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Detecting circulating tumor cells has exhibited great significance in treating cancers since its concentration is an index strongly associated with the development and transfer of the tumor. However, the present commercial method for CTC detection is still expensive, because special antibodies and complicated devices must be used for cell separation and imaging. Hence, it is quite necessary to apply alternative materials and methods to decrease the cost of CTC detection. In this article, we coated a cellulose acetate membrane with nanoparticles formed by the polymerization of melamine and furfural, creating a surface with nanoscale roughness for the highly efficient capture of the sparse CTCs in a blood sample. Subsequently, the CTCs on the surface can be quantitatively detected by colorimetry with the aid of a COF-based nanozyme. The detection limit (LOD) can be as low as 3 cells/mL, which is the lowest LOD among the colorimetric methods to our knowledge. Considering the low cost of fabricating the membrane for CTC capture and the robustness of nanozymes compared with natural enzymes, this CTC detection approach displays great potential to decrease the financial burden of commercial CTC detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new strain of bacteria, named Rhodococcus sp. KLW-1, was isolated from farmland soil contaminated by plastic mulch for more than 30 years. To improve the application performance of free bacteria and find more ways to use waste biochar, KLW-1 was immobilised on waste biochar by sodium alginate embedding method to prepare immobilised pellet. Response Surface Method (RSM) predicted that under optimal conditions (3% sodium alginate, 2% biochar and 4% CaCl2), di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) degradation efficiency of 90.48% can be achieved. Under the adverse environmental conditions of pH 5 and 9, immobilisation increased the degradation efficiency of 100 mg/L DEHP by 16.42% and 11.48% respectively, and under the high-stress condition of 500 mg/L DEHP concentration, immobilisation increased the degradation efficiency from 71.52% to 91.56%, making the immobilised pellets have strong stability and impact load resistance to environmental stress. In addition, immobilisation also enhanced the degradation efficiency of several phthalate esters (PAEs) widely existing in the environment. After four cycles of utilisation, the immobilised particles maintained stable degradation efficiency for different PAEs. Therefore, immobilised pellets have great application potential for the remediation of the actual environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is garnering growing attention as a green energy source with zero carbon emissions. However, most hydrogen production technologies still rely on the consumption of fossil fuels and are therefore unsustainable. This has driven the search for more environmentally friendly methods of hydrogen production. In this work, we present an innovative approach to enhance hydrogen generation via electrostatic interaction in the Escherichia coli and defective titanium dioxide (TiO2−x) biohybrids. Our method involves narrowing the forbidden bandwidth of TiO2 while introducing defect bands into its conduction band to facilitate visible light absorption and efficient charge separation. This biohybrid system, consisting of E. coli and TiO2−x, demonstrates a remarkable capability to produce 1.25 mmol of hydrogen within a 3-h timeframe under visible light irradiation. This accomplishment signifies a 3.31-fold rise in hydrogen production in comparison to E. coli, signifying a substantial enhancement in hydrogen production efficiency. Furthermore, we delve into the alterations in biological metabolites associated with hydrogen production and the changes in electron transfer in different biohybrid systems. It provides valuable insights into the understanding of the intrinsic mechanisms that drive the process. This work introduces a novel and promising avenue for achieving this exciting goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical titanium-based (Ti-based) implants in the human body are prone to infection by pathogenic bacteria, leading to implantation failure. Constructing antibacterial nanocoatings on Ti-based implants is one of the most effective strategies to solve bacterial contamination. However, single antibacterial function was not sufficient to efficiently kill bacteria, and it is necessary to develop multifunctional antibacterial methods. This study modifies medical Ti foils with Cu-doped Co3O4 rich in oxygen vacancies, and improves their biocompatibility by polydopamine (PDA/Cu-Ov-Co3O4). Under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, nanocoatings can generate •OH and 1O2 due to Cu+ Fenton-like activity and a photodynamic effect of Cu-Ov-Co3O4, and the total reactive oxygen species (ROS) content inside bacteria significantly increases, causing oxidative stress of bacteria. Further experiments prove that the photothermal process enhances the bacterial membrane permeability, allowing the invasion of ROS and metal ions, as well as the protein leakage. Moreover, PDA/Cu-Ov-Co3O4 can downregulate ATP levels and further reduce bacterial metabolic activity after irradiation. This coating exhibits sterilization ability against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with an antibacterial rate of ca. 100%, significantly higher than that of bare medical Ti foils (ca. 0%). Therefore, multifunctional synergistic antibacterial nanocoating will be a promising strategy for preventing bacterial contamination on medical Ti-based implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance is affected by the metabolic activity of bacteria and the extracellular electron transfer (EET) process. The deficiency of nanostructures on macroporous anode obstructs the enrichment of exoelectrogens and the EET. Herein, a N-doped carbon nanowire-modified macroporous carbon foam was prepared and served as an anode in MFCs. The anode has a hierarchical porous structure, which can solve the problem of biofilm blockage, ensure mass transport, favor exoelectrogen enrichment, and enhance the metabolic activity of bacteria. The microscopic morphology, spectroscopy, and electrochemical characterization of the anode confirm that carbon nanowires can penetrate biofilm, decrease charge resistance, and enhance long-distance electron transfer efficiency. In addition, pyrrolic N can effectively reduce the binding energy and electron transfer distance of bacterial outer membrane hemin. With this hierarchical anode, a maximum power density of 5.32 W/m3 was obtained, about 2.5-fold that of bare carbon cloth. The one-dimensional nanomaterial-modified macroporous anodes in this study are a promising strategy to improve the exoelectrogen enrichment and EET for MFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adjuvants augment the immunogenicity of vaccines when co-administered with messenger RNA (mRNA) antigens. In recent years, nanotechnology and nanoscience have seen significant growth, resulting in the discovery of synthetic small molecule compounds, natural extracts, and nanomaterials with self-adjuvant properties for nano delivery. The materials exhibit robust immune activity and efficiently activate various innate immune signaling pathways. Moreover, they possess a comparatively simple chemical composition in contrast to conventional adjuvants. This significantly streamlines the manufacturing process of vaccine formulations. Therefore, these self-adjuvant materials theoretically improve the reproducibility of adjuvant production and quality control. Herein, this review summarizes the current research and development progress of mRNA adjuvants, with a specific focus on various types of mRNA adjuvants, notably self-adjuvant nanomaterials. It discusses the current research status on a range of diseases and investigates the potential development of mRNA vaccine adjuvants., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)