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1.
Nanobiotechnology approaches for engineering smart plant sensors.
Giraldo, JP, Wu, H, Newkirk, GM, Kruss, S
Nature nanotechnology. 2019;(6):541-553
Abstract
Nanobiotechnology has the potential to enable smart plant sensors that communicate with and actuate electronic devices for improving plant productivity, optimize and automate water and agrochemical allocation, and enable high-throughput plant chemical phenotyping. Reducing crop loss due to environmental and pathogen-related stresses, improving resource use efficiency and selecting optimal plant traits are major challenges in plant agriculture industries worldwide. New technologies are required to accurately monitor, in real time and with high spatial and temporal resolution, plant physiological and developmental responses to their microenvironment. Nanomaterials are allowing the translation of plant chemical signals into digital information that can be monitored by standoff electronic devices. Herein, we discuss the design and interfacing of smart nanobiotechnology-based sensors that report plant signalling molecules associated with health status to agricultural and phenotyping devices via optical, wireless or electrical signals. We describe how nanomaterial-mediated delivery of genetically encoded sensors can act as tools for research and development of smart plant sensors. We assess performance parameters of smart nanobiotechnology-based sensors in plants (for example, resolution, sensitivity, accuracy and durability) including in vivo optical nanosensors and wearable nanoelectronic sensors. To conclude, we present an integrated and prospective vision on how nanotechnology could enable smart plant sensors that communicate with and actuate electronic devices for monitoring and optimizing individual plant productivity and resource use.
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2.
Ultrasound-assisted preparation of different nanocarriers loaded with food bioactive ingredients.
Koshani, R, Jafari, SM
Advances in colloid and interface science. 2019;:123-146
Abstract
Developing green and facile approaches to produce nanostructures suitable for bioactives, nanoencapsulation faces some challenges in the nutraceutical and food bioactive industries due to potential risks arising from nanomaterials fabrication and consumption. High-intensity ultrasound is an effective technology to generate different bio-based structures in sub-micron or nanometer scale. This technique owing to some intrinsic advantages such as safety, straightforward operation, energy efficiency, and scale-up potential, as well as, ability to control over size and morpHology has stood out among various nanosynthetic routes. Ultrasonically-provided energy is mainly transferred to the droplets and particles via acoustic cavitation (which is formation, growth, and implosive collapse of bubbles in solvent). This review provides an outlook on the fundamentals of ultrasonication and some applicable setups in nanoencapsulation. Different kinds of nanostructures based on surfactants, lipids, proteins and carbohydrates formed by sonication, along with their advantages and disadvantages are assessed from the viewpoint of stability, particle size, and process impacts on some functionalities. The gastrointestinal fate and safety issues of ultrasonically prepared nanostructures are also discussed. Sonication, itself or in combination with other encapsulation approaches, alongside biopolymers generate nano-engineered carriers with enough stability, small particle sizes, and a low polydispersity. The nano-sized systems improve techno-functional activities of encapsulated bioactive agents including stability, solubility, dissolution, availability, controlled and targeted release profile in vitro and in vivo plus other bioactive properties such as antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities. Ultrasonically prepared nanocarriers show a great potential in fortifying food products with desired bioactive components, especially for the industrial applications.
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3.
Recent advances in nanotechnology for the treatment of metabolic syndrome.
Bahadori, E, Farjami, Z, Rezayi, M, Lngari, H, Darroudi, M, Avan, A, Ghayour-Mobarhan, M
Diabetes & metabolic syndrome. 2019;(2):1561-1568
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome is a main clinical challenge of global health which is growing universally. It would be resulted from over-consumption of energy, increased obesity, and lack of movement during life. The metabolic syndrome causes a five-fold increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and a double increase in the risk of rising cardiovascular disease over the next 5-10 years. Based on this, more attention has been drawn to the diagnosis and treatment options of this disease. Nanotechnology is one of the preferred methods for improving this disease. This way is a natural development in many health domains, including synthetic and nanostructures. The use of nanoparticles with the purpose of increase the effectiveness of treatment, decrease the side effects and the amount of drug usage, through their small size, permeability and maintenance strength lead to their absorption by target organs. Meanwhile, different nanoparticles with consumption values and particle size have been investigated.
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4.
Boron: Functions and Approaches to Enhance Its Availability in Plants for Sustainable Agriculture.
Shireen, F, Nawaz, MA, Chen, C, Zhang, Q, Zheng, Z, Sohail, H, Sun, J, Cao, H, Huang, Y, Bie, Z
International journal of molecular sciences. 2018;(7)
Abstract
Boron (B) is an essential trace element required for the physiological functioning of higher plants. B deficiency is considered as a nutritional disorder that adversely affects the metabolism and growth of plants. B is involved in the structural and functional integrity of the cell wall and membranes, ion fluxes (H⁺, K⁺, PO₄3−, Rb⁺, Ca2+) across the membranes, cell division and elongation, nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism, sugar transport, cytoskeletal proteins, and plasmalemma-bound enzymes, nucleic acid, indoleacetic acid, polyamines, ascorbic acid, and phenol metabolism and transport. This review critically examines the functions of B in plants, deficiency symptoms, and the mechanism of B uptake and transport under limited B conditions. B deficiency can be mitigated by inorganic fertilizer supplementation, but the deleterious impact of frequent fertilizer application disrupts soil fertility and creates environmental pollution. Considering this, we have summarized the available information regarding alternative approaches, such as root structural modification, grafting, application of biostimulators (mycorrhizal fungi (MF) and rhizobacteria), and nanotechnology, that can be effectively utilized for B acquisition, leading to resource conservation. Additionally, we have discussed several new aspects, such as the combination of grafting or MF with nanotechnology, combined inoculation of arbuscular MF and rhizobacteria, melatonin application, and the use of natural and synthetic chelators, that possibly play a role in B uptake and translocation under B stress conditions.
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5.
Cure of tuberculosis using nanotechnology: An overview.
Kerry, RG, Gouda, S, Sil, B, Das, G, Shin, HS, Ghodake, G, Patra, JK
Journal of microbiology (Seoul, Korea). 2018;(5):287-299
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), a major health issue of the present era. The bacterium inhabits the host macrophage and other immune cells where it modulates the lysosome trafficking protein, hinders the formation of phagolysosome, and blocks the TNF receptor-dependent apoptosis of host macrophage/monocytes. Other limitations such as resistance to and low bioavailability and bio-distribution of conventional drugs aid to their high virulence and human mortality. This review highlights the use of nanotechnology-based approaches for drug formulation and delivery which could open new avenues to limit the pathogenicity of tuberculosis. Moreover phytochemicals, such as alkaloids, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids, extracted from terrestrial plants and mangroves seem promising against M. tuberculosis through different molecular mechanisms. Further understanding of the genomics and proteomics of this pathogenic microbe could also help overcome various research gaps in the path of developing a suitable therapy against tuberculosis.
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6.
Protective Roles of Thymoquinone Nanoformulations: Potential Nanonutraceuticals in Human Diseases.
El-Far, AH, Al Jaouni, SK, Li, W, Mousa, SA
Nutrients. 2018;(10)
Abstract
The focus on nanotechnology for improved bioavailability and drug delivery is of increasing importance for control of different human diseases. Therefore, numerous nanoformulations have been developed for the oral bioavailability of different drugs. This review introduces applications of nanomedicine to enhance the biological activities of thymoquinone (TQ) to control different diseases in several in vivo studies as a preliminary investigation for human disease treatment with nano-TQ. Nano-TQ effectively augments the anticancer roles of doxorubicin by upregulation of P53 and downregulation of Bcl2 and potentiates paclitaxel's apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Moreover, nano-TQ protects against diabetes, inflammation, CNS, and hepatotoxicity, mainly by enhancement of organs' antioxidant status. We summarize the pros and cons of several FDA approved nanoparticle-based therapeutics and discuss the roadblocks in clinical translation, along with potential nano-TQ strategies to overcome these roadblocks. From this review, we can conclude that nano-TQ may be considered as a promising nutraceutical for human health.
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7.
Exploiting algal mineralization for nanotechnology: bringing coccoliths to the fore.
Skeffington, AW, Scheffel, A
Current opinion in biotechnology. 2018;:57-63
Abstract
Complex mineral structures are produced by many microalgal species. Pioneering work on diatom silica has demonstrated the potential of such structures in nanotechnology. The calcified scales of coccolithophores (coccoliths) have received less attention, but the large diversity of architectures make coccoliths attractive as parts for nano-devices. Currently coccolith calcite can be modified by the incorporation of metal ions or adsorption of enzymes to the surface, but genetic modification of coccolithophores may permit the production of coccoliths with customized architectures and surface properties. Further work on the laboratory cultivation of diverse species, the physiochemical properties of coccoliths and on genetic tools for coccolithophores will be necessary to realize the full potential of coccoliths in nanotechnology.
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8.
Nanoscale sensors for assuring the safety of food products.
Wang, Y, Duncan, TV
Current opinion in biotechnology. 2017;:74-86
Abstract
As far as chemical analysis is concerned, foods are among the most difficult matrices to work with because they are complex, heterogeneous substances with a high degree of variety. Assaying foods for trace levels of chemical and microbiological substances is a challenge that often requires the application of time-consuming, expensive analytical instrumentation in dedicated facilities populated by highly trained personnel. Therefore there is a continued demand for new analytical technologies that can detect small concentrations of chemicals or microbes in a more cost- and time-effective manner, preferably in the field, on the production line, and/or non-destructively, with little to no sample pre-treatment, and possibly by individuals with scant scientific training. In the last decade, nanotechnology - a branch of science that takes advantage of the unique chemical and physical properties of matter on the nanoscale - has created new opportunities for both qualitative and quantitative detection of vapors/gasses, small molecules, biopolymers, and even living microbes in a fraction of the time and expense of traditional analytical techniques. This article offers a focused review of recent progress in nanotechnology-enabled biosensing as applied to foods and related matrices, paying particular attention to trends in the field, recent breakthroughs, and current areas of need. Special focus is paid to two primary categories of nanobiosensors - optical and electrochemical - and the discussion includes a comparison of their various strengths and weaknesses as they pertain ensuring the safety of the food supply.
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9.
Role of omics techniques in the toxicity testing of nanoparticles.
Fröhlich, E
Journal of nanobiotechnology. 2017;(1):84
Abstract
Nanotechnology is regarded as a key technology of the twenty-first century. Despite the many advantages of nanotechnology it is also known that engineered nanoparticles (NPs) may cause adverse health effects in humans. Reports on toxic effects of NPs relay mainly on conventional (phenotypic) testing but studies of changes in epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome induced by NPs have also been performed. NPs most relevant for human exposure in consumer, health and food products are metal, metal oxide and carbon-based NPs. They were also studied quite frequently with omics technologies and an overview of the study results can serve to answer the question if screening for established targets of nanotoxicity (e.g. cell death, proliferation, oxidative stress, and inflammation) is sufficient or if omics techniques are needed to reveal new targets. Regulated pathways identified by omics techniques were confirmed by phenotypic assays performed in the same study and comparison of particle types and cells by the same group indicated a more cell/organ-specific than particle specific regulation pattern. Between different studies moderate overlap of the regulated pathways was observed and cell-specific regulation is less obvious. The lack of standardization in particle exposure, in omics technologies, difficulties to translate mechanistic data to phenotypes and comparison with human in vivo data currently limit the use of these technologies in the prediction of toxic effects by NPs.
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10.
Engineering structure and function using thermoresponsive biopolymers.
Pastuszka, MK, MacKay, JA
Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology. 2016;(1):123-38
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Abstract
Self-assembly enables exquisite control at the smallest scale and generates order among macromolecular-building blocks that remain too small to be manipulated individually. Environmental cues, such as heating, can trigger the organization of these materials from individual molecules to multipartixcle assemblies with a variety of compositions and functions. Synthetic as well as biological polymers have been engineered for these purposes; however, biological strategies can offer unparalleled control over the composition of these macromolecular-building blocks. Biologic polymers are macromolecules composed of monomeric units that can be precisely tailored at the genetic level; furthermore, they can often utilize endogenous biodegradation pathways, which may enhance their potential clinical applications. DNA (nucleotides), polysaccharides (carbohydrates), and proteins (amino acids) have all been engineered to self-assemble into nanostructures in response to a change in temperature. This focus article reviews the growing body of literature exploring temperature-dependent nano-assembly of these biological macromolecules, summarizes some of their physical properties, and discusses future directions.