3 research outputs found
Graphene for Controlled and Accelerated Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Modern tissue engineering strategies combine living cells and scaffold
materials to develop biological substitutes that can restore tissue functions.
Both natural and synthetic materials have been fabricated for transplantation
of stem cells and their specific differentiation into muscles, bones and
cartilages. One of the key objectives for bone regeneration therapy to be
successful is to direct stem cells' proliferation and to accelerate their
differentiation in a controlled manner through the use of growth factors and
osteogenic inducers. Here we show that graphene provides a promising
biocompatible scaffold that does not hamper the proliferation of human
mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and accelerates their specific differentiation
into bone cells. The differentiation rate is comparable to the one achieved
with common growth factors, demonstrating graphene's potential for stem cell
research.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figures, 1 table, submitte
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Single amino acid bionanozyme for environmental remediation.
Enzymes are extremely complex catalytic structures with immense biological and technological importance. Nevertheless, their widespread environmental implementation faces several challenges, including high production costs, low operational stability, and intricate recovery and reusability. Therefore, the de novo design of minimalistic biomolecular nanomaterials that can efficiently mimic the biocatalytic function (bionanozymes) and overcome the limitations of natural enzymes is a critical goal in biomolecular engineering. Here, we report an exceptionally simple yet highly active and robust single amino acid bionanozyme that can catalyze the rapid oxidation of environmentally toxic phenolic contaminates and serves as an ultrasensitive tool to detect biologically important neurotransmitters similar to the laccase enzyme. While inspired by the laccase catalytic site, the substantially simpler copper-coordinated bionanozyme is ∼5400 times more cost-effective, four orders more efficient, and 36 times more sensitive compared to the natural protein. Furthermore, the designed mimic is stable under extreme conditions (pH, ionic strength, temperature, storage time), markedly reusable for several cycles, and displays broad substrate specificity. These findings hold great promise in developing efficient bionanozymes for analytical chemistry, environmental protection, and biotechnology
Iron Oxide Filled Magnetic Carbon Nanotube–Enzyme Conjugates for Recycling of Amyloglucosidase: Toward Useful Applications in Biofuel Production Process
Biofuels
are fast advancing as a new research area to provide alternative
sources of sustainable and clean energy. Recent advances in nanotechnology
have sought to improve the efficiency of biofuel production, enhancing
energy security. In this study, we have incorporated iron oxide nanoparticles
into single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to produce magnetic single-walled
carbon nanotubes (mSWCNTs). Our objective is to bridge both nanotechnology
and biofuel production by immobilizing the enzyme, Amyloglucosidase
(AMG), onto mSWCNTs using physical adsorption and covalent immobilization,
with the aim of recycling the immobilized enzyme, toward useful applications
in biofuel production processes. We have demonstrated that the enzyme
retains a certain percentage of its catalytic efficiency (up to 40%)
in starch prototype biomass hydrolysis when used repeatedly (up to
ten cycles) after immobilization on mSWCNTs, since the nanotubes can
be easily separated from the reaction mixture using a simple magnet.
The enzyme loading, activity, and structural changes after immobilization
onto mSWCNTs were also studied. In addition, we have demonstrated
that the immobilized enzyme retains its activity when stored at 4
°C for at least one month. These results, combined with the unique
intrinsic properties of the nanotubes, pave the way for greater efficiency
in carbon nanotube–enzyme bioreactors and reduced capital costs
in industrial enzyme systems