1.
Multi-functional electrospun nanofibres for advances in tissue regeneration, energy conversion & storage, and water treatment.
Peng, S, Jin, G, Li, L, Li, K, Srinivasan, M, Ramakrishna, S, Chen, J
Chemical Society reviews. 2016;(5):1225-41
Abstract
Tissue regeneration, energy conversion & storage, and water treatment are some of the most critical challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. In order to address such challenges, one-dimensional (1D) materials are projected to play a key role in developing emerging solutions for the increasingly complex problems. Eletrospinning technology has been demonstrated to be a simple, versatile, and cost-effective method in fabricating a rich variety of materials with 1D nanostructures. These include polymers, composites, and inorganic materials with unique chemical and physical properties. In this tutorial review, we first give a brief introduction to electrospun materials with a special emphasis on the design, fabrication, and modification of 1D functional materials. Adopting the perspective of chemists and materials scientists, we then focus on the recent significant progress made in the domains of tissue regeneration (e.g., skin, nerve, heart and bone) and conversion & storage of clean energy (e.g., solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors), where nanofibres have been used as active nanomaterials. Furthermore, this review's scope also includes the advances in the use of electrospun materials for the removal of heavy metal ions, organic pollutants, gas and bacteria in water treatment applications. Finally a conclusion and perspective is provided, in which we discuss the remaining challenges for 1D electrospun nanomaterials in tissue regeneration, energy conversion & storage, and water treatment.
2.
Gene discovery in cereals through quantitative trait loci and expression analysis in water-use efficiency measured by carbon isotope discrimination.
Chen, J, Chang, SX, Anyia, AO
Plant, cell & environment. 2011;(12):2009-23
Abstract
Drought continues to be a major constraint on cereal production in many areas, and the frequency of drought is likely to increase in most arid and semi-arid regions under future climate change scenarios. Considerable research and breeding efforts have been devoted to investigating crop responses to drought at various levels and producing drought-resistant genotypes. Plant physiology has provided new insights to yield improvement in drought-prone environments. Crop performance could be improved through increases in water use, water-use efficiency (WUE) and harvest index. Greater WUE can be achieved by coordination between photosynthesis and transpiration. Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ(13) C) has been demonstrated to be a simple but reliable measure of WUE, and negative correlation between them has been used to indirectly estimate WUE under selected environments. New tools, such as quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and gene expression profiling, are playing vital roles in dissecting drought resistance-related traits. The combination of gene expression and association mapping could help identify candidate genes underlying the QTL of interest and complement map-based cloning and marker-assisted selection. Eventually, improved cultivars can be produced through genetic engineering. Future efficient and effective breeding progress in cereals under targeted drought environments will come from the integrated knowledge of physiology and genomics.