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Improvement of Transfection with PepFects Using Organic and Inorganic Materials

Research Abstract

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are a promising non-viral vector for gene and drug delivery. CPPs exhibit high cell transfection, and are biocompatible. They can be also conjugated with organic and inorganic nanomaterials, such as magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), graphene oxide (GO), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and chitosan. Nanomaterials offered a high specific surface area and provided relatively straightforward methods to be modified with biomolecules including CPPs and oligonucleotides (ONs). Novel nanomaterials conjugates with CPP/ONs complexes are therefore of interest for cell transfection with high efficiency. In this chapter, we described a summary of the non-viral vectors consisting of CPPs and nanomaterials. The book chapter also included a protocol to generate hybrid biomaterials consisting of CPPs and nanoparticles (NPs) for the delivery of oligonucleotides. The conjugation of NPs with CPPs serves as an effective platform for gene therapy with high cell transfection efficiency. The protocol is simple, offers high cell transfection compared to the CPPs-ONs complexes, and can be used for further improvements using external stimuli.

Research Authors
Moataz Dowaidar, Hani Nasser Abdelhamid, Ülo Langel
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Cell Penetrating Peptides
Research Member
Research Pages
555-567
Research Vol
2383
Research Website
https://link.springer.com/protocol/10.1007/978-1-0716-1752-6_35
Research Year
2021

Functionalized Materials for Miniaturized Analytical Devices

Research Abstract

The past decade witnessed significant progress in the preparation, characterization, and applications of advanced materials, e.g. nanoparticles. The recent techniques for materials processing could enable new devices. Thus, several innovative processing technologies for the implementation of materials, including nanoparticles, into small devices are now available. The rapid pace of progress in the area of analytical devices improved methods of detection, sensing, and biosensing. Miniaturized and portable devices are required urgently for on-site analytical applications. Several types of miniaturized and wearable devices are being developed for the measurement of key analytes and biomarkers without the need for invasive procedures. There is a need to establish connections between academic laboratories and industrial sectors with required experimental facilities and infrastructures to create commercial products. New miniaturized devices could become useful for several applications including metal detection, sensing and biosensing, biomedical, and diagnostic applications. This chapter provides an in-depth understanding of the implementation of materials for miniaturized analytical devices. It is also noteworthy that using nanoparticles for miniaturized devices will benefit not only the electronics but also the chemical industries, as well as health-care industry. Interaction among scientists and engineers with different backgrounds will undoubtedly create miniaturized analytical devices with unforeseen technological possibilities.

Research Authors
Hani Nasser Abdelhamid
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Miniaturized Analytical Devices: Materials and Technology
Research Member
Research Publisher
Wiley
Research Vol
9
Research Website
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9783527827213.ch9
Research Year
2021

Cellulose-zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (CelloZIFs) for multifunctional environmental remediation: Adsorption and catalytic degradation

Research Abstract

The crystal growth of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) on biopolymers such as cellulose is a promising method for obtaining hybrid materials that combinenatural and synthetic materials. Cellulose derivative viz. 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxylradical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidized nanocellulose (TOCNF) was used to modulate the crystal growth of ZIF-8 (denoted as CelloZIF-8) and ZIF-L (CelloZIF-L). The synthesis procedure occurred in water at room temperature with and without NaOH. The reaction parameters such as the sequence of the chemical's addition and reactant molar ratio were investigated. The phases formed during the crystal growth were monitored. The data analysis ensured the presence of zinc hydroxide nitrate nanosheets modified TOCNF during the crystallization of CelloZIFs. These phases were converted to pure phases ofCelloZIF-8 and CelloZIF-L. The resultant CelloZIFs materials were used for the adsorption of carbon dioxide (CO2), metal ions, and dyes. The materials exhibited high selectivity with reasonable efficiency (100%) toward the adsorption of anionic dyes such as methyl blue (MeB). They can also be used as a catalyst for dye degradation via hydrogenation with an efficiency of 100%. CelloZIF crystals can be loaded into a filter paper for simple, fast, and selective adsorption of MeB from a dye mixture. The materials are recyclable for five cycles without significant loss of their performance. The mechanisms of adsorption and catalysis were also investigated.

Research Authors
Hani Nasser Abdelhamid, Aji Mathew
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Chemical Engineering Journal
Research Member
Research Pages
131733
Research Publisher
Elsevier
Research Vol
426
Research Website
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894721033143
Research Year
2021

Cellulose-Based Materials for Water Remediation: Adsorption, Catalysis, and Antifouling

Research Abstract

Cellulose-based materials have been advanced technologies that used in water remediation. They exhibit several advantages being the most abundant biopolymer in nature, high biocompatibility, and contain several functional groups. Cellulose can be prepared in several derivatives including nanomaterials such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), and TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical)-mediated oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNF). The presence of functional groups such as carboxylic and hydroxyls groups can be modified or grafted with organic moieties offering extra functional groups customizing for specific applications. These functional groups ensure the capability of cellulose biopolymers to be modified with nanoparticles such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), graphene oxide (GO), silver (Ag) nanoparticles, and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. Thus, they can be applied for water remediation via removing water pollutants including heavy metal ions, organic dyes, drugs, and microbial species. Cellulose-based materials can be also used for removing microorganisms being active as membranes or antibacterial agents. They can proceed into various forms such as membranes, sheets, papers, foams, aerogels, and filters. This review summarized the applications of cellulose-based materials for water remediation via methods such as adsorption, catalysis, and antifouling. The high performance of cellulose-based materials as well as their simple processing methods ensure the high potential for water remediation.

Research Authors
Hani Nasser Abdelhamid, Aji P. Mathew
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Front. Chem. Eng.
Research Member
Research Pages
790314
Research Publisher
Frontiers
Research Vol
3
Research Website
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fceng.2021.790314/full
Research Year
2021

Chitosan-Based Nanocarriers for Gene Delivery

Research Abstract

Chitosan is a natural biopolymer with a high potential to serve as a carrier for drug and gene delivery. Several types of chitosan with and without modifications were reported for the delivery of gene therapeutic agents. Chitosan-based materials are biocompatible, condense effectively with oligonucleotides, are cheap, and can be transfected in several types of cells. The chemistry of chitosan, such as functional groups, enables structural modification to satisfy the requirements prior to use for the synthesis of an effective delivery system. This chapter introduces the applications of chitosan as a carrier for gene delivery. It covers the basic chemistry of chitosan and their modifications. Applications of chitosan as a carrier for gene delivery and the advantages and disadvantages of the chitosan-based carrier are summarized. This chapter is useful for researchers and scientists interested in the applications of chitosan as a carrier for gene-based therapeutic agents.

Research Authors
Hani Nasser Abdelhamid
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Nanoengineering of Biomaterials
Research Member
Research Publisher
Wiley
Research Vol
4
Research Website
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9783527832095.ch4
Research Year
2021

Using fermentation waste of ethanol-producing yeast for bacterial riboflavin production and recycling of spent bacterial mass for enhancing the growth of oily plants

Research Abstract

Aim

This study aims to use fermentation waste of ethanol production (solid and liquid) for riboflavin and recycling of bacterial biomass as biofertilizers to enhance the growth of some oily crop plants.

Methods and Results

Out of 10 yeast isolates from fresh milk, Clavispora lusitaniae ASU 33 (MN583181) was able to ferment different concentrations of glucose (2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) into ethanol with high efficiency at 10%. Among seven non-Lactobacillus bacterial isolates recovered from cheese samples, two bacterial isolates Bacillus subtlis-SR2 (MT002768) and Novosphingobium panipatense-SR3 (MT002778) were selected for their high riboflavin production. Different media (control medium, fermentation waste medium and a mixture of the fermentation waste medium and control medium [1:1]) were used for riboflavin production. These media were inoculated by a single or mixture of B. subtlis-SR2, N. panipatense-SR3. The addition of the waste medium of ethanol production to the control medium (1:1) had a stimulatory effect on riboflavin production whether inoculated with either a single strain or a mixture of B. subtlis-SR2 and N. panipatense-SR3. A mixture of fermentation waste and control media inoculated with N. panipatense produced a high riboflavin yield in comparison with other media. Inoculation of Zea mays and Ocimum basilicum plants with either the bacterial biomass waste of riboflavin production (B. subtlis or N. panipatense) or a mixture of B. subtlis and N. panipatense) shows a stimulatory effect on the plant growth in comparison with control (uninoculated plants).

Conclusions

These results demonstrate the possibility of minimizing the cost of riboflavin and biofertilizer manufacturing via interlinking ethanol and riboflavin with the biofertilizer production technology.

Significance and Impact of Study

This study outlines the methods of evaluating the strength of spent media by applying procedures developed in the vitamin production industries. Furthermore, bacterial biomass waste can act as an environmentally friendly alternative for agrochemicals.

Research Authors
Shymaa Ryhan Bashandy, Mohamed Hemida Abd-Alla, Ghada Abd-Elmonsef Mahmoud
Research Date
Research Journal
Journal of Applied Microbiology
Research Pages
2020-2033
Research Publisher
© 2022 Society for Applied Microbiology
Research Rank
International
Research Vol
132
Research Website
https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jam.15221
Research Year
2022

Ultrastable Carbazole-tethered Conjugated Microporous Polymers for High-Performance Energy Storage

Research Abstract

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) have considered as organic porous polymers featuring combination of p-conjugated skeletons with permanent micro-porosity. In the present study, we report the synthesis of carbazole-tethered conjugated microporous polymers, BC-Py-CMP and BC-BF-CMP, respectively, through the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling polymerization of the novel 3,3′,6,6′-tetraboronic-pinacolate-9,9′-bicarbazole (BC-4Bpin) with 1,3,6,8-tetrabromopyrene (Py-4Br) and 3,3′,6,6′-tetrabromo-9,9′-bifluorenylidene (BF-4Br). These CMPs exhibited extraordinary thermal stabilities (up to ca. 694 and 569 °C) and high surface areas (up to ca. 1030 m2 g−1). Moreover, the as-prepared BC-BF-CMP exhibited a high specific capacitance of 260 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and showed outstanding cycling stability, having 89.60% capacitance retention of its authentic capacitance over 6000 cycles. The excellent electrochemical capacitances of the BC-BF-CMP were presumably due to the 9,9′-BF could easily accept one electron, causing the reduced form acquiring greater aromaticity by meeting Huckel's requirements, as a result improving the electron transporting properties. Such CMPs tend to have tremendous potential to be used as a high-performance supercapacitors in energy storage systems.

Research Authors
Mostafa Ahmed, Mohammed G. Kotp, Tharwat Hassan Mansoure, Rong-Ho Leed, Shiao-Wei Kuo, Ahmed F. M. EL-Mahdy
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Microporous and Mesoporous Materials
Research Pages
111766-111774
Research Publisher
ELSEVIER
Research Vol
333
Research Website
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1387181122000877
Research Year
2022

Microporous Carbon and Carbon/Metal Composite Materials Derived from Bio-Benzoxazine-Linked Precursor for CO2 Capture and Energy Storage Applications

Research Abstract

There is currently a pursuit of synthetic approaches for designing porous carbon materials with selective COcapture and/or excellent energy storage performance that significantly impacts the environment and the sustainable development of circular economy. In this study we prepared a new bio-based benzoxazine (AP-BZ) in high yield through Mannich condensation of apigenin, a naturally occurring phenol, with 4-bromoaniline and paraformaldehyde. We then prepared a PA-BZ porous organic polymer (POP) through Sonogashira coupling of AP-BZ with 1,3,6,8-tetraethynylpyrene (P-T) in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry revealed details of the thermal polymerization of the oxazine rings in the AP-BZ monomer and in the PA-BZ POP. Next, we prepared a microporous carbon/metal composite (PCMC) in three steps: Sonogashira coupling of AP-BZ with P-T in the presence of a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) as a directing hard template, affording a PA-BZ POP/ZIF-67 composite; etching in acetic acid; and pyrolysis of the resulting PA-BZ POP/metal composite at 500 C. Powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer Emmett–Teller (BET) measurements revealed the properties of the as-prepared PCMC. The PCMC material exhibited outstanding thermal stability (Td10 = 660 C and char yield = 75 wt%), a high BET surface area (1110 m2 g–1), high CO2 adsorption (5.40 mmol g–1 at 273 K), excellent capacitance (735 F g–1), and a capacitance retention of up to 95% after 2000 galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) cycles; these characteristics were excellent when compared with those of the corresponding microporous carbon (MPC) prepared through pyrolysis of the PA-BZ POP precursors with a ZIF-67 template at 500 C.

Research Authors
Mohamed Gamal Mohamed, Maha Mohamed Samy, Tharwat Hassan Mansoure, Chia-Jung Li, Wen-Cheng Li, Jung-Hui Chen, Kan Zhang, and Shiao-Wei Kuo
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Research Pages
347-365
Research Vol
23
Research Year
2021

New insights into stratigraphy and paleoenvironment of the Upper Cretaceous–Eocene succession, Farafra Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt

Research Abstract

Detailed field, litho-, bio-, sequence stratigraphy, and paleoenvironmental studies are carried out on the Aqabaat section, Farafra Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt. Lithostratigraphically, the Khoman Formation is here differentiated for the first time into three new distinctive members, which are easily detected at the field: the White Desert (at base), the Gunna (at middle), and the Aqabaat (at top). Biostratigraphically, six planktonic foraminiferal zones and subzones are here identified ranging in age from Maastrichtian to Ypresian. The foraminiferal indices, as well as the benthonic foraminiferal biofacies, indicated an outer neritic paleoenvironmental condition of the Maastrichtian rocks interrupted with shallowing of the relative sea-level at some intervals, especially at the upper parts. These shallowing settings are due to the impact of three syn-sedimentary tectonic events (I, II, and III), which are related to the Syrian Arc orogeny. The Tectonic Event I had a regional impact and led to form a positive structure in the sedimentary basin at the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary. The Tectonic Event II and III synchronized with the Danian/Selandian (D/S) and Paleocene/Eocene (P/E) boundaries, respectively. Four depositional sequences (SQ1–SQ4) are defined separated by four sequence boundaries (SB1–SB4) covering the Maastrichtian–Eocene sequence.

Research Authors
Kamel H Mahfouz, Islam El-Sheikh, Nageh A Obaidalla, Abeer Shreif
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Journal of African Earth Sciences
Research Pages
104096
Research Publisher
Pergamon
Research Rank
1
Research Vol
Vol.175
Research Website
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2020.104096
Research Year
2021

Unsteady homogeneous-heterogeneous reactions in MHD nanofluid mixed convection flow past a stagnation point of an impulsively rotating sphere

Research Abstract

This paper establishes a mathematical analysis for describing the homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactions in the nearness of stagnation region of a sphere immersed in a single-phase nanofluid due to a Newtonian heating. The flow is resulted by an impulsively rotating sphere, and the nanofluid involves nanoparticles of Copper and Ferro. The available unsteady-states of the considered system are given in the case when the diffusion coefficients of both reactant and auto catalyst have the same size. The resulting non-linear dimensionless coupled partial differential equations in which governing the mixed convection flow have been tackled numerically via an implicit finite difference technique in combination with the quasi-linearization scheme. The similarities and differences in the behavior of physical pertinent fluid parameters have been elaborated and discussed graphically. It has been clarified that the nanofluid velocity and temperature profiles grow gradually by adding nanoparticles in the base fluid. Again it is noticed from present contribution that concentration of the nanofluid is decreases function by rising the strength of homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactions. Finally, numerical computations of the skin friction and heat transfer factors are presented.

Research Authors
Abd El Nasser Mahdy, Fekry M Hady, Hossam A Nabwey
Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Thermal Science
Research Member
Research Year
2021
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