Oil droplet deposition on membrane surfaces and within pores remains a fundamental cause of severe flux decline in oil/water separation processes. Inspired by recent advances in flexible nanostructures, we present vertically aligned and flexible ZIF-8 nanosheets based oil/water separation membranes. The membranes exhibit exceptional separation performance with a water flux of 3575 L·m⁻2·h⁻1·bar⁻1 and oil rejection exceeding 98%. Molecular dynamics (MD) and density functional theory (DFT) simulations reveal that the hydrophilic-modified nanosheets exhibit strong binding to water molecules (-648.5 kcal/mol) while showing negligible affinity for n-hexane (close to 0 kcal/mol), elucidating the molecular basis for hydration layer formation during oil/water separation. The membranes demonstrated exceptional anti-fouling properties through a novel hydraulic-responsive self-cleaning mechanism that eliminated the need for chemical cleaning agents. This dynamic cleaning mechanism enables a high flux recovery ratio (>85%) and low irreversible fouling. Even after 10 cycles with surfactant-stabilized emulsions, separation efficiency remains uncompromised. This work offers a robust and sustainable strategy for high-performance oily wastewater treatment.
Achieving highly crystalline covalent organic framework (COF) membranes is essential for efficient mass transport but remains a longstanding challenge due to the inherent trade-off between structural regularity and processability. Herein, we report an entropy-regulated interfacial crystallization strategy that redirects membrane formation from kinetically trapped disorder to thermodynamically favored crystallization. By introducing ion-dipole interactions at the interface, the configurational entropy of monomers is markedly reduced by 326.9 J mol-1 K-1, enforcing ordered preorganization of monomers. Besides, solvent-mediated diffusion induces framework growth beneath the nascent layer, giving rise to an asymmetric membrane structure composed of a dense, highly crystalline selective layer supported by a fibrous macroporous sublayer. The resulting membrane exhibits long-range ordered channels, a high surface area up to 1721 m2 g-1, and enhanced mechanical robustness. Benefiting from these ordered channels, the membrane delivers a high Cs+ permeation rate of 0.17 mol m-2 h-1 and an exceptional Cs+/La3+ selectivity of 292 in mixed ion systems. This work establishes interfacial entropy regulation as a general and effective route for controlling crystallization in interfacial systems, offering new insights into the rational fabrication of framework-based separation membranes.
Metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells induces profound alterations in membrane lipid organization, affecting phospholipid distribution, surface charge, and overall lipid composition. These modifications contribute to key oncogenic processes, including tumor progression, immune evasion, and resistance to therapy. Importantly, they also give rise to distinct biophysical features that may serve as selective targets for therapeutic intervention. Among these, the externalization of anionic phospholipids and the overexpression of negatively charged glycoconjugates render cancer cell membranes particularly susceptible to cationic membrane-active agents. Cationic anticancer peptides (ACPs) and their synthetic mimics (SMACPs) have emerged as promising candidates for selectively disrupting malignant membranes; however, limitations related to stability, bioavailability, and toxicity have restricted their clinical utility. To address these challenges, nanotherapeutic platforms-particularly dendrimers-have emerged as promising tools to enhance peptide delivery, enable precise targeting, and support multifunctional therapeutic strategies. Dendrimers, including the most recent class of polyurea (PURE) dendrimers, feature modular and biodegradable architectures that enable concurrent drug delivery, gene silencing, and imaging functionalities. This chapter examines how membrane lipid remodeling contributes to cancer pathophysiology and highlights recent advances in dendrimer-based nanocarriers as precision tools for exploiting membrane-associated vulnerabilities in oncology.
The emergence of the first membranes requires more than the synthesis of amphiphiles; it requires a mechanism that stabilizes bilayer-forming geometries within chemically diverse prebiotic mixtures. We present a minimal thermodynamic model coupling amphiphile topology to self-assembly, incorporating packing, curvature, and steric contributions. Changes in temperature alter the balance between ordering and disorder within amphiphile aggregates, thereby modifying the relative stability of lamellar, micellar, and dispersed states. The model identifies a bounded temperature regime in which geometries compatible with ordered packing preferentially stabilize lamellar assemblies, while geometrically incompatible isomers partition into micellar or nonlamellar phases. In this framework, temperature acts as a physical filter on assembly stability, providing a pre-metabolic mechanism for membrane selection and suggesting that cooler environments may have offered favorable stability windows for early membrane persistence, and therefore may have been first in the origin of life in the Lipids First hypothesis.
Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) undergoing delivery face a significantly higher risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) due to metabolic disorders and impaired immune function compared with healthy pregnant women, making them a key population of concern in HAI prevention and control. However, effective early warning tools specifically tailored to this population are still lacking in clinical practice. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a risk prediction model for HAIs in women with GDM undergoing delivery, with the goal of identifying high-risk individuals and facilitating early intervention. Model development and validation were conducted using a sequential approach. In the development phase, a 10‑repeated 5‑fold cross‑validation was performed on the training set (n = 690; January 2022 - December 2024). To address severe class imbalance, the random over‑sampling examples method was applied within each training fold, followed by random forest (RF) modeling. This procedure was repeated 10 times with different random seeds, yielding 50 performance estimates. Candidate variables selected in at least 70% of the 50 folds were retained as stable predictors. Using this selected feature set, both logistic regression (LR) and RF models were developed. Model performance was then evaluated on an independent temporal validation set (n = 294; January - December 2025), which was completely withheld from the model development process. A 10‑repeated 5‑fold cross‑validation on the training set identified five stable predictors selected in ≥ 70% of the 50 model fits: mode of delivery, Group B Streptococcus colonization, artificial rupture of membranes, misoprostol administration, and balloon catheter for cervical ripening. Using these predictors, both RF and LR models were developed. In the temporal validation set (n = 294; positive rate 5.78%), the RF model achieved a PR‑AUC of 0.407 (95% CI: 0.145-0.632) and an ROC‑AUC of 0.789 (95% CI: 0.646-0.911). The LR model yielded a PR‑AUC of 0.345 (95% CI: 0.124-0.563) and an ROC‑AUC of 0.803 (95% CI: 0.665-0.920). The Brier score was 0.0472 for LR and 0.1134 for RF. The RF model demonstrated superior performance in identifying positive cases and exhibited greater stability, whereas LR achieved better probability calibration. Given the clinical priority of minimizing false negatives, RF may be preferable when sensitivity is prioritized, while LR may be more suitable when well-calibrated probabilities are required. Both models showed moderate discriminative ability and require further external validation before clinical implementation. Decision curve analyses supported their potential clinical utility. Not applicable.
Photocatalytic synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) offers a sustainable route toward green oxidation and environmental remediation, yet its efficiency is fundamentally constrained by rapid backward charge recombination, underscoring the synthetic challenge of creating molecular architectures capable of enforcing directional and recombination-suppressed charge transfer. Inspired by the stepwise electron transfer within the compartmentalized reaction centers of thylakoid membranes in natural photosynthesis, we design here biomimetic donor-acceptor 1-acceptor 2 (D-A1-A2) organic cages, where donors and acceptors are orderly positioned along an energy gradient to achieve a recombination-suppressed sequential charge transfer (RS-SCT) process, thereby promoting photocatalytic H2O2 production. Two single crystals of D-A1-A2 organic cages, BNC-O and BNC-S, are successfully constructed from in situ generated ditopic boronated monomers and C3-symmetric monomers via B-N dative bonds. Both cages show the RS-SCT process from electron-rich triphenylamines as the D through coordinated pyridines as A1 to more electron-deficient benzoxadiazoles or benzothiadiazoles as A2, which enable sequential charge migration and suppress backward charge recombination with prolonged excited-state lifetimes. As a result, the self-assembled two-dimensional crystalline cages featuring well-organized active sites exhibit significantly enhanced photocatalytic H2O2 production performance, achieving a rate of 4.15 mmol g-1 h-1 for crystalline BNC-O, which is markedly higher than those of the corresponding components lacking RS-SCT, including the individual D, A1, A2, and D-A systems. Furthermore, these D-A1-A2 organic cages are implemented in a photocatalytic microflow reactor for controllable in situ H2O2 generation under sunlight, which is further integrated into a cascade phenol-containing wastewater treatment system.
Gonostomatidae are among the most common terrestrial hypotrichs and are readily recognized by a distinctive oral apparatus (knee-shaped adoral zone of membranelles; monokinetidal undulating membranes with a widely spaced paroral and densely spaced endoral). A further key diagnostic trait is morphogenesis, in which the proter and opisthe share primary frontal-ventral-transverse (FVT) primordia that later split into secondary primordia. Despite their apparent diversity in soils, comparatively few gonostomatid species have been described, and most lack complete morphogenetic and/or molecular documentation. This insufficient documentation obscures relationships and contributes to taxonomic instability, highlighting the need for integrative taxonomy combining morphology, detailed morphogenesis, and multigene phylogenetics. From Korean soils we discovered two novel hypotrichs with a gonostomatid oral apparatus. The first is a new gonostomatid species with five FVT cirral rows and one or two transverse cirri. Its morphogenesis is distinctive within Gonostomatidae: the rightmost cirral row arises predominantly from anlage V with a short posterior contribution from anlage IV (i.e., pseudorow). Phylogenetic analyses show marker-dependent placements: the new species clusters with Metagonostomum gonostomoidum in the 18S rDNA tree but with Paragonostomoides xianicum in ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, 28S rDNA, and multi-gene datasets, indicating that the 18S rDNA marker lacks sufficient phylogenetic signal unlike the other markers; integrative evidence supports establishment of Metagonostomoides gen. nov. The second species, Wallackia koreana sp. nov., has a buccal cirral row reduced to two buccal cirri and an adoral zone occupying ~ 62% of body length; it clusters with W. bujoreani and Cladotricha australis, and the three group with Chaetospiridae in ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 and multi-gene datasets. A comparative review further shows that Wallackia and Neowallackia deviate from core gonostomatids by lacking shared primary primordia (proter and opisthe anlagen form independently), supporting Wallackiidae fam. nov. Re-evaluation of the "gonostomatid-type" oral apparatus across hypotrichs restricts it to Gonostomatidae, Chaetospiridae, and Wallackiidae fam. nov. We document two new soil hypotrich species from Korea, one representing a new gonostomatid genus (Metagonostomoides gen. nov.) and the other a new Wallackia species (W. koreana sp. nov.), and show that their integrative placement helps resolve relationships among hypotrichs with a gonostomatid oral apparatus. The combined morphological, morphogenetic, and multigene phylogenetic evidence supports recognition of Wallackiidae fam. nov. and restricts the gonostomatid-type oral apparatus to Gonostomatidae, Chaetospiridae, and Wallackiidae fam. nov.
Stimuli-responsive delivery systems, particularly thermoresponsive platforms, are becoming increasingly important for physiological applications, but their development has been limited by poor biocompatibility, slow response, and non-scalable fabrication methods. Liposomes offer a biocompatible and adaptable foundation for this need, but no scalable approach exists to produce uniform thermosensitive liposomes that activate above 37°C. Here, we present the first scalable strategy for generating monodisperse thermoresponsive liposomes using a corona-discharge- treated PDMS double-emulsion device. Aqueous cargo-containing cores are encapsulated within DPPC-containing oleic acid shells, with Pluronic F-127 added to the outer phase to stabilize the interface. Ethanol-mediated solvent extraction transforms these shells into lipid bilayers, and the combined use of rotational mixing and surfactant-assisted interfacial tuning reduces extraction time by more than 50% compared with prior reports while ensuring complete bilayer formation, even for thick shells. Under regulated extraction, droplets with thin lipid membranes incorporating Pluronic F-127 undergo abrupt rupture and cargo release at ∼41°C-45°C, providing stable encapsulation at physiological temperature and sharp thermally triggered release above body temperature. Overall, this work creates the first platform capable of producing uniform thermoresponsive liposomes that undergo abrupt, super-physiological temperature-triggered release, providing broad potential for drug delivery, biosensing, and synthetic biology.
Acyclic hydrocarbon α,ω-dienes constitute a large class of organic molecules featuring two CC bonds separated by methylene segments of variable length and with an open, linear chain. α,ω-Dienes serve as substrates and (co)monomers in a range of key chemical transformations. These include insertion (cyclo)polymerization, metathesis, cyclization, and hydroformylation to yield chemicals and polymers with potential applications in adhesives, lubricants, impact modifiers, automotive, membranes, and pharmaceuticals. The production of α,ω-dienes currently relies on the conversion of steam-cracking derivatives; however, the high cost, operational complexity, and substantial environmental burden associated to these technologies restrain their use to niche academic studies. The first section of this review provides a concise snapshot of emerging technologies for the production of such α,ω-dienes from biomass-derived feedstocks and via chemical plastic upcycling. These, alternative to petrochemicals, are critical to meet the pressing sustainability goals and to ensure the long-term accessibility of α,ω-dienes. The second and main section surveys the catalytic conversion of α,ω-dienes into carbocycles, (di)aldehydes, precision unsaturated poly(ethylene)s and elastomers. α,ω-Dienes act as modular, programmable molecular "Lego" blocks to access carbocycles, from strained rings to macrocycles, and to polymers with tailored functionalities and strategically placed cleavable sites that facilitate reuse, recycling, deconstruction, and predictable end-of-life behavior.
Peripheral nerve regeneration is frequently stalled by a "metabolic bottleneck" characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction and bioenergetic exhaustion. Although nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) provide structural support, most remain metabolically inactive and fail to address this energetic deficit. Here, we developed a fuel-maintenance coupling metabolic reprogramming strategy to support peripheral nerve repair. A biomimetic NGC was engineered with an aligned electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) sheath filled with an injectable, in situ photocrosslinkable Magnolol-loaded chitosan-lipoic acid hydrogel (LA-CS@Mag). In this synergistic system, α-lipoic acid serves as the metabolic fuel to restore ATP production, while Mag functions as a mitochondrial quality controller to promote mitophagy-associated mitochondrial clearance. In vitro, LA-CS@Mag protected rat Schwann cells (RSCs) from oxidative stress, restored mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced ROS accumulation, and improved ATP production, accompanied by activation of BNIP3/Parkin-related mitophagy. Moreover, conditioned medium from LA-CS@Mag-treated RSCs reduced M1-like macrophage polarization and promoted an M2-like reparative phenotype, suggesting Schwann cell-mediated immunomodulatory effects. In vivo, implantation of the LA-CS@Mag/PCL conduit modulated macrophage polarization, suppressed excessive early inflammatory responses, and promoted a reparative immune microenvironment. In a rat sciatic nerve defect model, the bioactive conduit significantly accelerated axonal regeneration and remyelination, prevented target muscle atrophy, and achieved functional recovery comparable to autografts. Collectively, this study identifies mitochondrial homeostasis as a therapeutic target and provides a metabolically instructive strategy for next-generation nerve guidance conduits.
Prokaryotes, particularly those in extreme environments, are capable of diverse metabolic states resulting in altered cell envelope structure and function. However, these changes are difficult to assess as standard fluorescent probes are often incompatible with extreme conditions and/or extremophile cell physiology. Halophilic archaea present the challenge of near-saturated intra-/extra-cellular salts, high membrane potential, and extended survival in altered metabolic states including entrapment within salt crystal fluid inclusions. We evaluated the compatibility of six fluorescent markers of cell envelope stability and activity with two model species, Halobacterium salinarum and Haloferax volcanii. Redox activity markers alamarBlue and pure resazurin solutions, membrane potential probes MitoTracker Orange-CMTMRos and Rhodamine 123, and SYTO 9 and propidium iodide (LIVE/DEAD kit) to assess cell membrane integrity were evaluated for use in bulk (microplate reader) and cell-specific (microscopy) applications. Limitations of each probe were identified, clarifying the utilization of each based on cell physiology, growth phase, medium composition, and probe exposure time including extended timescales needed to simulate the environmental conditions of haloarchaea. Of particular note, propidium iodide behavior was unreliable leading to double-labeling of cells and false interpretation of cells as dead. These data provide important insights into the study of prokaryotes in non-standard conditions.
Hyperuricaemia (HUA) is associated with hypertension, but the mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated whether the RhoA/ROCK pathway mediates HUA-induced vascular remodeling and hypertension. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, HUA, and fasudil (ROCK inhibitor) groups. Serum uric acid, creatinine, and blood pressure were measured biweekly. Histopathology, qPCR, and Western blotting assessed thoracic aortic changes and RhoA/ROCK pathway activation. Rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were treated with uric acid, with or without RhoA/ROCK inhibitors, to evaluate nitric oxide (NO) levels and protein expression. HUA significantly increased systolic blood pressure, aortic media thickness, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and expression of RhoA, ROCK1/2, and MLC1, with elevated phosphorylation of MLC and MYPT-1. Fasudil reduced blood pressure and ameliorated vascular remodeling but did not lower uric acid levels. In VSMCs, HUA decreased NO content, enhanced RhoA membrane translocation, and increased ROCK2 expression, effects reversed by RhoA or ROCK inhibitors. HUA promotes hypertension by activating the RhoA/ROCK pathway, leading to vascular remodeling and dysfunction. Inhibition of this pathway attenuates HUA-induced hypertension, highlighting the mechanistic relevance of the RhoA/ROCK pathway.
Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a frequent disorder of older adults, yet its persistence and recurrence are not fully explained by retained clot, bridging-vein injury, or technical failure of evacuation. We propose an aging-informed failed-resolution framework for interpreting CSDH persistence and recurrence at the aged dura-subdural interface. In this model, brain atrophy can maintain a residual subdural space, while frailty, multimorbidity, immune aging, vascular aging, and local fibrinolytic excess may lower the threshold for persistent membrane activity and delayed resolution. These host-level vulnerabilities are proposed to shape the outer-membrane environment, where macrophage and dendritic-cell recruitment, cytokine signaling, pathological angiogenesis, vascular leakage, recurrent microhemorrhage, and fibrin turnover may interact as an immune-vascular-fibrinolytic niche. We distinguish direct CSDH evidence from aging-derived mechanisms that remain inferential. Current CT and MRI phenotypes define hematoma burden, architecture, mass effect, and membrane enhancement, but they do not yet identify biological endotypes or select treatment. Peripheral inflammatory indices, coagulation-fibrinolysis markers, hematoma-fluid mediators, and single-cell profiling should be interpreted according to biological proximity, age-related confounding, and treatment-response validation. Burr-hole evacuation with drainage remains the standard for symptomatic mass effect. Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) currently has the most developed evidence base among membrane-directed adjuncts, whereas corticosteroid trials show that nonselective anti-inflammatory therapy can reduce reoperation yet worsen patient-centered outcomes. A key next step is to link frailty, lesion activity, functional recovery, safety, and treatment response in aging-informed cohorts and trials.
To investigate the effects of long-term storage at room temperature on the structure and functional properties of soy protein isolate (SPI), this study measured the changes in free amino and thiol content, as well as water and oil absorption of SPI during storage, and analyzed its molecular-level response mechanism using proteomics techniques. The results showed that with prolonged storage time, the content of free amino groups, free thiol groups, and total thiol groups in SPI continued to significantly decrease; The water absorption first stabilizes and then significantly decreases, with no significant change in oil absorption. A total of 9097 proteins were identified through proteomic analysis, and their expression patterns changed over storage time. The comparison of different storage time points shows that the number of differentially expressed proteins between 1 month and 3 months is the highest (523). GO enrichment analysis showed that the biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components of SPI undergo continuous changes during long-term storage. KEGG pathway analysis showed that there were disturbances in the basal metabolism, reducing power generation, and membrane lipid metabolism pathways during early storage; mid-term energy generation, protein synthesis, folding, and post-translational modification pathway function decline; post-oxidative defense, mRNA monitoring, and abnormal protein degradation pathways were impaired. Compared with the control group after 6 months of storage, the J domain protein and GRAM domain protein were significantly down-regulated, while the EF hand domain protein was significantly up-regulated. Research has shown that the quality deterioration of SPI stored at room temperature for a long time is the result of a combination of oxidative modifications, changes in metabolic pathways, and abnormal expression of key functional proteins. This study provides a basis for elucidating the underlying mechanisms of structural damage and functional decline in soy protein during storage.
Coronaviral replication depends on double-membrane vesicles (DMVs), yet where polyprotein processing occurs and how replication organelles mature remain unresolved. We built a multi-color super-resolution atlas of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, non-structural and structural proteins in infected human cells, combining 3D single-molecule localization with radial and angular pair-correlation analysis. The atlas uncovers fundamental spatial principles. First, nsp5 (3CLpro) localizes within the DMV lumen near pores, with nsp7-nsp16 positioned interior to nsp4, supporting a protease-dependent maturation model in which nsp5 action permits membrane closure and subsequently completes intravesicular polyprotein processing to activate replication complexes. Second, we identify dsRNA connectors bridging DMVs and non-canonical, nsp3/4-lacking dsRNA granules decorated with replicase components, consistent with a condensate-mediated route for trafficking replication intermediates. Third, mapping structural proteins reveals M- and S-positive virion assembly intermediates along the secretory route, while premature intracellular S1 shedding captures the baseline instability of the original virus isolate prior to evolutionary adaptation. Finally, the antiviral nirmatrelvir induces multilayered bodies of uncleaved polyproteins (nsp4-5-10-16) that persist after washout and precede rapid rebound, suggesting a drug-induced reservoir state. Beyond mapping the viral architecture, this atlas resolves the spatial context of proteolysis and organelle remodeling, providing a framework for pan-coronaviral mechanisms and antiviral design.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with current therapies often limited by significant drug resistance. Owing to the Warburg effect, targeting cancer-specific metabolic vulnerabilities is a promising therapeutic strategy. This study aims to investigate the role of RNF114 in HCC progression and its regulatory mechanism, as well as its clinical translational potential as a therapeutic target. We evaluated the clinical significance of RNF114 using tissue microarrays and database analysis. RNF114 function in promoting HCC progression by regulating glucose uptake was investigated using knockdown experiments in cell lines and subcutaneous xenograft models. Furthermore, a therapeutic xenograft model was employed to assess the potential of RNF114 knockdown in overcoming Sorafenib resistance. RNF114 was highly expressed in HCC and correlated with poor prognosis. Knockdown of RNF114 significantly suppressed HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and glycolysis. Co-immunoprecipitation identified PACSIN3 as a key substrate of RNF114. RNF114 interacted with the SH3 domain of PACSIN3, promoting its ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Subcellular fractionation revealed that the F-BAR domain of PACSIN3 facilitated GLUT1 vesicular trafficking. Consequently, RNF114 impaired this process, leading to increased plasma membrane retention of GLUT1 and enhanced glycolytic flux. Consistently, in both HCC cells and subcutaneous xenograft models, RNF114 knockdown sensitized tumors to Sorafenib treatment. Collectively, our findings reveal that the RNF114-PACSIN3-GLUT1 axis regulates glucose uptake and metabolic reprogramming in HCC, thereby promoting tumor progression and contributing to therapy resistance. Targeting this signaling axis provides a novel insight into metabolic therapy for HCC.
Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) catalyzes the interconversion of malate and oxaloacetate, but its role in pear disease resistance remains unclear. In this study, 17 PbrMDH genes were identified in the pear genome and classified into seven subfamilies, with members unevenly distributed across 10 chromosomes. Promoter analysis revealed the presence of multiple hormone-, light-, and stress-responsive cis-acting elements. Expression analysis showed that more than half of these genes were up-regulated after inoculation with Botryosphaeria dothidea (B. dothidea), suggesting their involvement in pathogen response. Among them, PbrMDH1, PbrMDH5, PbrMDH6, and PbrMDH13 were selected for functional analysis. Virus-induced gene silencing showed that silencing each of these genes significantly increased lesion size after B. dothidea infection, indicating reduced resistance in pear leaves. Subcellular localization showed that PbrMDH5 is localized to the plasma membrane. In addition, stable overexpression of PbrMDH5 in pear calli significantly enhanced resistance to B. dothidea. These results demonstrate that multiple PbrMDH genes participate in pear defense, and that PbrMDH5 acts as a positive regulator of resistance to B. dothidea. This study provides a foundation for further elucidating the functions of MDH genes in pear disease resistance. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01771-x.
We report on the formation of membranous protocells by self-assembly of lipids on micrometeorites, the extraterrestrial particles that have been continuously reaching the surface of the Earth ever since its formation. Synergistic interactions of lipid compartments with pristine extraterrestrial surfaces are entirely unexplored, but constitute a possible scenario for early evolution of primitive cells by a surface energy-driven transformation mechanism. Lipids utilize the surface energy of the particles to adhere to them and autonomously transform into spherical compartments, typically through formation of lipid nanotubes. Natural sand particles of similar composition and shape were simultaneously investigated for reference, showing that certain lipid compositions prefer micrometeorite surfaces. The elemental composition of the particles, their surface texture and cleanness altogether may be contributing to the differences observed in lipid behavior. Lipid nanotubes on- and extending out of- the micrometeorites were observed to carry lipid particles and connect to other objects in the surrounding environment.
The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway is a central regulator of innate immunity and plays a critical role in inducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and type I interferons (IFN-I). This pathway has emerged as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy and antiviral treatments. Despite its promise, the clinical translation of STING agonists is hindered by several challenges, including structural instability, high production costs, and inefficient delivery systems. These barriers underscore the urgent need for further research and innovation to optimize STING-based therapies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the cGAS-STING pathway, focusing on its activation mechanisms and recent advances aimed at enhancing its therapeutic efficacy. Alternative activators of STING, including metal ions, exogenous DNA, and endogenous DNA, are discussed for their potential to stimulate this pathway. Furthermore, synergistic therapeutic strategies combining cGAS-STING activation with reactive oxygen species (ROS)-based treatments, such as photodynamic therapy, radiotherapy, sonodynamic therapy, and chemodynamic therapy, are highlighted. Finally, recent progress in harnessing STING activation for antiviral defense against emerging pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses, is summarized to provide insights into the future development of cGAS-STING-targeted immunotherapies.
Grease trap waste (GTW) is a lipid-rich, low-value waste stream that is a promising feedstock for the production of long-chain dicarboxylic acids (LCDAs) by Candida viswanathii. However, the presence of anionic surfactants and trace metals hinders this bioconversion process. This study evaluated the use of ceramic ultrafiltration as a pretreatment technology. A 3 nm ZrO2 ceramic membrane removed approximately 90% of anionic surfactants and over 90% of Ni, Zn and Fe. Using a C1-grafted variant increased the flux sevenfold, to 2.3 L/(m2.h), while retaining the same level of removal. Pretreating the GTW increased LCDA titres in shake flasks by up to sixfold compared to untreated feed. In fed-batch bioreactor runs, pretreated GTW yielded 43.5 g/L LCDA, which is a 25% improvement to the untreated GTW, with a final productivity of 0.46 g/(L.h) and a lipid-to-LCDA yield of 82%. However, biomass formation was lower with pretreated GTW, likely reflecting reduced levels of growth-promoting cofactors. Nevertheless, these results demonstrate that ceramic ultrafiltration enables robust LCDA production from GTW, supporting valorisation of lipid wastes.