The implementation of SDG12 in and from higher education institutions: universities as laboratories for generating sustainable cities

IntroductionIt is known that the world is facing and will face significant sustainability challenges. Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12), responsible consumption and production, is one of the most relevant SDGs for building Sustainable Cities. This study is based on the analysis of the implementation of SDG12 in cities, starting from universities as laboratories or first examples of sustainability.MethodsThe study was carried out through a multilevel scale approach. A systematic review of the literature (global scale) of the last 5 years (2018–2022) was conducted. An analysis of the program and the initiatives of a Higher Education Institution (Tecnologico de Monterrey) is presented (local scale). Finally, a survey was applied to Faculty at this University (micro-scale).ResultsThe systematic review indicated that the main themes or aspects addressed in SDG12 by higher education institutions were sustainable food, supply chains, community, infrastructure, technology, policies, energy consumption, the collaborative economy, smart cities, and curricula. The local scale analysis highlighted the Distrito Tec project, 37 institutional initiatives, and 26 courses directly related to SDG12. The survey showed that 8% of Faculty considered SDG12 the most important of the SDGs and stated that this goal is necessary to reduce environmental impacts. As the most significant impact that Universities can have on SDG12, 52% of the Faculty consider that Universities should become living labs in the transition toward sustainable cities, followed by 36% who think it would be better to implement operational facilities.DiscussionThe diverse contributions of the HEIs at the three scales were classified into six categories: culture, mitigation, adaptation, education, research, and outreach. The study indicates that SDG 12 has been achieved by universities in different ways, which overlaps widely with the performance of other SDGs. Results demonstrate that following a multistakeholder approach, international collaborations between HEIs can foster technology-driven multi-disciplinary research projects to consolidate sustainable cities. Building capacity to accelerate the transition of universities into urban living labs will promote climate action among the students who enroll every year

The eukaryotic CO2-concentrating organelle is liquid-like and exhibits dynamic reorganization

Approximately 30%–40% of global CO 2 fixation occurs inside a non-membrane-bound organelle called the pyrenoid, which is found within the chloroplasts of most eukaryotic algae. The pyrenoid matrix is densely packed with the CO 2-fixing enzyme Rubisco and is thought to be a crystalline or amorphous solid. Here, we show that the pyrenoid matrix of the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is not crystalline but behaves as a liquid that dissolves and condenses during cell division. Furthermore, we show that new pyrenoids are formed both by fission and de novo assembly. Our modeling predicts the existence of a “magic number” effect associated with special, highly stable heterocomplexes that influences phase separation in liquid-like organelles. This view of the pyrenoid matrix as a phase-separated compartment provides a paradigm for understanding its structure, biogenesis, and regulation. More broadly, our findings expand our understanding of the principles that govern the architecture and inheritance of liquid-like organelles

Native architecture of the Chlamydomonas chloroplast revealed by in situ cryo-electron tomography.

Chloroplast function is orchestrated by the organelle's intricate architecture. By combining cryo-focused ion beam milling of vitreous Chlamydomonas cells with cryo-electron tomography, we acquired three-dimensional structures of the chloroplast in its native state within the cell. Chloroplast envelope inner membrane invaginations were frequently found in close association with thylakoid tips, and the tips of multiple thylakoid stacks converged at dynamic sites on the chloroplast envelope, implicating lipid transport in thylakoid biogenesis. Subtomogram averaging and nearest neighbor analysis revealed that RuBisCO complexes were hexagonally packed within the pyrenoid, with ~15 nm between their centers. Thylakoid stacks and the pyrenoid were connected by cylindrical pyrenoid tubules, physically bridging the sites of light-dependent photosynthesis and light-independent carbon fixation. Multiple parallel minitubules were bundled within each pyrenoid tubule, possibly serving as conduits for the targeted one-dimensional diffusion of small molecules such as ATP and sugars between the chloroplast stroma and the pyrenoid matrix

Visualizing the molecular sociology at the HeLa cell nuclear periphery

The molecular organization of eukaryotic nuclear volumes remains largely unexplored. Here we combined recent developments in cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to produce three-dimensional snapshots of the HeLa cell nuclear periphery. Subtomogram averaging and classification of ribosomes revealed the native structure and organization of the cytoplasmic translation machinery. Analysis of a large dynamic structure-the nuclear pore complex-revealed variations detectable at the level of individual complexes. Cryo-ET was used to visualize previously elusive structures, such as nucleosome chains and the filaments of the nuclear lamina, in situ. Elucidation of the lamina structure provides insight into its contribution to metazoan nuclear stiffness

A data management infrastructure for the integration of imaging and omics data in life sciences

BACKGROUND: As technical developments in omics and biomedical imaging increase the throughput of data generation in life sciences, the need for information systems capable of managing heterogeneous digital assets is increasing. In particular, systems supporting the findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability (FAIR) principles of scientific data management. RESULTS: We propose a Service Oriented Architecture approach for integrated management and analysis of multi-omics and biomedical imaging data. Our architecture introduces an image management system into a FAIR-supporting, web-based platform for omics data management. Interoperable metadata models and middleware components implement the required data management operations. The resulting architecture allows for FAIR management of omics and imaging data, facilitating metadata queries from software applications. The applicability of the proposed architecture is demonstrated using two technical proofs of concept and a use case, aimed at molecular plant biology and clinical liver cancer research, which integrate various imaging and omics modalities. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a data management architecture for integrated, FAIR-supporting management of omics and biomedical imaging data, and exemplify its applicability for basic biology research and clinical studies. We anticipate that FAIR data management systems for multi-modal data repositories will play a pivotal role in data-driven research, including studies which leverage advanced machine learning methods, as the joint analysis of omics and imaging data, in conjunction with phenotypic metadata, becomes not only desirable but necessary to derive novel insights into biological processes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12859-022-04584-3