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Lab-grown bovine meat analogues are emerging alternatives to animal sacrifices for cultured meat production. The most challenging aspect of the production process is the rapid proliferation of cells and establishment of the desired 3D structure for mass production. In this study, we developed a direct ink writing-based 3D-bioprinted meat culture platform composed of 6% (w/v) alginate and 4% (w/v) gelatin (Alg/Gel)-based hydrogel scaffolds supplemented with naturally derived protein hydrolysates (PHs; 10%) from highly nutritive plants (soybean, pigeon pea, and wheat), and some selected edible insects (beetles, crickets, and mealworms) on in vitro proliferation of bovine myosatellite cells (bMSCs) extracted from fresh meat samples. The developed bioink exhibited excellent shear-thinning behavior ( n < 1) and mechanical stability during 3D bioprinting. Commercial proteases (Alcalase, Neutrase, and Flavourzyme) were used for protein hydrolysis. The resulting hydrolysates exhibited lower-molecular-weight bands (12-50 kDa) than those of crude isolates (55-160 kDa), as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The degree of hydrolysis was higher in the presence of Alcalase for both plant (34%) and insect (62%) PHs than other enzymes. The 3D-printed hydrogel scaffolds displayed excellent bioactivity and stability after 7 days of incubation. The developed prototype structure (pepperoni meat, 20 × 20 × 5 mm) provided a highly stable, nutritious, and mechanically strong structure that supported the rapid proliferation of myoblasts in a low-serum environment during the entire culture period. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay enhanced the free radical reduction of Alcalase- and Neutrase-treated PHs. Furthermore, the bioprinted bMSCs displayed early myogenesis (desmin and Pax7) in the presence of PHs, suggesting its role in bMSC differentiation. In conclusion, we developed a 3D bioprinted and bioactive meat culture platform using Alg/Gel/PHs as a printable and edible component for the mass production of cultured meat.

Plants are anatomically and physiologically different from humans and animals; however, there are several possibilities to utilize the unique structures and physiological systems of plants and adapt them to new emerging technologies through a strategic biomimetic approach. Moreover, plants provide safe and sustainable results that can potentially solve the problem of mass-producing practical materials with hazardous and toxic side effects, particularly in the biomedical field, which requires high biocompatibility. In this review, it is investigated how micro-nanostructures available in plants (e.g., nanoparticles, nanofibers and their composites, nanoporous materials, and natural micromotors) are adapted and utilized in the design of suitable materials for a micro-nanorobot platform. How plants' work on micro- and nanoscale systems (e.g., surface roughness, osmotically induced movements such as nastic and tropic, and energy conversion and harvesting) that are unique to plants, can provide functionality on the platform and become further prospective resources are examined. Furthermore, implementation across organisms and fields, which is promising for future practical applications of the plant-actuated micro-nanorobot platform, especially on biomedical applications, is discussed. Finally, the challenges following its implementation in the micro-nanorobot platform are also presented to provide advanced adaptation in the future., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) have attracted tremendous interest as actuators for soft robotics due to their mechanical and shape memory properties. However, LCE actuators typically respond to thermal stimulation through active Joule heating and passive cooling, which make them difficult to control. In this work, LCEs are combined with soft, stretchable thermoelectrics to create transducers capable of electrically controlled actuation, active cooling, and thermal-to-electrical energy conversion. The thermoelectric layers are composed of semiconductors embedded within a 3D printed elastomer matrix and wired together with eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) liquid metal interconnects. This layer is covered on both sides with LCE, which alternately heats and cools to achieve cyclical bending actuation in response to voltage-controlled Peltier activation. Moreover, the thermoelectric layer can harvest energy from thermal gradients between the two LCE layers through the Seebeck effect, allowing for regenerative energy harvesting. As demonstrations, first, closed-loop control of the transducer is performed to rapidly track a changing actuator position. Second, a soft robotic walker that is capable of walking toward a heat source and harvesting energy is introduced. Lastly, phototropic-inspired autonomous deflection of the limbs toward a heat source is shown, demonstrating an additional method to increase energy recuperation efficiency for soft systems., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Nanocellulose, a biopolymer, has received wide attention from researchers owing to its superior physicochemical properties, such as high mechanical strength, low density, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Nanocellulose can be extracted from wide range of sources, including plants, bacteria, and algae. Depending on the extraction process and dimensions (diameter and length), they are categorized into three main types: cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), and bacterial nanocellulose (BNC). CNCs are a highly crystalline and needle-like structure, whereas CNFs have both amorphous and crystalline regions in their network. BNC is the purest form of nanocellulose. The nanocellulose properties can be tuned by chemical functionalization, which increases its applicability in biomedical applications. This review highlights the fabrication of different surface-modified nanocellulose to deliver active molecules, such as drugs, proteins, and plasmids. Nanocellulose-mediated delivery of active molecules is profoundly affected by its topographical structure and the interaction between the loaded molecules and nanocellulose. The applications of nanocellulose and its composites in tissue engineering have been discussed. Finally, the review is concluded with further opportunities and challenges in nanocellulose-mediated delivery of active molecules., Competing Interests: The authors declare there is no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Precision quantum Hall resistance measurements can be greatly improved when implementing new electrical contact geometries made from superconducting NbTiN. The sample designs described here minimize undesired resistances at contacts and interconnections, enabling further enhancement of device size and complexity when pursuing next-generation quantized Hall resistance devices.

Impairment of host immune response in malaria favors bacteremia caused by typhoidal or nontyphoidal serovars of Salmonella enterica. Ofloxacin and Artesunate are the drugs that are clinically proven for treating typhoid and malaria, respectively. The study evaluates the host responses upon treatment with antibiotic (Ofloxacin) and antimalarial (Artesunate) in a standardized mice model harboring coinfection. BALB/c mice (18-22 g) were simultaneously coinfected with Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis (Pyn) and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (STm) and then treated with Ofloxacin or/and Artesunate from day 4 to day 7. The bacterial burden, liver function enzymes, oxidative stress, m-RNA expression of Toll-like receptors (TLR-2 and TLR-4), Th1/Th2 cytokines, hemeoxygenase-1, and NFкB were assessed. Ofloxacin treatment failed to counter the bacterial proliferation in Pyn-STm coinfected mice. However, upon controlling parasitemia with antimalarial, the efficacy of Ofloxacin could be regained. Elevated bacterial burden with malaria induces the expression of TLR-2 and TLR-4 triggering intense inflammatory response (NFκB, Th1/Th2 cytokines) in coinfected mice. This results in critical liver damage (ALT, AST, and ALP), oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, total GSH, catalase, and super oxide dismutase), and hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1). The study concludes that malaria infection aggravates the secondary infection of Salmonella serovars and the control of septicemia is critical in recovery of the coinfected subject.