Advances in the Optimization of Fe Nanoparticles: Unlocking Antifungal Properties for Biomedical Applications.

In recent years, nanotechnology has achieved a remarkable status in shaping the future of biological applications, especially in combating fungal diseases. Owing to excellence in nanotechnology, iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) have gained enormous attention in recent years. In this review, we have provided a comprehensive overview of Fe NPs covering key synthesis approaches and underlying working principles, the factors that influence their properties, essential characterization techniques, and the optimization of their antifungal potential. In addition, the diverse kinds of Fe NP delivery platforms that command highly effective release, with fewer toxic effects on patients, are of great significance in the medical field. The issues of biocompatibility, toxicity profiles, and applications of optimized Fe NPs in the field of biomedicine have also been described because these are the most significant factors determining their inclusion in clinical use. Besides this, the difficulties and regulations that exist in the transition from laboratory to experimental clinical studies (toxicity, specific standards, and safety concerns) of Fe NPs-based antifungal agents have been also summarized.

Beyond graphene: exploring the potential of MXene anodes for enhanced lithium-sulfur battery performance.

The high theoretical energy density of Li-S batteries makes them a viable option for energy storage systems in the near future. Considering the challenges associated with sulfur's dielectric properties and the synthesis of soluble polysulfides during Li-S battery cycling, the exceptional ability of MXene materials to overcome these challenges has led to a recent surge in the usage of these materials as anodes in Li-S batteries. The methods for enhancing anode performance in Li-S batteries via the use of MXene interfaces are thoroughly investigated in this study. This study covers a wide range of techniques such as surface functionalization, heteroatom doping, and composite structure design for enhancing MXene interfaces. Examining challenges and potential downsides of MXene-based anodes offers a thorough overview of the current state of the field. This review encompasses recent findings and provides a thorough analysis of advantages and disadvantages of adding MXene interfaces to improve anode performance to assist researchers and practitioners working in this field. This review contributes significantly to ongoing efforts for the development of reliable and effective energy storage solutions for the future.

Rolling the evolutionary dice: Neisseria commensals as proxies for elucidating the underpinnings of antibiotic resistance mechanisms and evolution in human pathogens.

Species within the genus Neisseria are adept at sharing adaptive allelic variation, with commensal species repeatedly transferring resistance to their pathogenic relative Neisseria gonorrhoeae. However, resistance in commensals is infrequently characterized, limiting our ability to predict novel and potentially transferable resistance mechanisms that ultimately may become important clinically. Unique evolutionary starting places of each Neisseria species will have distinct genomic backgrounds, which may ultimately control the fate of evolving populations in response to selection as epistatic and additive interactions coerce lineages along divergent evolutionary trajectories. Alternatively, similar genetic content present across species due to shared ancestry may constrain existing adaptive solutions. Thus, identifying the paths to resistance across commensals may aid in characterizing the Neisseria resistome-or the reservoir of alleles within the genus as well as its depth. Here, we use in vitro evolution of four commensal species to investigate the potential and repeatability of resistance evolution to two antimicrobials, the macrolide azithromycin and the ß-lactam penicillin. After 20 days of selection, commensals evolved resistance to penicillin and azithromycin in 11/16 and 12/16 cases, respectively. Almost all cases of resistance emergence converged on mutations within ribosomal components or the mtrRCDE efflux pump for azithromycin-based selection and mtrRCDE, penA, and rpoB for penicillin selection, thus supporting constrained adaptive solutions despite divergent evolutionary starting points across the genus for these particular drugs. Though drug-selected loci were limited, we do identify novel resistance-imparting mutations. Continuing to explore paths to resistance across different experimental conditions and genomic backgrounds, which could shunt evolution down alternative evolutionary trajectories, will ultimately flesh out the full Neisseria resistome.IMPORTANCENeisseria gonorrhoeae is a global threat to public health due to its rapid acquisition of antibiotic resistance to all first-line treatments. Recent work has documented that alleles acquired from close commensal relatives have played a large role in the emergence of resistance to macrolides and beta-lactams within gonococcal populations. However, commensals have been relatively underexplored for the resistance genotypes they may harbor. This leaves a gap in our understanding of resistance that could be rapidly acquired by the gonococcus through a known highway of horizontal gene exchange. Here, we characterize resistance mechanisms that can emerge in commensal Neisseria populations via in vitro selection to multiple antimicrobials and begin to define the number of paths to resistance. This study, and other similar works, may ultimately aid both surveillance efforts and clinical diagnostic development by nominating novel and conserved resistance mechanisms that may be at risk of rapid dissemination to pathogen populations.

Rolling the evolutionary dice: Neisseria commensals as proxies for elucidating the underpinnings of antibiotic resistance mechanisms and evolution in human pathogens.

Species within the genus Neisseria are especially adept at sharing adaptive allelic variation across species' boundaries, with commensal species repeatedly transferring resistance to their pathogenic relative N. gonorrhoeae. However, resistance in commensal Neisseria is infrequently characterized at both the phenotypic and genotypic levels, limiting our ability to predict novel and potentially transferable resistance mechanisms that ultimately may become important clinically. Unique evolutionary starting places of each Neisseria species will have distinct genomic backgrounds, which may ultimately control the fate of evolving populations in response to selection, as epistatic and additive interactions may coerce lineages along divergent evolutionary trajectories. However alternatively, similar genetic content present across species due to shared ancestry may constrain the adaptive solutions that exist. Thus, identifying the paths to resistance across commensals may aid in characterizing the Neisseria resistome - or the reservoir of alleles within the genus, as well as its depth. Here, we use in vitro evolution of four commensal species to investigate the potential for and repeatability of resistance evolution to two antimicrobials, the macrolide azithromycin and the ß-lactam penicillin. After 20 days of selection, commensals evolved elevated minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to penicillin and azithromycin in 11/16 and 12/16 cases respectively. Almost all cases of resistance emergence converged on mutations within ribosomal components or the mtrRCDE efflux pump for azithromycin-based selection, and mtrRCDE or penA for penicillin selection; thus, supporting constrained adaptive solutions despite divergent evolutionary starting points across the genus for these particular drugs. However, continuing to explore the paths to resistance across different experimental conditions and genomic backgrounds, which could shunt evolution down alternative evolutionary trajectories, will ultimately flesh out the full Neisseria resistome.