In BulletsIf we think that the light festival, Diwali in India, is the sole contributor to poor air quality in the days following the festival, then perhaps it may not be entirely correct to think so. A study conducted by a group of researchers at IIT Delhi attempts to find the impact of such festivals (pre-Diwali, during, and post-Diwali concentrations of air pollutants) on the ambient air quality in the capital city of New Delhi. The team found that the metal content (PM2.5 levels) increased by over 1000 fold, while the fireworks contributed about 95% during the festival. However, the team noted that the impact of fireworks steeply drops in about 12 hours following the festival. They also found that the days after the festival, biomass burning-related emissions (primary and secondary organic pollutants) rapidly increased by about two-fold compared to the pre-Diwali concentration. That suggests that biomass burning emissions could be the primary reason for poor air quality in the days following the festival.
More information: Manchanda et al. (2022). Chemical speciation and source apportionment of ambient PM2.5 in New Delhi before, during, and after the Diwali fireworks. Atmospheric Pollution Research. DOI:10.1016/j.apr.2022.101428
Journal information: Atmospheric Pollution Research
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, scientists looked at every possibility to ramp up the development of vaccines to protect people. In a recent study, researchers demonstrated the virus-blocking abilities of a protein called H84T-BanLec — isolated from banana fruit — against all known human-infecting coronaviruses (MERS, SARS, and SARS-CoV2). The protein, H84T-BanLec is a carbohydrate-binding protein that blocks the virus by binding to high-mannose glycans and polysaccharides on the surface of the viruses.
More information: Chan et al. (2022). A molecularly engineered, broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus lectin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV infection in vivo. Cell Reports Medicine. DOI:10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100774
Journal information: Cell Reports Medicine
Human population growth has accelerated the need for organ transplants and qualified donors. In recent work, scientists revealed a nanoengineered granular hydrogel bioink for 3D bioprinting of organs that contains hydrogel microparticles and self-assembling nanoparticles. The authors claim that their bioink is more porous, better at holding its shape, and integrates with cells quite well.
More information: Ataie et al. (2022). Nanoengineered Granular Hydrogel Bioinks with Preserved Interconnected Microporosity for Extrusion Bioprinting. Small. DOI:10.1002/smll.202202390
Journal information: Small