Root engineering for self-irrigation that exploits soil depth dimension for carbon sequestration.

A comprehensive carbon management program to sequester excess CO{sub 2} includes the maximization of the carbon sink potential of the terrestrial ecosystem. The establishment of sustainable vegetation on semi-arid or damaged land is necessary to increase the carbon inventory in the terrestrial ecosystem, as it is increasing the depth of the soil carbon sink. The availability of water for sustained growth at acceptable costs, when or where precipitation is too scarce or unpredictable, may, however, significantly affect the cost and sustainability of the revegetation efforts. We tested an innovative technology that enables the establishment of 'plantations' that are independent of erratic water supplies or irrigation by developing deep root systems that tap into deeper groundwater. Applied Natural Sciences (ANS) patented technologies (TreeMediation{reg_sign} and TreeWell{reg_sign} systems) overcome soil conditions unfavorable to deep rooting and 'engineer' the growth of phreatophytic tree roots into soil to reliably reach the groundwater. Carbon sinks can then be increased by increasing rooting depths and especially by enabling vegetative growth altogether. We collected soil cores from three phytoremediation sites where these technologies have been previously deployed. From these, we developed detailed information on root density and soil conditions at increasing depths to estimate C gains. The largest C gains were found when these technologies are used to control desertification. In these cases, significant gross C gains (at least between 4 and 6 tons/ha per year) can be envisioned. Other indirect benefits include resource recycling, pollution prevention, remediation, creating agricultural diversity and innovation in fruit and other tree crop and hardwood management

Translocator Protein Ligand-PLGA conjugates nanoparticles for 5-Fluorouracil Delivery to Glioma Cancer Cells

Translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) is a promising target for molecular imaging and for targeted drug delivery to tumors overexpressing TSPO. In our previous work, new macromolecular conjugates with a high affinity and selectivity for TSPO were prepared by conjugating the biodegradable poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymer with two potent and selective TSPO ligands, namely, compounds 1 and 2. Based on this, nanoparticle delivery systems (NPs), employing TSPO ligand-PLGA conjugated (PLGA-TSPO) polymers, were prepared. Furthermore, to evaluate the ability of the new NPs to be used as a drug delivery systems for anticancer therapy, PLGA-TSPO NPs were loaded with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), chosen as a model hydrophilic anticancer drug. The main goal of this work was to investigate the synergistic potential of using NP conjugates PLGA-TSPO, TSPO ligands being pro-apoptotic agents, to simultaneously deliver a cytotoxic anticancer drug. To better highlight the occurrence of synergistic effects, dual drug loaded PLGA NPs (PLGA NPs/5-FU/1) and dual drug loaded PLGA-TSPO NPs (PLGA-TSPO NPs/5-FU/1), with 5-FU and TSPO ligand 1 physically incorporated together, were also prepared and characterized. The particle size and size distribution, surface morphology, and drug encapsulation efficiency, as well as the drug release kinetics, were investigated. In vitro cytotoxicity studies were carried out on C6 glioma cells overexpressing TSPO, and to evaluate the potential uptake of these nanoparticulate systems, the internalization of fluorescent labeled PLGA-TSPO NPs (FITC-PLGA-TSPO NPs) was also investigated by fluorescence microscopy. Results demonstrated that PLGA-TSPO NPs/5-FU and dual drug loaded PLGA NPs/5-FU/1 and PLGA-TSPO NPs/5-FU/1 could significantly enhance toxicity against human cancer cells due to the synergistic effect of the TSPO ligand 1 with the anticancer drug 5-FU