The effect of mRNA-lipid nanoparticle composition on stability during microneedle patch manufacturing.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) is a potent technology with broad applications. Microneedle patches (MNPs) can enhance the accessibility of mRNA-LNPs for vaccination or therapeutic applications. We evaluated the effects of LNP composition on the stability of mRNA-LNPs before and after MNP manufacturing, as assessed by changes in mRNA-LNP size, encapsulation efficiency, and protein expression in vitro and in vivo.

Universal Method for Covalent Attachment of Hydrogels to Diverse Polymeric Surfaces for Biomedical Applications.

Hydrogels, renowned for their biocompatibility and capacity to mimic biological tissues, are integral to many biomedical applications, such as implantable devices and wound dressings. However, their poor mechanical strength and the challenge of achieving durable adhesion to polymeric surfaces have hindered their broader utility. Current methods of creating hybrid solid-hydrogel (HSH) structures often rely on complex chemical linkers, adding steps, cytotoxic risks, and scalability issues.

Synthetic Lubrication of Bone Interfaces for Late-Stage Osteoarthritis Treatment.

In the late stage of osteoarthritis (OA), few options are available to improve patient quality of life beyond joint arthroplasty. Exposed bone and direct bone-on-bone contact in late-stage OA lead to severe pain and joint stiffness. These symptoms could potentially be relieved through sufficient lubrication of the bone surface.

YAP regulates transcriptional programs for layer-specific periosteal expansion during fracture repair.

Bone fracture repair initiates by periosteal expansion. The periosteum is a bilayered tissue composed of inner cambium and outer fibrous layers. Typically quiescent, periosteal progenitor cells proliferate upon fracture; however, the underlying transcriptional mechanisms remain unclear.

De Novo Design of Multiple Microplastic-Binding Peptides with a Protein Language Model-Guided Generative Adversarial Network.

Microplastics are heterogeneous pollutants that pose significant risks to ecosystems and human health. Innovative mitigation strategies are urgently needed. Plastic-binding peptides represent a promising eco-friendly approach for detecting or capturing microplastic pollution.

Characterizing and engineering post-translational modifications with high-throughput cell-free expression.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are important for the stability and function of many therapeutic proteins and peptides. Current methods for studying and engineering PTMs are often limited by low-throughput experimental techniques. Here we describe a generalizable, in vitro workflow coupling cell-free gene expression (CFE) with AlphaLISA for the rapid expression and testing of PTM installing proteins.

Electrostatic Shielding Suppresses Nanoparticle Deposition and Enhances Plasma-Activated Biofunctional Coatings for Cell Culture Well Plates.

Plasma-based surface treatments are increasingly used to functionalize cell culture substrates, enabling the covalent immobilization of biomolecules without chemical reagents. However, a hidden risk in such processes is the in situ formation of plasma-polymerized nanoparticles (PPNs), which can result in particulate contamination. These particles form in the plasma discharge and accumulate inside well plates, compromising surface uniformity, interfering with biomolecule presentation and confounding cell-based assay results.

Katydids shift to higher-stability gaits when climbing inclined substrates.

When terrestrial organisms locomote in natural settings, they must navigate complex surfaces that vary in incline angles and substrate roughness. Variable surface structures are common in arboreal environments and can be challenging to traverse. This study examines the walking gait of katydids (Tettigoniidae) as they traverse a custom-built platform with varying incline angles (30○, 45○, 60○, 75○, 90○) and substrate roughness (40, 120, and 320 grit sandpaper).

Dental implants coated with BMP-2- and α-tocopherol-loaded nanofibers enhance osseointegration.

Dental implants are widely used to treat edentulism, but the extended osseointegration period can increase infection risk, potentially causing peri-implantitis or implant failure. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), particularly BMP-2, show promise in bone regeneration but require stability and controlled release for effectiveness. This study developed dental implants coated with polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers loaded with BMP-2 and α-tocopherol.

Unveiling the Reactivity of Fluoropolymers with Sodium Metal: Mechanistic Insights and Battery Implications.

Poly-(vinylidene fluoride--hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) has broad applications across various metal-ion battery systems, such as a binder for electrodes, a supporting matrix for electrolytes, and a separator material. Due to its excellent mechanical properties, PVDF-HFP has become an excellent candidate for fabricating gel and solid-state electrolytes in sodium-based batteries. However, in this study, we noticed notable side reactions occurring at the interface of PVDF-HFP membranes and Na metal.

Complexing Agent-Assisted Membraneless Zinc-Iodine Aqueous Batteries.

A membrane is required for conventional zinc-iodine aqueous batteries, since soluble polyiodides cross over to the anode side and react with zinc metal spontaneously. Making the battery membraneless increases ion transport and reduces its cost and overall footprint. In this paper, a membraneless Zn-I aqueous battery is demonstrated, employing a complexing agent, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium iodide (MBPI), to promote the formation of I-containing, phase-separated polyiodides upon charging, to minimize self-discharge and suppress Zn dendrite growth.

Enhancing Bacterial Adhesion with Hydro-Softened Chitosan Films.

In applications ranging from microbial fuel cells to targeted drug delivery, bacterial adhesion is critical for surface interactions and functional performance. Current strategies for modulating bioadhesive properties of chitosan largely rely on biochemical functionalization - ligand grafting, surface charge manipulation, and polymer blending. Here, we introduce a mechanically driven framework based on hydro-softening - a physical process that modulates adhesion outcomes by tuning elasticity and interfacial energy without introducing foreign chemical species.

A Quantitative Model of Chemotherapeutic Drug Sensitivity as a Function of P-Glycoprotein Expression.

(1) Background: Overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is one mediator of multidrug resistance in cancer. While many studies demonstrate the efficacy of modulating P-glycoprotein expression to increase drug response in cancer cells, the nature of the mathematical relationship between drug sensitivity and P-glycoprotein surface density is not yet characterized. (2) Methods: In this study, we employ siRNA to modulate P-gp expression in two model cell lines and evaluate their steady-state response to three common chemotherapeutics in vitro.

Development of an AI-Empowered Novel Digital Monitoring System for Inhalation Flow Profiles.

The use of dry powder inhalers (DPIs) represents a cornerstone in the treatment of chronic pulmonary diseases. However, suboptimal inhalation techniques, including inadequate airflow rates, have been a persistent concern for achieving effective therapeutic outcomes, as many patients remain unaware of their insufficient inhalation performance. As an effective strategy, a digital monitoring system, coupled with dry powder inhalers (DPIs), has emerged to estimate flow profiles and provide inhalation information.

Highly Selective Electrochemical Semi-Hydrogenation Via a Palladium Membrane Reactor.

The selective semihydrogenation of alkynes is a critical industrial process, yet conventional palladium-based methods often suffer from overhydrogenation, leading to poor alkene selectivity. To address this, we report an electrochemical palladium membrane reactor that employs cysteamine, a simple aliphatic amino thiol, as a surface modifier. This system achieves >99% selectivity for the semihydrogenation of phenylacetylene to styrene at high current densities up to 300 mA/cm, under ambient conditions and continuous electrolysis.

Advances in Stabilizing Spinel Cobalt Oxide-Based Catalysts for Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is pivotal to sustainable energy storage and conversion technologies. Yet, its sluggish kinetics in acidic media and reliance on expensive noble metal catalysts limit its efficiency in these applications. Spinel cobalt(II, III) oxide (CoO)-based catalysts are cost-effective alternatives with high theoretical catalytic activity.

Role of High Fidelity Vs. Low Fidelity Experimental Data in Machine Learning Model Performance for Predicting Polymer Solubility.

Reliable classification of polymer-solvent compatibility is essential for solution formulation and materials discovery. Applying machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence to this task is of growing interest in polymer science, but the effectiveness of such models depends on the quality/nature of the training data. This study evaluates how experimental data fidelity, as set by the experimental method, influences ML model performance by comparing classifiers trained on two experimental datasets: one generated from turbidity-based measurements using a Crystal16 parallel crystallizer as a high-fidelity source and another derived from visual solubility inspection as a low-fidelity dataset.

Adhesion and injury cues enhance blackworm capture by freshwater planaria.

In aquatic ecosystems, freshwater planarians (Dugesia spp.) function as predators, employing specialized adaptations for capturing live prey. This exploratory study examines the predatory interactions between the freshwater planarian Dugesia spp.

Strain-Driven Symmetry Breaking and Enhanced SHG in Centrosymmetric 1T-PtS.

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) in two-dimensional (2D) materials typically requires broken inversion symmetry, posing a fundamental constraint for nonlinear optical applications. Surprisingly, the SHG phenomenon was recently observed in centrosymmetric 1T-phase transition metal disulfide compounds (1T-TMDs), but its underlying mechanism and tunability remain elusive. Here, taking the centrosymmetric 1T-PtS as an example, we investigate the SHG responses and origin, finding a surprising giant SHG response, exhibiting intensities up to 15 times greater than noncentrosymmetric monolayer WS under the same excitation conditions.

Understanding the Role of the Zr-MOF Support Structure on Templated Ternary CO Hydrogenation Catalyst Structure and Activity.

Depending on catalytic reaction conditions, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are excellent supports or templates for catalysts, owing to their ordered porous structures, large surface areas, and degree of thermal and chemical stability. Indeed, the structural diversity afforded (e.g.

Solid-phase submonomer synthesis of sequence-defined oligothioetheramides.

Sequence-defined polymers have been developed using various orthogonal iterative chemical techniques. Among these, oligothioetheramides (OligoTEAs), which are designed with antimicrobial, cell-penetrating, and other biological properties, are synthesized through iterative solution-phase monomer addition on a soluble fluorous support. To simplify and streamline the iterative process, this work investigates the feasibility of an alternative submonomer solid-phase approach to oligoTEAs.

Antimicrobial mechanism of plasma activated water treatment of pathogenic and biofilms.

This study investigated the efficacy and mechanisms of inactivation against UTI89 and NCTC8325 through an plasma-activated water (PAW) treatment. PAW was prepared by discharging atmospheric pressure cold plasma beneath the surface of sterile distilled water. The study investigated the inactivation of biofilm cells and biofilm matrix.

Hemp seed as an emerging source of nutritious functional ingredients.

Industrial hemp ( L.), cultivated for its low THC content (<0.3%), is increasingly valued for its nutrient-rich seeds and broad applications in human nutrition.

Biphasic liquids with shape-shifting and bistable microdomains.

Liquids comprising two coexisting phases can form a range of stable and metastable states, including wetting films, droplets and threads. Processes that permit rapid and reversible transformations between these morphologies, however, have been difficult to realize because physical properties required for rapid shape change (for example, low interfacial tension or viscosity) provide pathways for relaxation that result in short-lived states. Fully reversible formation of long-lived microdomain states would expand the palette of properties that can be accessed dynamically using biphasic liquids (for example, tunable optical metamaterials).

Electrochromic PEDOT:PSS with Embedded Liquid Gallium Nanoparticles.

Electrochromic materials enable reversible color changes under an applied electric field, making them valuable for smart windows and optoelectronic devices. Among these materials, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has been extensively studied due to its broad electrochromic modulation range and solution processability. However, its electrochromic efficiency is limited by the insulating PSS component, which restricts charge transport.