Applications In Nanoscience Research Articles

Construction of micro/macro‐scale Janus polypeptoid‐based two‐dimensional structures at the air–water interface

AbstractJanus two‐dimensional (2D) polymeric materials present asymmetric dual surfaces that enable a variety of applications of biosensors, catalysts, drug delivery, etc. This work reports the evaporation‐induced interfacial self‐assembly of amphiphilic block copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(N‐(2‐phenylethyl) glycine) (PEG‐b‐PNPE) at the air–water interface. The PEG‐b‐PNPE was initially assembled into a monolayer with a uniform thickness of ~2.5 ± 0.1 nm, which was mechanically compressed into a bilayer structure by Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technology as surface pressure is exceeding the critical collapse pressure. Both monolayer and bilayer nanostructure span over hundreds of microns in both dimensions. The surface contact angle of the sample was measured by dynamic/static optical contact angle/interface tensiometer, which showed asymmetric wettability on the air side and the water side. The evolution from a monolayer to a bilayer was further tracked by an atomic force microscope. By the evaporation‐induced interfacial self‐assembly at the air–water interface, we also prepared macroscopic Janus films with a diameter of ~3.5 mm. The obtained micro/macro‐scale 2D materials have potential applications in nanoscience and biomedicine.

Lipidation Alters the Structure and Hydration of Myristoylated Intrinsically Disordered Proteins.

Lipidated proteins are an emerging class of hybrid biomaterials that can integrate the functional capabilities of proteins into precisely engineered nano-biomaterials with potential applications in biotechnology, nanoscience, and biomedical engineering. For instance, fatty-acid-modified elastin-like polypeptides (FAMEs) combine the hierarchical assembly of lipids with the thermoresponsive character of elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) to form nanocarriers with emergent temperature-dependent structural (shape or size) characteristics. Here, we report the biophysical underpinnings of thermoresponsive behavior of FAMEs using computational nanoscopy, spectroscopy, scattering, and microscopy. This integrated approach revealed that temperature and molecular syntax alter the structure, contact, and hydration of lipid, lipidation site, and protein, aligning with the changes in the nanomorphology of FAMEs. These findings enable a better understanding of the biophysical consequence of lipidation in biology and the rational design of the biomaterials and therapeutics that rival the exquisite hierarchy and capabilities of biological systems.

Mapping DNA Conformations Using Single-Molecule Conductance Measurements.

DNA is an attractive material for a range of applications in nanoscience and nanotechnology, and it has recently been demonstrated that the electronic properties of DNA are uniquely sensitive to its sequence and structure, opening new opportunities for the development of electronic DNA biosensors. In this report, we examine the origin of multiple conductance peaks that can occur during single-molecule break-junction (SMBJ)-based conductance measurements on DNA. We demonstrate that these peaks originate from the presence of multiple DNA conformations within the solutions, in particular, double-stranded B-form DNA (dsDNA) and G-quadruplex structures. Using a combination of circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, computational approaches, sequence and environmental controls, and single-molecule conductance measurements, we disentangle the conductance information and demonstrate that specific conductance values come from specific conformations of the DNA and that the occurrence of these peaks can be controlled by controlling the local environment. In addition, we demonstrate that conductance measurements are uniquely sensitive to identifying these conformations in solutions and that multiple configurations can be detected in solutions over an extremely large concentration range, opening new possibilities for examining low-probability DNA conformations in solutions.

Colloid thermophoresis in the dilute electrolyte concentration regime: from theory to experiment.

Colloid thermophoresis in aqueous media is vital for numerous applications in nanoscience and life sciences. To date, a general description of colloid thermophoresis in DI water has not been determined. Here, we describe a theoretical model within the framework of the Fokker-Planck formalism and the flickering cluster concept to describe the hydration entropy effect on the thermophoretic behaviour of colloids suspended in DI water and compare this to new experimental results. We built an experimental platform to allow for rapid and robust temperature control and investigate the thermophoretic behaviour of silica microspheres with different sizes at various background temperatures for comparison. In this work, the ionic shielding effect is accounted for by using the well-known Duhr-Dhont's model, and the hydration layer effect is determined using the developed theoretical model. For the latter, our model reveals that the sign of the Soret coefficient is governed by the interplay between the binding energy and the chemical potential of water molecules, which were found to be in the same order of magnitude. We show that our analysis accurately describes the experimental behaviour of colloidal particles that opens a new avenue for developing versatile trapping and separation techniques for various colloidal particles in aqueous systems according to their size and background temperature.

The Application of Nanotechnology in Enhancing Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment: Future Aspects

Nanotechnology is the investigation of matter at the molecular and atomic levels. It identifies and discovers the beneficial features at the nanoscale level. There are numerous applications of nanotechnology in modern science. Medicinal field has great impact of modern nanoscience. Nano disks, high density lipoprotein nanostructures, and gold nanoparticles are different example of nanotechnology applied in drug delivery system. The growing discipline of this nanotechnology fulfilled the demand for innovative methods in the detection and treatment of cancer. With the help of this advanced technology several functional molecules can be conjugated simultaneously such as tumor-specific ligands, antibodies, anticancer drugs, and imaging probes etc. Nanoparticles are biocompatible and biodegradable in nature. They act as a carrier, which target particular sites of cancer cell. Since, nanoparticles are 100-1000 times smaller than cancer cells, they can readily pass through leaky blood vessels. They can easily interact with tumor-specific proteins both on the outside and inside of cancer cells. This advance nanotechnology has brought a new hope for developing treatment of cancer therapy. In this article, we highlighted a review on the recent applications of nanoscience in enhancing immunotherapy and the treatment of cancerous cells.

Interaction of Silver Nanoparticles with Human Alpha-2-macroglobulin: Biochemical and Biophysical Investigation

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have a broad spectrum of applications in nanoscience and nanomedicine due to their flexible properties, such as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic. Present study investigated the interaction of chemically synthesized AgNPs with human major antiproteinase alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2M).Materials and methods: The first step of the study involved the synthesis and characterization of AgNPs using various biochemical and biophysical techniques, such as UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence, and circular dichroism (CD). Different methods were used to explore the primary and secondary structural changes induced in α2M by the binding of AgNPs. Results: The UV-visible spectroscopy revealed hyperchromicity in the absorption spectra of α2M. The presence of a static quenching mechanism was indicated by the temperature-dependent fluorescence spectroscopy. The synchronous fluorescence revealed a change in the microenvironment of the tryptophan residues in α2M. The CD results showed the reduction in β-helical content of α2M. The activity of α2M decreased significantly with the increase of AgNPs concentration.Conclusion: Our result suggests that AgNPs cause modifications in the structure and functional activity of α2M. The interaction of nanoparticles with proteins is important for understanding their potential risks to human health. Keywords: alpha-2-macroglobulin, antiproteinase, silver nanoparticles, fluorescence quenching, FTIR, TEM

An HP-TLC densitometric method and fingerprinting for estimating capecitabine and thymoquinone simultaneously and its application in nanoscience using Box–Behnken design

World Health Organization estimates that 10% of medications are of inferior quality, thus dangerous to human health. One way to avoid such a problem is to create an adequate, economical, and competitive analytical system. As a result, the study’s goal is to create a High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HP-TLC) method for determining capecitabine (CAP) and thymoquinone (TQ) simultaneously. To the best of our knowledge, no such method for determining CAP and TQ simultaneously exists today. The method was created by implementing an analytical quality-by-design approach based on the Box–Behnken design (BBD) to optimize the chromatographic conditions and a combination of factors such as toluene volume (A), solvent front (B), and chamber saturation time (C), all of which were likely to affect the R f of CAP and TQ, respectively, later validated using TLC-silica coated plate 60 F254. The validated parameters were within an acceptable range, according to ICH guidelines. BBD design revealed that the volume of toluene and solvent front had a greater effect on all of the responses studied and thus needs to be controlled. The developed method of the analysis was found to be facile, dependable, expeditious, cost-effective, and could be used to quantify CAP and TQ in Nanoformulation.

Ultrafast laser surface irradiation of silicon: Effects of repetition rate in vacuum and air

The process of surface structuring of a silicon target with femtosecond laser pulses (pulse width ≈180 fs; wavelength λ≈1030 nm) at repetition rates varying from 0.01 to 200 kHz is investigated in vacuum and in air, in static irradiation conditions. The threshold fluence for the formation of a shallow crater, as well as the surface features generated inside the crater, are analyzed at different repetition rate for a fixed sequence of N laser pulses. Our experimental results evidence a clear difference in the morphology of the surface structures generated in vacuum and air, addressing a change in the laser-target energy coupling at the higher pulse repetition rates. The observed behavior is rationalized in terms of the effects induced by the presence of nanoparticle debris, as well as of a plume shielding occurring at repetition rates larger than 10 kHz in air. Both such effects are hindered for vacuum irradiation conditions. Our experimental findings highlight the impact of plume shielding, and nanoparticles coverage on laser material processing in air at high repetition rates. These observations, thus, provide new useful insights in the field of fast laser processing essentially required in many applications of nanoscience and nanotechnologies.

The Application of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: A Review.

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases worldwide in present times, with its incidence on a tremendous rise. It is caused by uncontrolled cell growth. Cancer therapies have advanced substantially, but there is a need for improvement in specificity and fear of systemic toxicity. Early detection is critical in improving patients' prognosis and quality of life, and recent advancements in technology, especially in dealing with biomaterials, have aided in that surge. Nanotechnology possesses the key to solving many of the downsides of traditional pharmaceutical formulations. Indeed, significant progress has been made in using customized nanomaterials for cancer diagnosis and treatment with high specificity, sensitivity, and efficacy. Nanotechnology is the integration of nanoscience into medicine by the use of nanoparticles. The advent of nanoscience in cancer diagnosis and treatment will help clinicians better assess and manage patients and improve the healthcare system and services. This review article gives an account of the clinical applications of nanoscience in the modern management of cancer, the different modalities of nanotechnology used, and the limitations and possible side effects of this new tool.

Exploring the role of nanomedicines for the therapeutic approach of central nervous system dysfunction: At a glance.

In recent decades, research scientists, molecular biologists, and pharmacologists have placed a strong emphasis on cutting-edge nanostructured materials technologies to increase medicine delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). The application of nanoscience for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), Huntington’s disease (HD), brain cancer, and hemorrhage has the potential to transform care. Multiple studies have indicated that nanomaterials can be used to successfully treat CNS disorders in the case of neurodegeneration. Nanomedicine development for the cure of degenerative and inflammatory diseases of the nervous system is critical. Nanoparticles may act as a drug transporter that can precisely target sick brain sub-regions, boosting therapy success. It is important to develop strategies that can penetrate the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and improve the effectiveness of medications. One of the probable tactics is the use of different nanoscale materials. These nano-based pharmaceuticals offer low toxicity, tailored delivery, high stability, and drug loading capacity. They may also increase therapeutic effectiveness. A few examples of the many different kinds and forms of nanomaterials that have been widely employed to treat neurological diseases include quantum dots, dendrimers, metallic nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, liposomes, and micelles. These unique qualities, including sensitivity, selectivity, and ability to traverse the BBB when employed in nano-sized particles, make these nanoparticles useful for imaging studies and treatment of NDs. Multifunctional nanoparticles carrying pharmacological medications serve two purposes: they improve medication distribution while also enabling cell dynamics imaging and pharmacokinetic study. However, because of the potential for wide-ranging clinical implications, safety concerns persist, limiting any potential for translation. The evidence for using nanotechnology to create drug delivery systems that could pass across the BBB and deliver therapeutic chemicals to CNS was examined in this study.

Green Synthesize and Characterization of Copper Nanoparticles Using Iranian Propolis Extracts

The propolis produced by bees is used by them to protect their hives. The cavity inside the hive’s walls is filled in during cold days to reduce entry points and mummify any intruders to ensure their survival. A current focus in nanotechnology and nanoscience is the green biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using biomaterials. Research on green methods for making metal oxide NPs is gaining momentum to safeguard the environment from the potential dangers associated with toxic chemicals. This study aimed to synthesize copper NPs (CuNPs) via propolis extraction, a novel application of nanoscience. The study was conducted under a range of pH, time conditions, and concentration ratios, and its properties were characterized by UV-Vis absorption spectra, XRD, and FTIR. An FTIR analysis revealed that compounds found in propolis extract could have an effect on the surface modification of the synthesized NPs. The propolis (Khalkhal) extract spectrum exhibited a sharp peak at 3422 cm−1, caused by free hydroxyl groups and their intra/intermolecular hydrogen bonds. There were sharp peaks at 2925, 1637, and 1515 to 1076 cm−1 associated with the C = O and C = C aromatic stretching frequencies. According to UV-Vis spectrophotometry investigation, CuO NPs exhibit a characteristic peak at 385 nm, showing significant surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with propolis (Khalkhal) extract. Furthermore, specific wavelengths of CuO NPs demonstrate peaks at 243, 292, and 350 nm for propolis (Gilan) extract. The green synthesis of CuNPs from Gilan and Khalkhal propolis can be an appropriate candidate for clinical applications such as drug delivery systems, drug formulation, and biomedical applications.

The generation of empty Turnip yellow mosaic virus capsids through depletion of virion-associated divalent cations

Turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) is a well-studied icosahedral plant virus that has attractive properties for nanoscience applications. Stable empty particles devoid of viral genomic RNA have historically been generated from virions by: 1. high pressure; 2. extreme alkaline pH; and 3. freeze-thaw using liquid nitrogen. Herein we report a fourth and more convenient avenue for empty particle formation through EDTA treatment, implicating chelation of virion-associated cations. We present findings that confirm TYMV virions purified in an EDTA-based buffer are converted to 94 % empty on average during purification. Additional experimentation revealed TYMV virions purified through CsCl vs. sucrose gradients are more readily converted to empty particles after freeze thaw. These studies are novel as they show a purification method through EDTA-treatment that can generate stable empty particles devoid of viral genome. The convenience of this method should prove suitable for scientists seeking to use TYMV capsids in nanoscience-inspired applications. Importantly, these findings provide insight into historical discrepancies in creating empty particles after freeze-thaw, as the method in which TYMV virions are purified influences the downstream virion-to-empty conversion process.

Exploring the structure of pure germanophospate glasses with different concentrations probed by magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy.

Phosphate-based glasses such as pure germanophosphate can be achieved at moderately low temperature by means of affordable chemical substances. Nowadays, they become more stimulating because they can be easily doped with alkali, transition metal ions, and rare earth oxides to afford the anticipated physical and/or chemical features for nanoscience applications. Herein, we report an experimental study dealing with the structure of pure germanophosphate glass samples of prepared with different concentrations ranging from 20 up to 70 mole%. 31 P magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been employed to characterize the co-formed glasses by two different glass-forming oxides. The components of the phosphate species ( ) in each sample were determined by analyzing the MAS NMR spectra. Interestingly, 31 P MAS NMR spectrum for each sample was found to be characteristic powder patterns of the middle units Q2 . Q2 unit found herein has one oxygen atom bonded towards one germanium atom (non-bridging) and the other two oxygens are bonding towards two phosphorus atoms (bridging) of phosphate group (PO4 ). The results show that Q2 split into two units, Q2 I and Q2 II, due to different shielding of the phosphorus nucleus provided by the next nearest neighbor atoms. The chemical shift is interpreted in terms of the structure of each building unit of the phosphate group. The results obtained herein shed light on the way how to explore the revealed structure of the prepared glasses for the development of supported catalysts. Indeed, owing to their high chemical/thermal stability, the co-formed germanophosphate glasses obtained may prove as useful substrates for potential nanocatalysts.

IAEA Contribution to Nanosized Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals for Drug Delivery.

The rapidly growing interest in the application of nanoscience in the future design of radiopharmaceuticals and the development of nanosized radiopharmaceuticals in the late 2000′s, resulted in the creation of a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2014. This CRP entitled ‘Nanosized delivery systems for radiopharmaceuticals’ involved a team of expert scientist from various member states. This team of scientists worked on a number of cutting-edge areas of nanoscience with a focus on developing well-defined, highly effective and site-specific delivery systems of radiopharmaceuticals. Specifically, focus areas of various teams of scientists comprised of the development of nanoparticles (NPs) based on metals, polymers, and gels, and their conjugation/encapsulation or decoration with various tumor avid ligands such as peptides, folates, and small molecule phytochemicals. The research and development efforts also comprised of developing optimum radiolabeling methods of various nano vectors using diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides including Tc-99m, Ga-68, Lu-177 and Au-198. Concerted efforts of teams of scientists within this CRP has resulted in the development of various protocols and guidelines on delivery systems of nanoradiopharmaceuticals, training of numerous graduate students/post-doctoral fellows and publications in peer reviewed journals while establishing numerous productive scientific networks in various participating member states. Some of the innovative nanoconstructs were chosen for further preclinical applications—all aimed at ultimate clinical translation for treating human cancer patients. This review article summarizes outcomes of this major international scientific endeavor.

Evaluation of EFSA training courses on principles in chemical and biological risk assessment

This report evaluates the training courses delivered under the contract OC/EFSA/SCER/2017/01 - Lot 1. Within the period of January 2018 to February 2022 a total of 21 training courses were provided, eight on-site training courses in Parma at EFSA, six virtual training courses during the Covid-19 pandemic and seven eLearning courses comprising various numbers of modules. The courses covered different aspects of chemical and biological risk assessment and related tools, namely i) harmonisation of risk assessment methodologies for human health and ecological risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals (mixture assessment), ii) risk assessment of the application of nanoscience and nanotechnologies in agro/food/feed (nanotoxicity); iii) science-based criteria for identifying endocrine disruptors in the context of EU legislation on pesticides and biocides (endocrine disruption); iv) principles on genotoxicity on scientific assessment (genotoxicity) and v) computational toxicology approaches and tools (in silico). All tutors were experts in their field and had previously performed training courses on these topics. The target participants of the training courses were members of EFSA’s Scientific Committee/Panels and their working groups as well as employees from national and international regulatory agencies associated with risk assessment of feed and food compounds. Members of the EFSA Networks as well as EFSA scientific staff also participated in the training courses. Courses were evaluated based on the feedback of participants and continuously improved also by integrating updated or new EFSA guidance documents.

Contribution of Nanoscience Research in Antioxidants Delivery Used in Nutricosmetic Sector.

Nanoscience applications in the food and cosmetic industry offer many potential benefits for consumers and society. Nanotechnologies permit the manipulation of matter at the nanoscale level, resulting in new properties and characteristics useful in food and cosmetic production, processing, packaging, and storage. Nanotechnology protects sensitive bioactive compounds, improves their bioavailability and water solubility, guarantees their release at a site of action, avoids contact with other constituents, and masks unpleasant taste. Biopolymeric nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanoemulsions, nanocapsules, and colloids are delivery systems used to produce food supplements and cosmetics. There are no barriers to nanoscience applications in food supplements and cosmetic industries, although the toxicity of nano-sized delivery systems is not clear. The physicochemical and toxicological characterization of nanoscale delivery systems used by the nutricosmeceutic industry is reviewed in this work.

MHD flow of a nanofluid due to a nonlinear stretching/shrinking sheet with a convective boundary condition: Tiwari–Das nanofluid model

PurposeNanofluid research has piqued the interest of scientists due to its intriguing applications in nanoscience, biomedical and electrical engineering, medication delivery, biotechnology, food processing, chemotherapy and other fields. This paper aims to inspect the behavior of the mixed convection magnetohydrodynamic flow and heat transfer induced by a nonlinear stretching/shrinking sheet in a nanofluid with a convective boundary condition. Tiwari and Das mathematical nanofluid model is incorporated in the analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe mathematical model is initially transformed to a nondimensional form by using dimensionless variables. Then the nondimensional partial differential equations are further transformed to a set of similarity equations by using the similarity technique. These equations are solved numerically by the bvp4c function in MATLAB software.FindingsFor a certain range of the stretching/shrinking parameter, two solutions are obtained. The friction factor and the heat transfer rate escalate due to suction parameter with adding nanoparticles volume fraction by almost 27.15% and 0.153% for the upper branch solution, while the friction factor declines by almost 30.10% but the heat transfer rate augments by 0.145% for the lower branch solution. Furthermore, the behavior of the nanoparticle volume fractions on the heat transfer rate behaves differently in the presence of the mixed convection effect. The temperature of fluid augments with increasing Biot number for both solutions.Originality/valueThe present work considers the flow and heat transfer induced by a stretching/shrinking sheet in a nanofluid using the Tiwari–Das nanofluid model with a convective boundary condition, where the effect of the buoyancy force is taken into consideration. It is shown that two solutions are found for a certain range of the shrinking strength, while the solution is unique for the stretching case. This study is important for scientists working in the growing field of nanofluids to become familiar with the flow properties and behaviors of such nanofluids.

Estimation of Sine Inverse Exponential Model under Censored Schemes

In this article, we introduce a new one-parameter model, which is named sine inverted exponential (SIE) distribution. The SIE distribution is a new extension of the inverse exponential (IE) distribution. The SIE distribution aims to provide the SIE model for data-fitting purposes. The SIE distribution is more flexible than the inverted exponential (IE) model, and it has many applications in physics, medicine, engineering, nanophysics, and nanoscience. The density function (PDFu) of SIE distribution can be unimodel shape and right skewed shape. The hazard rate function (HRFu) of SIE distribution can be J-shaped and increasing shaped. We investigated some fundamental statistical properties such as quantile function (QFu), moments (Mo), moment generating function (MGFu), incomplete moments (ICMo), conditional moments (CMo), and the SIE distribution parameters were estimated using the maximum likelihood (ML) method for estimation under censored samples (CS). Finally, the numerical results were investigated to evaluate the flexibility of the new model. The SIE distribution and the IE distribution are compared using two real datasets. The numerical results show the superiority of the SIE distribution.

In situ observation of droplet nanofluidics for yielding low-dimensional nanomaterials

Droplet based micro/nanofluidics has been demonstrated as a versatile tool in a wide range of fields. In particular, seeded growth of planar low-dimensional nanomaterials often relies on crawling metal droplets as catalytic media where nucleation and crystal growth proceed. However, direct observations of nanomaterials growth led by self-propelled droplet transport remain rare, which leaves many open questions on droplet behavior during growth. Here, we report in situ observations of in-plane Si nanowire growth in a transmission electron microscope, where an indium droplet migrates on a silicon nitride membrane coated by a layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), dissolves the a-Si:H coating film on the membrane, and results in the production of a crystalline Si nanowire in its trail. This in situ observation, combined with the geometric investigation of the nanowires, presents nice consistency with de Gennes’ theoretical prediction of reactive wetting induced droplet motion. Interestingly, we recorded a nanoflake-to-nanowire transition when the growth rate was increased by heating the membrane from 350 °C to 400 °C. This work directly unveils rich transport mechanism of catalytic droplets, which are expected to be a new platform for producing diverse low-dimensional nanomaterials and promote their potential applications in nanoscience and technologies.

Artificially regulated synthesis of nanocrystals in live cells.

Live cells, as reservoirs of biochemical reactions, can serve as amazing integrated chemical plants where precursor formation, nucleation and growth of nanocrystals, and functional assembly, can be carried out accurately following an artificial program. It is crucial but challenging to deliberately direct intracellular pathways to synthesize desired nanocrystals that cannot be produced naturally in cells, because the relevant reactions exist in different spatiotemporal dimensions and will never encounter each other spontaneously. This article summarizes the progress in the introduction of inorganic functional nanocrystals into live cells via the ‘artificially regulated space–time-coupled live-cell synthesis’ strategy. We also describe ingenious bio-applications of nanocrystal–cell systems, and quasi-biosynthesis strategies expanded from live-cell synthesis. Artificially regulated live-cell synthesis—which involves the interdisciplinary application of biology, chemistry, nanoscience and medicine—will enable researchers to better exploit the unanticipated potentialities of live cells and open up new directions in synthetic biology.