, Tao Hong, Zhi Yang, Yuejun Sun, Xiang Gao, Li-Dong Zhao
Summary: The ternary compound CuSbSe2-alloyed PbTe, CumPb100SbmTe100Se2m (CLAST), exhibits outstanding n-type thermoelectric transport behavior, with hierarchical Cu-based precipitates and interstitials playing a key role in balancing phonon and carrier transport. By introducing a small amount of CuSbSe2 alloying, the room-temperature carrier concentration and power factor can be optimized, while embedded Cu-based nanostructures help lower the lattice thermal conductivity. Additionally, excess Cu atoms can enhance carrier concentration and mobility, contributing to a high power factor in Cu3.3Pb100Sb3Te100Se6. The Cu-based hierarchical structures in CLAST samples synergistically optimize phonon and carrier transport properties, leading to high ZT values at both low and high temperatures.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joelle A. J. Housmans, Guiqin Wu, Joost Schymkowitz, Frederic Rousseau
Summary: Disruptions or instabilities in protein folding can lead to the accumulation of misfolded proteins and the formation of protein aggregates, which are associated with human diseases and pose challenges in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. However, protein aggregates can also be functional and have applications in biomaterials, therapeutics, and food improvement. Understanding the steps involved in protein aggregation is crucial for developing diagnostic methods, treatments, and applications in various fields. The study of protein aggregation is challenging due to its complex and dynamic nature.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Elizaveta Anastasova, Anastasia A. Belyaeva, Sergey A. Tsymbal, Denis A. Vinnik, Vladimir V. Vinogradov
Summary: This study develops a stable magnetite hydrosol and successfully synthesizes materials with different structures by controlling the concentrations and drying conditions. The effects are theoretically explained and the synthesized materials show excellent biocompatibility and hemostatic potential.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yihao Zhou, Jinyi Dong, Qiangbin Wang
Summary: DNA origami technology allows the precise assembly of nanostructures using DNA as a biocompatible material. These structures can be used to fabricate larger higher-order structures with other biomolecules and engineer them with nanometer precision. Over the past decade, these structures have shown potential as powerful tools for studying biological processes at various levels. This article highlights four emerging areas of bioapplications of higher-order DNA origami structures and discusses current challenges and opportunities in their fabrication and application.
NPG ASIA MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Fatma Cagla Durmus, Jose Miguel Molina Jorda
Summary: The development of porous materials with hierarchical porous structures has attracted great interest, as these materials exhibit properties representative of different pore scales and open up the possibility of new applications. The method discussed in this paper involves the preparation of silver foams with hierarchical porous structures by combining the replication method with dealloying, resulting in materials with pores ranging from nanometers to micrometers and exhibiting high antibacterial performance.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Lun Hu, Jun Zhang, Xiangyu Pan, Hong Yan, Zhu-Hong You
Summary: The HiSCF clustering framework utilizes higher-order structure information to identify functional modules in biological networks, outperforming state-of-the-art models in protein complex identification and gene co-expression module detection. This demonstrates the importance of considering higher-order network motifs for gaining new insights into the analysis of biological networks.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
E. Empting, N. Bader, M. Oettel
Summary: This study investigates the roughness and orientational order in thin films of anisotropic particles through kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that increasing anisotropy leads to a preferred orientation in the film, accompanied by non-equilibrium roughening effect and reordering in the film.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rujie Sun, Xin Song, Kun Zhou, Yuyang Zuo, Richard Wang, Omar Rifaie-Graham, David J. Peeler, Ruoxiao Xie, Yixuan Leng, Hongya Geng, Giulia Brachi, Yun Ma, Yutong Liu, Lorna Barron, Molly M. Stevens
Summary: This study presents a versatile platform for fabricating fillable microrobots using microfluidic loading and dip sealing (MLDS), which allows for encapsulating different types of cargoes within hollow microrobots and protecting the cargo integrity. The technique is supported by high-resolution 3D printing and an integrated microfluidic loading system, enabling a highly precise loading process and improved cargo loading capacity. The MLDS platform offers new opportunities for targeted drug delivery, environmental sensing, and chemically powered micromotor applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Majkowska, Karla E. Inostroza-Brito, Mariel Gonzalez, Carlos Redondo-Gomez, Alistair Rice, Jose Carlos Rodriguez-Cabello, Armando E. Del Rio Hernandez, Alvaro Mata
Summary: The study demonstrates the possibility to generate coassembling tubular membranes with distinct structures, properties, and bioactivity by minor modifications in the molecular structures of peptide amphiphiles and elastin-like recombinamers.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Adam Creamer, Alessandra Lo Fiego, Alice Agliano, Lino Prados-Martin, Hakon Hogset, Adrian Najer, Daniel. A. A. Richards, Jonathan. P. P. Wojciechowski, James E. J. Foote, Nayoung Kim, Amy Monahan, Jiaqing Tang, Andre Shamsabadi, Lea N. C. Rochet, Ioanna. A. A. Thanasi, Laura. R. R. de la Ballina, Charlotte. L. L. Rapley, Stephen Turnock, Elizabeth. A. A. Love, Laurence Bugeon, Margaret. J. J. Dallman, Martin Heeney, Gabriela Kramer-Marek, Vijay Chudasama, Federico Fenaroli, Molly. M. M. Stevens
Summary: This study describes a simple method for obtaining colloidally stable and low-fouling semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs) by grafting poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) onto the polymer backbone. The functionalized SPNs can be specifically targeted to HER2-positive cancer cells by site-specifically clicking anti-HER2 antibodies, antibody fragments, or affibodies onto the SPN surface. In zebrafish embryos, the PEGylated SPNs show excellent circulation efficiency and the affibody-functionalized SPNs exhibit specific targeting towards HER2-expressing cancer cells in a xenograft model. This covalent PEGylated SPN system holds great potential for cancer theranostics.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andre Shamsabadi, Tabasom Haghighi, Sara Carvalho, Leah C. C. Frenette, Molly M. M. Stevens
Summary: Nanozymes are nanosized materials that have catalytic properties similar to biological enzymes, making them promising candidates for clinical sensing devices. They can amplify signals in nanosensor-based platforms and improve sensor detection limits. Recent developments have led to highly effective nanozymes that can detect clinically relevant biomarkers, but there are hurdles to overcome before they can be used in clinical diagnostics. This overview discusses the current understanding of nanozymes for disease diagnostics and biosensing applications, and the challenges that need to be addressed for their translation into clinical tests.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Oystein ovrebo, Miina Ojansivu, Kimmo Kartasalo, Hanna M. G. Barriga, Petter Ranefall, Margaret N. Holme, Molly M. Stevens
Summary: RegiSTORM is a software that accurately registers multiple STORM channels by identifying fiducial markers in the sample and using them as landmarks for channel registration. It has been demonstrated to work effectively with and without fiducials.
BMC BIOINFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Taras Sych, Jan Schlegel, Hanna M. G. Barriga, Miina Ojansivu, Leo Hanke, Florian Weber, R. Beklem Bostancioglu, Kariem Ezzat, Herbert Stangl, Birgit Plochberger, Jurga Laurencikiene, Samir El Andaloussi, Daniel Fuerth, Molly M. Stevens, Erdinc Sezgin
Summary: Lipid nanoparticles, viruses, exosomes and liposomes can be characterized using fluorescence fluctuations analysis. A method called single-particle profiler is introduced to provide information on the content and biophysical properties of thousands of particles within the size range of 5-200 nm. The single-particle profiler is utilized to measure mRNA encapsulation efficiency of lipid nanoparticles, viral binding efficiencies of different nanobodies, and the biophysical heterogeneity of liposomes, lipoproteins, exosomes and viruses.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sebastien J. P. Callens, Daniel Fan, Ingmar A. J. van Hengel, Michelle Minneboo, Pedro J. Diaz-Payno, Molly M. Stevens, Lidy E. Fratila-Apachitei, Amir A. Zadpoor
Summary: The organization of bone cells in landscapes with varying curvatures was studied, revealing a preference for local concavities, multicellular bridging, and collective stress fiber orientation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Hongya Geng, Emily J. Lupton, Yun Ma, Rujie Sun, Christopher L. Grigsby, Giulia Brachi, Xiaorui Li, Kun Zhou, Daniel J. Stuckey, Molly M. Stevens
Summary: The development of near-infrared light responsive conductive polymers provides a useful theranostic platform for malignant tumors. The self-assembly of ultrathin 2D polypyrrole nanosheets with tunable size distribution enables photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy. The pH-responsive features of the nanosheets show potential for accurate and highly efficient theranostics.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Rodrigo Curvello, Verena Kast, Paloma Ordonez-Moran, Alvaro Mata, Daniela Loessner
Summary: Biology can be used to design materials and approaches for tumour tissue engineering, and biomaterials are necessary for rebuilding tissue organization, composition, and function. This review discusses bioengineering strategies that recreate the pathophysiology of tumour tissues to address questions in cancer research. Tissue engineering has produced innovative tools for cancer research.
NATURE REVIEWS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sine Yaganoglu, Konstantinos Kalyviotis, Christina Vagena-Pantoula, Dorthe Julich, Benjamin M. Gaub, Maaike Welling, Tatiana Lopes, Dariusz Lachowski, See Swee Tang, Armando Del Rio Hernandez, Victoria Salem, Daniel J. Mueller, Scott A. Holley, Julien Vermot, Jian Shi, Nordine Helassa, Katalin Torok, Periklis Pantazis
Summary: This study introduces GenEPi, a genetically-encoded fluorescent reporter, for non-invasive optical monitoring of Piezo1 activity. GenEPi provides high spatiotemporal resolution for observing Piezo1 activity from the level of single cells to the whole organism. It allows for visualizing transient, local mechanical stimuli on the plasma membrane, resolving repetitive contraction-triggered stimulation in cardiomyocytes, and reliably monitoring Piezo1 activity in vivo. This research is significant for understanding the role of mechanochemical feedback loops in development, homeostatic regulation, and disease.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sine Yaganoglu, Konstantinos Kalyviotis, Christina Vagena-Pantoula, Doerthe Juelich, Benjamin M. Gaub, Maaike Welling, Tatiana Lopes, Dariusz Lachowski, See Swee Tang, Armando Del Rio Hernandez, Victoria Salem, Daniel J. Mueller, Scott A. Holley, Julien Vermot, Jian Shi, Nordine Helassa, Katalin Toeroek, Periklis Pantazis
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Junfang Zhang, Yuntao Zhu, Christian Njel, Yuxin Liu, Pietro Dallabernardina, Molly M. Stevens, Peter H. Seeberger, Oleksandr Savateev, Felix F. Loeffler
Summary: In this study, a new synthesis strategy for carbon nitride photoelectrodes was introduced through advanced film generation techniques. This method involved spin coating pretreatment of a conductive substrate with a multipurpose polymer and a supramolecular precursor, followed by chemical vapor deposition to synthesize dual-layer carbon nitride photoelectrodes. The polymer improved the polymerization degree and electrical conductivity of carbon nitride, leading to state-of-the-art photoelectrochemical performance and high yields in C-H functionalization.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hannes Zschiesche, Inna L. Soroka, Mats Jonsson, Nadezda V. Tarakina
Summary: This study investigates the influence of irradiation dose on the growth mechanisms and morphology of CeO2 particles formed through the radiolytic oxidation of Ce3+ in aqueous solution. The results show that different dose rates do not affect the growth pathway of CeO2 particles and result in the formation of highly ordered structures. Additionally, locally applied irradiation induces Ce-ion concentration gradients, impacting the growth of CeO2 and leading to the appearance of branched morphologies.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Vernon LaLone, Aleksandra Aizenshtadt, John Goertz, Froydis Sved Skottvoll, Marco Barbero Mota, Junji You, Xiaoyu Zhao, Henriette Engen Berg, Justyna Stokowiec, Minzhi Yu, Anna Schwendeman, Hanne Scholz, Steven Ray Wilson, Stefan Krauss, Molly M. Stevens
Summary: Confocal Raman spectral imaging (RSI) enables label-free visualization of molecules in biological specimens without sample preparation. qRamanomics, an integrated bioanalytical methodology, is developed to quantify the deconvoluted spectra for quantitative spatial chemotyping of biomolecules. It is applied to assess specimen variation and maturity in 3D liver organoids and identify biomolecular response signatures from liver-altering drugs, facilitating drug metabolism and accumulation monitoring.
CELL REPORTS METHODS
(2023)
