Universal Strategy Research Articles

Construction of a Bifunctional Nanoelectrode for Intracellular Natural Product Delivery and Monitoring Anticancer Efficiency in Single Cells.

Natural products play a significant role in new drug discovery and anticancer therapy, making the evaluation of their anticancer efficiency crucial for clinical application. However, delivering natural products to single cells and in situ monitoring of induced signaling molecule fluctuation to evaluate anticancer efficiency remain significant challenges. Hence, we proposed a universal and straightforward strategy to construct a bifunctional nanoelectrode that integrates drug loading and monitoring of signal molecule fluctuations at the single-cell level. Platinum (Pt) nanoparticles/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites were first electrochemically deposited on the carbon fiber nanoelectrode (CFNE@Pt/rGO) to serve as electrocatalytic materials for the monitoring of natural-product-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The GO/natural product complex, formed by π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions, was further electrochemically reduced on the surface of CFNE@Pt/rGO to enable the CFNE drug-loading function. Using this bifunctional functional nanoelectrode, a series of natural products (such as capsaicin, curcumin, and chrysin) were delivered into single cancer cells, and their anticancer efficiency was evaluated by measuring ROS generation. The results showed that intracellular ROS production induced by chrysin was 1.5-fold greater than that of curcumin and 2.1-fold greater than that of capsaicin. This work proposes an effective tool to evaluate the anticancer efficiency of various natural products. Additionally, this nanotool can be expanded to monitor the fluctuation of other biomolecules (such as RNS, GSH, NADH, etc.) by replacing Pt nanoparticles with other electrocatalytic materials, which is significant for comprehensively exploring the anticancer efficiency of new drugs and for the clinical treatment of various diseases.

Integrated fiber paper-based composites enabling photo-Fenton synergistic degradation and switchable adsorption for efficient and multitasking pollutants removal

Single catalytic systems have received wide attention for eradicating pervasive contaminants in water but lack multifunctional integrated biobased capturing and purifying system (bio-CPs). In this work, a universal design of integrated bio-CPs with layered structure driven from fiber filtering paper (FP) was demonstrated for multitasking environmental remediation. Fe-rich composite catalysts (Fe-BiOBr/TiO2) and polyphenol-modified lignin system (PLPR) were herein first developed for the full decoration of FP substrates, achieving the facile construction of layered structure with highly active surface and photocatalytic layer. Profiting from this, a photo-Fenton synergetic degradation system on composites was designed, facilitating a remarkable degradation capability (99.24 % for MEB) and full-time operation ability. Driven by highly enhanced interfacial interactions mediated by polyphenol, this material was capable of efficient capture pollutants (165.29 mg·g-1 for Cr (VI)). And assisted with well-maintained high water flux feature, this bio-CPs that efficient remove pollutants by flowthrough capture were realized, showing the switchable application. Significantly, the convenience of surface deposition and self-assembly supported the potential applications in real system based on extended preparation of such bio-CPs. This work provided a novel and universal strategy to develop the universal and multifunctional integrated bio-CPs to support for large-scale, cost-effective, and sustainable wastewater remediation engineering.

A Universal Synthesis of Single-Atom Catalysts via Operando Bond Formation Driven by Electricity.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs), featuring highly uniform active sites, tunable coordination environments, and synergistic effects with support, have emerged as one of the most efficient catalysts for various reactions, particularly for electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECR). However, the scalability of SACs is restricted due to the limited choice of available support and problems that emerge when preparing SACs by thermal deposition. Here, an in situ reconstruction method for preparing SACs is developed with a variety of atomic sites, including nickel, cadmium, cobalt, and magnesium. Driven by electricity, different oxygen-containing metal precursors, such as MOF-74 and metal oxides, are directly atomized onto nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) supports, yielding SACs with variable metal active sites and coordination structures. The electrochemical force facilitates the in situ generation of bonds between the metal and the supports without the need for additional complex steps. A series of MNxOy (M denotes metal) SACs on NC have been synthesized and utilized for ECR. Among these, NiNxOy SACs using Ni-MOF-74 as a metal precursor exhibit excellent ECR performance. This universal and general SAC synthesis strategy at room temperature is simpler than most reported synthesis methods to date, providing practical guidance for the design of the next generation of high-performance SACs.

Zeolite-promoted platinum catalyst for efficient reduction of nitrogen oxides with hydrogen

Internal combustion engine fueled by carbon-free hydrogen (H2-ICE) offers a promising alternative for sustainable transportation. Herein, we report a facile and universal strategy through the physical mixing of Pt catalyst with zeolites to significantly improve the catalytic performance in the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with H2 (H2-SCR), a process aiming at NOx removal from H2-ICE. Via the physical mixing of Pt/TiO2 with Y zeolite (Pt/TiO2 + Y), a remarkable enhancement of NOx reduction activity and N2 selectivity was simultaneously achieved. The incorporation of Y zeolite effectively captured the in-situ generated water, fostering a water-rich environment surrounding the Pt active sites. This environment weakened the NO adsorption while concurrently promoting the H2 activation, leading to the strikingly elevated H2-SCR activity and N2 selectivity on Pt/TiO2 + Y catalyst. This study provides a unique, easy and sustainable physical mixing approach to achieve proficient heterogeneous catalysis for environmental applications.

Organic long-persistent luminescence materials with stretchability enabled by SEBS

Polymer-based organic long-persistent luminescence materials (OLPLMs) with good stretchability have attracted considerable attention due to their effective response to environmental stimuli and wide selection of application scenarios. However, the lack of a suitable stretchable polymer matrix has been a major limitation in the development of strongly stretchable OLPLMs. Here, we present a straightforward and universal method to fabricate a stretchable afterglow effect under ultraviolet or visible light by blending the flexible polymer styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) with various phosphors that display superior stretchability compared to the reported OLPLMs. To further highlight the outstanding benefits of such stretchable OLPLMs in the field of security applications, we show their practical cases in safety warning, identity recognition and oxygen detection scenarios. This universal material preparation strategy will simplify the production of stretchable OLPLMs and broaden the application range of phosphors or luminescent dyes.

DNA-Engineered Degradable Invisibility Cloaking for Tumor-Targeting Nanoparticles.

Nanoparticle (NP) delivery systems have been actively exploited for cancer therapy and vaccine development. Nevertheless, the major obstacle to targeted delivery lies in the substantial liver sequestration of NPs. Here we report a DNA-engineered approach to circumvent liver phagocytosis for enhanced tumor-targeted delivery of nanoagents in vivo. We find that a monolayer of DNA molecules on the NP can preferentially adsorb a dysopsonin protein in the serum to induce functionally invisibility to livers; whereas the tumor-specific uptake is triggered by the subsequent degradation of the DNA shell in vivo. The degradation rate of DNA shells is readily tunable by the length of coated DNA molecules. This DNA-engineered invisibility cloaking (DEIC) is potentially generic as manifested in both Ag2S quantum dot- and nanoliposome-based tumor-targeted delivery in mice. Near-infrared-II imaging reveals a high tumor-to-liver ratio of up to ∼5.1, approximately 18-fold higher than those with conventional nanomaterials. This approach may provide a universal strategy for high-efficiency targeted delivery of theranostic agents in vivo.

Homology Modeling and Expression of Recombinant NS5-RdRp Based on the Indonesian Local Strain of Dengue Virus for Anti-Dengue Drug Development

This study aims to isolate the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene of the dengue virus (DENV) isolates from Indonesia, determine the serotype of the local DENV strain through homology modeling, and express the recombinant RdRp protein in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), as the target for anti-dengue drug development. We utilize reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nested PCR for serotyping the DENV isolates, obtained from Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Indonesia. Then, followed by the extraction and purification of the RdRp amplicon for gene sequencing. The resulting RdRp gene sequences are translated into amino acid sequences, which are then used for protein modeling and the construction of a recombinant plasmid for RdRp protein expression. As the result, the RdRp gene, which belongs to the non-structural protein 5 (NS5) of DENV, was successfully isolated and sequenced from DENV RNA samples. Based on serotyping results and homology modeling, the serotype of the isolate DENV was identified as serotype-3. The isolated NS5-RdRp gene from the local strain was then inserted into the pET28a(+) plasmid and transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3) as the host cell. Recombinant NS5-RdRp was predominantly found in the insoluble fraction with a molecular weight of 72 kDa. Future studies on the development of an anti-dengue drug model that confirms the inhibition of the binding domain in the recombinant RdRp protein structure will be required to provide more insight and expand the development of a universal anti-dengue strategy in Indonesia.

Universal strategy study of applying passive metasurfaces to an intra-DC wireless-optical interconnection

Free-space optical (FSO) communication can reduce the routing complexity of data center networks (DCNs), not only ensuring high-capacity optical switching, but also owning similar flexibility to the wireless connectivity. Presently, mainstream wireless-optical switching units (WOSUs) have adopted serial beam control for unicasting. As a two-dimensional planar structure composed of meta-atoms with special electromagnetic properties arranged in a certain way, a passive metasurface (PMF) has strong parallel beam regulating capability. In this paper, we propose a wireless-optical intra-DC interconnection scheme based on PMFs. Through a real PMF chip, by adjusting the polarization of an incident beam, the power distribution between normal and abnormal reflected beams can be controlled. When both reflected beams are assigned with power, we obtain a pair of beams reflected in parallel, thus simultaneously communicating with two racks. In fact, we can perform 1-to-N (N≥2) multicast by using cascaded PMFs, and 1-to-N means that each source rack can communicate with N destination racks, i.e., a wide communication coverage range. However, the cascaded PMFs may result in huge chip costs and high accumulated power loss. In this paper, we only demonstrate the 1-to-2 communication ability of our PMFs, so the communication coverage may be still limited. Hence, by introducing electrostatic drive to control the PMF rotation, each source rack can achieve a wider communication coverage range than before. As a result, all racks within the coverage range have the ability to establish communication links with the source rack. To this end, we also design a neural network to mimic the PMF rotation, further improving the communication capability between racks. We then propose a DCN-topology reconfiguration algorithm supporting the coexistence of unicasting and multicasting, in order to make real-time decisions on the matching between FSO ports with minimized latency. Finally, we established a proof-of-concept prototype system to demonstrate the parallel beam control of our PMF. The test results show that the angle error is less than 0.1°, satisfying the accuracy requirements of WOSUs, and our PMF always has a good polarization response with the insertion loss of less than 2 dB under various azimuth angles or rotation planes.

A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Informative Booklet Regarding Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Among Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Staff Nurses Regarding Prevention of Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infection (CLABSI)

Background: Nurses in Intensive Care Units (ICU) have a vital role in reducing Central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) if they are well educated to use strategies to decrease Central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) rate which are based on the center for disease control and prevention guidelines (CDC) to improve patient’s outcomes. Health-care-associated infections are a huge concern in the intensive care units (ICUs) across the globe. Nearly 90% of catheter-related bloodstream infections are caused by central venous catheters (CVCs). Central venous catheters (CVC) are commonly inserted in critically ill patients and play an important role for hemodynamic monitoring and delivery of crucial treatments. Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a laboratory confirmed bloodstream infection occurring in a patient with a CVC in place for >48 hours that is not related to an infection at any other site. Preventing nosocomial infections pose a great challenge in ICU, because of the multi-drug resistant organisms treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Clinical practice guidelines from various organizations are available for prevention of vascular catheter related infections. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement has introduced a “central line bundle” that includes the five best evidence-based practices to prevent CLABSI. This bundle includes hand hygiene, maximal barrier precautions during catheter insertion, skin antisepsis with chlorhexidine, optimal selection of the catheter site, with avoidance of the femoral vein and a daily assessment of line necessity, including the removal of an unnecessary line. Of these components, “hand hygiene” (HH) is the most convenient and cost effective to follow. “Hand Hygiene” HH prevents the transmission of pathogens and is a universal strategy to prevent all nosocomial infections. The World Health Organization has proposed a multimodal strategy; which includes five elements called the “Five Moments for Hand Hygiene”, as an evidence-based approach to prevent hospital-acquired infections. The five moments include, before touching the patient, before performing any a clean/aseptic procedure, after exposure/risk of body fluid, after touching the patient and after touching the patient surroundings. Therefore, the researcher was curious to know the effectiveness of informative booklet regarding knowledge, attitude and practice of intensive care unit staff nurses regarding prevention of central line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI).

Prediction strategy for screening functional Haloarchaea strains with qPCR assays

As an extremophile resource, functional Haloarchaea strains are extremely time-consuming to screen. Here, taking the screening of low-salt-tolerant strains as an example, based on the qPCR assays that shortened time by 4–7 times and achieved 100 % accuracy, a universal strategy for rapid and accurate screening of functional Haloarchaea strains was established.

In-situ nanozyme catalytic amplification coupled with a universal antibody orientation strategy based electrochemical immunosensor for AD-related biomarker

An in-situ nanozyme signal tag combined with a DNA-mediated universal antibody-oriented strategy was proposed to establish a high-performance immunosensing platform for Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related biomarker detection. Briefly, a Zr-based metal-organic framework (MOF) with peroxidase (POD)-like activity was synthesized to encapsulating the electroactive molecule methylene blue (MB), and subsequently modified with a layer of gold nanoparticles on its surface. This led to the creation of double POD-like activity nanozymes surrounding the MB molecule to form a nanozyme signal tag. A large number of hydroxyl radicals were generated by the nanozyme signal tag with the help of H2O2, which catalyzed MB molecules in situ to achieve efficient signal amplification. Subsequently, a DNA-aptamer-mediated universal antibody-oriented strategy was proposed to enhance the binding efficiency for the antigen (target). Meanwhile, a poly adenine was incorporated at the end of the aptamer, facilitating binding to the gold electrode and providing anti-fouling properties due to the hydrophilicity of the phosphate group. Under optimal conditions, this platform was successfully employed for highly sensitive detection of AD-associated tau protein and BACE1, achieving limits of detection with concentrations of 3.34 fg/mL and 1.67 fg/mL, respectively. It is worth mentioning that in the tau immunosensing mode, 20 clinical samples from volunteers of varying ages were analyzed, revealing significantly higher tau expression levels in the blood samples of elderly volunteers compared to young volunteers. This suggests that the developed strategy holds great promise for early AD diagnosis.

Inflammation-oriented montmorillonite adjuvant enhanced oral delivery of anti-TNF-α nanobody against inflammatory bowel disease

Oral delivery of proteins faces challenges due to the harsh conditions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including gastric acid and intestinal enzyme degradation. Permeation enhancers are limited in their ability to deliver proteins with high molecular weight and can potentially cause toxicity by opening tight junctions. To overcome these challenges, we propose the use of montmorillonite (MMT) as an adjuvant that possesses both inflammation-oriented abilities and the ability to regulate gut microbiota. This adjuvant can be used as a universal protein oral delivery technology by fusing with advantageous binding amino acid sequences. We demonstrated that anti-TNF-α nanobody (VII) can be intercalated into the MMT interlayer space. The carboxylate groups (-COOH) of aspartic acid (D) and glutamic acid (E) interact with the MMT surface through electrostatic interactions with sodium ions (Na+). The amino groups (NH2) of asparagine (N) and glutamine (Q) are primarily attracted to the MMT layers through hydrogen bonding with oxygen atoms on the surface. This binding mechanism protects VII from degradation and ensures its release in the intestinal tract, as well as retaining biological activity, leading to significantly enhanced therapeutic effects on colitis. Furthermore, VII@MMT increases the abundance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing strains, including Clostridia, Prevotellaceae, Alloprevotella, Oscillospiraceae, Clostridia_vadinBB60_group, and Ruminococcaceae, therefore enhance the production of SCFAs and butyrate, inducing regulatory T cells (Tregs) production to modulate local and systemic immune homeostasis. Overall, the MMT adjuvant provides a promising universal strategy for protein oral delivery by rational designed protein.

A universal strategy for efficient separation from single emulsion separation to oil-in-water and water-in-oil mixed emulsions

To realize efficient treatment of oily wastewater, various super-wetting materials have been developed. Oily wastewater is often complex and may contain both oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions. However, most of the current studies focus on the treatment of single emulsions, and there are fewer studies on the simultaneous separation of oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions. In this paper, by removing hemicellulose and lignin from bamboo processing waste powder (BPWP), the treated bamboo powder (TBP) containing mainly cellulose was obtained. TBP has superoleophobicity underwater and superhydrophilicity underoil, which can separate not only various oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by surfactants, but also water-in-oil emulsions stabilized by different surfactants, and the separation efficiency is higher than 99 %. The separation efficiencies of TBP for different water-in-oil emulsions were all higher than 99 %. On this basis, we have established an intelligent device that makes full use of underwater super-hydrophobic and under-oil super-hydrophilic properties to realize the purification of water and de-watering and recycling of floating oil in complex oil-water systems. This work provides a very promising direction for industrial application in practical oily wastewater treatment and fuel recovery.

In‐Situ Solid Electrolyte Interface via Dual Reaction Strategy for Highly Reversible Zinc Anode

AbstractIn situ construction of solid electrolyte interfaces (SEI) is an effective strategy to enhance the reversibility of zinc (Zn) anodes. However, in situ SEI to afford high reversibility under high current density conditions (≥20 mA cm−2) is highly desired yet extremely challenging. Herein, we propose a dual reaction strategy of spontaneous electrostatic reaction and electrochemical decomposition for the in situ construction of SEI, which is composed of organic‐rich upper layer and inorganic‐rich inner layer. Particularly, in situ SEI performs as “growth binder“ at small current density and “orientation regulator” at high current density, which significantly suppresses side reactions and dendrite growth. The in situ SEI affords the record‐breaking reversibility of Zn anode under practical conditions, Zn//Zn symmetric cells can stably cycle for over 1300 h and 400 h at current densities of 50 mA cm−2 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively, showcasing an exceptional cumulative capacity of 67.5 Ah cm−2. Furthermore, the practicality of this in situ SEI is verified in Zn//PANI pouch cells with high mass loading of 25.48 mg cm−2. This work provides a universal strategy to design advanced SEI for practical Zn‐ion batteries.

In-Situ Solid Electrolyte Interface via Dual Reaction Strategy for Highly Reversible Zinc Anode.

In situ construction of solid electrolyte interfaces (SEI) is an effective strategy to enhance the reversibility of zinc (Zn) anodes. However, in situ SEI to afford high reversibility under high current density conditions (≥20 mA cm-2) is highly desired yet extremely challenging. Herein, we propose a dual reaction strategy of spontaneous electrostatic reaction and electrochemical decomposition for the in situ construction of SEI, which is composed of organic-rich upper layer and inorganic-rich inner layer. Particularly, in situ SEI performs as "growth binder" at small current density and "orientation regulator" at high current density, which significantly suppresses side reactions and dendrite growth. The in situ SEI affords the record-breaking reversibility of Zn anode under practical conditions, Zn//Zn symmetric cells can stably cycle for over 1300 h and 400 h at current densities of 50 mA cm-2 and 100 mA cm-2, respectively, showcasing an exceptional cumulative capacity of 67.5 Ah cm-2. Furthermore, the practicality of this in situ SEI is verified in Zn//PANI pouch cells with high mass loading of 25.48 mg cm-2. This work provides a universal strategy to design advanced SEI for practical Zn-ion batteries.

Efficient and Stable Red Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes via Thermodynamic Crystallization Control.

Efficient and stable red perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) demonstrate promising potential in high-definition displays and biomedical applications. Although significant progress has been made in device performance, meeting commercial demands remains a challenge in the aspects of long-term stability and high external quantum efficiency (EQE). Here, an in situ crystallization regulation strategy is developed for optimizing red perovskite films through ingenious vapor design. Mixed vapor containing dimethyl sulfoxide and carbon disulfide (CS2) is incorporated to conventional annealing, which contributes to thermodynamics dominated perovskite crystallization for well-aligned cascade phase arrangement. Additionally, the perovskite surface defect density is minimized by the CS2 molecule adsorption. Consequently, the target perovskite films exhibit smooth exciton energy transfer, reduced defect density, and blocked ion migration pathways. Leveraging these advantages, spectrally stable red PeLEDs are obtained featuring emission at 668, 656, and 648nm, which yield record peak EQEs of 30.08%, 32.14%, and 29.04%, along with prolonged half-lifetimes of 47.7, 60.0, and 43.7h at the initial luminances of 140, 250, and 270cd m-2, respectively. This work provides a universal strategy for optimizing perovskite crystallization and represents a significant stride toward the commercialization of red PeLEDs.

Broad-spectrum coronavirus neutralization induced by hetero RBD-Fc protein vaccine.

In the landscape of infectious diseases, human coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 pose significant threats, characterized by severe respiratory illnesses and notable resistance to conventional treatments due to their rapid evolution and the emergence of diverse variants, particularly within SARS-CoV-2. This study investigated the development of broad-spectrum coronavirus vaccines using heterodimeric RBD-Fc proteins engineered through the "Knob-into-Hole" technique. We constructed various recombinant proteins incorporating the receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of different coronaviruses. Heterodimers combining RBDs from SARS-CoV-2 with those of SARS-CoV or MERS-CoV elicited superior neutralizing responses compared to homodimeric proteins in murine models. Additionally, heterotetrameric proteins, specifically D614G_Delta/BA.1_XBB.1.5-RBD and MERS_D614G/BA.1_XBB.1.5-RBD, elicited remarkable breadth and potency in neutralizing all known SARS-CoV-2 variants, SARS-CoV, related sarbecoviruses like GD-Pangolin and WIV1, and even MERS-CoV pseudoviruses. Furthermore, these heterotetrameric proteins also demonstrated enhanced cellular immune responses. These findings underscore the potential of recombinant hetero proteins as a universal vaccine strategy against current and future coronavirus threats.

Hepatocyte aquaporin 8-mediated water transport facilitates bile dilution and prevents gallstone formation in mice

Although water channel aquaporin-8 (AQP8) has been implicated in hepatic bile formation and liver diseases associated with abnormal bile flow in human and animal studies, direct evidence of its involvement in bile secretion is still lacking. This study aimed to determine the role of AQP8 in bile secretion and gallstone formation. We generated various transgenic knock-in and knockout mouse models and assessed liver AQP8 expression by immunostaining and immunoblotting, hepatic bile secretion by cannulation of the common bile duct, cholesterol gallstone formation by feeding a high-fat lithogenic diet, and identified regulatory small molecules by screening the organic fractions of cholagogic Chinese herbs and biochemical characterization. We identified a novel expression pattern of AQP8 protein in the canalicular membrane of approximately 50% of the liver lobules. AQP8-deficient mice exhibited impaired hepatic bile formation, characterized by the secretion of concentrated bile with a lower flow rate and higher levels of bile lipids than that of wild-type littermates. AQP8-/- mice showed accelerated gallstone formation, which was rescued by AAV-mediated hepatic expression of AQP8 or AQP1. Moreover, we identified a small molecule, scutellarin, that upregulates hepatocyte AQP8 expression in vitro and in vivo. In AQP8+/+ mice, scutellarin significantly increased bile flow, decreased bile lipid concentrations, and prevented gallstone formation compared to AQP8-/- mice. Molecular studies revealed that scutellarin promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of HIF-1α, a transcriptional negative regulator of AQP8, by disrupting its interactions with HSP90. AQP8 plays a crucial role in facilitating water transport and bile dilution during hepatic bile formation, thereby mitigating gallstone formation in mice. Small-molecule intervention validated hepatocyte AQP8 as a promising drug target for gallstone therapy. The incidence of gallstone disease is high, and current drug treatments for gallstones are very limited, necessitating the identification of novel drug targets for developing new drugs with universal applicability. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide direct evidence that hepatic water channel AQP8 plays a key role in bile dilution and gallstone formation. Modulation of hepatic water transport may provide a universal therapeutic strategy for all types of gallstone diseases.

Bioencapsulation of probiotics with self-assembled DNA capsules for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases

Intestinal probiotics play a critical role in the prevention and treatment of diseases and have been developed as a drug carrier in biomedical engineering. However, the application of probiotics for oral delivery is hindered by their poor viability in the harsh gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and their unsatisfactory-drug loading efficiency. Herein, we propose a universal and programmable strategy for coating bacteria with self-assembled deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) capsules. We conducted in-situ DNA-oriented polymerization (isDOP) on bacteria and directly synthesized microcapsules on live bacterial cells using rolling circle amplification (RCA). Additionally, Fe-Curcumin (Fe-Cur), a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging nanodrug, was simultaneously enveloped in the DNA network during amplification. Bacteria coated with DNA capsules exhibit significantly enhanced survival in harsh environments. In murine colitis models, this system exhibited enhanced therapeutic efficacy by relieving intestinal inflammation and repairing the epithelial barrier with no apparent systemic toxicity. It also restores the gut microbiome to a favorable state of diversity and composition. We suggest that self-assembled DNA capsule improves the viability of oral delivery of probiotics and provides a platform for efficient drug loading, ensuring enhanced therapeutic effects for the treatment of various diseases. This study proposes a bacteria-based isDOP method, a flexible and simplified strategy for equipping probiotics with DNA that significantly enhances their loading capacity and viability, thereby ensuring enhanced therapeutic effects for the treatment of various diseases.

Ultrahigh Responsivity and Robust Semiconducting Fiber Enabled by Molecular Soldering-Governed Defect Engineering for Smart Textile Optoelectronics.

Semiconducting fibers (SCFs) are of significant interest to design next-generation wearable and comfortable optoelectronics that seamlessly integrate with textiles. However, the practical applications of current SCFs are always limited by poor optoelectronic performance and low mechanical robustness caused by uncontrollable multiscale structural defects. Herein, a versatile in situ molecular soldering-governed defect engineering strategy is proposed to construct ultrahigh responsivity and robust wet-spun MoS2 SCFs, by using a π-conjugated dithiolated molecule to simultaneously patch microscale sulfur vacancies within MoS2 nanosheets, diminish mesoscale interlayer voids/wrinkles, promote macroscale orientation, build long-range photoelectron percolation bridges, and provide n-doping effect. The derived MoS2 SCFs exhibit over two orders of magnitude higher responsivity (144.3 A W-1) than previously reported fiber photodetectors, 37.3-fold faster photoresponse speed (52ms) than pristine counterpart, and remarkable bending robustness (retain 94.2% of the initial photocurrent after 50000 bending-flattening cycles). Such superior robustness and photodetection capacity of MoS2 SCFs further enable large-scale weaving of reliable smart textile optoelectronic systems, such as direction-identifiable wireless light alarming system, modularized mechano-optical communication system, and indoor light-controlled IoT system. This work offers a universal strategy for the scalable production of mechanically robust and high-performance SCFs, opening up exciting possibilities for large-scale integration of wearable optoelectronics.