Leveraging microtopography to pattern multi-oriented muscle actuators.

Engineering skeletal muscle tissue with precisely defined alignment is of significant importance for applications ranging from drug screening to biohybrid robotics. Aligning 2D contractile muscle monolayers, which are compatible with high-content imaging and can be deployed in planar soft robots, typically requires micropatterned cues. However, current protocols for integrating microscale topographical features in extracellular matrix hydrogels require expensive microfabrication equipment and multi-step procedures involving error-prone manual handling steps.

In-vivo immunocompatibility and induced regenerative potential of silk fibroin modified decellularized porcine liver scaffolds in rat subcutaneous and full-thickness abdominal wall defect models.

For reconstructive surgical applications, humoral and cell-mediated immune response to scaffolds is important in determining its structural and functional integration and performance. A decellularized porcine liver matrix(DPL) mechanically augmented with impregnating silk fibroin(SF100DPL) and silk fibroin-gelatin blends(SFG5050DPL and SFG3070DPL) following citric acid crosslinking were evaluated in-vitro and in-vivo (subcutaneous and abdominal wall defect models) in comparison to unmodified DPL. Ensuring the preservation of glycosaminoglycan and the potential to induce cell migration in L929 cell line, the host immunocompatibility of the scaffolds was confirmed by implanting sub-cutaneously in rat.

Filamentous fungi as emerging cell factories for the production of aromatic compounds.

Microbial production of aromatic compounds from renewable feedstocks has gained increasing interest as a means towards sustainable production of chemicals. The potential of filamentous fungi for production of aromatic compounds has nonetheless not yet been widely exploited. Notably, many filamentous fungi can naturally break down lignin and metabolize lignin-derived aromatic compounds.

CRISPR Screen Reveals PACT as a Pro-Viral Factor for Dengue Viral Replication.

The dengue virus is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus that infects ~400 million people worldwide. Currently, there are no approved antivirals available. CRISPR-based screening methods have greatly accelerated the discovery of host factors that are essential for DENV infection and that can be targeted in host-directed antiviral interventions.