New challenge: Mitigation and control of antibiotic resistant genes in aquatic environments by biochar.

With an increase of diverse contaminants in the environment, particularly antibiotics, the maintenance and propagation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are promoted by co-selection mechanisms. ARGs are difficult to degrade, cause long-lasting pollution, and are widely transmitted in aquatic environments. Biochar is frequently used to remove various pollutants during environmental remediation. Thus, this review provides a thorough analysis of the current state of ARGs in the aquatic environment as well as their removal by using biochar. This article summarizes the research and application of biochar and modified biochar to remove ARGs in aquatic environments, in order to refine the following contents: 1) fill gaps in the research on the various ARG behaviors mediated by biochar and some influence factors, 2) further investigate the mechanisms involved in effects of biochar on extracellular ARGs (eARGs) and intracellular ARGs (iARGs) in aquatic environments, including direct and the indirect effects, 3) describe the propagation process and resistance mechanisms of ARGs, 4) propose the challenges and prospects of feasibility of application and subsequent treatment in actual aquatic environment. Here we highlight the most recent research on the use of biochar to remove ARGs from aquatic environments and suggest future directions for optimization, as well as current perspectives to guide future studies on the removal of ARGs from aquatic environments.

Redox-sensitive hydrogel based on hyaluronic acid with selenocystamine cross-linking for the delivery of Limosilactobacillus reuteri in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model.

Disrupted gut microbiota homeostasis is an important cause of inflammatory colitis. Studies have shown that effective supplementation with probiotics can maintain microbial homeostasis and alleviate colitis. Here, to increase the viability of probiotics in the harsh gastrointestinal environments and enable targeted delivery, a redox-sensitive selenium hyaluronic acid (HA-Se) hydrogel encapsulating probiotics was developed. HA was modified with selenocystamine dihydrochloride and crosslinked by an amide reaction to generate a redox-sensitive hydrogel with stable mechanical properties, a low hemolysis rate and satisfactory biocompatibility. The HA-Se hydrogel exhibited suitable sensitivity to 10 mM GSH or 100 µM H2O2. The encapsulation of Limosilactobacillus reuteri (LR) in the HA-Se hydrogel (HA-Se-LR) significantly increased the survival rate of the probiotics in simulated gastric and intestinal fluid. HA-Se-LR administration increased the survival rate of mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, significantly alleviated oxidative stress and inflammation, and increased the effect of LR on microbiota α diversity. These results indicate that the HA-Se hydrogel constructed in this study can be used as a delivery platform to treat colitis, expanding the targeted applications of the natural polymer HA in disease treatment and the administration of probiotics as drugs to alleviate disease symptoms.

Bioelectrochemical remediation of soil antibiotic and antibiotic resistance gene pollution: Key factors and solution strategies.

In recent years, owing to the overuse and improper handling of antibiotics, soil antibiotic pollution has become increasingly serious and an environmental issue of global concern. It affects the quality and ecological balance of the soil and allows the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which threatens the health of all people. As a promising soil remediation technology, bioelectrochemical systems (BES) are superior to traditional technologies because of their simple operation, self-sustaining operation, easy control characteristics, and use of the metabolic processes of microorganisms and electrochemical redox reactions. Moreover, they effectively remediate antibiotic contaminants in soil. This review explores the application of BES remediation mechanisms in the treatment of antibiotic contamination in soil in detail. The advantages of BES restoration are highlighted, including the effective removal of antibiotics from the soil and the prevention of the spread of ARGs. Additionally, the critical roles played by microbial communities in the remediation process and the primary parameters influencing the remediation effect of BES were clarified. This study explores several strategies to improve the BES repair efficiency, such as adjusting the reactor structure, improving the electrode materials, applying additives, and using coupling systems. Finally, this review discusses the current limitations and future development prospects, and how to improve its performance and promote its practical applications. In summary, this study aimed to provide a reference for better strategies for BES to effectively remediate soil antibiotic contamination.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Cnidium monnieri, a highly demanded traditional Chinese medicine.

Cnidium monnieri, a medicinal herb of the Cnidium genus and the Apiaceae family, is among the most important traditional Chinese medicines and is widely distributed in China. However, to date, no C. monnieri-related genomic information has been described. In this study, we assembled the C. monnieri genome of approximately 1210.23 Mb with a contig N50 of 83.14 Mb. Using PacBio HiFi and Hi-C sequencing data, we successfully anchored 93.86% of the assembled sequences to 10 pseudochromosomes (2n = 20). We predicted a total of 37,460 protein-coding genes, with 97.02% of them being functionally annotated in Non-Redundant, Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and other databases. In addition, we identified 2,778 tRNAs, 4,180 rRNAs, 258 miRNAs, and 1,700 snRNAs in the genome. This is the first reported C. monnieri genome. Hopefully, the availability of this chromosome-level reference genome provides a significant basis for upcoming natural product-related biosynthetic pathway assessment in C. monnieri.