Expansion of the genetic toolbox for manipulation of the global crop pest Drosophila suzukii: Isolation and assessment of eye colour mutant strains

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), commonly called spotted wing Drosophila, is an important agricultural pest recognised worldwide. D. suzukii is a pest of soft-skinned fruits as females can lay eggs in ripening fruit before harvest. While strains for genetic biocontrol of D. suzukii have been made, the development of transgenic D. suzukii strains and their further screening remain a challenge partly due to the lack of phenotypically trackable genetic-markers, such as those widely used with the model genetic organism D. melanogaster. Here, we have used CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce heritable mutations in the eye colour genes white, cinnabar and sepia, which are located on the X, second and third chromosomes, respectively. Strains were obtained, which were homozygous for a single mutation. Genotyping of the established strains showed insertion and/or deletions (indels) at the targeted sites. A strain homozygous for mutations in cinnabar and sepia showed a pale-yellow eye colour at eclosion but darkened to a sepia colour after a week. The fecundity and fertility of some of the cinnabar and sepia strains were comparable with the wild type. Although white mutant males were previously reported to be sterile, we found that sterility is not fully penetrant and we have been able to maintain white-eyed strains for over a year. The cinnabar, sepia and white mutant strains developed in this study should facilitate future genetic studies in D. suzukii and the development of strains for genetic control of this pest.

Benzoimidazolium-derived dimeric and hydride n-dopants for organic electron-transport materials: impact of substitution on structures, electrochemistry, and reactivity

1,3-Dimethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzo[d]imidazoles, 1H, and 1,1',3,3'-tetramethyl-2,2',3,3'-tetrahydro-2,2'-bibenzo[d]imidazoles, 12, are of interest as n-dopants for organic electron-transport materials. Salts of 2-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)-4,7-dimethoxy-, 2-cyclohexyl-4,7-dimethoxy-, and 2-(5-(dimethylamino)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[d]imidazolium (1g-i+, respectively) have been synthesized and reduced with NaBH4 to 1gH, 1hH, and 1iH, and with Na:Hg to 1g2 and 1h2. Their electrochemistry and reactivity were compared to those derived from 2-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)- (1b+) and 2-cyclohexylbenzo[d]imidazolium (1e+) salts. E(1+/1•) values for 2-aryl species are less reducing than for 2-alkyl analogues, i.e., the radicals are stabilized more by aryl groups than the cations, while 4,7-dimethoxy substitution leads to more reducing E(1+/1•) values, as well as cathodic shifts in E(12•+/12) and E(1H•+/1H) values. Both the use of 3,4-dimethoxy and 2-aryl substituents accelerates the reaction of the 1H species with PC61BM. Because 2-aryl groups stabilize radicals, 1b2 and 1g2 exhibit weaker bonds than 1e2 and 1h2 and thus react with 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (VII) via a "cleavage-first" pathway, while 1e2 and 1h2 react only via "electron-transfer-first". 1h2 exhibits the most cathodic E(12•+/12) value of the dimers considered here and, therefore, reacts more rapidly than any of the other dimers with VII via "electron-transfer-first". Crystal structures show rather long central C-C bonds for 1b2 (1.5899(11) and 1.6194(8) Å) and 1h2 (1.6299(13) Å).

Nanobio Interface Between Proteins and 2D Nanomaterials

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have significantly contributed to recent advances in material sciences and nanotechnology, owing to their layered structure. Despite their potential as multifunctional theranostic agents, the biomedical translation of these materials is limited due to a lack of knowledge and control over their interaction with complex biological systems. In a biological microenvironment, the high surface energy of nanomaterials leads to diverse interactions with biological moieties such as proteins, which play a crucial role in unique physiological processes. These interactions can alter the size, surface charge, shape, and interfacial composition of the nanomaterial, ultimately affecting its biological activity and identity. This review critically discusses the possible interactions between proteins and 2D nanomaterials, along with a wide spectrum of analytical techniques that can be used to study and characterize such interplay. A better understanding of these interactions would help circumvent potential risks and provide guidance toward the safer design of 2D nanomaterials as a platform technology for various biomedical applications.

Going beyond Cellulose and Chitosan: Synthetic Biodegradable Membranes for Drinking Water, Wastewater, and Oil-Water Remediation

Membrane technology is an efficient way to purify water, but it generates non-biodegradable biohazardous waste. This waste ends up in landfills, incinerators, or microplastics, threatening the environment. To address this, research is being conducted to develop compostable alternatives that are sustainable and ecofriendly. Bioplastics, which are expected to capture 40% of the market share by 2030, represent one such alternative. This review examines the feasibility of using synthetic biodegradable materials beyond cellulose and chitosan for water treatment, considering cost, carbon footprint, and stability in mechanical, thermal, and chemical environments. Although biodegradable membranes have the potential to close the recycling loop, challenges such as brittleness and water stability limit their use in membrane applications. The review suggests approaches to tackle these issues and highlights recent advances in the field of biodegradable membranes for water purification. The end-of-life perspective of these materials is also discussed, as their recyclability and compostability are critical factors in reducing the environmental impact of membrane technology. This review underscores the need to develop sustainable alternatives to conventional membrane materials and suggests that biodegradable membranes have great potential to address this challenge.

Impact of Circular, Waste-Heat Reuse Pathways on PM2.5-Air Quality, CO2 Emissions, and Human Health in India: Comparison with Material Exchange Potential

India is home to 1.3 billion people who are exposed to some of the highest levels of ambient air pollution in the world. In addition, India is one of the fastest-growing carbon-emitting countries. Here, we assess how two strategies to reuse waste-heat from coal-fired power plants and other large sources would impact PM_2.5-air quality, human health, and CO₂ emissions in 2015 and a future year, 2050, using varying levels of policy adoption (current regulations, proposed single-sector policies, and ambitious single-sector strategies). We find that power plant and industrial waste-heat reuse as input to district heating systems (DHSs), a novel, multisector strategy to reduce local biomass burning for heating emissions, can offset 71.3-85.2% of residential heating demand in communities near a power plant (9.3-12.4% of the nationwide heating demand) with the highest benefits observed during winter months in areas with collocated industrial activity and higher residential heating demands (e.g., New Delhi). Utilizing waste-heat to generate electricity via organic Rankine cycles (ORCs) can generate an additional 22 (11% of total coal-fired generating capacity), 41 (8%), 32 (13%), and 6 (5%) GW of electricity capacity in the 2015, 2050-current regulations, 2050-single-sector, and 2050-ambitious-single-sector scenarios, respectively. Emission estimates utilizing these strategies were input to the GEOS-Chem model, and population-weighted, simulated PM_2.5 showed small improvements in the DHS (0.2-0.4%) and ORC (0.3-3.4%) scenarios, where the minimal DHS PM_2.5-benefit is attributed to the small contribution of biomass burning for heating to nationwide PM_2.5 emissions (much of the biomass burning activity is for cooking). The PM_2.5 reductions lead to ∼130-36,000 mortalities per year avoided among the scenarios, with the largest health benefits observed in the ORC scenarios. Nationwide CO₂ emissions reduced <0.04% by DHSs but showed larger reductions using ORCs (1.9-7.4%). Coal fly-ash as material exchange in cement and brick production was assessed, and capacity exists to completely reutilize unused fly-ash toward cement and brick production in each of the scenarios.

Insights into maize genome editing via CRISPR/Cas9

Maize is an important crop for billions of people as food, feed, and industrial raw material. It is a prime driver of the global agricultural economy as well as the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Genetic interventions, such as breeding, hybridization and transgenesis have led to increased productivity of this crop in the last 100 years. The technique of genome editing is the latest advancement in genetics. Genome editing can be used for targeted deletions, additions, and corrections in the genome, all aimed at genetic enhancement of crops. The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system is a recent genome editing technique that is considered simple, precise, robust and the most revolutionary. This review summarizes the current state of the art and predicts future directions in the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 tool in maize crop improvement.