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An ideal biomedical hydrogel should imitate natural tissues with high water absorption, high toughness and superior biocompatibility. However, hydrogels constructed from biomolecules such as polysaccharides have low mechanical strength and limited applications. Based on carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and polyacrylamide (PAM), a facile process is presented for preparing double network hydrogels (CMCS/PAM) with improved mechanical properties. According to the systematic characterization, carboxymethyl chitosan and polyacrylamide form a double network hydrogel through hydrogen bonding. The introduction of carboxymethyl chitosan alters the microscopic structure of PAM hydrogel, resulting in a consistent porosity pattern. Hydrogels with double networks exhibit high tensile properties, high stiffness, and good energy dissipation. Furthermore, the hydrogel exhibits effective adhesion to other hydrophilic surfaces. The CMCS/PAM network hydrogels possess excellent properties such as high swelling capacity, injectability, and cellular biocompatibility, making them potentially valuable for biomedical applications.

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Due to the increasing crop losses caused by common and newly emerging phytopathogens, there is a pressing need for the development of rapid and reliable methods for phytopathogen detection and analysis. Leveraging advancements in biochemical engineering technologies and nanomaterial sciences, researchers have put considerable efforts on utilizing biofunctionalized magnetic micro- and nanoparticles (MPs) to develop rapid and reliable systems for phytopathogen detection. MPs facilitate the rapid, high-throughput analysis and in-field applications, while the biomacromolecules, which play key roles in the biorecognitions, interactions and signal amplification, determine the specificity, sensitivity, reliability, and portability of pathogen detection systems. The integration of MPs and biomacromolecules provides dimensionality- and composition-dependent properties, representing a novel approach to develop phytopathogen detection systems. In this review, we summarize and discuss the general properties, synthesis and characterization of MPs, and focus on biomacromolecule-functionalized MPs as well as their representative applications for phytopathogen detection and analysis reported over the past decade. Extensively studied bioreceptors, such as antibodies, phages and phage proteins, nucleic acids, and glycans that are involved in the recognitions and interactions, are covered and discussed. Additionally, the integration of MPs-based detection system with portable microfluidic devices to facilitate their in-field applications is also discussed. Overall, this review focuses on biomacromolecule-functionalized MPs and their applications for phytopathogen detection, aiming to highlight their potential in developing advanced biosensing systems for effective plant protection.

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Biomacromolecule hydrogels possess excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility, but their inability to combat bacteria restricts their application in the biomedical field. With the increasing requirements and demands for hydrogel dressings, wound dressings with antibacterial properties of biomacromolecule hydrogels reinforced by adding antibacterial agents have attracted much attention, and related reviews are emerging. In this paper, the advances of biomacromolecule antibacterial hydrogels (including chitosan, sodium alginate, Hyaluronic acid, cellulose and gelatin) were first overviewed, and the antibacterial agents incorporated into hydrogels were classified (including metals and their derivatives, carbon-based materials, and native compounds). A series of performance evaluations of antibacterial hydrogels in the process of promoting wound healing were then reviewed, including basic properties (mechanical, rheological, injectable and self-healing, etc.), in vitro experiments (hemostasis, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, biocompatibility) and in vivo experiments (in vivo model, histomorphology analysis, cytokines). Finally, the future development of biomacromolecule-based antibacterial hydrogels for wound healing is prospected. This work can provide a useful reference for researchers to prepare practical new wound hydrogel dressings.

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Protein aggregation is challenging for biopharmaceutical drug, because it affects the stability of protein formulations in real-time. However, current techniques for protein aggregate indication meet a number of limitations including limited aggregate size range, complex pre-treatments and lack of chromatographic approaches. Herein, a rapid, automatic, non-invasive and wide-scale coverage technique for aggregates indication is developed to overcome these challenges. Firstly, the response of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) to the aggregates is explored by making a comparison with certain established techniques. LF-NMR achieves a high sensitivity of water proton transverse relaxation rate (R2 of H2O, hereinafter referred as R2(H2O)) to protein aggregates from nanometer to micrometer. Then, the quantitative relationship between R2(H2O) and aggregates is investigated furtherly. R2(H2O) could serve as an all-size coverage protein aggregates indicator during development. As a non-invasive method, LF-NMR does not need any sample handling. It takes only 44 s for one test, and saves a lot of manpower, materials and costs. Compared with other established analytical techniques, the technique developed here could be a powerful tool for a rapid, automatic, non-invasive and wide-scale coverage technique for aggregates indication in biomacromolecule development.

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Nowadays, as a result of the frequent occurrence of accidental injuries and traumas such as bone damage, the number of people causing bone injuries or fractures is increasing around the world. The design and fabrication of ideal bone tissue engineering (BTE) materials have become a research hotspot in the scientific community, and thus provide a novel path for the treatment of bone diseases. Among the materials used to construct scaffolds in BTE, including metals, bioceramics, bioglasses, biomacromolecules, synthetic organic polymers, etc., natural biopolymers have more advantages against them because they can interact with cells well, causing natural polymers to be widely studied and applied in the field of BTE. In particular, alginate has the advantages of excellent biocompatibility, good biodegradability, non-immunogenicity, non-toxicity, wide sources, low price, and easy gelation, enabling itself to be widely used as a biomaterial. However, pure alginate hydrogel as a BTE scaffold material still has many shortcomings, such as insufficient mechanical properties, easy disintegration of materials in physiological environments, and lack of cell-specific recognition sites, which severely limits its clinical application in BTE. In order to overcome the defects of single alginate hydrogels, researchers prepared alginate composite hydrogels by adding one or more materials to the alginate matrix in a certain proportion to improve their bioapplicability. For this reason, this review will introduce in detail the methods for constructing alginate composite hydrogels, including alginate/polymer composite hydrogels, alginate/bioprotein or polypeptide composite hydrogels, alginate/bioceramic composite hydrogels, alginate/bioceramic composite hydrogels, and alginate/nanoclay composite hydrogels, as well as their biological application trends in BTE scaffold materials, and look forward to their future research direction. These alginate composite hydrogel scaffolds exhibit both unexceptionable mechanical and biochemical properties, which exhibit their high application value in bone tissue repair and regeneration, thus providing a theoretical basis for the development and sustainable application of alginate-based functional biomedical materials.

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Channels, tunnels, and pores serve as pathways for the transport of molecules and ions through protein structures, thus participating to their functions. MOLEonline ( https://mole.upol.cz ) is an interactive web-based tool with enhanced capabilities for detecting and characterizing channels, tunnels, and pores within protein structures. MOLEonline has two distinct calculation modes for analysis of channel and tunnels or transmembrane pores. This application gives researchers rich analytical insights into channel detection, structural characterization, and physicochemical properties. ChannelsDB 2.0 ( https://channelsdb2.biodata.ceitec.cz/ ) is a comprehensive database that offers information on the location, geometry, and physicochemical characteristics of tunnels and pores within macromolecular structures deposited in Protein Data Bank and AlphaFill databases. These tunnels are sourced from manual deposition from literature and automatic detection using software tools MOLE and CAVER. MOLEonline and ChannelsDB visualization is powered by the LiteMol Viewer and Mol* viewer, ensuring a user-friendly workspace. This chapter provides an overview of user applications and usage.

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Exosome-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) are biomacromolecules and nanoscale extracellular vesicles originating from intracellular compartments that are secreted by most cells into the extracellular space. This review examines the formation and function of exosomal miRNAs in biological information transfer, explores the pathogenesis of vitiligo, and highlights the relationship between exosomal miRNAs and vitiligo. The aim is to deepen the understanding of how exosomal miRNAs influence immune imbalance, oxidative stress damage, melanocyte-keratinocyte interactions, and melanogenesis disorders in the development of vitiligo. This enhanced understanding may contribute to the development of potential diagnostic and therapeutic options for vitiligo.

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Nebulized inhalation offers a noninvasive method for delivering drugs to treat both local respiratory and systemic diseases. In this study, insulin was used as a model drug to design a series of deformable nanovesicles (DNVs) with key quality attributes, including particle size, deformability, and drug load capacity. We investigated the effects of these properties on aerosol generation, macrophage phagocytosis, and bloodstream penetration. The results showed that deformability improved nebulization performance and reduced macrophage phagocytosis, benefiting local and systemic delivery. However, the advantage of DNVs for transmembrane penetration was not evident in the alveolar epithelium. Within the size range of 80-490 nm, the smaller the particle size of IPC-DNVs, the easier it is to evade clearance by macrophages and the more effective the in vivo hypoglycemic efficacy will be. In the drug load range of 3-5 mg/mL, a lower drug load resulted in better hypoglycemic efficacy. The area above the blood glucose decline curve with time (AAC) of nebulized DNVs was 2.32 times higher than that of the insulin solution, demonstrating the feasibility and advantages of DNVs in the pulmonary delivery of biomacromolecule drugs. This study provides insights into the construction and formulation optimization of pulmonary delivery carriers.

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Interfacial instability within aqueous zinc batteries (AZBs) spurs technical obstacles including parasitic side reactions and dendrite failure to reach the practical application standards. Here, an interfacial engineering is showcased by employing a bio- derived zincophilic macromolecule as the electrolyte additive (0.037 wt%), which features a long-chain configuration with laterally distributed hydroxyl and sulfate anion groups, and has the propensity to remodel the electric double layer of Zn anodes. Tailored Zn2+-rich compact layer is the result of their adaptive adsorption that effectively homogenizes the interfacial concentration field, while enabling a hybrid nucleation and growth mode characterized as nuclei-rich and space-confined dense plating. Further resonated with curbed corrosion and by-products, a dendrite-free deposition morphology is achieved. Consequently, the macromolecule-modified zinc anode delivers over 1250 times of reversible plating/stripping at a practical area capacity of 5 mAh cm-2, as well as a high zinc utilization rate of 85%. The Zn//NH4V4O10 pouch cell with the maximum capacity of 1.02 Ah can be steadily operated at 71.4 mA g-1 (0.25 C) with 98.7% capacity retained after 50 cycles, which demonstrates the scale-up capability and highlights a "low input and high return" interfacial strategy toward practical AZBs.

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Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) has shown great promise in superficial tumor therapy due to its noninvasive and avoidance of the first-pass effect. Especially, passive penetration enhancement technique (PPET) provides the technical basis for TDD by temporarily altering the skin surface structure without requiring external energy. Biomacromolecules and their derived nanocarriers offer a wide range of options for PPET development, with outstanding biocompatibility and biodegradability. Furthermore, the abundant functional groups on biomacromolecule surfaces can be modified to yield functional materials capable of targeting specific sites and responding to stimuli. This enables precise drug delivery to the tumor site and controlled drug release, with the potential to replace traditional drug delivery methods and make PPET-related personalized medicine a reality. This review focuses on the mechanism of biomacromolecules and nanocarriers with skin, and the impact of nanocarriers' surface properties of nanocarriers on PPET efficiency. The applications of biomacromolecule-based PPET in superficial tumor therapy are also summarized. In addition, the advantages and limitations are discussed, and their future trends are projected based on the existing work of biomacromolecule-based PPET.

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Electrospinning is a technology for fabricating ultrafine fibers from natural or synthetic polymers that have novel or enhanced functional properties. These fibers have found applications in a diverse range of fields, including the food, medicine, cosmetics, agriculture, and chemical industries. However, the tendency for electrospun nanofibers to dissociate when exposed to certain environmental conditions limits many of their practical applications. The structural integrity and functional attributes of these nanofibers can be improved using physical and/or chemical crosslinking methods. This review article discusses the formation of polymeric nanofibers using electrospinning and then describes how different crosslinking methods can be used to enhance their mechanical, thermal, and biological attributes. Methods for optimizing the crosslinking reactions are discussed, including proper selection of crosslinker type and reaction conditions. Then, food, medical, and separation applications of crosslinked electrospun fibers are assessed, including in bone and skin tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery, air filtration, water filtration, oil removal, food packaging, food preservation, and bioactive delivery. Finally, areas where future research are needed are highlighted, as well as possible future applications of crosslinked nanofibers.

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The early stages of osteoarthritis (OA) in the joints are typically characterized by two key factors: the dysfunction of articular cartilage lubrication and inflammation resulting from the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Synthetic injectable macromolecular materials present great potential for preventing the progression of early OA. In this study, to mimic the excellent lubricity of brush-like aggregates found in natural synovial fluid, we develop a novel macromolecular biolubricant (CS-PS-DA) by integrating adhesion and hydration groups onto backbone of natural biomacromolecules. CS-PS-DA exhibits a strong affinity for cartilage surfaces, enabling the formation of a stable lubrication layer at the sliding interface of degraded cartilages to restore joint lubrication performance. In vitro results from ROS scavenging and anti-inflammatory experiments indicate the great advantage of CS-PS-DA to decrease the levels of proinflammatory cytokines by inhibiting ROS overproduction. Finally, in vivo rats OA model demonstrates that intra-cavitary injection of CS-PS-DA could effectively resist cartilage wear and mitigated inflammation in the joints. This novel biolubricant provides a new and timely strategy for the treatment of OA.

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Increasing closed pore volume in hard carbon is considered to be the most effective way to enhance the electrochemical performance in sodium-ion batteries. However, there is a lack of systematic insights into the formation mechanisms of closed pores at molecular level. In this study, a regulation strategy of closed pores via adjustment of the content of free radicals is reported. Sufficient free radicals are exposed by part delignification of bamboo, which is related to the formation of well-developed carbon layers and rich closed pores. In addition, excessive free radicals from nearly total delignification lead to more reactive sites during pyrolysis, which competes for limited precursor debris to form smaller microcrystals and therefore compact the material. The optimal sample delivers a large closed pore volume of 0.203 cm3 g-1, which leads to a high reversible capacity of 350 mAh g-1 at 20 mA g-1 and enhanced Na+ transfer kinetics. This work provides insights into the formation mechanisms of closed pores at molecular level, enabling rational design of hard carbon pore structures.

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Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology is a promising new mode of targeted protein degradation with significant transformative implications for the clinical treatment of different diseases. Nevertheless, while this technology offers numerous advantages, on-target off-tumour toxicity in healthy cells remains a major challenge for clinical application in cancer therapy. Strategies are presently being explored to optimize degradation activity with cellular selectivity to minimize undesirable side effects. PROTAC-antibody conjugates and PROTAC-aptamer conjugates are unique innovations that combine PROTACs and biomacromolecules. These novel PROTAC-biomacromolecule conjugates (PBCs) can enhance the targetability of PROTACs and reduce their off-target side-effects. The combination of potent PROTACs and highly safe biomacromolecules will pioneer an emerging trend in targeted protein degradation. In our review, we have summarized recent advances in PBCs, discussed current challenges, and outlooked opportunities for future research in the field.

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With the extensive use of antibiotics, resulting in increasingly serious problems of bacterial resistance, antimicrobial therapy has become a global concern. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are low-density porous coordination materials composed of metal ions and organic ligands, which can form composite materials with biomacromolecules such as proteins and polysaccharides. In recent years, MOFs and their derivatives have been widely used in the antibacterial field as efficient antibacterial agents. This review offers a detailed summary of the antibacterial applications of MOFs and their composites, and the different synthesis methods and antibacterial mechanisms of MOFs and MOF-based composites are briefly introduced. Finally, the challenges and prospects of MOFs-based antibacterial materials in the rapidly developing medical field were briefly discussed. We hope this review will provide new strategies for the medical application of MOFs-based antibacterial materials.

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Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are unstable metabolites produced during cellular respiration that can cause extensive damage to the body. Here we report a unique structural metalloprotein called RSAPp for the first time, which exhibits robust ROS-scavenging activity, high thermostability, and stress resistance. RSAPp is a previously uncharacterized DUF2935 (domain of unknown function, accession number: cl12705) family protein from Paenibacillus, containing a highly conserved four-helix bundle with binding sites for variable-valence metal ions (Mn2+/Fe2+/Zn2+). Enzymatic characterization results indicated that RSAPp displays the functionality of three different antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). In particular, RSAPp exhibits a significant SOD-like activity that is remarkably effective in eliminating superoxide radicals (up to kcat/KM = 2.27 × 1011 mol-1 s-1), and maintains the catalytical active in a wide range of temperatures (25-100 °C) and pH (pH 2.0-9.0), as well as resistant to high temperature, alkali and acidic pH, and 55 different concentrations of detergent agents, chemical solvents, and inhibitors. These properties make RSAPp an attractive candidate for various industrial applications, including cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals.

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Nowadays, high value-added and multifunctional textiles have attracted widespread attention due to the changing demands of modern life. This study focused on the fabrication of silk with photochromism, flame retardancy, UV resistance and durability using riboflavin sodium phosphate (RSP) and various metal ions (Fe2+, Fe3+, Al3+, and Ti4+). Attractively, the photochromic performance was one of the most distinctive features of the modified silk, and the yellow silk fabric turned into fluorescent green under UV lamp. After a detailed comparison, it was determined that RSP/Fe3+ hybrid system was most effective in improving anti-UV performance of the silk with a high UPF of 25.8, achieving a "Good" level of UV protection. Specifically, it achieved a B1 fire protection with a low damaged-length of 9.4 cm and a high LOI of 28.3 %. Additionally, the modified silk showed the lowest smoke density, reducing by approximately 84.1 % versus that of pristine silk. Moreover, the modified silk was able to meet the B1 classification and the "Good" UV protection requirements even after 75 washing cycles, making it more durable than most functional textiles reported. The further analysis indicated that RSP and metal ions can synergistically enhance the condensed-phase action, thereby improving the fire resistance of silk.

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The structure and constituents of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) in the degradation of benzene ring-14C labeled 4-nonylphenol (14C-NP) by sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8) were investigated. Na2S2O8 mineralized over 84 % of 14C-NP to 14CO2, and no parent unlabeled 4-nonylphenol (NP) compounds were detected in the water-soluble/supernatant phase or extractable residues. Organic carbon (OC) was sequentially separated from six sediment samples collected from the Pearl River (BET), estuary (GSD), continental shelf (S11 and S21), and deep sea (M9 and M10). Demineralized OC (DM), unstable OC (USOC), nonhydrolyzable OC (NHC), and resistant OC (ROC) were obtained and characterized using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (SS-NMR). The correlations among USOC, NHC, and the degradation kinetic constant of 14C-NP (kNP) were significant (R2 > 0.86, p < 0.01), indicating that USOC and NHC were the main factors controlling 14C-NP degradation. SOM structure and constituent analyses indicated that O-alkyl C + OCH3/NCH C + COO/NC=O C and carbohydrate + protein were positively related to Ln(kNP) (R2 > 0.72, p < 0.05) because these structures were unstable. However, the stable structures (Alkyl C and Arom CC) and constituents (sporopollenin, algaenan, and char) hindered 14C-NP degradation because they were negatively related to Ln(kNP) (R2 > 0.81, p < 0.05). The OC removal rate was positively correlated with 14C-NP degradation (R2 > 0.86, p < 0.01), indicating that the NP was primarily degraded in parallel with the breakdown of SOM. Stoichiometric analysis showed that Na2S2O8 effectively oxidized over 58 % of the OC to CO2, and the electron transfer efficiency was 17.2-69.5 %. This study is the first to emphasize the importance of SOM degradation, structure, and constituents in the degradation of NP by persulfate.

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Shigella is a specific enteric pathogen in humans, causing symptoms of bacterial dysentery. The biofilm formation of S. flexneri contributes to the emergence of multidrug resistance and facilitates the establishment of persistent chronic infections. This study investigated the regulatory effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Y12 exopolysaccharide (L-EPS) on gene expression and its spatial hindrance effects in inhibiting the biofilm formation of S. flexneri. The transcriptome analysis revealed a significant impact of L-EPS on the gene expression profile of S. flexneri, with a total of 968 genes showing significant changes (507 up-regulated and 461 down-regulated). The significantly down-regulated KEGG metabolic pathway enriched in phosphotransferase system, Embden-Meyerhf-Parnas, Citrate cycle, Lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, Cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance, Two-component system. Moreover, L-EPS significantly down-regulated the gene expression levels of fimbriae synthesis (fimF), lipopolysaccharide synthesis (lptE, lptB), anchor protein repeat domain (arpA), virulence factor (lpp, yqgB), antibiotic resistance (marR, cusB, mdtL, mdlB), heavy metal resistance (zraP), and polysaccharide synthesis (mtgA, mdoB, mdoC). The expression of biofilm regulator factor (bssS) and two-component system suppressor factor (mgrB) were significantly up-regulated. The RT-qPCR results indicated that a major component of L-EPS (L-EPS 2-1) exhibited the gene regulatory effect on the S. flexneri biofilm formation. Furthermore, electrophoresis and isothermal microtitration calorimetry demonstrated that the interaction between L-EPS 2-1 and eDNA is electrostatic dependent on the change in environmental pH, disrupting the stable spatial structure of S. flexneri biofilm. In conclusion, L-EPS inhibited the biofilm formation of S. flexneri through gene regulation and spatial obstruction effects.

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Skin injuries are one of the most common clinical traumas worldwide, and wound dressings are considered to be one of key factors in wound healing. Natural polymer-based hydrogels have been developed as ideal materials for a new generation of dressings due to their excellent biocompatibility and wetting ability. However, the inadequate mechanical performances and lack of efficacy in promoting wound healing have limited the application of natural polymer-based hydrogels as wound dressings. In this work, a double network hydrogel based on natural chitosan molecules was constructed to enhance the mechanical properties, and emodin, a herbal natural product, was loaded into the hydrogel to improve the healing effect of the dressing. The structure of the chitosan-emodin network formed by Schiff base reaction and microcrystalline network of biocompatible polyvinyl alcohol endowed hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties and ensured its integrity as wound dressings. Moreover, the hydrogel showed excellent wound healing properties due to the loading of emodin. The hydrogel dressing could promote cell proliferation, cell migration, and secretion of growth factors. The animal experimental results also demonstrated that the hydrogel dressing facilitated the regeneration of blood vessels and collagen and accelerated wound healing.

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