Bijan Kashanian

How can both acidic and reductive solution chemistry slow particle dissolution? Lili Liu, Jim DeYoreo, and their team at the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently published an exciting study using their Hummingbird Scientific in-situ TEM liquid cell sample holder (https://lnkd.in/guhTaK9) to investigate the dissolution mechanisms of akaganeite (β-FeOOH) nanorods in different solutions. Liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LP-TEM) was combined with radiolysis simulations to image dissolution evolution and measure dissolution rates. Dissolution rates were varied systematically using pH buffers, background chloride anions, and electron beam dose. While buffers inhibited dissolution by via consumption of radiolytic species, chloride anions suppressed dissolution at rod tips and promoted dissolution at rod sides via complex surface and structural evolution. The results will inform future in-situ studies concerning the nanoscale mechanisms that govern metal cycling in natural environments. See the comments below for a link to read more and find the full paper.    Follow Hummingbird Scientific to stay up to date on the latest in-situ TEM news. #insitu #STEM #LPTEM #hummingbirdscientific #nanotechnology #materialsscience #dissolution #pnas #buffers #radiolysis

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McGillivray lab publishes article over the mechanisms of zinc oxide nanoparticle toxicity. Alex Caron (BS Biology 2022; MS Biology 2024), Iman Ali (BS Biology, 2021), Michael Delgado (BS Biology, 2023) and Shauna McGillivray (Professor, Biology) in collaboration with Dustin Johnson (MS Physics 2022; current PhD student Physics), John Reeks (PhD Physics, 2021) and Yuri Strzhemechny (Associate Professor, Physics & Astronomy) published a paper entitled “Zinc oxide nanoparticles mediate bacterial toxicity in Mueller-Hinton Broth via Zn2 ”. The article, which appears in Frontiers in Microbiology, elucidates the mechanism underlying the antibacterial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). ZnO NPs are a promising antimicrobial therapy with broad spectrum activity including against drug-resistant pathogens. However, there has been significant controversy in the field regarding their mechanism of action. Their results indicate that the primary toxicity mechanism is the production of Zn2 and that physical contact is not necessary for growth inhibition. This is contrary to many studies in the field that focus on the production of reactive oxygen species, primarily hydrogen peroxide, and direct interactions between ZnO NPs and bacterial cells. These findings are significant because manipulating the physical morphology and surface properties of ZnO NPs, such as introducing surface defects, should increase Zn2 formation and could therefore increase the utility of ZnO NPs as antibacterial agents.

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We sat down with Yuzhong Liu, PhD, an assistant professor at Scripps Research, to discuss her work in sustainable vaccinology. Traditionally, QS-21—a highly sought-after molecule that improves vaccine effectiveness—has been sourced from soapbark trees. Liu’s research uses synthetic biology to produce QS-21 in yeast, reducing environmental impact and increasing vaccine availability. Learn how Liu’s innovative approach bridges environmental sustainability and public health in our exclusive Q&A: https://ow.ly/UwZu50SnzaO

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Alejandro Chavez and Joonwon Kim of UC San Diego discuss their recent 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 publication on high-throughput insertion of tags across the genome (HITAG). This cutting-edge technique enables rapid and efficient tagging of endogenous proteins, providing an invaluable tool for the large-scale interrogation of protein function. https://lnkd.in/eg8p4ijG 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗚? HITAG (High-Throughput Insertion of Tags Across the Genome) is a novel method designed to facilitate the study of protein function on a large scale. By leveraging a modified Cas9-based targeted insertion strategy that relies on nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), HITAG allows for the rapid creation of libraries of cells, each containing a different protein of interest tagged at the C-terminus. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Using HITAG, the researchers fused mCherry to a set of 167 stress granule-associated proteins. This enabled them to elucidate the features driving a subset of proteins to accumulate strongly within these transient RNA-protein granules. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗚 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁? Understanding the dynamic behavior and interaction partners of proteins is crucial for building an accurate working model of the cell. Protein tags, such as those created by HITAG, facilitate numerous studies, including in vivo protein localization, affinity purification, and rapid protein degradation. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀: https://lnkd.in/eWgWv4q9 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲 https://lnkd.in/e4SMybuk 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘇 𝗟𝗮𝗯 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀: https://chavezlab.com/ Discover more about the 𝗡𝗛𝗚𝗥𝗜 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 and the research supported through the NHGRI Genome Technology Program: https://lnkd.in/eMJUeNg3

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