Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ssu-Tzu Tsai, Wen-Jui Cheng, Qian-Xian Zhang, Yi-Chun Yeh
Summary: Transcription factor-based whole-cell biosensors are a promising alternative to traditional analytical methods due to their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness. Through genetic engineering, a biosensor strain was developed that showed significant improvement in gold-specificity performance, with a detection sensitivity 42-fold higher than wild-type strains. The proposed sensor demonstrated a linear range of 125-1000 nM and a detection limit of 46.5 nM, effectively validated in wastewater samples.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Max Mergeay, Rob Van Houdt
Summary: This mini-review describes the early research and legacy tools used to study metal resistance determinants, characteristic megaplasmids, ecological niches, and environmental applications of Cupriavidus metallidurans, particularly the CH34 strain, as a model bacterium for studying bacterial resistance to metals.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Rob Van Houdt, Joachim Vandecraen, Natalie Leys, Pieter Monsieurs, Abram Aertsen
Summary: The mutant of Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 adapted to high zinc concentrations, named CH34(ZnR), not only showed higher resistance to zinc, but also to cadmium. Seven insertion sequence-mediated mutations were found in the mutant, one of which disrupting the glpR gene resulted in the constitutive expression of an ABC-type transporter. This study suggests that upregulation of the ABC-type transporter is a new adaptation route towards metal resistance.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nissem Abdeljelil, Najla Ben Miloud Yahia, Ahmed Landoulsi, Abdelwaheb Chatti, Ruddy Wattiez, Rob Van Houdt, David Gillan
Summary: Bacteria biofilm formation and its complications are of special concern in isolated structures, and understanding this process and developing solutions are crucial for spacecraft efficiency and crew safety. In this study, interactions between Cupriavidus metallidurans and aerospace grade materials were investigated, revealing different biofilm formation patterns on different surfaces.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Claudia Clavero-Leon, Daniela Ruiz, Javier Cillero, Julieta Orlando, Bernardo Gonzalez
Summary: Copper is important for plant growth, but high concentrations can have detrimental effects. The interaction between Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 and plants can affect growth and metal uptake. Beneficial effects on plant growth parameters were observed at low copper concentrations, while detrimental effects were found at high concentrations.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Federico Turco, Marco Garavaglia, Rob Van Houdt, Phil Hill, Frankie J. Rawson, Katalin Kovacs
Summary: This study established and characterized inducible and constitutive promoter libraries for Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 and developed a single-plasmid CRISPR-Cas9 system that can be delivered by both conjugation and electroporation. The CRISPR-Cas9 system was used to target candidate genes, resulting in successful generation of single and double deletion strains. The findings suggest that the deleted type IV pili candidate genes are not involved in extracellular electron transfer under specific conditions.
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Denan Wang, Wenhui Hu, Cunming Liu, Jier Huang, Xiaoyi Zhang
Summary: The photoexcited dynamics of heteroleptic Cu-(I) complexes, which serve as noble-metal-free photosensitizers, are influenced by the ligands they contain. In this study, a new set of heteroleptic Cu-(I) complexes [Cu-(PPh3)(2)(BPy (R))](+) (R = CH3, H, Br to COOCH3) were investigated using ultrafast optical and X-ray transient absorption spectroscopies. Results showed that the electron-withdrawing ability of the functional group (R) affected the dynamics of intersystem crossing (ISC) and subsequent decay from the triplet MLCT state to the ground state, leading to a reduction in associated lifetime constants by up to 300%. This study provides insights for the rational design of efficient Cu-(I) complex photosensitizers.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tao Ding, Xiaokang Liu, Zhinan Tao, Tianyang Liu, Tao Chen, Wei Zhang, Xinyi Shen, Dong Liu, Sicong Wang, Beibei Pang, Dan Wu, Linlin Cao, Lan Wang, Tong Liu, Yafei Li, Hongting Sheng, Manzhou Zhu, Tao Yao
Summary: The study reports a novel strategy to develop atomically precise Ni-2 sites and demonstrates their efficient catalytic performance in the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. The key O-Ni-2-N-6 structure significantly lowers the energy barrier for CO2 activation, leading to enhanced CO production with >94% Faradaic efficiency. The findings provide insights into the synergy mechanism of dinuclear catalysts and offer a bottom-up synthesis approach for efficient catalytic reactions.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Biao Li, Gwenaelle Rousse, Leiting Zhang, Maxim Avdeev, Michael Deschamps, Artem M. Abakumov, Jean-Marie Tarascon
Summary: The current exploration of high-energy-density cathode materials for Li-ion batteries is mainly focused on Li-rich or Ni-rich oxides, which both have practical challenges. This study combines these two concepts to obtain Li-rich Ni-rich oxides for more practical high-energy-density cathodes.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Eva M. M. Zollner, Susanne Selle, Chang Yang, Konrad Ritter, Stefanie Eckner, Edmund Welter, Marius Grundmann, Claudia S. S. Schnohr
Summary: In this study, the composition and structure of sputtered Cu-Sn-I thin films were investigated using various electron microscopy techniques, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. It was found that the films contained significant amounts of oxygen, resulting in the formation of Cu-Sn-I-O films with a phase separation of crystalline gamma-CuI and amorphous Cu-Sn-O, possibly a mixture of SnO2 and Cu2O/CuO. This incorporation of oxygen completely altered the material and needs to be inhibited.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI A-APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marios Mejdani, April Pawluk, Karen L. Maxwell, Alan R. Davidson
Summary: Anti-CRISPRs are a diverse class of protein inhibitors produced by phages and mobile genetic elements to evade destruction by the CRISPR-Cas system. A study focused on AcrIE2, an anti-CRISPR inhibiting the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type I-E CRISPR-Cas system, revealed its unique ability to bind to the CRISPR-Cas complex without preventing DNA-binding, operating through a distinct mechanism compared to other type I anti-CRISPRs. AcrIE2 likely blocks DNA cleavage by inhibiting the recruitment of the Cas3 nuclease to the Cascade complex.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Francisco Zaera
Summary: Catalysis in industrial chemical processes has long been studied through various spectroscopic techniques like vibrational and X-ray spectroscopies, allowing for a molecular-level understanding of catalytic mechanisms. These techniques help researchers explore the intricate details of catalytic processes and advancements in the field.
JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adyn Melenbacher, Martin J. Stillman
Summary: Metallothionein proteins play important roles in maintaining the homeostasis of Cu(I) and Zn(II) and in detoxifying heavy metals. Their metallation properties have been linked to various diseases. Isotopically pure Cu-63(I) and Zn-68(II) are used to analyze the Cu and Zn binding stoichiometries of MT2. The results reveal two parallel pathways for Cu(I) metallation of Zn-7-MT2 and provide important insights into the formation of different Cu-Zn clusters.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Masashi Sanga, Kosuke Nakamura, Munetaka Iwamura, Koichi Nozaki, Hiroyuki Takeda, Yu Monma, Osamu Ishitani
Summary: In this work, the emission spectra of Cu(i)(dmp)(P)2+ complexes were studied using femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion and nanosecond time-resolved emission spectroscopy. The results showed that there is a structural change of the complex with a time constant of 0.78 ps in acetonitrile solution, and 1.4 ps in butyronitrile solution. The mechanism of different processes was explained by analyzing the oscillator strengths.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Manuel Vaz, Alberto Gobbo, M. Trinidad Martin, Praxedes Sanchez, Eleuterio Alvarez, Riccardo Peloso
Summary: Two sterically demanding tertiary phosphines, PiPr2Xyl and PtBu2Xyl, have been used to synthesize a series of dinuclear complexes. These compounds have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. Different molecular symmetries and bonding lengths were observed in the halido-bridged compounds, and the cationic complex showed C2-like symmetry.
INORGANICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matthias Wiggenhauser, Anne-Marie Aucour, Sarah Bureau, Sylvain Campillo, Philippe Telouk, Marco Romani, Jian Feng Ma, Gautier Landrot, Geraldine Sarret
Summary: The study found that soil flooding promotes the binding of Cd to S and results in the enrichment of heavy Cd isotopes in plants in soil-rice systems rich in Cd and S. Excluder rice roots strongly retain light Cd isotopes, while the difference in isotope composition between roots and shoots is smaller in non-excluder rice plants.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Letter
Engineering, Environmental
Geraldine Sarret, Hester Blommaert, Matthias Wiggenhauser
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
German Montes-Hernandez, Mahaut Di Girolamo, Geraldine Sarret, Sarah Bureau, Alejandro Fernandez-Martinez, Cecile Lelong, Elise Eymard Vernain
Summary: Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were successfully formed in situ on textile fibers through saturation with silver ions and a chemical reducing solution. The study demonstrated the effective insertion of Ag-NPs in natural fibers (wool and cotton), showing promising biocidal properties against bacteria.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Garret D. Bland, Matthew Battifarano, Ana Elena Pradas del Real, Geraldine Sarret, Gregory Lowry
Summary: Machine learning models utilizing elemental fingerprints and mass distributions were used to distinguish TiO2 ENMs from Ti-based NNMs in soils. The presence of TiO2 ENMs in soil could be confirmed for most ENM-soil combinations, but the lack of unique chemical fingerprints in both TiO2 ENMs and Ti-NNMs increases model uncertainty and hinders accurate quantification.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ana Elena Pradas del Real, Denise M. Mitrano, Hiram Castillo-Michel, Mohammad Wazne, Juan Reyes-Herrera, Emely Bortel, Bernhard Hesse, Julie Villanova, Geraldine Sarret
Summary: Despite the increasing attention given to nanoplastics in terrestrial environments, there is limited data on their effects on plants and uptake. This study exposed wheat plants grown in hydroponics to Pd-doped nanoplastics, allowing for quantification of nanoplastics uptake and translocation. Synchrotron micro X-ray fluorescence was used to visualize nanoplastics in roots, which were found to accumulate on the root epidermis, especially at the root tip and in mature zones. The study also demonstrated a relationship between plant roots, rhizodeposits, and nanoplastics behavior.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lieven E. Gevers, Linga R. Enakonda, Ameen Shahid, Samy Ould-Chikh, Cristina I. Q. Silva, Pasi P. Paalanen, Antonio Aguilar-Tapia, Jean-Louis Hazemann, Mohamed Nejib Hedhili, Fei Wen, Javier Ruiz-Martinez
Summary: There is an ongoing debate about the role of Ce in Mn-based catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NOx at low temperature. This study demonstrates that Ce has a structural promoting effect but negatively affects the intrinsic catalytic activity of Mn.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Delphine Tisserand, Stephane Guedron, Eric Viollier, Didier Jezequel, Sylvain Rigaud, Sylvain Campillo, Geraldine Sarret, Laurent Charlet, Daniel Cossa
Summary: This study investigated the speciation and distribution of mercury (Hg) in Lake Pavin, France. The results showed that the cycling of Hg in the lake is controlled by biological activity, organic matter, iron, and sulfur. The study provides important insights into the understanding of Hg cycling in lakes.
APPLIED GEOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fanny Dussert, Geraldine Sarret, Karl David Wegner, Olivier Proux, Gautier Landrot, Pierre-Henry Jouneau, Peter Reiss, Marie Carriere
Summary: The study confirms the reduced cytotoxicity of double-shelled indium phosphide quantum dots (QDs) and their higher photoluminescence efficiency compared to pristine QDs. After exposure to simulated sunlight, these QDs exhibit greater cytotoxicity. Analysis of degradation kinetics and transformation products reveals that QDs with the thickest zinc sulfide outer shell are the most resistant to photodegradation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Geraldine Sarret, Eva Schreck, Nathaniel Findling, Damien Daval, Jerome Viers, Gauthier Delplace, Oleg S. Pokrovsky
Summary: This study found that during the process of dry ashing, there is a phase transition of the phytoliths and metals are sequestered in the phytoliths. The concentration of zinc, manganese, and lead in the phytoliths showed a linear relationship with their concentration in the leaves. The study suggests that the alleviation of zinc toxicity in plants by silicon does not rely on the sequestration of zinc by phytoliths.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hester Blommaert, Anne-Marie Aucour, Matthias Wiggenhauser, Claudia Moens, Philippe Telouk, Sylvain Campillo, Jacques Beauchene, Gautier Landrot, Denis Testemale, Serge Pin, Caleb Lewis, Pathmanathan Umaharan, Erik Smolders, Geraldine Sarret
Summary: This study elucidated the transfer pathways of Cd from soil to cacao nibs in a high Cd accumulating cacao cultivar. The results showed that the transfer from branches to nibs was more direct than from leaves to nibs. It also suggested that the main contribution of Cd in nibs came from the phloem tissues of the branches rather than leaf remobilization.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anne Marie Aucour, Geraldine Sarret, Hester Blommaert, Matthias Wiggenhauser
Summary: Excess and limited trace metals in soils and plants can hinder crop yields and pose risks to the environment and human health. The combination of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) with isotope analyses is an emerging approach that can improve understanding of metal speciation and dynamics in soil-plant systems. This approach shows promise in providing insights into metal availability in soils and metal uptake and translocation in plants, although further research and methodological advancements are needed.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mustafa Caglayan, Abdallah Nassereddine, Stefan-Adrian F. Nastase, Antonio Aguilar-Tapia, Alla Dikhtiarenko, Sang-Ho Chung, Genrikh Shterk, Tuiana Shoinkhorova, Jean-Louis Hazemann, Javier Ruiz-Martinez, Luigi Cavallo, Samy Ould-Chikh, Jorge Gascon
Summary: Tungsten is a promising metal with higher thermal stability for replacing molybdenum in methane dehydroaromatization (MDA) catalysis. However, the MDA activity of W-ZSM-5 catalysts is lower than their Mo counterpart. In order to understand the differences in catalytic activity, thorough investigations are conducted on the dispersion and distribution of W sites on the zeolite.
CATALYSIS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Maria Diaz-Lopez, Philip A. Chater, Olivier Proux, Yves Joly, Jean-Louis Hazemann, Pierre Bordet, Valerie Pralong
Summary: This study investigates the structure and charge evolution of Li1.1Mn0.7Ti0.2O2 Li-excess rock salt cathode, revealing that the long-range cation disordered rock salt can form locally ordered layered nanodomains during electrochemical cycling, leading to capacity fade.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mohammed A. Alabdullah, Tuiana Shoinkhorova, Alla Dikhtiarenko, Samy Ould-Chikh, Alberto Rodriguez-Gomez, Sang-ho Chung, Arwa O. Alahmadi, Idoia Hita, Sebastien Pairis, Jean-louis Hazemann, Pedro Castano, Javier Ruiz-Martinez, Isidoro Morales Osorio, Khalid Almajnouni, Wei Xu, Jorge Gascon
Summary: This article focuses on the evaluation and improvement of catalyst stability in the process of oil to chemicals (OTC). The study finds that formulation improvements can prevent the degradation of zeolitic components in the catalyst, while metal deposition leads to a decrease in activity and changes in selectivity patterns.
CATALYSIS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sudipta De, Antonio Aguilar-Tapia, Samy Ould-Chikh, Andrea Zitolo, Jean-Louis Hazemann, Genrikh Shterk, Adrian Ramirez, Jorge Gascon
Summary: Designing robust catalysts for high-temperature applications is crucial for chemical industries. In this study, all-silica zeolite was used as a support to create nanometric and single-site metal catalysts with enhanced stability for the non-oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane. Co was found to have the highest intrinsic activity, while Cr and V showed high stability against sintering.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)