Structural Diversity Research Articles

Generalized [formula omitted]-fold Darboux transformation and localized waves for an integrable reduced spin Hirota-Maxwell-Bloch system in an erbium doped fiber

In this paper, under investigation is an integrable reduced spin Hirota-Maxwell-Bloch (rsHMB) system, which describes the transmission of the femtosecond pulses in an erbium doped fiber. Based on the existing N-fold Darboux transformation, we establish a generalized (n,N−n)-fold Darboux transformation for the rsHMB system, where n and N are the positive integers (n≤N). The Nth-order degenerate soliton and Nth-order rogue-wave solutions for the rsHMB system are obtained via the generalized (1,N−1)-fold Darboux transformation. By means of the generalized (2,N−2)-fold Darboux transformation, we derive the Nth-order hybrid wave solutions describing the interaction between the (N−1)th-order rogue wave and the first-order breather. The above solutions are discussed graphically, which exhibit the diverse wave structures including the triangle and pentagon, among others.

CDGT: Constructing diverse graph transformers for emotion recognition from facial videos

Recognizing expressions from dynamic facial videos can find more natural affect states of humans, and it becomes a more challenging task in real-world scenes due to pose variations of face, partial occlusions and subtle dynamic changes of emotion sequences. Existing transformer-based methods often focus on self-attention to model the global relations among spatial features or temporal features, which cannot well focus on important expression-related locality structures from both spatial and temporal features for the in-the-wild expression videos. To this end, we incorporate diverse graph structures into transformers and propose a CDGT method to construct diverse graph transformers for efficient emotion recognition from in-the-wild videos. Specifically, our method contains a spatial dual-graphs transformer and a temporal hyperbolic-graph transformer. The former deploys a dual-graph constrained attention to capture latent emotion-related graph geometry structures among local spatial tokens for efficient feature representation, especially for the video frames with pose variations and partial occlusions. The latter adopts a hyperbolic-graph constrained self-attention that explores important temporal graph structure information under hyperbolic space to model more subtle changes of dynamic emotion. Extensive experimental results on in-the-wild video-based facial expression databases show that our proposed CDGT outperforms other state-of-the-art methods.

Ultrasensitive Raman Detection of Biomolecular Conformation at the Attomole Scale using Chiral Nanophotonics.

Understanding the function of a biomolecule hinges on its 3D conformation or secondary structure. Chirally sensitive, optically active techniques based on the differential absorption of UV-vis circularly polarized light excel at rapid characterisation of secondary structures. However, Raman spectroscopy, a powerful method for determining the structure of simple molecules, has limited capacity for structural analysis of biomolecules because of intrinsically weak optical activity, necessitating millimolar (mM) sample quantities. A breakthrough is presented for utilising Raman spectroscopy in ultrasensitive biomolecular conformation detection, surpassing conventional Raman optical activity by 15 orders of magnitude. This strategy combines chiral plasmonic metasurfaces with achiral molecular Raman reporters and enables the detection of different conformations (α-helix and random coil) of a model peptide (poly-L/D-lysine) at the ≤attomole level (monolayer). This exceptional sensitivity stems from the ability to detect local, molecular-scale changes in the electromagnetic (EM) environment of a chiral nanocavity induced by the presence of biomolecules using molecular Raman reporters. Further signal enhancement is achieved by incorporating achiral Au nanoparticles. The introduction of the nanoparticles creates highly localized regions of extreme optical chirality. This approach, which exploits Raman, a generic phenomenon, paves the way for next-generation technologies for the ultrasensitive detection of diverse biomolecular structures.

Impact of protein domains on the MEL2 granule, a cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein complex maintaining faithful meiosis progression in rice.

Cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules are membraneless structures composed of various RNAs and proteins that play important roles in post-transcriptional regulation. While RNP granules are known to regulate the meiotic entry in some organisms, little is known about their roles in plants. In this study, we observed the cytoplasmic granular structures of rice RNA-binding protein MEIOSIS ARRESTED AT LEPTOTENE2 (MEL2), which contributes to the control of meiotic entry timing, in leaf protoplasts and spore mother cells. We performed colocalization analysis with known cytoplasmic RNP factors, and domain deletion analysis to assess their impact on granule formation and meiosis progression. Conservation of MEL2 domains across plant species was also explored. Our results indicated that MEL2 granules colocalized with processing body and stress granule factors. The maintenance of granule properties modulated by LOTUS domain and the intrinsically disordered region (IDR) is essential for proper MEL2 function in meiosis progression. MEL2-like proteins widely found in plant kingdom conserved LOTUS domain followed by the IDR despite their diverse domain structures, suggesting the functional conservation of these domains among plant species. This study highlights the role of MEL2 granule dynamics and its impact on meiotic transition and progression.

γ-γ Directly linked BODIPY dimer: Synthesis and optical properties

The presence of several reactive sites (i.e., α, β, γ, meso) in the BODIPY core endows directly linked BODIPY dimers with diverse structures and properties, however, γ-γ BODIPY dimer has not been explored. We assumed that BODIPY with only γ-position could conduct oxidative coupling to form γ-γ BODIPY dimer, thus BODIPY 2 embracing cyclohexyl groups at the periphery to occupy α and β-position was designed, one of cyclohexyl groups can be oxidized to β-oxo and aromatic ring. The aromatic-fused BODIPY contributed to the construction of the γ-γ BODIPY dimer. Interestingly, the γ-γ BODIPY dimer displayed red fluorescence at 684 nm and large Stokes shift up to 146 nm in solution, which is one of the largest Stokes shift in BODIPY derivatives. The singlet oxygen test and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments confirmed that this dimer can be used as a photosensitizer.

Pink noise promotes sooner state transitions during bimanual coordination

The seemingly straightforward task of tying one's shoes requires a sophisticated interplay of joints, muscles, and neural pathways, posing a formidable challenge for researchers studying the intricacies of coordination. A widely accepted framework for measuring coordinated behavior is the Haken-Kelso-Bunz (HKB) model. However, a significant limitation of this model is its lack of accounting for the diverse variability structures inherent in the coordinated systems it frequently models. Variability is a pervasive phenomenon across various biological and physical systems, and it changes in healthy adults, older adults, and pathological populations. Here, we show, both empirically and with simulations, that manipulating the variability in coordinated movements significantly impacts the ability to change coordination patterns-a fundamental feature of the HKB model. Our results demonstrate that synchronized bimanual coordination, mirroring a state of healthy variability, instigates earlier transitions of coordinated movements compared to other variability conditions. This suggests a heightened adaptability when movements possess a healthy variability. We anticipate our study to show the necessity of adapting the HKB model to encompass variability, particularly in predictive applications such as neuroimaging, cognition, skill development, biomechanics, and beyond.

Integrating GWAS with a gene co-expression network better prioritizes candidate genes associated with root metaxylem phenes in maize.

Root metaxylems are phenotypically diverse structures whose function is particularly important under drought stress. Significant research has dissected the genetic machinery underlying metaxylem phenotypes in dicots, but that of monocots are relatively underexplored. In maize (Zea mays), a robust pipeline integrated a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of root metaxylem phenes under well-watered and water-stress conditions with a gene co-expression network to prioritize the strongest gene candidates. We identified 244 candidate genes by GWAS, of which 103 reside in gene co-expression modules most relevant to xylem development. Several candidate genes may be involved in biosynthetic processes related to the cell wall, hormone signaling, oxidative stress responses, and drought responses. Of those, six gene candidates were detected in multiple root metaxylem phenes in both well-watered and water-stress conditions. We posit that candidate genes that are more essential to network function based on gene co-expression (i.e., hubs or bottlenecks) should be prioritized and classify 33 essential genes for further investigation. Our study demonstrates a new strategy for identifying promising gene candidates and presents several gene candidates that may enhance our understanding of vascular development and responses to drought in cereals.

Malleable, printable, bondable, and highly conductive MXene/liquid metal plasticine with improved wettability

Integration of functional fillers into liquid metals (LM) induces rheology modification, enabling the free-form shaping of LM at the micrometer scale. However, integrating non-chemically modified low-dimensional materials with LM to form stable and uniform dispersions remain a great challenge. Herein, we propose a solvent-assisted dispersion (SAD) method that utilizes the fragmentation and reintegration of LM in volatile solvents to engulf and disperse fillers. This method successfully integrates MXene uniformly into LM, achieving better internal connectivity than the conventional dry powder mixing (DPM) method. Consequently, the MXene/LM (MLM) coating exhibits high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance (105 dB at 20 μm, which is 1.6 times that of coatings prepared by DPM). Moreover, the rheological characteristic of MLM render it malleable and facilitates direct printing and adaptation to diverse structures. This study offers a convenient method for assembling LM with low-dimensional materials, paving the way for the development of multifunctional soft devices.

The GA-Hecate Peptide inhibits the ZIKV Replicative Cycle in Different Steps and can Inhibit the Flavivirus NS2B-NS3 Protease after Cell Infection.

Peptide drugs are advantageous because they are subject to rational design and exhibit highly diverse structures and broad biological activities. The NS2B-NS3 protein is a particularly promising flavivirus therapeutic target, with extensive research on the development of inhibitors as therapeutic candidates, and was used as a model in this work to determine the mechanism by which GA-Hecate inhibits ZIKV replication. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of GA-Hecate, a new antiviral developed by our group, against the Brazilian Zika virus and to evaluate the mechanism of action of this compound on the flavivirus NS2B-NS3 protein. Solid-phase peptide Synthesis, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, and Mass Spectrometry were used to obtain, purify, and characterize the synthesized compound. Real-time and enzymatic assays were used to determine the antiviral potential of GA-Hecate against ZIKV. The RT-qPCR results showed that GA-Hecate decreased the number of ZIKV RNA copies in the virucidal, pre-treatment, and post-entry assays, with 5- to 6-fold fewer RNA copies at the higher nontoxic concentration in Vero cells (HNTC: 10 μM) than in the control cells. Enzymatic and kinetic assays indicated that GA-Hecate acts as a competitive ZIKV NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitor with an IC50 of 32 nM and has activity against the yellow fever virus protease. The results highlight the antiviral potential of the GA-Hecate bioconjugate and open the door for the development of new antivirals.

An<em> in-vitro</em> gastric digestion model with peristalsis function for the analysis of the food gastric digestion

In vitro models of the human stomach offer a robust platform to explore the physicochemical processes during gastric digestion. In Sri Lanka, limited research has been conducted on the digestion behavior of diverse food structures using in vitro digestion models. This study aims to create a custom-built in vitro gastric digestion model, specifically designed for Sri Lankan laboratories to analyze food digestion in a simulated stomach environment. The physical model comprises a butyl rubber chamber simulating the stomach, 4 nylon rollers with 2 rubber belts, driven by geared motors, and 6 nylon pulleys, creating continuous contractions of the rubber chamber. The model simulates the peristaltic movements of the stomach wall, with contraction waves occurring at a frequency of approximately 3 cycles per minute, mimicking in vivo peristaltic movement. Gastric sieving, secretion, emptying, and temperature control mechanisms are employed to recreate dynamic gastrointestinal conditions. A polyester mesh bag with a pore size of 1.5 mm replicates the gastric sieving function, while manual gastric emptying is performed. Gastric juice is secreted into the chamber at a rate of 2.5 mL/min using a programmed peristaltic pump, and an automated temperature control system maintains the ambient temperature at 37 °C. In conclusion, this developed gastric device serves as an effective tool for studying the gastric digestion of various food structures within a simulated stomach environment.

Hydroelectric Plant Safety: Real-Time Monitoring Utilizing Fiber-Optic Sensors.

In the context of hydroelectric plants, this article emphasizes the imperative of robust monitoring strategies. The utilization of fiber-optic sensors (FOSs) emerges as a promising approach due to their efficient optical transmission, minimal signal attenuation, and resistance to electromagnetic interference. These optical sensors have demonstrated success in diverse structures, including bridges and nuclear plants, especially in challenging environments. This article culminates with the depiction of the development of an array of sensors featuring Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs). This array is designed to measure deformation and temperature in protective grids surrounding the turbines at the Santo Antônio Hydroelectric Plant. Implemented in a real-world scenario, the device identifies deformation peaks, indicative of water flow obstructions, thereby contributing significantly to the safety and operational efficiency of the plant.

Trifluoromethylation Strategies of Alcohols and Phenols

In this review, we present a comprehensive update on the latest trifluoromethylation protocols for alcohols, highlighting the significant advancements and innovative strategies in this rapidly evolving field. Given the prevalence of hydroxyl groups in pharmaceutical compounds, there is a heightened interest in synthesizing functionalized organic molecules through the ‐CF3 functionalization of parent alcohols. Recent developments have introduced intriguing methods such as O‐trifluoromethylation, dehydroxylative trifluoromethoxylation, deoxytrifluoromethylation, and oxytrifluoromethylation of readily available alcohols. These protocols enable the efficient single‐step construction of diverse structures featuring C‐CF3 and C‐OCF3 bonds. This review aims to encapsulate the significant progress, structural diversity, and mechanistic insights of these transformative reactions, emphasizing their substrate scope and the underlying reaction pathways that drive these advancements.

Entropy-Assisted Anion-Reinforced Solvation Structure for Fast-Charging Sodium-Ion Full Batteries.

Anion-reinforced solvation structure favors the formation of inorganic-rich robust electrode-electrolyte interface, which endows fast ion transport and high strength modulus to enable improved electrochemical performance. However, such a unique solvation structure inevitably injures the ionic conductivity of electrolytes and limits the fast-charging performance. Herein, a trade-off in tuning anion-reinforced solvation structure and high ionic conductivity is realized by the entropy-assisted hybrid ester-ether electrolyte. Anion-reinforced solvation sheath with more anions occupying the inner Na+ shell is constructed by introducing the weakly coordinated ether tetrahydrofuran into the commonly used ester-based electrolyte, which merits the accelerated desolvation energy and gradient inorganic-rich electrode-electrolyte interface. The improved ionic conductivity is attributed to the weakly diverse solvation structures induced by entropy effect. These enable the enhanced rate performance and cycling stability of Prussian blue||hard carbon full cells with high electrode mass loading. More importantly, the practical application of the designed electrolyte was further demonstrated by industry-level 18650 cylindrical cells.

Entropy‐Assisted Anion‐Reinforced Solvation Structure for Fast‐Charging Sodium‐Ion Full Batteries

Anion‐reinforced solvation structure favors the formation of inorganic‐rich robust electrode‐electrolyte interface, which endows fast ion transport and high strength modulus to enable improved electrochemical performance. However, such a unique solvation structure inevitably injures the ionic conductivity of electrolytes and limits the fast‐charging performance. Herein, a trade‐off in tuning anion‐reinforced solvation structure and high ionic conductivity is realized by the entropy‐assisted hybrid ester‐ether electrolyte. Anion‐reinforced solvation sheath with more anions occupying the inner Na+ shell is constructed by introducing the weakly coordinated ether tetrahydrofuran into the commonly used ester‐based electrolyte, which merits the accelerated desolvation energy and gradient inorganic‐rich electrode‐electrolyte interface. The improved ionic conductivity is attributed to the weakly diverse solvation structures induced by entropy effect. These enable the enhanced rate performance and cycling stability of Prussian blue||hard carbon full cells with high electrode mass loading. More importantly, the practical application of the designed electrolyte was further demonstrated by industry‐level 18650 cylindrical cells.

Impact of seasonal changes in urban green spaces with diverse vegetation structures on college students' physical and mental health

Based on the perceptions of college student participants in winter and summer, the effects of different vegetation structures within landscapes (single-layer woodland, tree-shrub-grass composite woodlands, tree-grass composite woodland, and single-layer grassland) and concrete squares without plants were investigated, and the skin conductivity level (SCL) and environmental perception recovery score (PRS) associated with landscape types were calculated. The results indicated that seasonal differences in landscape perception significantly affected college student participants' PRS but not their SCL scores, both in winter and summer. Viewing single-layer and tree-shrub-grass composite woodlands in summer, as well as single-layer woodland in winter, enhanced the environmental perception of the college student participants. The restorative effects of the four vegetation types in green spaces were ranked as follows: single-layer woodland, tree-shrub-grass composite woodlands, single-layer grassland, and tree-grass composite woodlands and concrete squares without plants. These findings underscore the importance of considering seasonal variations when choosing plant species for landscaping purposes, with evergreen single-layer woodland being a suitable choice for winter urban landscapes. This provides a scientific basis for assessing landscape perception and preferences in the future.

Perspectives on sperm donor anonymity: insights from donor-conceived adults in Belgium.

Are donor-conceived adults in Belgium interested in obtaining donor information, and do these interests vary based on their family backgrounds? Donor-conceived adults express a significant interest in obtaining donor-related information, with the highest interest reported by offspring from heterosexual couples compared to those from lesbian couple-parented or single-parent families. In Belgium, sperm donation is mainly anonymous, but the rise of direct-to-consumer genetic testing challenges this anonymity. This was a cross-sectional study involving an online nationwide survey conducted from July 2022 to October 2023. Participants, aged 18years and older and being aware of their anonymous sperm donor-conceived status, were recruited through various channels. A total of 203 participants were included: 62.6% grew up in heterosexual families with infertile fathers, 26.1% with lesbian couples, 8.4% with single parents, and 3.0% in various or diverse family structures. The survey was available in both French and Dutch and consisted of 43 questions, including a mix of yes/no questions and multiple-choice items. The average age of disclosure was 16.5 years, with notably later disclosure in heterosexual couple-parented households. A substantial 82.8% of donor-conceived individuals expressed a keen interest in obtaining non-personally identifiable donor information, while 69% were curious about personally identifiable donor data. Furthermore, 61.6% conveyed a desire for personal contact with their donors, and 26.6% advocated for the inclusion of the donor's name on their birth certificates. Participants raised in lesbian two-parent families exhibited the lowest level of interest in donor-related information compared with those raised in other family structures. An overwhelming 90.1% wondered about the possibility of having half-siblings from the same sperm donor. Analysis of survey responses on DNA database registration revealed that 55.2% of donor-conceived offspring were already registered, with 68.8% discovering the same donor offspring and 30.4% successfully locating their donors. Compared to individuals from other family structures, those raised in heterosexual couple-parented households exhibit a less positive attitude toward their conception through anonymous sperm donation. About 61.6% of donor-conceived individuals reported experiencing distinct emotions compared to their peers, while 44.1% encountered psychological difficulties related to anonymous sperm donation, primarily attributed to late disclosure. The majority supported the idea of informing the donor about the number of children he facilitated to conceive. Lastly, the study highlighted that 21.2% of donor-conceived adults considered becoming donors themselves, and 31.3% expressed willingness to use an anonymous donor whenever faced with fertility challenges. Our sample size may not fully represent all adults conceived through anonymous sperm donation in Belgium. Participation bias may have influenced the results, especially due to the overrepresentation of participants from heterosexual couples. Additionally, an association exists between individuals raised by heterosexual couples and late disclosure, complicating the analysis by introducing a confounding factor. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the needs and preferences of donor-conceived adults, with significant potential impact on patient education and healthcare policy. Study funding was not obtained for this research. There are no conflicts of interest to disclose. N/A.

Lignin-based Carbon NanomaterialsforBiochemical Sensing Applications.

Lignin-based carbon nanomaterials offer several advantages, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, high specific surface area, ease of functionalization, low toxicity, and cost-effectiveness. These materials show promise in biochemical sensing applications, particularly in the detection of metal ions, organic compounds, and human biosignals. Various methods can be employed to synthesize carbon nanomaterials with different dimensions ranging from 0D to 3D, resulting in diverse structures and physicochemical properties. This study provides an overview of the preparation techniques and characteristics of multidimensional (0-3D) lignin-based carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon dots (CDs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and carbon aerogels (CAs). Additionally, the sensing capabilities of these materials are compared and summarized, followed by a discussion on the potential challenges and future prospects in sensor development.

Application of fused filament fabrication 3D printing and molding to produce flexible, scaled neuron morphology models

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess a novel method for creating tangible three-dimensional (3D) morphologies (scaled models) of neuronal reconstructions and to evaluate its cost-effectiveness, accessibility and applicability through a classroom survey. The study addresses the challenge of accurately representing intricate and diverse dendritic structures of neurons in scaled models for educational purposes.Design/methodology/approachThe method involves converting neuronal reconstructions from the NeuromorphoVis repository into 3D-printable mold files. An operator prints these molds using a consumer-grade desktop 3D printer with water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol filament. The molds are then filled with casting materials like polyurethane or silicone rubber, before the mold is dissolved. We tested our method on various neuron morphologies, assessing the method’s effectiveness, labor, processing times and costs. Additionally, university biology students compared our 3D-printed neuron models with commercially produced counterparts through a survey, evaluating them based on their direct experience with both models.FindingsAn operator can produce a neuron morphology’s initial 3D replica in about an hour of labor, excluding a one- to three-day curing period, while subsequent copies require around 30 min each. Our method provides an affordable approach to crafting tangible 3D neuron representations, presenting a viable alternative to direct 3D printing with varied material options ensuring both flexibility and durability. The created models accurately replicate the fidelity and intricacy of original computer aided design (CAD) files, making them ideal for tactile use in neuroscience education.Originality/valueThe development of data processing and cost-effective casting method for this application is novel. Compared to a previous study, this method leverages lower-cost fused filament fabrication 3D printing to create accurate physical 3D representations of neurons. By using readily available materials and a consumer-grade 3D printer, the research addresses the high cost associated with alternative direct 3D printing techniques to produce such intricate and robust models. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates the practicality of these 3D neuron models for educational purposes, making a valuable contribution to the field of neuroscience education.

Reprogramming of the Aurantinin Polyketide Assembly Line to Synthesize Auritriacids by Excising an Atypical Enoyl-CoA Hydratase Domain.

Modular polyketide synthases (PKSs) are capable of synthesizing diverse natural products with fascinating bioactivities. Canonical enoyl-CoA hydratases (ECHs) are components of the β-branching cassette that modifies the polyketide chain by adding a β-methyl branch. Herein, it is demonstrated that the deletion of an atypical ECHQ domain (featuring a Q280 residue) of Art21, a didomain protein contains an ECHQ domain and a thioesterase (TE) domain, reprograms the polyketide assembly line from synthesizing tetracyclic aurantinins (ARTs) to bicyclic auritriacids (ATAs) with much lower antibacterial activities. Genes encoding the ECHQ-TE didomain proteins distribute in many PKS gene clusters from different bacteria. Significantly, the ART PKS machinery can be directed to make ARTs, ATAs, or both of them by employing appropriate ECHQ-TE proteins, implying a great potential for using this reprogramming strategy in polyketide structure diversification.

An Atom-Precise Understanding of DNA-Stabilized Silver Nanoclusters.

ConspectusDNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters (AgN-DNAs) are sequence-encoded fluorophores. Like other noble metal nanoclusters, the optical properties of AgN-DNAs are dictated by their atomically precise sizes and shapes. What makes AgN-DNAs unique is that nanocluster size and shape are controlled by nucleobase sequence of the templating DNA oligomer. By choice of DNA sequence, it is possible to synthesize a wide range of AgN-DNAs with diverse emission colors and other intriguing photophysical properties. AgN-DNAs hold significant potential as "programmable" emitters for biological imaging due to their combination of small molecular-like sizes, bright and sequence-tuned fluorescence, low toxicities, and cost-effective synthesis. In particular, the potential to extend AgN-DNAs into the second near-infrared region (NIR-II) is promising for deep tissue imaging, which is a major area of interest for advancing biomedical imaging. Achieving this goal requires a deep understanding of the structure-property relationships that govern AgN-DNAs in order to design AgN-DNA emitters with sizes and geometries that support NIR-II emission.In recent years, major advances have been made in understanding the structure and composition of AgN-DNAs, enabling new insights into the correlation of nanocluster structure and photophysical properties. These advances have hinged on combined innovations in mass characterization and crystallography of compositionally pure AgN-DNAs, together with combinatorial experiments and machine learning-guided design. A combined approach is essential due to the major challenge of growing suitable AgN-DNA crystals for diffraction and to the labor-intensive nature of preparing and solving the molecular formulas of atomically precise AgN-DNAs by mass spectrometry. These approaches alone are not feasibly scaled to explore the large sequence space of DNA oligomer templates for AgN-DNAs.This account describes recent fundamental advances in AgN-DNA science that have been enabled by high throughput synthesis and fluorimetry together with detailed analytical studies of purified AgN-DNAs. First, short introductions to nanocluster chemistry and AgN-DNA basics are presented. Then, we review recent large-scale studies that have screened thousands of DNA templates for AgN-DNAs, leading to discovery of distinct classes of these emitters with unique cluster core compositions and ligand chemistries. In particular, the discovery of a new class of chloride-stabilized AgN-DNAs enabled the first ab initio calculations of AgN-DNA electronic structure and present new approaches to stabilize these emitters in biologically relevant conditions. Near-infrared (NIR) emissive AgN-DNAs are also found to exhibit diverse structures and properties. Finally, we conclude by highlighting recent proof-of-principle demonstrations of NIR AgN-DNAs for targeted fluorescence imaging. Continued efforts may future push AgN-DNAs into the tissue transparency window for fluorescence imaging in the NIR-II tissue transparency window.