Parameters affecting the efficient delivery of mesoporous silica nanoparticle materials and gold nanorods into plant tissues by the biolistic method

Multifaceted Role of Nanomaterials in Modulating In Vitro Seed Germination, Plant Morphogenesis, Metabolism and Genetic Engineering

The agricultural practices of breeding, farm management and cultivation have improved production, to a great extent, in order to meet the food demands of a growing population. However, the newer challenges of climate change, global warming, and nutritional quality improvement will have to be addressed under a new scenario. Plant biotechnology has emerged as a reliable tool for enhancing crop yields by protecting plants against insect pests and metabolic engineering through the addition of new genes and, to some extent, nutritional quality improvement. Plant tissue culture techniques have provided ways for the accelerated clonal multiplication of selected varieties with the enhanced production of value-added plant products to increase modern agriculture. The in vitro propagation method has appeared as a pre-eminent approach for the escalated production of healthy plants in relatively shorter durations, also circumventing seasonal effects. However, there are various kinds of factors that directly or indirectly affect the efficiency of in vitro regeneration like the concentration and combination of growth regulators, variety/genotype of the mother plant, explant type, age of seedlings and other nutritional factors, and elicitors. Nanotechnology as one of the latest and most advanced approaches in the material sciences, and can be considered to be very promising for the improvement of crop production. Nanomaterials have various kinds of properties because of their small size, such as an enhanced contact surface area, increased reactivity, stability, chemical composition, etc., which can be employed in plant sciences to alter the potential and performance of plants to improve tissue culture practices. Implementing nanomaterials with in vitro production procedures has been demonstrated to increase the shoot multiplication potential, stress adaptation and yield of plant-based products. However, nanotoxicity and biosafety issues are limitations, but there is evidence that implies the promotion and further exploration of nanoparticles in agriculture production. The incorporation of properly designed nanoparticles with tissue culture programs in a controlled manner can be assumed as a new pathway for sustainable agriculture development. The present review enlists different studies in which treatment with various nanoparticles influenced the growth and biochemical responses of seed germination, as well as the in vitro morphogenesis of many crop species. In addition, many studies suggest that nanoparticles can be useful as elicitors for elevating levels of important secondary metabolites in in vitro cultures. Recent advancements in this field also depict the suitability of nanoparticles as a promising carrier for gene transfer, which show better efficiency than traditional Agrobacterium-mediated delivery. This review comprehensively highlights different in vitro studies that will aid in identifying research gaps and provide future directions for unexplored areas of research in important crop species.

Organelle-targeted gene delivery in plants by nanomaterials

Genetic engineering of plants has revolutionized agriculture and has had a significant impact on our everyday life. It has allowed for the production of crops with longer shelf lives, enhanced yields and resistance to pests and disease. The application of nanomaterials in plant genetic engineering has further augmented these programs with higher delivery efficiencies, biocompatibility and the potential for plant regeneration. In particular, subcellular targeting using nanomaterials has recently become possible with the cutting-edge developments within nanomaterials, but remains challenging despite the promise in organellar engineering for the introduction of useful traits and the elucidation of subcellular interactions. This feature article provides an overview of nanomaterial delivery within plants and highlights the application of recent progress in nanomaterials for subcellular organelle-targeted delivery.

Plasmonic nanorod probes' journey inside plant cells for in vivo SERS sensing and multimodal imaging

Nanoparticle-based platforms are gaining strong interest in plant biology and bioenergy research to monitor and control biological processes in whole plants. However, in vivo monitoring of biomolecules using nanoparticles inside plant cells remains challenging due to the impenetrability of the plant cell wall to nanoparticles beyond the exclusion limits (5-20 nm). To overcome this physical barrier, we have designed unique bimetallic silver-coated gold nanorods (AuNR@Ag) capable of entering plant cells, while conserving key plasmonic properties in the near-infrared (NIR). To demonstrate cellular internalization and tracking of the nanorods inside plant tissue, we used a comprehensive multimodal imaging approach that included transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal fluorescence microscopy, two-photon luminescence (TPL), X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XRF), and photoacoustics imaging (PAI). We successfully acquired SERS signals of nanorods in vivo inside plant cells of tobacco leaves. On the same leaf samples, we applied orthogonal imaging methods, TPL and PAI techniques for in vivo imaging of the nanorods. This study first demonstrates the intracellular internalization of AuNR@Ag inside whole plant systems for in vivo SERS analysis in tobacco cells. This work demonstrates the potential of this nanoplatform as a new nanotool for intracellular in vivo biosensing for plant biology.

The potential of bacterial microcompartment architectures for phytonanotechnology

The application of nanotechnology to plants, termed phytonanotechnology, has the potential to revolutionize plant research and agricultural production. Advancements in phytonanotechnology will allow for the time-controlled and target-specific release of bioactive compounds and agrochemicals to alter and optimize conventional plant production systems. A diverse range of engineered nanoparticles with unique physiochemical properties is currently being investigated to determine their suitability for plants. Improvements in crop yield, disease resistance and nutrient and pesticide management are all possible using designed nanocarriers. However, despite these prospective benefits, research to thoroughly understand the precise activity, localization and potential phytotoxicity of these nanoparticles within plant systems is required. Protein-based bacterial microcompartment shell proteins that self-assemble into spherical shells, nanotubes and sheets could be of immense value for phytonanotechnology due to their ease of manipulation, multifunctionality, rapid and efficient producibility and biodegradability. In this review, we explore bacterial microcompartment-based architectures within the scope of phytonanotechnology.

Nanomaterials coupled with microRNAs for alleviating plant stress: a new opening towards sustainable agriculture

Plant growth and development is influenced by their continuous interaction with the environment. Their cellular machinery is geared to make rapid changes for adjusting the morphology and physiology to withstand the stressful changes in their surroundings. The present scenario of climate change has however intensified the occurrence and duration of stress and this is getting reflected in terms of yield loss. A number of breeding and molecular strategies are being adopted to enhance the performance of plants under abiotic stress conditions. In this context, the use of nanomaterials is gaining momentum. Nanotechnology is a versatile field and its application has been demonstrated in almost all the existing fields of science. In the agriculture sector, the use of nanoparticles is still limited, even though it has been found to increase germination and growth, enhance physiological and biochemical activities and impact gene expression. In this review, we have summarized the use and role of nanomaterial and small non-coding RNAs in crop improvement while highlighting the potential of nanomaterial assisted eco-friendly delivery of small non-coding RNAs as an innovative strategy for mitigating the effect of abiotic stress.

Recent Advances in Plant Nanoscience

Plants have complex internal signaling pathways to quickly adjust to environmental changes and harvest energy from the environment. Facing the growing population, there is an urgent need for plant transformation and precise monitoring of plant growth to improve crop yields. Nanotechnology, an interdisciplinary research field, has recently been boosting plant yields and meeting global energy needs. In this context, a new field, "plant nanoscience," which describes the interaction between plants and nanotechnology, emerges as the times require. Nanosensors, nanofertilizers, nanopesticides, and nano-plant genetic engineering are of great help in increasing crop yields. Nanogenerators are helping to develop the potential of plants in the field of energy harvesting. Furthermore, the uptake and internalization of nanomaterials in plants and the possible effects are also worthy of attention. In this review, a forward-looking perspective on the plant nanoscience is presented and feasible solutions for future food shortages and energy crises are provided.

HACC-Based Nanoscale Delivery of the NbMLP28 Plasmid as a Crop Protection Strategy for Viral Diseases

Resistant genes as an effective strategy to antivirus of plants are at the core of sustainability efforts. We use the antiviral protein major latex protein 28 (NbMLP28 plasmid) and N-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) designated as the HACC/NbMLP28 complex as protective gene delivery vectors to prepare nanonucleic acid drugs. The maximum drug loading capacity of HACC was 4. The particle size of HACC/NbMLP28 was measured by transmission electron microscopy and found to be approximately 40-120 nm, the particle dispersion index (PDI) was 0.448, and the ζ-potential was 22.3 mV. This facilitates its ability to deliver particles. Different controls of laser scanning confocal experiments verified the effective expression of NbMLP28 and the feasibility of nanodelivery. The optimal ratio of HACC/plasmid was 2:1. Finally, the nanoparticle/plasmid complex was tested for its ability to control diseases and was found to significantly improve resistance to three viruses. The enhanced resistance was particularly notable 4 days after inoculation. Taken together, these results indicate that HACC/NbMLP28 is a promising tool to treat plant viruses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that successfully delivered and expressed antiviral protein particles in plants. This gene delivery system can effectively load antiviral plasmids and express them in plant leaves, significantly affecting the plant resistance of three RNA viruses.

Silver nanoparticles for biolistic transformation in Nicotiana tabacum L

The present study reports the use of silver nanoparticles as a gene carrier, substituting gold microcarrier for biolistic gene delivery in Nicotiana tabacum L. Efficiency of biolistic transformation using silver nanoparticles (100 nm) was compared with that of gold microcarriers (0.6 micron) under varying helium pressure (450 psi, 650 psi, 900 psi and 1100 psi) and target distance (6 cm and 9 cm). Among the different concentrations (0.01-100 mgL^-1) of silver nanoparticles tried, 10 mgL^-1 produced the highest number of transient GUS expression (30) with statistical significance. Helium pressure of 650 and target distance of 9 cm, and 900 psi pressure and 6 cm distance resulted in the highest GUS expression with gold microcarriers and silver nanoparticles, respectively. Transformation efficiency was significantly higher with silver nanoparticles than gold microparticles as carriers resulting in a reduction up to 37.5-fold on the cost of consumables. Regeneration efficiencies of tissues bombarded with gold microcarriers and silver nanoparticles were 62.5% and 70.83%, respectively.

Gene delivery strategies for therapeutic proteins production in plants: Emerging opportunities and challenges

There are sharply rising demands for pharmaceutical proteins, however shortcomings associated with traditional protein production methods are obvious. Genetic engineering of plant cells has gained importance as a new strategy for protein production. But most current genetic manipulation techniques for plant components, such as gene gun bombardment and Agrobacterium mediated transformation are associated with irreversible tissue damage, species-range limitation, high risk of integrating foreign DNAs into the host genome, and complicated handling procedures. Thus, there is urgent expectation for innovative gene delivery strategies with higher efficiency, fewer side effect, and more practice convenience. Materials based nanovectors have established themselves as novel vehicles for gene delivery to plant cells due to their large specific surface areas, adjustable particle sizes, cationic surface potentials, and modifiability. In this review, multiple techniques employed for plant cell-based genetic engineering and the applications of nanovectors are reviewed. Moreover, different strategies associated with the fusion of nanotechnology and physical techniques are outlined, which immensely augment delivery efficiency and protein yields. Finally, approaches that may overcome the associated challenges of these strategies to optimize plant bioreactors for protein production are discussed.

RNA Interference-Based Forest Protection Products (FPPs) Against Wood-Boring Coleopterans: Hope or Hype?

Forest insects are emerging in large extension in response to ongoing climatic changes, penetrating geographic barriers, utilizing novel hosts, and influencing many hectares of conifer forests worldwide. Current management strategies have been unable to keep pace with forest insect population outbreaks, and therefore novel and aggressive management strategies are urgently required to manage forest insects. RNA interference (RNAi), a Noble Prize-winning discovery, is an emerging approach that can be used for forest protection. The RNAi pathway is triggered by dsRNA molecules, which, in turn, silences genes and disrupts protein function, ultimately causing the death of the targeted insect. RNAi is very effective against pest insects; however, its proficiency varies significantly among insect species, tissues, and genes. The coleopteran forest insects are susceptible to RNAi and can be the initial target, but we lack practical means of delivery, particularly in systems with long-lived, endophagous insects such as the Emerald ash borer, Asian longhorn beetles, and bark beetles. The widespread use of RNAi in forest pest management has major challenges, including its efficiency, target gene selection, dsRNA design, lack of reliable dsRNA delivery methods, non-target and off-target effects, and potential resistance development in wood-boring pest populations. This review focuses on recent innovations in RNAi delivery that can be deployed against forest pests, such as cationic liposome-assisted (lipids), nanoparticle-enabled (polymers or peptides), symbiont-mediated (fungi, bacteria, and viruses), and plant-mediated deliveries (trunk injection, root absorption). Our findings guide future risk analysis of dsRNA-based forest protection products (FPPs) and risk assessment frameworks incorporating sequence complementarity-based analysis for off-target predictions. This review also points out barriers to further developing RNAi for forest pest management and suggests future directions of research that will build the future use of RNAi against wood-boring coleopterans.

An improved biolistic delivery and analysis method for evaluation of DNA and CRISPR-Cas delivery efficacy in plant tissue

Biolistic delivery is widely used for genetic transformation but inconsistency between bombardment samples for transient gene expression analysis often hinders quantitative analyses. We developed a methodology to improve the consistency of biolistic delivery results by using a double-barrel device and a cell counting software. The double-barrel device enables a strategy of incorporating an internal control into each sample, which significantly decreases variance of the results. The cell counting software further reduces errors and increases throughput. The utility of this new platform is demonstrated by optimizing conditions for delivering DNA using the commercial transfection reagent TransIT-2020. In addition, the same approach is applied to test the efficacy of multiple gRNAs for CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing. The novel combination of the bombardment device and analysis method allows simultaneous comparison and optimization of parameters in the biolistic delivery. The platform developed here can be broadly applied to any target samples using biolistics, including animal cells and tissues.

Carbon nanocarriers deliver siRNA to intact plant cells for efficient gene knockdown

Posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) is a powerful tool to understand and control plant metabolic pathways, which is central to plant biotechnology. PTGS is commonly accomplished through delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) into cells. Standard plant siRNA delivery methods (Agrobacterium and viruses) involve coding siRNA into DNA vectors and are only tractable for certain plant species. Here, we develop a nanotube-based platform for direct delivery of siRNA and show high silencing efficiency in intact plant cells. We demonstrate that nanotubes successfully deliver siRNA and silence endogenous genes, owing to effective intracellular delivery and nanotube-induced protection of siRNA from nuclease degradation. This study establishes that nanotubes could enable a myriad of plant biotechnology applications that rely on RNA delivery to intact cells.

Nanomaterial based gene delivery: a promising method for plant genome engineering

Nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention from researchers in recent years due to their unique architecture and small dimensions. Significant progress has been made in the therapeutics, diagnostics, and delivery of biomolecules in animal cells. However, nanotechnology is still in its infancy in plant science. Nanotechnology offers tremendous opportunities for crop improvement and would make significant contributions to increase agricultural productivity. There are several reports where nanomaterial-induced improvement of the agronomic traits has been successfully achieved. However, very little is known about the interactions of nanomaterials with plant cells and the mechanism of internalization and delivery of biomolecules using nanoparticles as a carrier. Due to the presence of the cell wall, the delivery of biomolecules such as nucleic acids is a major challenge, which limits the application of nanomaterials in genetic engineering-mediated crop improvement. However, in recent years, the use of various nanomaterials like carbon nanotubes, magnetic nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, etc. for nucleic acid delivery in plant cells has been reported as proof of concept. Here, we intend to update researchers about the use of various nanomaterials as a novel gene delivery tool for plant genetic engineering. This review also explores the progress made in nanoparticle-mediated nucleic acid delivery in plant cells and their role in plant genome engineering.

Nanobiolistics: An Emerging Genetic Transformation Approach

Biolistic delivery of biomolecular cargoes to plants with micron-scale projectiles is a well-established technique in plant biotechnology. However, the relatively large micron-scale biolistic projectiles can result in tissue damage, low regeneration efficiency, and create difficulties for the biolistic transformation of isomorphic small cells or subcellular target organelles (i.e., mitochondria and plastids). As an alternative to micron-sized carriers, nanomaterials provide a promising approach for biomolecule delivery to plants. While most studies exploring nanoscale biolistic carriers have been carried out in animal cells and tissues, which lack a cell wall, we can nonetheless extrapolate their utility for nanobiolistic delivery of biomolecules in plant targets. Specifically, nanobiolistics has shown promising results for use in animal systems, in which nanoscale projectiles yield lower levels of cell and tissue damage while maintaining similar transformation efficiencies as their micron-scale counterparts. In this chapter, we specifically discuss biolistic delivery of nanoparticles for plant genetic transformation purposes and identify the figures of merit requiring optimization for broad-scale implementation of nanobiolistics in plant genetic transformations.

Naturally Occurring and Synthetic Mesoporous Nanosilica: Multimodal Applications in Frontier Areas of Science

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have gained attention worldwide due to their structural versatility for diverse applications in a number of frontier areas of sciences. The intrinsic chemical, textural and structural features of MSNs allow fabricating versatile multifunctional nanosystems. The present review provides an overview of the research progress in artificial and biological production of MSNs, their properties and various applications in cutting edge areas of sciences.

High aspect ratio nanomaterials enable delivery of functional genetic material without DNA integration in mature plants

Genetic engineering of plants is at the core of sustainability efforts, natural product synthesis and crop engineering. The plant cell wall is a barrier that limits the ease and throughput of exogenous biomolecule delivery to plants. Current delivery methods either suffer from host-range limitations, low transformation efficiencies, tissue damage or unavoidable DNA integration into the host genome. Here, we demonstrate efficient diffusion-based biomolecule delivery into intact plants of several species with pristine and chemically functionalized high aspect ratio nanomaterials. Efficient DNA delivery and strong protein expression without transgene integration is accomplished in Nicotiana benthamiana (Nb), Eruca sativa (arugula), Triticum aestivum (wheat) and Gossypium hirsutum (cotton) leaves and arugula protoplasts. We find that nanomaterials not only facilitate biomolecule transport into plant cells but also protect polynucleotides from nuclease degradation. Our work provides a tool for species-independent and passive delivery of genetic material, without transgene integration, into plant cells for diverse biotechnology applications.

Highly Thiolated Dendritic Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with High-Content Gold as Nanozymes: The Nano-Gold Size Matters

Thiolated dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (T-DMSNs) with ultrahigh density of thiol groups (284.6 ± 9 μmol g^-1) are synthesized and used to load gold nanoparticles with tunable sizes (1.2-2.7 nm) and high content (34.0 wt %). It is demonstrated that the size of gold nanoparticles has a significant impact on their peroxidase-mimicking activity. At an optimized size of 1.9 nm, T-DMSNs@Au exhibits the highest activity. Our contribution provides new insights into the rational design of nanozymes for future applications.

Mesoporous Silica Nanomaterials: Versatile Nanocarriers for Cancer Theranostics and Drug and Gene Delivery

Mesoporous silica nanomaterials (MSNs) have made remarkable achievements and are being thought of by researchers as materials that can be used to effect great change in cancer therapies, gene delivery, and drug delivery because of their optically transparent properties, flexible size, functional surface, low toxicity profile, and very good drug loading competence. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) show a very high loading capacity for therapeutic agents. It is well known that cancer is one of the most severe known medical conditions, characterized by cells that grow and spread rapidly. Thus, curtailing cancer is one of the greatest current challenges for scientists. Nanotechnology is an evolving field of study, encompassing medicine, engineering, and science, and it has evolved over the years with respect to cancer therapy. This review outlines the applications of mesoporous nanomaterials in the field of cancer theranostics, as well as drug and gene delivery. MSNs employed as therapeutic agents, as well as their importance and future prospects in the ensuing generation of cancer theranostics and drug and therapeutic gene delivery, are discussed herein. Thus, the use of mesoporous silica nanomaterials can be seen as using one stone to kill three birds.

Monitoring the Stimulated Uncapping Process of Gold-Capped Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

To establish a new method for tracking the interaction of nanoparticles with chemical cleaving agents, we exploited the optical effects caused by attaching 5-10 nm gold nanoparticles with molecular linkers to large mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). At low levels of gold loading onto MSN, the optical spectra resemble colloidal suspensions of gold. As the gold is removed, by cleaving agents, the MSN revert to the optical spectra typical of bare silica. Time-lapse images of gold-capped MSN stationed in microchannels reveal that the rate of gold release is dependent on the concentration of the cleaving agent. The uncapping process was also monitored successfully for MSN endocytosed by A549 cancer cells, which produce the cleaving agent glutathione. These experiments demonstrate that the optical properties of MSN can be used to directly monitor cleaving kinetics, even in complex cellular settings.

Targeted modification of plant genomes for precision crop breeding

The development of gene targeting and gene editing techniques based on programmable site-directed nucleases (SDNs) has increased the precision of genome modification and made the outcomes more predictable and controllable. These approaches have achieved rapid advances in plant biotechnology, particularly the development of improved crop varieties. Here, we review the range of alterations which have already been implemented in plant genomes, and summarize the reported efficiencies of precise genome modification. Many crop varieties are being developed using SDN technologies and although their regulatory status in the USA is clear there is still a decision pending in the EU. DNA-free genome editing strategies are briefly discussed because they also present a unique regulatory challenge. The potential applications of genome editing in plant breeding and crop improvement are highlighted by drawing examples from the recent literature.

Nanoparticle-Mediated Recombinase Delivery into Maize

We describe a non-DNA-based system for delivering Cre recombinase protein into maize tissue using gold-plated mesoporous silica nanoparticle (Au-MSN). Cre protein is first loaded into the pores of Au-MSNs and then delivered using the biolistic method to immature embryos of a maize line (Lox-corn), which harbors loxP sites flanking a selection and a reporter gene. The release of the Cre recombinase protein inside the plant cell leads to recombination at the loxP sites, eliminating both genes. Visual screening is used to identify recombination events, which can be regenerated to mature and fertile plants. Using the experimental procedures and conditions described here, as high as 20% of bombarded embryos can produce regenerable recombinant callus events. This nanomaterial-mediated, DNA-free methodology has potential to become an effective tool for plant genome editing.

Nanotechnology: A New Opportunity in Plant Sciences

The agronomic application of nanotechnology in plants (phytonanotechnology) has the potential to alter conventional plant production systems, allowing for the controlled release of agrochemicals (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides) and target-specific delivery of biomolecules (e.g., nucleotides, proteins, and activators). An improved understanding of the interactions between nanoparticles (NPs) and plant responses, including their uptake, localization, and activity, could revolutionize crop production through increased disease resistance, nutrient utilization, and crop yield. Herewith, we review potential applications of phytonanotechnology and the key processes involved in the delivery of NPs to plants. To ensure both the safe use and social acceptance of phytonanotechnology, the adverse effects, including the risks associated with the transfer of NPs through the food chain, are discussed.

Proteolistics: a biolistic method for intracellular delivery of proteins

In this work, an intracellular protein delivery methodology termed "proteolistics" is described. This method utilizes a biolistic gun apparatus and involves a simple protein/projectile preparation step. The protein to be delivered is mixed with a gold particle microprojectile suspension and is placed onto a gene gun cartridge, where it is dehydrated using either lyophilization or room-temperature air-drying. Subsequent intracellular protein delivery is achieved in plant and mammalian tissues upon bombardment. Because the method does not require modification of delivery agents or cargo biomolecules and involves a simple physical deposition of the protein onto the microprojectiles, there is no restriction on protein type in terms of molecular weight, isoelectric point or tertiary structure. Because the method delivers protein through the widely used gene gun system, it can be readily applied to any tissue or organism amenable to biolistics. A variety of proteins with molecular weight ranging from 24 to 68 kDa and isoelectric point from 4.8 to 10.1 were tested in this work. It is anticipated that this simple and versatile technique will offer biologists a powerful tool for basic research in areas such as understanding of cell and gene functions and for biotechnological applications such as genome editing.

Mimicking red blood cell lipid membrane to enhance the hemocompatibility of large-pore mesoporous silica

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been repeatedly demonstrated as potential drug-delivery devices. The study of biocompatibility and interaction of these materials with the various cell types is of great interest with regard to the development of viable pharmaceutical products. By mimicking the cholesterol, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine composition of the outer leaflet of a human red blood cell (RBC), lipid-bilayer-coated mesoporous silica particles show considerably improved hemocompatibility over phosphatidylcholine-coated and uncoated large-pore MSN (l-MSN). These inorganic/organic composite nanomaterials are shown to be capable of interfacing with RBCs without damaging the cells even at relatively high concentrations, as observed through electron microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and flow cytometry analyses. Interestingly, the absence of cholesterol in the outer bilayer composition is shown to produce toxic effects without resulting in hemolysis. By maintaining the ζ potential of lipid-bilayer-functionalized MSNs similar to that of the hemolytic l-MSNs, we demonstrate that the bilayer composition, and not the surface charge, plays a significant role in determining the hemocompatibility of MSN-based materials.

Biomarker discovery and applications for foods and beverages: proteomics to nanoproteomics

Foods and beverages have been at the heart of our society for centuries, sustaining humankind - health, life, and the pleasures that go with it. The more we grow and develop as a civilization, the more we feel the need to know about the food we eat and beverages we drink. Moreover, with an ever increasing demand for food due to the growing human population food security remains a major concern. Food safety is another growing concern as the consumers prefer varied foods and beverages that are not only traded nationally but also globally. The 21st century science and technology is at a new high, especially in the field of biological sciences. The availability of genome sequences and associated high-throughput sensitive technologies means that foods are being analyzed at various levels. For example and in particular, high-throughput omics approaches are being applied to develop suitable biomarkers for foods and beverages and their applications in addressing quality, technology, authenticity, and safety issues. Proteomics are one of those technologies that are increasingly being utilized to profile expressed proteins in different foods and beverages. Acquired knowledge and protein information have now been translated to address safety of foods and beverages. Very recently, the power of proteomic technology has been integrated with another highly sensitive and miniaturized technology called nanotechnology, yielding a new term nanoproteomics. Nanoproteomics offer a real-time multiplexed analysis performed in a miniaturized assay, with low-sample consumption and high sensitivity. To name a few, nanomaterials - quantum dots, gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and nanowires - have demonstrated potential to overcome the challenges of sensitivity faced by proteomics for biomarker detection, discovery, and application. In this review, we will discuss the importance of biomarker discovery and applications for foods and beverages, the contribution of proteomic technology in this process, and a shift towards nanoproteomics to suitably address associated issues. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Translational plant proteomics.

Bombarding cancer: biolistic delivery of therapeutics using porous Si carriers

A new paradigm for an effective delivery of therapeutics into cancer cells is presented. Degradable porous silicon carriers, which are tailored to carry and release a model anti-cancer drug, are biolistically bombarded into in-vitro cancerous targets. We demonstrate the ability to launch these highly porous microparticles by a pneumatic capillary gene gun, which is conventionally used to deliver cargos by heavy metal carriers. By optimizing the gun parameters e.g., the accelerating gas pressure, we have successfully delivered the porous carriers, to reach deep targets and to cross a skin barrier in a highly spatial resolution. Our study reveals significant cytotoxicity towards the target human breast carcinoma cells following the delivery of drug-loaded carriers, while administrating empty particles results in no effect on cell viability. The unique combination of biolistics with the temporal control of payload release from porous carriers presents a powerful and non-conventional platform for designing new therapeutic strategies.