From syngas to food - high-moisture extrusion of Clostridium autoethanogenum protein into fibrous meat analogues.

Promotion of stable polymorphs and molecular compound formation in mixtures of a high melting fraction of extra virgin olive oil and cocoa butter

Tailoring highly stretchable, ultra-barrier, and transparent gelatin/PVA emulgel-templated oleofilms: Effect of oil saturation degree

In-vitro assessment of thermal stability, color stability, degree of conversion, nanozeolite and monomer release, and antibacterial effect in nanozeolite-filled 3D printed denture base resin.

The therapeutic potential of inhaled biologics is limited by protein instability during aerosolization, which can cause aggregation and increase immunogenicity risks. This study aims to identify key molecular and formulation parameters that minimize the aggregation of antibody Fab fragments during vibrating mesh nebulization. A set of 14 engineered Fabs with a broad range of melting temperatures (Tm 60-90°C) were nebulized using two different commercial vibrating mesh devices. We systematically assessed the impact of Fab thermostability, protein concentration (10-80 mg/mL), formulation excipients, and nebulizer device on the formation of high molecular weight species (HMWS) and subvisible particles (SVP). Aerosol characteristics, including fine particle fraction (FPF) and output rate, were also evaluated. High intrinsic thermostability and high protein concentration were identified as the two most critical factors for preventing aggregation. Fabs with a Tm above 80°C demonstrated exceptional stability with negligible aggregation. We attribute this effect to a correlation of high Tm with a higher resistance against unfolding and therefore a better tolerance against nebulization-induced stresses, in particular air/liquid interfacial stress. Counterintuitively, increasing the protein concentration from 10 mg/mL to 80 mg/mL suppressed aggregation for all Fabs, which had the highest benefit for Fabs with lower thermostability. This effect can at least in part be explained by a saturation of the air/liquid interface at higher Fab concentrations. While higher concentrations modestly reduced nebulizer output rates, the overall inhalable protein output (mg protein/min) was significantly enhanced. In comparison, full-length monoclonal antibodies showed poor aerosolization performance at high concentrations. Our findings provide clear guidance for developing inhaled Fab therapeutics. To ensure stability and minimize aggregation, priority should be given to selecting Fabs with high thermostability (Tm > 80°C) and formulating them at high concentrations (≥ 40 mg/mL). These strategies are expected to mitigate aggregation-induced immunogenicity and concomitant safety risks, facilitating the development of the next generation of inhaled protein drugs.

• Investigation of POM failure after one-sided heating. • Application of thermal load by laser irradiation. • Thermal simulation to determine cross-thickness temperature distribution. • Correlation of thermally induced damage with reduced elongation at break. A thorough understanding of polymer behavior under asymmetric thermal loading is a prerequisite for assessing the fire resistance of polymer structures. Yet, despite the widespread use of both fiber-reinforced and unfilled thermoplastics, their performance under such conditions remains insufficiently studied. In the present study polyoxymethylene (POM) tensile test specimens are exemplarily studied, the high thermal load is applied by a laser. Whereas on the irradiated front side temperatures considerably above the melting temperature occurred, temperatures on the back side were below. Quasistatic uniaxial tensile tests at room temperature after cooling showed that the elongation at break is strongly reduced by the irradiation, for stiffness and strength only a minor decrease could be observed. The transient temperature field inside the specimens was simulated by finite element analysis. This temperature was used to introduce a temperature dependent damage thickness which describes the thickness of the zone assumed to be irreversibly damaged by the thermal load. Based on this, an empirical model for the decrease of elongation at break of the investigated POM specimens is proposed.

Discovery and characterization of Z1: an imipridone-based ClpP agonist with potent anti-staphylococcal activity.

Heparinase III (Hep-III) plays an important role in the degradation of heparan sulfate and heparin, but its instability limits its applications. Herein, a distal mutagenesis strategy based on sequence conservation analysis and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations was employed to enhance the thermostability of Hep-III from Pedobacter schmidteae (PsHep-III). The V183A/D378G mutant (M2a) exhibited a 31.21-fold increase in half-life (t1/2) at 35 °C relative to the wild type (WT). Furthermore, the melting temperature (Tm) and the temperature at which 50% residual activity was retained after 1 min (T501) of M2a were increased by 23.66 and 8.02 °C, respectively. The specific activity of M2a was 104.16% relative to that of the WT. Analysis of intramolecular interactions, protein surface charge and MD simulations indicated that enhanced local rigidity and increased surface potential were the main contributors to the overall stability improvement of M2a. This study provides an effective strategy for improving the thermostability of Hep-III.

Enhancing the thermostability of UDP-glycosyltransferases is essential for their industrial application in natural product biosynthesis. Here, we developed a structure-guided, computation-assisted strategy to improve the stability and efficiency of UGT94B1M0, which catalyzes the conversion of rebaudioside A to the high-value sweetener rebaudioside D. By integrating multiple computational tools and energy-based analyses, a focused mutation library was constructed and experimentally screened. The optimal variant, UGT94B1M3, displayed an 8.40 °C higher melting temperature, a 20.65-fold longer half-life, and a 1.45-fold enhancement in catalytic efficiency relative to M0. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that these improvements were associated with increased structural rigidity and favorable electrostatic interactions. When coupled with Arabidopsis thaliana sucrose synthase for UDP-glucose regeneration, M3-AtSuSy produced 33.87 mM Reb D within 1 h at a molar conversion rate of 84.67%, 2.81-fold higher than M0-AtSuSy. This work establishes a generalizable strategy for thermostability engineering of UDP-glycosyltransferases toward efficient and sustainable glycoside biosynthesis.

Xanthine and hypoxanthine are metabolic precursors of uric acid (UA), and their molecular structures and chemical properties are similar to those of UA. Consequently, accurately distinguishing between them has long posed a substantial challenge. In this study, library immobilization was employed to screen for aptamers for UA. An aptamer designated Apt2 exhibits a dissociation constant (Kd) of 14.11 μM for UA, demonstrating low affinity for xanthine and negligible affinity for hypoxanthine. DG10 and DG11 are critical sites for maintaining its affinity and selectivity. Microscale thermophoresis (MST) analysis yielded a Kd value of 461 nM for Apt2, while circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy indicated that Apt2 might adopt a parallel G-quadruplex conformation. Based on its conserved sequence and secondary structure, Apt2 was systematically split and tailored to generate two split aptamers: Apt2-T4/Apt-T5 and Apt2-T4-T3/Apt2-T5. The Kd values of these split aptamers, as measured by thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence, were 48.78 μM and 38.72 μM, respectively. To facilitate sensor development, the kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of these aptamers were evaluated. The results indicated that Apt2-T4-T3/Apt2-T5 binds rapidly to UA, and the melting temperature (Tm) of Apt2-T4-T3/Apt2-T5 was determined to be 40.48 ± 0.18 °C. Finally, we developed a label-free fluorometric split aptasensor based on Apt2-T4-T3/Apt2-T5, which achieved a detection limit of 0.60 μM and exhibited a strong linear response within the UA concentration range of 3.15-200 μM. Subsequently, the aptasensor was applied to detect UA in real urine samples.

This study investigates the in-situ alloying of ER70S-6 and 316L stainless steel using the WAAM-HW process through the fabrication of two walls with different wire proportions, employing wire feed speeds of 4m/min for the primary wire and 2m/min for the hot wire. When ER70S-6 served as the primary wire, its higher thermal and electrical conductivity promoted stable arc behavior and efficient melting of both feed materials. In contrast, the wall produced with 316L as the primary wire exhibited porosity, lack of fusion, and elemental segregation, associated with its lower thermal and electrical conductivity as well as its lower melting temperature compared to ER70S-6. Metallographic analysis revealed distinct microstructural regimes: a predominantly martensitic structure in the ER70S-6-rich wall and a heterogeneous mixture of martensite, austenite, and ferrite in the 316L-rich wall. These differences were also reflected in the microhardness results, with the martensitic wall exhibiting higher and more homogeneous hardness values (378.79 ± 17.15 HV), whereas the heterogeneous wall showed pronounced local variations (264.21 ± 42.36 HV). Both alloyed walls demonstrated significantly enhanced corrosion resistance compared with ER70S-6 (Icorr 3.69 × 10⁻⁵ A·cm⁻²), reaching values comparable to 316L (Icorr on the order of 10⁻⁷ A·cm⁻²). However, the passive behaviour characteristic of austenitic stainless steels was not fully retained, as evidenced by a reduced passive range, decreasing from 0.529V in the 316L wall to below 0.042V in the hybrid configurations. Corrosion was observed to initiate preferentially in Cr- and Ni-depleted regions, with increased chemical segregation and microstructural heterogeneity in the 316L-rich wall contributing to reduced electrochemical performance. Overall, the results highlight the potential of WAAM-HW in-situ alloying for the development of novel alloy compositions, while emphasizing the strong influence of process-dependent thermal conditions on melting efficiency, chemical homogeneity, and microstructural uniformity.

In this study, a leakage-free and thermally stable composite phase change material (PCM) was developed using waste corn cob (CC) and waste copper slag (CS) to evaluate renewable and waste biomass resources. MP-MS eutectic mixture was impregnated into a corn cob-derived carbon structure, and then, by adding CS at different ratios (1%, 3%, and 5%), the thermal performance was optimized. DSC analyses revealed that the melting temperature and melting enthalpy of the CC/MP-MS (35%) composite PCM were 22.9°C and 81.4J/g, respectively. Small changes were observed in these values ​​with the addition of CS, but only a 1-2% decrease in enthalpy was observed. Furthermore, after 650 cycles of thermal cycling testing, only a limited decrease in the thermal performance of the composite PCMs was observed, demonstrating high thermal stability and cyclic durability. Thermal conductivity values ​​increased significantly with the addition of CS. While the MP-MS eutectic mixture had a limited thermal conductivity of only 0.17W/mK, this value reached 0.42W/mK with the addition of 5% CS. IR thermal camera images demonstrate that increasing the CS content accelerates heat transfer and improves temperature distribution. Specifically, after a 25-minute heating period, the surface temperature of the composite PCM containing 5% CS was approximately 9°C higher than that of the pure composite.

Introducing probabilistic models into photonic neural networks, harnessing high-throughput and low-latency performance of photons, holds great promise for Bayesian inference. Photonic spiking neurons with stochasticity are essential to realize probabilistic computing. However, existing probabilistic neurons lack intrinsic stochasticity and rely on external entropy sources, adding architectural complexity that impedes high-density integration. Here, we report the first compact on-chip photonic spiking neuron with inherent stochasticity based on a novel phase-change material SbTe9, featuring an active footprint of only 1.5 μm2. This neuron enables stable and tunable probabilistic firing behaviors, arising from the intrinsic fluctuations of the melting point and temperature of the SbTe9 layer driven by microstructure evolution during non-equilibrium melting and crystallization. Leveraging this stochasticity, the neuron enables the Bayesian inference achieving 98.67% accuracy with uncertainty quantification for breast cell diagnosis, and demonstrates remarkable tolerance to hardware synaptic variations (0.47% reduction, ten times smaller) and input noise (4.28% reduction at 15% noise, over twofold smaller) compared with deterministic neurons. Based on the novel volatile phase-change material, this neuron establishes a transformative pathway toward the development of large-scale, low-complexity and high-performance on-chip photonic neuromorphic computing systems.

This work investigates the potential of betaine as a substitute for choline chloride in the formation of polyol-based DES. The solid-liquid equilibrium (SLE) phase diagrams of binary mixtures of betaine with one polyol (ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, glycerol, meso-erythritol, xylitol, or sorbitol) were studied across the entire composition range. Experimental measurements of the phase diagrams were limited by the thermal degradation of betaine and by the boiling points or high viscosities of some polyols. Overall, betaine exhibited negative deviations from ideality, while most polyols displayed near-ideal behaviour. COSMO-RS, a thermodynamic model, satisfactorily predicts these deviations from ideality and the observed phase behaviour. Mixtures of betaine and polyols yielded a narrower liquid-phase window for room-temperature applications than the corresponding choline chloride systems. The cross-association of betaine with polyols is more favourable than its self-association, and stronger interactions between the polyols and betaine than with choline chloride are expected, leading to more negative deviations; thus, the smaller melting temperature depression must result from a higher enthalpy of fusion of betaine than that of choline chloride.

Structural and Mechanical Alterations in Polyoxymethylene: Insights from Advanced Irradiation Technologies.

Omnidirectional X-ray detection is important for applications such as high-energy astrophysics and environmental safety monitoring. However, conventional approaches to omnidirectional X-ray detection, based on solid-state flat-panel detectors or gas/liquid-state spherical detectors, are often hindered by fabrication complexity, insufficient omnidirectional response, or limited portability. Herein, we present a portable solid-state omnidirectional X-ray detector (ODXD) based on a spherical glass scintillator composed of (CPTP)2MnBr4 (CPTP = cyclopropyltriphenylphosphine). From a crystallographic perspective, the cyclopropyl group in triphenylphosphine cation plays a critical role in modulating the phase transition of (CPTP)2MnBr4. This molecular design not only lowers melting temperature (170°C), enabling device fabrication via a low-temperature melt-quenching process, but also provides a sufficiently high glass transition temperature (61°C) to ensure operational stability. From a device perspective, the ODXD based on spherical (CPTP)2MnBr4 glass offers excellent omnidirectionality and registers an X-ray response limit of 0.49 µGyair s-1, which is 11-fold lower than the regular medical diagnostic dose rate (5.5 µGyair s-1), demonstrating exceptional capabilities for monitoring omnidirectional X-ray sources with high sensitivity. Given the high processability of organic-inorganic glasses and the simplicity of their fabrication, our findings provide a viable solution for constructing portable omnidirectional optical detectors toward advanced sensing and photonic applications.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste causes serious environmental pollution due to insufficient recycling rates. Enzymatic PET depolymerization offers a sustainable recycling strategy, but limited stability and activity of current PET-degrading enzymes restrict practical implementation. Here, we engineer Polyester Hydrolase Leipzig 7 (PHL7), a PET hydrolase from a compost metagenome, to enhance its stability and catalytic performance under recycling-relevant conditions. Using Rosetta PROSS-based computational design combined with rational mutagenesis, we introduce up to 24 mutations, generating variants with melting temperatures of 88-95 °C and over 110-fold higher activity in 0.1 M phosphate buffer compared to the parent enzyme. Benchmarking shows that the best variants (R4M6, R4M9, and R4M10) match or exceed the performance of established engineered PET hydrolases, including ICCG and LCC-A2, and approach that of TurboPETase across multiple conditions. Under high substrate loadings, the PHL7-R4 variants degrade 75-78% of 10% (w/w) PET within 24 h at 65 °C, outperforming ICCG, while an optimized variant R4M10-H185Y achieves up to 84% degradation of 20% (w/w) PET. X-ray structure determination and molecular dynamics simulations reveal key stabilizing and activity enhancing mechanisms. These engineered PHL7 variants represent robust biocatalysts for scalable enzymatic PET recycling.

Melt-glycolysis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate): A modular route to recycling and tuning of biodegradable materials.

While polymer properties are fundamentally linked to their nanostructure, the influence of monomer sequence remains less understood than stereochemical factors like tacticity. This study examines how sequence distribution affects the thermal behavior and morphology of homo- and copolyesters, specifically comparing polymers derived from constitutionally identical monomers but with varying degrees of sequence regularity depending on monomer structure or polymerization selectivity. Our findings show that increasing sequence defects progressively diminish thermal stability, crystallinity, melting temperatures, and morphological order. As new materials become more compositionally complex, this work underscores the importance of sequence control in the design of advanced polymers for emerging applications.

Achieving precise control over both branching density and branch-type distribution remains a central challenge in chain-walking polymerization with late-transition-metal catalysts. Herein, we clarify and apply the steric-deficient effect, in which a relatively open (less sterically hindered) region within an otherwise crowded ligand framework serves as a sensitive site for steric modulation, leading to abrupt changes in polymerization outcomes upon variation of the ortho steric hindrance of the catalyst. Using α-diimine Ni(II) and Pd(II) complexes, we distinguish between modifications at this sterically deficient site and at more congested (nondeficient) positions. Systematic variation of adjacent aryl substituents shows that tuning steric bulk at the deficient site strongly influences molecular weight, branching density, and melting temperature, whereas analogous changes at nondeficient positions have minimal impact. This effect persists in catalysts with modest steric bulk but becomes attenuated in highly crowded systems due to preexisting steric congestion. Although Ni and Pd catalysts exhibit consistent trends in overall branching regulation, they display opposite tendencies in branch-type distribution. This steric-engineering strategy enables access to polyolefins spanning amorphous to semicrystalline materials. Copolymerization of 1-octene with methyl undecenoate further affords functional elastomers with desirable mechanical and surface properties.