Article
Biology
Takeshi Ishida
Summary: This study successfully modeled and demonstrated the emergence of a cell-like form, meeting the four conditions for life, except evolution ability, through simulating chemical reactions. Control over self-replication is also achievable by altering the arrangement of specific molecules.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chien -Der Lee, Naomi Ziv, Alexander D. Johnson
Summary: The paper explores the stability of different cell types in the fungal species Candida albicans. By using an auxin-mediated degradation system, the researchers quickly removed the primary transcription activator Wor1, and observed that within approximately 1 hour, cells irreversibly lost their memory and switched to a different cell state. This study provides insights into the mechanisms underlying cell memory in eukaryotic cells.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
So Hyun Ahn, Leah K. Borden, William E. Bentley, Srinivasa R. Raghavan
Summary: Researchers have developed multicompartment capsules (MCCs) with chemically unique inner compartments that respond selectively to different stimuli. By altering the crosslinking agent of the biopolymer alginate, specific compartments in the MCC could be degraded in the presence of enzymes, hydrogen peroxide, or UV light. This study advances the concept of MCCs as a platform to mimic cellular architecture and behavior.
Article
Cell Biology
Mohammed R. Shaker, Amna Kahtan, Renuka Prasad, Ju-Hyun Lee, Giovanni Pietrogrande, Hannah C. Leeson, Woong Sun, Ernst J. Wolvetang, Andrii Slonchak
Summary: The study reveals the important role of NELL2 in human brain development, specifically in neuronal differentiation, polarization, and axon guidance. The expression pattern of NELL2 varies in different cell stages and it is also implicated in human white matter diseases.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Swati Bijlani, Ceth Parker, Nitin K. Singh, Maria A. Sierra, Jonathan Foox, Clay C. C. Wang, Christopher E. Mason, Kasthuri Venkateswaran
Summary: Multiple strains of a novel yeast belonging to genus Naganishia were isolated from the International Space Station, exhibiting distinct morphological differences when grown under a combination of simulated microgravity and 5% CO2 conditions. Genomic analyses revealed a set of genes associated with Titan-like cell plasticity, indicating adaptation to microgravity and radiation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giovanni B. Perin, Silvia Moreno, Yang Zhou, Markus Guenther, Susanne Boye, Brigitte Voit, Maria I. Felisberti, Dietmar Appelhans
Summary: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in designing synthetic protocells that can mimic micrometric and multicompartmental structures and perform highly complex physicochemical and biological processes. This study presents a hierarchical construction of membraneless and multicompartmentalized protocells that can carry out metabolism-like enzymatic cascade reactions through signal transduction.
Article
Biology
Bingyin Peng, Naga Chandra Bandari, Zeyu Lu, Christopher B. Howard, Colin Scott, Matt Trau, Geoff Dumsday, Claudia E. Vickers
Summary: This study addresses the problem of temporal control in microbial metabolic engineering by using a modular engineering approach. New genetic circuits were designed and constructed to achieve precise control of heterologous pathways driven by the GAL promoter, resulting in increased production efficiency.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lloyd Cool, Samuel Hanon, Kevin J. Verstrepen
Summary: A new study reveals that Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, a eukaryotic organism that lacks respiratory ability, has adapted its central carbon metabolism to ensure efficient production of ATP, cofactor regeneration, and amino acids. This metabolic flexibility opens up new possibilities for applications.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Milada Vitova, Vojtech Lanta, Maria Cizkova, Martin Jakubec, Frode Rise, Oyvind Halskau, Katerina Bisova, Samuel Furse
Summary: This study demonstrates significant changes in the biosynthesis of the three most abundant phospholipid classes during the normal cell cycle of D. quadricauda, with implications for the physical properties of membranes.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY OF LIPIDS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Karla Iveth Aguilera-Campos, Courtney W. Stairs
Summary: The ability to oxidize hydrogen was previously thought to be limited to prokaryotes, but new research has identified the first eukaryotic organism capable of this process, challenging previous notions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giulia Ghedini, Dustin J. Marshall
Summary: Competition drives rapid evolution, which affects the trajectory of ecological communities. Metabolic theory provides predictions for the evolution of metabolism and size under competition, but remains untested in eukaryotes. Experimental evolution of a eukaryotic microalga shows that the species evolves according to the predictions of metabolic theory, reducing metabolic costs and maximizing population carrying capacity through changes in cell size. Furthermore, the evolution of metabolic plasticity enables rapid co-evolution with competition, resulting in improvements in population growth rate and carrying capacity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ivan Kisly, Tiina Tamm
Summary: Proteins are synthesized by ribosomes, which are composed of RNA and proteins. The shape of ribosomes is determined by the structure of RNA, and RNA also plays a role in decoding information and catalyzing peptide bond formation. Proteins are important for the assembly and interaction of ribosomal subunits. Some specific proteins found in archaeal and eukaryotic ribosomes are discussed in terms of their roles in stabilizing ribosome structure, forming internal networks, and promoting ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biology
Eszter Bokor, Judit Amon, Monika Varga, Andras Szekeres, Zsofia Hegedus, Tamas Jakusch, Zsolt Szakonyi, Michel Flipphi, Csaba Vagvolgyi, Attila Gacser, Claudio Scazzocchio, Zsuzsanna Hamari
Summary: Through reverse genetics and analytical techniques in Aspergillus nidulans, a complete eukaryotic nicotinate utilization pathway was elucidated, which is quite different from bacterial ones. This is the first such pathway to be described in a eukaryote.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ulrich Markel, Daniel F. Sauer, Malte Wittwer, Johannes Schiffels, Haiyang Cui, Mehdi D. Davari, Konstantin W. Krockert, Sonja Herres-Pawlis, Jun Okuda, Ulrich Schwaneberg
Summary: Directed evolution has been successful in enhancing enzyme engineering. In this study, an ArM with peroxidase-like properties was designed and evolved using the nitrobindin variant, NB4. Key to boosting peroxidase activity was a substitution to arginine in the distal cofactor environment. The ArM showed high efficiency in decolorization of dyes and could be recycled multiple times.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dishi Wang, Silvia Moreno, Mengfei Gao, Jiaqi Guo, Bing Xu, Dagmar Voigt, Brigitte Voit, Dietmar Appelhans
Summary: Membrane-active enzymes trigger time- and concentration-dependent processes in eukaryotic cells, which can be mimicked by membrane-active artificial organelles in protocells. These protocells induce the self-assembly of oligopeptides into an artificial cytoskeleton, affecting the structure and functionality of the protocells. Microscopical tools are used to validate the intracellular assembly and distribution of the cytoskeleton, the morphological changes of protocells, and the inclusion of artificial organelles within the cytoskeletal growth.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Qiao Lu, Changchang Dong, Feng Wei, Jiadong Li, Zhao Wang, Wei Mu, Xiaojun Han
Summary: The study explores the application of photocatalysis in pollution degradation, showing that Bi2WO6/TiO2 nanocomposites can effectively enhance the degradation efficiency of tetracycline. The degradation of TC is mainly dominated by the ·OH active species, with a possible decomposition mechanism involving the gradual loss of hydroxyl groups and C-ring cleavage. This research provides a feasible strategy for wastewater treatment by removing organic pollutants.
MATERIALS RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jingjing Zhao, Ying Zhang, Xiangxiang Zhang, Chao Li, Hang Du, Steffan Moller Sonderskov, Wei Mu, Mingdong Dong, Xiaojun Han
Summary: Mass transport across cell membranes is essential for cellular metabolism. Electrostatically mediated membrane fusion is used to transport small molecules and macromolecules between oppositely charged vesicles, triggering important biological processes such as enzyme reactions and gene expression. These findings provide a crucial step for investigating complex cellular metabolism.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiadong Li, Ming Zheng, Feng Wei, Changchang Dong, Ziyuan Xiu, Wei Mu, Xin Zhou, Yanan Ding, Xiaojun Han
Summary: This research demonstrates the effective modulation of the electronic structure of InVO4 nanosheets through Fe doping, which generates abundant oxygen vacancies and significantly enhances the electrochemical N-2 reduction performance with high selectivity.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Boyu Yang, Shubin Li, Wei Mu, Zhao Wang, Xiaojun Han
Summary: Bottom-up constructed artificial cells provide valuable insights into cell working mechanism and evolution of organisms. Energy supply and metabolism mimicry are key challenges in the field of artificial cells. In this study, an artificial cell containing cyanobacteria capable of light harvesting and carbon dioxide fixation is demonstrated to produce glucose molecules by converting light energy into chemical energy. Two downstream metabolic pathways starting from glucose molecules are investigated, offering potential for studying more complex energy-supplied metabolism inside artificial cells.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Zhenyong Wang, Chenqian Yang, Shuangshuang Li, Yinghu Sun, Qiqi Ma, Ruohui Wang, Hanying Wang, Gang Wang, Shenghua Ma
Summary: This article investigates the structure and packaging features of Bi-B-Zn sealing glass with different Bi2O3 concentrations. Increasing the Bi2O3 and Bi/B ratio leads to changes in the glass transition temperature and glass softening temperature. The modification of the glass network structure increases or decreases the [BiO] and [BO] units. Encapsulating a polyimide optical fiber with FBG on 65-manganese steel shows good bonding effect and stable sensing capability of the FBG sensor in a high-temperature subterranean environment.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ying Chen, Feng Wei, Wei Mu, Xiaojun Han
Summary: Edible films with different concentrations of eugenol/gelatin microspheres were developed to enhance their antimicrobial properties. The optimum composite films showed compact structure, low water vapor permeability, and low solubility. Eugenol provided the edible films with effective antioxidant and antibacterial activities against E. coli and S. aureus. The prepared films can be used for food packaging applications, allowing the storage of apple cubes at room temperature for 7 days at 50% humidity.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Chang Zhang, Chao Li, Xiaojun Han
Summary: Heavy metal pollution is a global environmental issue. In this study, a screen printed electrode modified with bismuth powder (Bi-SPE) was prepared for the detection of Cd2+. The Bi-SPE exhibited a linear detection range of 5-50 μg/L and a detection limit of 4.80 μg/L for Cd2+. Compared to the bare screen printed electrode, Bi-SPE showed better detection performance by providing more active sites for heavy metal ion predeposition. The advantage of Bi-SPE is its ability to detect heavy metal ions without the addition of bismuth ions in the solution, enabling in-situ detection. The prepared Bi-SPE holds great potential for the detection of heavy metal ions in real water samples.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yinghu Sun, Hui Wang, Chunting Cui, Chenqian Yang, Zhenyong Wang, Shenghua Ma
Summary: Numerous research studies have been conducted on lead-free glass frits for crystalline silicon solar cells due to the high toxicity of Pb. However, lead-free glass frits have poor metallization performance. In this study, a method for preparing low-content lead oxide composited glass frits was established to reduce PbO content while maintaining excellent properties. The addition of PbO improved the etching ability of the glass frit and resulted in increased conductive path when prepared into silver paste.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Changchang Dong, Minghui Li, Xiaojun Han
Summary: La2O3@C catalystswith excellent nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) performance were synthesized via pyrolysis of La-citrate nanosheets. The multiple oxide states of lanthanide metal make it a promising catalyst for electrochemical ammonia synthesis. Ln(2)O(3)@C (Ln = La, Er, Tb, and Eu) nanosheets were prepared by calcinating Ln-citrate nanosheets under a N-2 atmosphere. La2O3@C nanosheets displayed high charger transfer ability, chemical active surface, and N-2 adsorption capacity. La2O3@C nanosheets showed outstanding electrocatalytic NRR performance with an NH3 production rate of 20.59 μg/h·mg and faradaic efficiency of 17.10%. Eu2O3@C, Tb2O3@C, and Er2O3@C nanosheets with excellent electrocatalytic performance were also synthesized. This study provides a method for fabricating metal oxide nanosheets for electrochemical nitrogen fixation.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hao Li, Shenyue Gao, Hang Ding, Yuetong Tao, Shenghua Ma, Gang Wang, Beibei Wang
Summary: In this study, a Ti3C2T x /Ag@SiO2 gel evaporator with high absorption, stability, and efficient water transport was fabricated by the mixture of transition-metal carbide and core-shell Ag-SiO2 nanoparticles. It shows great potential in the field of solar steam generation.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qingchuan Li, Qingchun Song, Wei Guo, Yang Cao, Xinyu Cui, Dairong Chen, Ho Cheung Shum
Summary: In this study, a synthetic droplet called segregative-associative (SA) droplets is developed to mimic membraneless organelles (MLOs) in cells. These SA droplets exhibit complex phase behaviors similar to MLOs and can cluster lipid vesicles like synapsin condensates.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Xuefeng Tang, Ying Zhang, Xiaojun Han
Summary: mRNA iLNPs are an effective and safe method for delivering mRNA to target cells, which can be used in the treatment of various diseases. This review summarizes the composition, preparation, stability, and recent progress in mRNA delivery by iLNPs.
ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Feng Wei, Haidong Xing, Ziyuan Xiu, Jiadong Li, Defeng Xing, Xiaojun Han
Summary: Simultaneous water purification of multiple hazardous pollutants assisted by photocatalysis technology is an environmentally friendly and energy-smart strategy. In this study, a Z-scheme heterojunction of TiO2-Au@CN nanofibers was constructed, which showed excellent photocatalytic performance for inactivation of E.coli and removal of RhB under simulated solar light irradiation. The promoted photocatalytic performance was attributed to the Z-scheme electron transfer mechanism at the interface of the heterojunction assisted by AuNPs as an electron mediator. The constructed Z-scheme heterojunction with efficient light utilization showed great potential in practical water purification under sunlight.
MATERIALS RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2023)
Review
Biophysics
Hyun Park, Weichen Wang, Seo Hyeon Min, Yongshuo Ren, Kwanwoo Shin, Xiaojun Han
Summary: Sustainable energy conversion modules are the main challenges for building complex reaction cascades in artificial cells. By mimicking the core structures for energy conversion in living cells, artificial organelles are expected to become powerful tools for achieving complex cascading reactions in artificial cells.
BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Salah Eddine Ghellab, Xiaojun Han
Summary: Biomolecular self-assembly is crucial in the life system. In this study, double-helical phospholipid-modified carbon nanotube structures were created through the self-assembly of phospholipids on carbon nanotubes. These micrometer size spring structures may have potential applications in biocompatible microrobots.
