Desirable Regeneration Research Articles

Hydrophobic and oleophilic lauric acid-grafted carbon nanotubes for recyclable efficient oil/water separation

This work demonstrates a novel nanoscale surface modification procedure to enhance the selectivity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in recovering oil from water. Herein, we developed a novel, cost-effective, and facile method to produce highly hydrophobic and superoleophilic lauric acid (LA)-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-LA) as an absorbent for effective oil spill remediation. The MWCNTs were first oxidized with sodium hydroxide to anchor hydroxyl groups on their surface (MWCNTs-OH) followed by LA grafting via an esterification reaction. Spectroscopic analyses confirmed the grafting of LA onto the MWCNTs' surface, and this treatment made the water contact angle (WCA) of MWCNTs-LA reach 145.26 ± 1.57°, thus showing excellent hydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. The as-prepared absorbent demonstrates good absorption selectivity and absorption capacity of 20.5–33.5 times weight gain for numerous organic solvents and oils. After 5 cycles of absorption-desorption tests, such highly hydrophobic MWCNTs-LA absorbent maintained high oil absorption performance, therefore displaying good reusability and desirable regeneration for practical uses. The MWCNTs-LA absorbent with superb hydrophobicity, superoleophilicity, proper selectivity, and acceptable reusability appears to be promising for the efficient separation and retrieval of spilled oils and organic solvents from water.

Sequestration of oils from water using superhydrophobic silanized montmorillonite-KSF nanoclay coated polyurethane foam

Oil spills have disastrous consequences on the environment. Multifarious absorbents have been applied in oil spill remediation; however, the design of cost-effective, dependable, and environmentally benign absorbents is desirable and pressing. Here, a polyurethane foam (PF) with superhydrophobic/superoleophilic properties was fabricated by surface coating of montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay. Initially, the hydrophobic MMT was obtained by grafting octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODTMS) onto the surface of the nanoclay and this was then used to modify the foam via a dip-coating technique. This modification produces a superhydrophobic foam with a water contact angle reaching 153.83 ± 1.86°. The as-prepared foam demonstrates high absorption selectivity and excellent absorption capacity of 29.5–66.5 times weight gain for several organic solvents and oils. The efficiency of separation for multiple oil-water mixtures reached 99.87%. After 10 cycles of absorption-desorption studies, such superhydrophobic foam still sustained good oil absorption performance, thus exhibiting outstanding reusability and desirable regeneration for practical applications. The oil and organic solvent samples could swiftly and continuously be retrieved from the water by the modified foam. The fabrication method for the superhydrophobic PF by its modification with natural clay minerals appears to be simple, economical, and promising for expandable applications in the effective separation of oil-water mixtures.

Temperature-vacuum swing adsorption for direct air capture by using low-grade heat

Direct air capture (DAC) is a promising carbon mitigation technology and will likely be part of extensive carbon removal portfolio. Adsorptive DAC is an appropriate option for carbon capture to utilize low-grade heat because of its desirable regeneration temperature and adaptability to be integrated with renewables. Building indoor environment with CO2 concentrations above 1000 ppm provides another suitable scenario for DAC. Herein, DAC using temperature-vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA) is presented and analyzed by integrating various low-grade heat sources in buildings. An amine-functionalized metal organic framework is selected for process simulation, and the performance is compared with those using other sorbents. It indicates that amine-functionalized material has advantages in CO2 productivity and purity. A techno-economic analysis is carried out to explore the benefit of the proposed DAC in buildings. The results show that regeneration by heat pumps at 373 K is the most competitive solution and has 176.7 $·tCO2−1 of the levelized cost of DAC (LCOD). Compared with conventional energy supply, solutions with low-grade heat utilization in buildings could achieve lower carbon intensity and increase by 5.2–25.0% in net LCOD. These results will provide practical guidelines for DAC application with lower energy penalties and costs.

Hydrophobic and oleophilic amine-functionalised graphene/polyethylene nanocomposite for oil–water separation

An efficient approach was developed for the fabrication of graphene-based material for oil/water separation. GO prepared by graphite oxidation with strong oxidants possesses several hydrophilic moieties including epoxy, hydroxyl, and carboxylic acids. The hydrophobic dodecyl amine-functionalised GO (DDA-GO) was synthesised via nucleophilic substitution and amidation reactions between the amino group of DDA and the epoxy and carboxylic acid group on GO surface. Further modification of the DDA-GO with low density polyethylene (LDPE) through solution mixing method synergistically enhanced its surface hydrophobicity and oil/water separation efficiency. The water contact angle (WCA) of the synthesised DDA-GO/LDPE absorbents reached 153 ± 2 . 4 ° , thus showing superhydrophobicity. Absorption experiments conducted with silicone oil, engine oil, diesel, THF, cyclohexane, and other selected organic solvents showed that the DDA-GO/LDPE was an efficient absorbent with the capacity of absorption of 38.5–78 times its own weight, and a separation efficiency of up to 98% was also attained. The oil-loaded sorbent was simply squeezed in order to expel up to ≈ 97% of sorbed liquids. The recyclability experiment further displayed good recyclability and desirable regeneration for practical application. • Graphene functionalised with dodecyl amine were prepared. • The water contact angle of the prepared nanocomposites reached 153 ± 2.4°. • The nanocomposites showed ≈ 100 % separation of oil from water.

Fabrication and evaluation of multilevel Janus-imprinted nanocomposite membranes through a connective method of dip-coating and delayed phase inversion for simultaneous adsorption and separation of tetrabromobisphenol A and cadmium ion

Janus imprinted membrane (JIM) fabricated through the connective method of phase inversion and dip-coating processes has gained considerable attention in the separation field. Herein, a JIM with specific artificial receptors was prepared for the selective adsorption and separation of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and cadmium ion (Cd2+). Dip coating method performed on the smooth surface of plate glass was used for the growth of polyaniline (PANI) imprinted polymers with specific imprinted cavities for TBBPA. The casting solution was coated on the imprinted polymers, which was then immersed into the coagulating bath containing gallic acid (GA) to achieve a delayed phase inversion process. The adsorption results showed that the rebinding capacities of the JIM for TBBPA and Cd2+ were 58.279 mg g−1 and 83.159 mg g−1, respectively. Meanwhile, the JIM exhibited superior rebinding selectivity with selectivity coefficients of 2.56, 2.87, 3.07, 2.52, 3.53, 3.66 and 4.05 for Pb2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Sn2+, Hg2+, Co2+ and Cr3+ and 2.44, 2.56, 2.67 for BP, BPA and BBPA, respectively. The synthesized JIM showed tiny changes in rebinding capacity after 10 times cycles, revealing desirable regeneration performance. Finally, the pollutants on membrane surface were severally collected to avert the secondary pollution. The current study demonstrated that connective method is a promising method for selective rebinding and sorting treatment of different pollutants.

Promotional Effect of Ni−Sn Interaction over Ni Supported on Sn‐incorporated MCM‐41 Catalysts for CO2 Reforming of CH4

AbstractSintering of active Ni sites and deposition of coke remain challenging issues for catalytic dry reforming of methane. Herein, Ni supported on the Sn‐incorporated MCM‐41 catalysts were synthesized and tested for DRM process. The structural and physicochemical properties of fresh and spent samples were studied by N2 adsorption‐desorption, XRD, H2‐TPR, XPS, TEM, STEM‐EDS, Raman, and TGA techniques. It was revealed that Sn addition improved the dispersion and decreased the size of active Ni nanoparticles by tuning the charger transfer between Ni and Sn. The formation of Ni−SnOx interface provides more possibilities to activate CO2. The best results were obtained by 2Ni/Sn−MCM‐41 sample with the Ni/Sn mole ratio of 2 : 1, contributing CH4 conversion of 95% and CO2 conversion of 94% at 800 °C. Moreover, the presence of Sn increased the resistance to sintering of Ni‐based catalysts during the severe conditions, thereby the Ni nanoparticle size only appeared a slight growth after 32 h TOS. Combined with the characterization of the spent 2Ni/Sn−MCM‐41 sample, it was revealed that the coke deposition of the deactivated catalyst was dominated by amorphous carbon, which could be responsible for the desirable regeneration ability of the catalyst.

Ag-doped hollow ZIFs-derived nanoporous carbon for efficient hybrid capacitive deionization

Desalination performance of hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI) intensively depends on the electrode materials with redox activity and capacitance ability. Herein, Ag-doped hollow ZIFs-derived nanoporous carbon (Ag/ZCs) was employed as an anode material by the pyrolysis of Ag-doped hollow ZIFs precursor, which was fabricated by in situ tannic acid (TA) etching/reduction strategy. Provably, TA serves as not only an etchant for tailoring ZIFs structure, but also a reductant for Ag nanoparticles formation. The obtained Ag/ZCs possesses unique hollow cavities and high redox activity. As expected, the HCDI system with Ag/ZCs electrode exhibits excellent deionization capacity of 29.18 mg g−1 in 500 mg L−1 NaCl solution at 1.2 V, which is much higher than that of conventional carbon-based CDI system. Moreover, desirable regeneration stability of the Ag/ZCs HCDI was well maintained after 20 cycle experiments. The results demonstrate that Ag/ZCs is a potential anode material for HCDI applications.

Are Current Seedling Demographics Poised to Regenerate Northern US Forests?

AbstractSecuring desirable regeneration is essential to sustainable forest management, yet failures are common. Detailed seedling measurements from a forest inventory across 24 northern US states were examined for plausible regeneration outcomes following overstory removal. The examination included two fundamental regeneration objectives: 1) stand replacement- securing future forest and 2) species maintenance- securing upper canopy species. Almost half the plots lacked adequate seedlings to regenerate a stand after canopy removal and over half risked compositional shifts. Based on those advance reproduction demographics, regeneration difficulties could occur on two-thirds of the plots examined. The remaining one-third were regeneration-ready. However, compared to historical norms, increased small-tree mortality rates reduces that proportion. Not all forest types rely on advance reproduction and results varied among the forest types examined. Some variability was associated with browsing intensity, as areas of high deer browsing had a lower proportion of regeneration-ready plots.

Magnetic biochar-based manganese oxide composite for enhanced fluoroquinolone antibiotic removal from water.

Magnetic biochar-based manganese oxide composite (MMB) and raw biochar (BC) were synthesized via pyrolysis at a temperature of 500°C under anoxic conditions of potato stems and leaves, characterized, and successfully used for the removal of norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and enrofloxacin (ENR) as representative compounds of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs). Characterization results suggested that Fe3O4 and MnOx are the dominant crystals in MMB. MMB possessed large surface area and pore volume than BC. Batch adsorption experiments showed that the maximum adsorption abilities of MMB for norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and enrofloxacin (ENR) were 6.94, 8.37, and 7.19mgg-1. In comparison to BC, the adsorption abilities of MMB increased 1.2, 1.5, and 1.6 times for NOR, CIP, and ENR, respectively. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir model correlated satisfactorily to the experimental data. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption processes were spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorption capacity of MMB decreased with increasing solution pH (between 3.0 and 10.0) and increasing ionic strength (0.001-0.1). The MMB with high FQ removal efficiency, easy separation, and desirable regeneration ability may have promising environmental applications for the removal of fluoroquinolone antibiotics from water environment.

Using a tree seedling mortality budget as an indicator of landscape-scale forest regeneration security

Securing desirable forest regeneration outcomes is an essential component of sustainable forest management. When natural reproduction is preferred over planting, achieving desirable outcomes may be the principal challenge for forest managers, as reports of struggles and even failures are common across many regions and forest ecosystems. Informing managers and policymakers of the prospects of regeneration success before practices and policies are implemented promotes long-term sustainability because rehabilitating undesirable regeneration outcomes is often lengthy, expensive, and uncertain. In 2012, the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis program implemented Regeneration Indicator (RI) protocols that added detailed seedling measurements and browse impact assessments to a subsample of inventory plots across 24 states in the northern United States. The goal of this expanded sampling effort is to improve the ability to monitor broad scale regeneration trends and better inform forest management planning and policy. Modeling probable regeneration outcomes is difficult and the rarity of vetted models that can fully utilize RI inventory data highlights an immediate need for flexible methods to evaluate regeneration of different taxa at large scales. This manuscript is premised on estimation of a tree seedling mortality budget for inventoried reproduction. The method offers a transparent structure for leveraging existing literature and expert knowledge to gain provisional insight into plausible regeneration outcomes. The resulting tool provides flexibility for users to examine regeneration for multiple species, site conditions, and user-defined quantitative regeneration objectives. The approach is demonstrated by applying a suite of multispecies regeneration objectives to RI data for two case studies with different forest composition and geographic scales, the Ozark Highland Ecological Section (OHES) and the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). Within the Quercus/Carya dominated OHES, analyses indicate that desirable regeneration outcomes are more likely than not based on current plot conditions. Regeneration events were projected to produce new fully stocked forests on 76% of OHES plots, produce a sizable component of characteristic overstory species on 57%, and produce a sizable component of commercially important species on 59%. Within the Acer/Fagus/Betula and Quercus/Carya forests of the MNF, analyses indicated that difficulties in achieving desirable regeneration outcomes were likely. Only 36% of MNF plots were projected to produce new fully stocked forests following a regeneration event and only 29% were projected to regenerate a sizable component of either characteristic overstory species or commercially important species.

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted dye-silica nanocomposites with high selectivity and sensitivity: Fluorescent imprinted sensor for rapid and efficient detection of τ-fluvalinate in vodka.

An imprinted fluorescent sensor was fabricated based on SiO2 nanoparticles encapsulated with a molecularly imprinted polymer containing allyl fluorescein. High fluorine cypermethirin as template molecules, methyl methacrylate as functional monomer, and allyl fluorescein as optical materials synthesized a core-shell fluorescent molecular imprinted sensor, which showed a high and rapid sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of τ-fluvalinate. The sensor presented appreciable sensitivity with a limit of 13.251nM, rapid detection that reached to equilibrium within 3min, great linear relationship in the relevant concentration range from 0 to 150nM, and excellent selectivity over structural analogues. In addition, the fluorescent sensor demonstrated desirable regeneration ability (eight cycling operations). The molecularly imprinted polymers ensured specificity, while the fluorescent dyes provided the stabile sensitivity. Finally, an effective application of the sensor was implemented by the detection of τ-fluvalinate in real samples from vodka. The molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor showed a promising potential in environmental monitoring and food safety.

Regeneration Responses to Management for Old-Growth Characteristics in Northern Hardwood-Conifer Forests

Successful tree regeneration is essential for sustainable forest management, yet it can be limited by the interaction of harvesting effects and multiple ecological drivers. In northern hardwood forests, for example, there is uncertainty whether low-intensity selection harvesting techniques will result in adequate and desirable regeneration. Our research is part of a long-term study that tests the hypothesis that a silvicultural approach called “structural complexity enhancement” (SCE) can accelerate the development of late-successional forest structure and functions. Our objective is to understand the regeneration dynamics following three uneven-aged forestry treatments with high levels of retention: single-tree selection, group selection, and SCE. Regeneration density and diversity can be limited by differing treatment effects on or interactions among light availability, competitive environment, substrate, and herbivory. To explore these relationships, manipulations and controls were replicated across 2 ha treatment units at two Vermont sites. Forest inventory data were collected pre-harvest and periodically over 13 years post-harvest. We used mixed effects models with repeated measures to evaluate the effect of treatment on seedling and sapling density and diversity (Shannon–Weiner H’). The treatments were all successful in recruiting a sapling class with significantly greater sapling densities compared to the controls. However, undesirable and prolific beech (Fagus americana) sprouting dominates some patches in the understory of all the treatments, creating a high degree of spatial variability in the competitive environment for regeneration. Multivariate analyses suggest that while treatment had a dominant effect, other factors were influential in driving regeneration responses. These results indicate variants of uneven-aged systems that retain or enhance elements of stand structural complexity—including old-growth characteristics—can generally foster abundant regeneration of important late successional tree species depending on site conditions, but they may require beech control where beech sprouting inhibits desired regeneration.

A Novel Surgical Procedure for Er:YAG Laser-Assisted Periodontal Regenerative Therapy: Case Series.

The objective of this study was to evaluate an Er:YAG laser (ErL) application for periodontal regenerative surgery in angular bone defects at nine sites in six patients. Debridement was thoroughly performed using a combination of curettage with a Gracey-type curette and ErL irradiation at a panel setting of 70 mJ/pulse and 20 Hz with sterile saline spray. After applying an enamel matrix derivative and autogenous bone grafting, ErL was used to form a blood clot coagulation on the grafted bone surface at 50 mJ/pulse and 20 Hz without water spray for approximately 30 seconds. Twelve months after surgery the mean probing depth had improved from 6.2 mm to 2.0 mm, the mean clinical attachment level had reduced from 7.5 mm to 3.4 mm, and bleeding on probing had improved from (+) to (-). Mean intrabony defect depth decreased from 6.0 mm before surgery to 1.0 mm 12 months after surgery. A novel procedure for periodontal regenerative surgery applying ErL irradiation for thorough decontamination during debridement as well as blood coagulation following autogenous bone grafting seems to have achieved favorable and stable healing of periodontal pockets with significant clinical improvement and desirable regeneration of angular bone defects, including one-wall defects.

Facilitating Oak and Hickory Regeneration in Mature Central Hardwood Forests

Advanced oak and hickory regeneration is often absent in mature oak-hickory forests in the Central Hardwood Region of the United States. Prescribed fire and thinning, alone and combined, are commonly prescribed silvicultural treatments that are recommended to initiate the regeneration process. This study examined the regeneration response in three mature oak stands following four treatments: (1) thin, (2) burn, (3) thinning and burning, or (4) no treatment (control). Ten years after initial treatment, results indicate that oak and hickory seedlings had greater height and diameter in the thinning and burning treatment compared to the control and that this treatment may help facilitate desirable regeneration in mature oak-hickory forests.

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.).

Vaccinium consists of approximately 450 species, of which highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is one of the three major Vaccinium fruit crops (i.e., blueberry, cranberry, and lingonberry) domesticated in the twentieth century. In blueberry the adventitious shoot regeneration using leaf explants has been the most desirable regeneration system to date; Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation is the major gene delivery method and effective selection has been reported using either the neomycin phosphotransferase II gene (nptII) or the bialaphos resistance (bar) gene as selectable markers. The A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation protocol described in this chapter is based on combining the optimal conditions for efficient plant regeneration, reliable gene delivery, and effective selection. The protocol has led to successful regeneration of transgenic plants from leaf explants of four commercially important highbush blueberry cultivars for multiple purposes, providing a powerful approach to supplement conventional breeding methods for blueberry by introducing genes of interest.

Carbothermal preparation of porous carbon-encapsulated iron composite for the removal of trace hexavalent chromium

Abstract Porous carbon-encapsulated iron (Fe@PC) composite was prepared through carbothermal reduction of Fe(NO3)3 and starch. The porous carbon could envelop iron and protect it from being oxidized, while iron endow the composite with ferromagnetism, so that Fe@PC can be easily recovered by an external magnetic field. The prepared material was used to remove trace Cr(VI) in polluted water. The Cr(VI) removal process of Fe@PC, which highly depended on both microporous structure and reducing groups, was significantly affected by the preparation conditions and solution pH. At 25 °C, Fe@PC-750 could remove 99.5% Cr(VI) from simulated wastewater containing 5.00 mg L−1 Cr(VI) with an initial pH of 7, and the residual concentration of Cr(VI) was as low as 0.02 mg L−1. The XPS analysis results confirmed that Cr(VI) could be reduced to Cr(III) after being adsorbed, and the elevation of pH would enhance the reduction ability of Fe@PC. The Fe@PC composite with high Cr(VI) removal efficiency, strong magnetic property and desirable regeneration ability can be practically applied in the removal of trace heavy metal pollutants from wastewater.

Next-generation Sequencing for Molecular Marker Development in Maize Inbred H99

Next Generation Sequencing(NGS) has provided an effective approach to reveal the large scale of DNA polymorphic loci used as molecular markers to distinguish the genetic variations among different genotypes. Maize inbred line H99 is a common transgenic genotype with its desirable regeneration capacity. However, the genome sequence of H99 is unsequenced, which lags the molecular marker development for further maker assisted selection. Here, we used next generation sequencing to resequence H99 whole genome. The contigs assembled with SOAPdenovo2 were further scanned for potential SSR loci by MISA software. Out of 8268 SSR loci, 4043 site-specific primers flanking SSR loci were designed and surveyed in silico for locus polymorphism among H99, B73, and Mo17. Around 2699 SSR loci showed the polymorphism among above three genotypes. Twenty primer pairs from 20 arms of maize chromosomes were selected and validated, and 19 primers amplified the predicted fragments. In addition, we physically mapped and annotated the polymorphic SSR loci, and elucidated the loci distribution in genome. Taken all together, the new developed SSR primers and their information, as a complement to previous ones, were expected to be beneficial to map based cloning and marker-assisted selection.

Adsorption and Regeneration Characteristics of Granular Adsorbent Based on Coal Fly Ash for Methylene Blue Removal

In a previous work, a granular adsorbent based on coal fly ash (GAF) has been prepared and the adsorption amount of methylene blue (MB) reached 278.55mg/g, which is comparable with granular activated carbon. To study its adsorption and regeneration characteristics for MB removal, influencing factors on adsorption, regeneration efficiency, adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics characteristics were investigated. The results indicate that the adsorption amount of MB increased with the increasing of contact time, initial concentration and adsorption temperature, while the initial pH has no significant influence. After 4 times regeneration cycles the regeneration efficiency remains 92% indicating that GAF has desirable regeneration ability. Isothermal studies show that Langmuir and Temkin isothermal models fit the adsorption processes well, indicating that the adsorption should be monolayer adsorption and may existing ion-exchange. Intraparticle diffusion describes the adsorption kinetics processes best. Thermodynamics research reveals the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption processes.

Design of a viscose based solid amine fiber: Effect of its chemical structure on adsorption properties for carbon dioxide

A solid amine fiber VF–AM–TETA was designed with viscose (VF) substrate for efficient CO2 capture, where its hydroxyl groups could serve synergizing effect in CO2-amine reaction. When grafting modification and subsequent amination were applied to VF, effect of structures of grafting monomers as well as amines on its CO2 adsorption properties was taken into account. Amines with different 1° and 2° amine ratios were investigated as amination agents in terms of amine efficiency, so as to afford the fibrous adsorbent with maximum effective reactive amine sites for CO2 capturing. Results suggested that higher content in primary amine can facilitate CO2 adsorption onto the fiber by stronger basicity and smaller steric hindrance. Consequently, optimal chemical structure provided VF–AM–TETA with satisfactory adsorption capacity of 4.08mmol/g when amine content was 8.74mmol/g. Constant adsorption behavior within 6 adsorption–desorption cycles indicated its desirable regeneration performance in practical use due to excellent mechanical properties of VF–AM–TETA.

Recent Advances in Blueberry Transformation

Although Vaccinium cultivars have been generated exclusively through the traditional methods of controlled hybridization and deliberate selection, genetic transformation could provide a powerful approach to supplement conventional breeding methods for Vaccinium by introducing genes of interest. A reliable transformation system depends on efficient plant regeneration, reliable gene delivery, and effective selection. To date, in blueberry, adventitious shoot regeneration using leaf explants has been the most desirable regeneration system; Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is the major gene delivery method; and effective selection has been reported using either the nptII or the bar gene as selectable markers. In 2004, stable transformation was reported for four highbush blueberry cultivars, with a transformation frequency ranging from 5.0–15.3%. In 2006, the first field trial of transgenic blueberry with herbicide resistance was performed. In 2009, a blueberry C-repeat binding factor (CBF) gene (GenBank AF234316) was transformed into a southern highbush blueberry cultivar Legacy in order to improve cold tolerance by elucidating the CBF-regulated network in blueberry. This progress has demonstrated that blueberries can be improved through genetic engineering. In the future, as more genomic resources for Vaccinium become available, more genes of interest will be identified and isolated. Genetic transformation will allow us to evaluate these genes as to their functions. Currently, there is industry-wide concern about the application of transformation technology in blueberries, even though numerous transgenic crops have been deployed. Hopefully, new engineering strategies, such as intragenic transformation, RNAi, and marker-free technologies, will reduce public concerns about transgenic Vaccinium plants.