Swift production of rhamnolipid biosurfactant,biopolymer and synthesis of biosurfactant-wrapped silver nanoparticles and its enhanced oil recovery

Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is a kind of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) development, often used as a tertiary stage where oil recovery is no longer possible utilizing primary and secondary conventional techniques. Among a few potential natural operators valuable for MEOR, biosurfactants, biopolymers and biosurfactant based nanoparticles assume key jobs. Biosurfactant which are produced by microorganisms’ act as are surface active agents that can be used as an alternative to chemically synthesized surfactants. Pseudomonas aeruginosa TEN01, a gram-negative bacterium isolated from the petroleum industry is a potential biosurfactant (Rhamnolipid) producer using cassava waste as the substrate. This work focuses on production and characterization of rhamnolipid from P. aeruginosa TEN01 and its use in enhanced oil recovery. The effectiveness of Chitosan that is deacetylated form of chitin which is a biopolymer that provides density and viscosity to the fluids is not known in enhanced oil recovery yet and so it is studied. Moreover, the fabrication of biosurfactant-mediated silver nanocrystals and its application in enhanced oil recovery is also studied. Sand-Pack column was constructed and the mechanism of oil recovery in the column was studied. While incubating the crude oil containing sand packed column with Biosurfactant-biopolymer and brine flooding in the ratio of 1:2, and Biosurfactant incubation - flooding with 3 g/l of biopolymer was found to be 34.28% and 44.5% respectively. The biosurfactant based silver nanoparticles are non-toxic and have better stability when compared to chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles. The oil recovery percentage by chemical based Ag NPs and biosurfactant based Ag NPs are 14.94% and 14.28% respectively.     

Fabrication of Carbon Nanotube High-Frequency Nanoelectronic Biosensor for Sensing in High Ionic Strength Solutions

The unique electronic properties and high surface-to-volume ratios of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) and semiconductor nanowires (NW) ^1-4 make them good candidates for high sensitivity biosensors. When a charged molecule binds to such a sensor surface, it alters the carrier density⁵ in the sensor, resulting in changes in its DC conductance. However, in an ionic solution a charged surface also attracts counter-ions from the solution, forming an electrical double layer (EDL). This EDL effectively screens off the charge, and in physiologically relevant conditions ~100 millimolar (mM), the characteristic charge screening length (Debye length) is less than a nanometer (nm). Thus, in high ionic strength solutions, charge based (DC) detection is fundamentally impeded^6-8.We overcome charge screening effects by detecting molecular dipoles rather than charges at high frequency, by operating carbon nanotube field effect transistors as high frequency mixers^9-11. At high frequencies, the AC drive force can no longer overcome the solution drag and the ions in solution do not have sufficient time to form the EDL. Further, frequency mixing technique allows us to operate at frequencies high enough to overcome ionic screening, and yet detect the sensing signals at lower frequencies^11-12. Also, the high transconductance of SWNT transistors provides an internal gain for the sensing signal, which obviates the need for external signal amplifier.Here, we describe the protocol to (a) fabricate SWNT transistors, (b) functionalize biomolecules to the nanotube¹³, (c) design and stamp a poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micro-fluidic chamber¹⁴ onto the device, and (d) carry out high frequency sensing in different ionic strength solutions¹¹.     

Fabrication of Nano-engineered Transparent Conducting Oxides by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Nanosecond Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) in the presence of a background gas allows the deposition of metal oxides with tunable morphology, structure, density and stoichiometry by a proper control of the plasma plume expansion dynamics. Such versatility can be exploited to produce nanostructured films from compact and dense to nanoporous characterized by a hierarchical assembly of nano-sized clusters. In particular we describe the detailed methodology to fabricate two types of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films as transparent electrodes in photovoltaic devices: 1) at low O₂ pressure, compact films with electrical conductivity and optical transparency close to the state of the art transparent conducting oxides (TCO) can be deposited at room temperature, to be compatible with thermally sensitive materials such as polymers used in organic photovoltaics (OPVs); 2) highly light scattering hierarchical structures resembling a forest of nano-trees are produced at higher pressures. Such structures show high Haze factor (>80%) and may be exploited to enhance the light trapping capability. The method here described for AZO films can be applied to other metal oxides relevant for technological applications such as TiO₂, Al₂O₃, WO₃ and Ag₄O₄.     

Nanomoulding of Functional Materials,a Versatile Complementary Pattern Replication Method to Nanoimprinting

We describe a nanomoulding technique which allows low-cost nanoscale patterning of functional materials, materials stacks and full devices. Nanomoulding combined with layer transfer enables the replication of arbitrary surface patterns from a master structure onto the functional material. Nanomoulding can be performed on any nanoimprinting setup and can be applied to a wide range of materials and deposition processes. In particular we demonstrate the fabrication of patterned transparent zinc oxide electrodes for light trapping applications in solar cells.     

The inclusion complex of 4-hydroxynonenal with a polymeric derivative of β-cyclodextrin enhances the antitumoral efficacy of the aldehyde in several tumor cell lines and in a three-dimensional human melanoma model

4-Hydroxynonenal (HNE) is the most studied end product of the lipoperoxidation process, by virtue of its relevant biological activity. The antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of HNE have been widely demonstrated in a great variety of tumor cell types in vitro. Thus, it might represent a promising new molecule in anticancer therapy strategies. However, the extreme reactivity of this aldehyde, as well as its insolubility in water, a limiting factor for drug bioavailability, and its rapid degradation by specific enzymes represent major obstacles to its possible in vivo application. Various strategies can used to overcome these problems. One of the most attractive strategies is the use of nanovehicles, because loading drugs into nanosized structures enhances their stability and solubility, thus improving their bioavailability and their antitumoral effectiveness. Several natural or synthetic polymers have been used to synthesize nanosized structures and, among them, β-cyclodextrin (βCD) polymers are playing a very important role in drug formulation by virtue of the ability of βCD to form inclusion compounds with a wide range of solid and liquid molecules by molecular complexation. Moreover, several βCD derivatives have been designed to improve their physicochemical properties and inclusion capacities. Here we report that the inclusion complex of HNE with a derivative of βCD, the βCD–poly(4-acryloylmorpholine) conjugate (PACM-βCD), enhances the aldehyde stability. Moreover, the inclusion of HNE in PACM-βCD potentiates its antitumor effects in several tumor cell lines and in a more complex system, such as a human reconstructed skin carrying melanoma tumor cells.     

Point-of-care assays for tuberculosis: Role of nanotechnology/microfluidics

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most devastating infectious diseases and its eradication is still unattainable given the limitations of current technologies for diagnosis, treatment and prevention. The World Health Organization's goal to eliminate TB globally by 2050 remains an ongoing challenge as delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of TB continue to fuel the worldwide epidemic. Despite considerable improvements in diagnostics for the last few decades, a simple and effective point-of-care TB diagnostic test is yet not available. Here, we review the current assays used for TB diagnosis, and highlight the recent advances in nanotechnology and microfluidics that potentially enable new approaches for TB diagnosis in resource-constrained settings.     

纳米紫杉类药物在乳腺癌治疗中的研究现状

紫杉醇虽被证明在多种肿瘤治疗中均具有良好的效果,但其有一个严重的缺陷:水溶性低。临床使用中需使用聚氧乙烯蓖麻油(CremphorEL)或无水乙醇作为溶剂,但其在体内降解时能释放组胺,导致严重的过敏反应以及肾毒性和神经毒性等不良反应,此外还存在患者耐受性差、血药浓度低、靶向性差等不足。在乳腺癌的诊断和治疗中,纳米技术改变了紫杉醇制剂的特征参数而使药物表现出缓释、控释性及靶向性等优势,解决了传统紫杉醇制剂水溶性差的缺点,提高了药物的生物利用度,并明显降低了紫杉醇的毒性和副作用,给紫杉醇药物在体内运输提供了新途径。     

Facile fabrication of eco-friendly nano-mosquitocides: Biophysical characterization and effectiveness on neglected tropical mosquito vectors

Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) vectors are solely responsible for transmitting important diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, lymphatic filariasis and Zika virus. Eco-friendly control tools of Culicidae vectors are a priority. In this study, we proposed a facile fabrication process of poly-disperse and stable silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using a cheap leaf extract of Ichnocarpus frutescens (Apocyanaceae). Bio-reduced Ag NPs were characterized by UV–vis spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The acute toxicity of I. frutescens leaf extract and green-synthesized Ag NPs was evaluated against larvae of the malaria vector Anopheles subpictus, the dengue vector Aedes albopictus and the Japanese encephalitis vector Culex tritaeniorhynchus. Compared to the leaf aqueous extract, Ag NPs showed higher toxicity against A. subpictus, A. albopictus, and C. tritaeniorhynchus with LC₅₀ values of 14.22, 15.84 and 17.26 μg/mL, respectively. Ag NPs were found safer to non-target mosquito predators Anisops bouvieri, Diplonychus indicus and Gambusia affinis, with LC₅₀ values ranging from 636.61 to 2098.61 μg/mL. Overall, this research firstly shed light on the mosquitocidal potential of I. frutescens, a potential bio-resource for rapid, cheap and effective synthesis of poly-disperse and highly stable silver nanocrystals.     

Effect of curcumin-nanoemulsion associated with photodynamic therapy in breast adenocarcinoma cell line

Curcumin, a natural compound has several antineoplastic activities and is a promising natural photosensitizer used in photodynamic therapy. However, its low solubility in physiological medium limit the clinical use of curcumin. This study aimed to analyze the action of curcumin-nanoemulsion, a new and well-designed Drug Delivery System (DDS+) molecule, used as a photosensitizing agent in photodynamic therapy in an in vitro breast cancer model, MCF-7 cells. The empty nanoemulsion fulfils all necessary requirements to be an excellent DDS. Furthermore, the use of curcumin-nanoemulsion in photodynamic therapy resulted in a high phototoxic effect after activation at 440?nm, decreasing to <10% viable tumor cells after two irradiations and increasing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The use of curcumin-nanoemulsion associated with photodynamic therapy resulted in an increase in the levels of caspase 3/7 activity for the studied MCF-7 cell model, indicating that this therapy triggers a cascade of events that lead to cell death, such as cellular apoptosis. In conclusion, curcumin-nanoemulsion proved to be efficient as a photosensitizing agent, had phototoxic effects, significantly decreased the proliferation of MCF-7 cells and stimulating the ROS production in combination with photodynamic therapy, so, this formulation has a great potential for use in treatment of breast cancer.     

Evaluation of silver nanoparticles in cosmeceutical and potential biosafety complications

Silver nanoparticles are well received in the cosmeceutical industry due to their broad spectrum of pharmacology applications. Research on the therapeutic properties exhibited by silver nanoparticles revealed that the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties are the main attraction in the establishment of nanocosmeceutical products whereby their mechanisms of action are reviewed in this paper. In addition, studies on other uses of silver nanoparticles acknowledged that the particles act as antifungal agents in nail polishes and pigments in coloured beauty products such as lipsticks and eye shadows. Despite the extensive use of silver nanoparticles in the cosmetic line, there are still limited resources on the mechanism of actions and the effect of the particles on the bio-functionality of the body. The safety of silver nanoparticles could be comprehended from their skin penetration ability and toxicity to the human body in which it could be justified that both features are mainly influenced by the morphology of the particles and the method of application. This article summarizes exclusively on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles, the biomedical mechanisms and applications as well the limitations with respect to skin penetration ability and toxicity effects which will contribute significantly to the vast research on the association of nanotechnology and cosmetics.