scholarly journals Nanostructured Biosilica of Diatoms: From Water World to Biomedical Applications

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (19) ◽  
pp. 6811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Tramontano ◽  
Giovanna Chianese ◽  
Monica Terracciano ◽  
Luca de Stefano ◽  
Ilaria Rea

Diatoms—unicellular photosynthetic algae—are promising natural sources of nanostructured silica. These microorganisms produce in their membrane approximately a highly ordered porous cell wall called a frustule as protection from environmental stress. Diatom frustules consist of hydrated silica that show peculiar properties including biocompatibility, tailorable surface chemistry, chemical inertness, and thermal stability. Frustules harvested from aquatic ecosystems or diatomaceous fossil sediments represent an excellent cost-effective source of biosilica for a broad range of biomedical applications. The porous ultrastructure of the frustules displays a large surface area available for coating with various biomolecules through different functionalization methods. In this review article, we highlight the main features of diatom biosilica and present some of the most advantageous properties that support the employment of frustules in the field of drug delivery, biosensing, and regenerative medicine. In particular, it is offered an insight into the most common functionalization strategies through which diatom physicochemical properties can be modified and tailored according to the described field of application.

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 1808-1828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Couto ◽  
Marisa Freitas ◽  
Felix Carvalho ◽  
Eduarda Fernandes

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (40) ◽  
pp. 5188-5204
Author(s):  
Uzair Nagra ◽  
Maryam Shabbir ◽  
Muhammad Zaman ◽  
Asif Mahmood ◽  
Kashif Barkat

Nanosized particles, with a size of less than 100 nm, have a wide variety of applications in various fields of nanotechnology and biotechnology, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. Metal nanoparticles [MNPs] have been synthesized by different chemical and physical procedures. Still, the biological approach or green synthesis [phytosynthesis] is considered as a preferred method due to eco-friendliness, nontoxicity, and cost-effective production. Various plants and plant extracts have been used for the green synthesis of MNPs, including biofabrication of noble metals, metal oxides, and bimetallic combinations. Biomolecules and metabolites present in plant extracts cause the reduction of metal ions into nanosized particles by one-step preparation methods. MNPs have remarkable attractiveness in biomedical applications for their use as potential antioxidant, anticancer and antibacterial agents. The present review offers a comprehensive aspect of MNPs production via top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top approach with considerable emphasis on green technology and their possible biomedical applications. The critical parameters governing the MNPs formation by plant-based synthesis are also highlighted in this review.


Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
Gaurav M. Doshi ◽  
Hemen S. Ved ◽  
Ami P. Thakkar

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently announced the spread of novel coronavirus (nCoV) globally and has declared it a pandemic. The probable source of transmission of the virus, which is from animal to human and human to human contact, has been established. As per the statistics reported by the WHO on 11th April 2020, data has shown that more than sixteen lakh confirmed cases have been identified globally. The reported cases related to nCoV in India have been rising substantially. The review article discusses the characteristics of nCoV in detail with the probability of potentially effective old drugs that may inhibit the virus. The research may further emphasize and draw the attention of the world towards the development of an effective vaccine as well as alternative therapies. Moreover, the article will help to bridge the gap between the new researchers since it’s the current thrust area of research.


Nanoscale ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shagufta Haque ◽  
Sanchita Tripathy ◽  
Chitta Ranjan Patra

The present review article provides the insight of an overall survey on the recent advancements of manganese nanomaterials for biomedical nanotechnology and other fields.


1970 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 115-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajan P Paudel

Invasive species adversely affects the ecology and habitat of the species existing in a particular region. They are one of the top threats to the biodiversity of life on Earth. Mikania micrantha is spreading like a wildfire in Nepal whose effect on Rhino habitat is being studied in Chitwan National Park. Various mechanical, chemical and biological methods of control for Mikania are available. It's likely to be more cost effective to prevent the spread of invasive species in the first place than to tackle the biodiversity crisis once they have become established.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/init.v4i0.5544The Initiation Vol.4 2011 115-119


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 286-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manash P. Borgohain ◽  
Krishna Kumar Haridhasapavalan ◽  
Chandrima Dey ◽  
Poulomi Adhikari ◽  
Rajkumar P. Thummer

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 10348
Author(s):  
S. M. Omar Faruque Babu ◽  
M. Belal Hossain ◽  
M. Safiur Rahman ◽  
Moshiur Rahman ◽  
A. S. Shafiuddin Ahmed ◽  
...  

Contamination of aquatic ecosystems by various sources has become a major worry all over the world. Pollutants can enter the human body through the food chain from aquatic and soil habitats. These pollutants can cause various chronic diseases in humans and mortality if they collect in the body over an extended period. Although the phytoremediation technique cannot completely remove harmful materials, it is an environmentally benign, cost-effective, and natural process that has no negative effects on the environment. The main types of phytoremediation, their mechanisms, and strategies to raise the remediation rate and the use of genetically altered plants, phytoremediation plant prospects, economics, and usable plants are reviewed in this review. Several factors influence the phytoremediation process, including types of contaminants, pollutant characteristics, and plant species selection, climate considerations, flooding and aging, the effect of salt, soil parameters, and redox potential. Phytoremediation’s environmental and economic efficiency, use, and relevance are depicted in our work. Multiple recent breakthroughs in phytoremediation technologies are also mentioned in this review.


2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-11
Author(s):  
Remco Stam ◽  
Pierre Gladieux ◽  
Boris A. Vinatzer ◽  
Erica M. Goss ◽  
Neha Potnis ◽  
...  

Population genetics has been a key discipline in phytopathology for many years. The recent rise in cost-effective, high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies, allows sequencing of dozens, if not hundreds of specimens, turning population genetics into population genomics and opening up new, exciting opportunities as described in this Focus Issue . Without the limitations of genetic markers and the availability of whole or near whole-genome data, population genomics can give new insights into the biology, evolution and adaptation, and dissemination patterns of plant-associated microbes.


Author(s):  
N.N. Iksat ◽  
◽  
D. Tokasheva ◽  
М.К. Beissekova ◽  
U.I. Amanbayeva ◽  
...  

Salicylic acid is a natural signaling molecule that plays a key role in establishing and transmitting plant protection signals from phytopathogens. Salicylic acid, by modulating the expression of protective genes and changing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, can regulate oxidative processes associated with plant protective reactions. This review article reviews studies that provide insight into the functioning of salicylic acid in plant immunity


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahat Nawaz ◽  
Sayed Tayyab Raza Naqvi ◽  
Batool Fatima ◽  
Nazia Zulfiqar ◽  
Muhammad Umer Farooq ◽  
...  

Abstract Nonwoven cotton fabric has been fabricated and designed for antibacterial applications using low cost and ecofriendly precursors. The treatment of fabric with alkali leads to formation of active sites. The surfaces were dip coated with silver nanaoparticles and chitosan. The surface was chlorinated in next step to transform amide (N-H) groups in chitosan into N-halamine (N-Cl). The modified and unmodified surfaces of the nonwoven cotton fabric have been characterized by FTIR, SEM, and XRD. The active chlorine loading is measured with iodine/ sodium thiosulphate. The antimicrobial activity and cell toxicity assay were carried out with and without modifications of nonwoven cotton fabric. The antimicrobial efficacies of loaded fabric were evaluated against four bacterial species (Micrococcus lutes, Staphylococcus aurea, Enterobacter aerogenes, and E.coli). It was found that modified fabric exhibited superior efficiency against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains as compared to their bulk counterparts upon exposure without destroying and affecting fabric nature. The overall process is economical for commercial purposes. The modified fabric can be used for antimicrobial, health, and food packaging industries, and in other biomedical applications.


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