Batoul Moubarak completed her doctoral thesis, entitled “Understanding the Biochemical Function and Evolutionary Diversification of Galactolipid Synthases” under the joint supervision of Christelle Br...

A new method combining frontal ultrafiltration and ultrasound, followed by UV photocrosslinking enabled the fabrication of orthotropic CNC/PEGDA (poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate) nanocomposites with ...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has gained prominence in treating both neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases due to the advent of new third-generation pho…

Nanocomposites of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (sPEEK) reinforced with chemically modified tunicate cellulose nanocrystals (T-CNCs) as partially biosourced proton-conducting membranes were prepared. Their morphology, mechanical properties, gas permeability, and chemical composition at macroscopic and microscopic scales were characterized. Aiming on the characterization of the filler-matrix interfaces, the Photoinduced Force Microscopy (PiFM) technique was used to collect spectroscopic information at the nanoscale. The PiFM allowed visualizing the improved dispersion of T-CNCs by the surface sulfonation of the CNCs. The precise analysis of the chemical composition of the nanoscale interface by PiFM also highlights the likely heterogeneous nature of this modification. This provides insight into the quality of the chemical functionalization as well as the interfaces with the potential for optimizing the nanocomposite properties and manufacturing techniques, aiming to enhance both the mechanical properties and conductivity of membranes reinforced with nanocellulose.

Glycans are vital macromolecules with diverse biological roles, decoded by lectins – specialized carbohydrate-binding proteins crucial in pathogenesis…

The human gut microbiota can acquire new catabolic functions by integrating genetic material coming from the environment, for example from food-associated bacteria. An illustrative example of that is ...

The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor to mediate viral entry, with mutations in different variants…

We present a hybrid material system comprising polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) and oligosaccharides, offering a versatile platform for constructing unique spherical phases. The sugar–POSS hybrids were synthesized using a thiol–ene reaction between thiol-functionalized POSS (alkyl side chain: isobutyl (BPOSS) or isooctyl (OPOSS)) and allyl-functionalized maltooligosaccharides (degree of polymerization: 1–4). The small-angle X-ray scattering analysis of the bulk samples revealed various anomalous self-assembled morphologies, including primitive monoclinic, body-centered orthorhombic, and Frank–Kasper phases. Importantly, the resulting nanostructures were dependent on not only the sugar volume fraction but also the physical state (crystalline or amorphous) of the POSS units. Notably, the amorphous OPOSS hybrids formed Frank–Kasper A15 phases. This work demonstrates the potential of sugar–POSS hybrids for advancing nanoscale design and expanding applications of functional nanomaterials.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are elongated nanoparticles derived from natural cellulose, with potential applications ranging from rheological modifiers and emulsion stabilizers to photonic pigments a...

Background Glycoside Hydrolase family 2 (GH2) is one of the largest and most functionally diverse carbohydrate-active enzyme families. This functional diversity is an obstacle to accurate functional p...

Lipo-chitooligosaccharides (LCO) and short-chain chitooligosaccharides (CO) are produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and activate the plant symbiosis signalling pathway, which is essential for mycorrhiza formation. High-affinity LCO receptors belonging to the LysM receptor-like kinase (LysM-RLK) phylogenetic group LYR-IA play a role in AM establishment, but it is unclear which proteins are the plant high-affinity short-chain CO receptors. Here we studied members of the uncharacterized LYR-IB group, and found that they show high affinity for LCO, short-and long-chain CO, and play a complementary role with the LYR-IA receptors for AM establishment. While LYR-IB knock out mutants had a reduced AMF colonization in several species, constitutive/ectopic expression in wheat increased AMF colonization. LYR-IB function is conserved in all tested angiosperms, but in most japonica rice a deletion creates a frameshift in the gene, explaining differences in AM phenotypes between rice and other monocot single LYR-IA mutants. In conclusion, we identified a class of LysM-RLK receptors in angiosperms with unique biochemical properties and a role in both LCO and CO perception for AM establishment.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) with soilborne Glomeromycota fungi was pivotal in the conquest of land by plants almost half a billion years ago. In flo...

YouTube video by Cermav UPR5301

Although polymer nanoparticles for drug delivery are routinely described, their thorough characterization is often overlooked. Two systems containing self-assemblies of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly...

Chronic lung infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cenocepacia pose a severe threat to immunocompromised patients, particularly those with cystic fibrosis. These pathogens often...

Plants perceive and respond to chitin derived from fungal cell walls through lysine motif (LysM) receptor kinases. In the model legume Medicago truncatula, CERK1 and LYR4 represent the LysM receptor p...

Protein-carbohydrate interactions play a crucial role in numerous fundamental biological processes. Thus, description and comparison of the carbohydra…

Structure factors of disks that are randomly packed in 2D, equivalent to parallel cylinders, are given as a function of the area fraction. This structure factor can be used to interpret scattering fea...

The motifs exposed on surface glycans of mucins serve as receptors to a range of proteins expressed by microorganisms. The specificity of microbial glycan-binding proteins, i.e., lectins, towards huma...

Reflection interference contrast microscopy (RICM, also known as interference reflection microscopy) and related techniques have become of wide interest to the biophysical, soft matter, and biochemist...