Growing up in a rough world: scaling of frictional adhesion and morphology of the Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko)

• Anthony J. Cobos and
• Timothy E. Higham

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1292–1302, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.107

• ability to adhere to surfaces in nature. Using Tokay geckos (Gekko gecko), we examined the post-hatching scaling of morphology and frictional adhesive performance in animals ranging from 5 to 125 grams in body mass. We quantified setal density, setal length, and toepad area using SEM. This was then used

• lower values than smooth surfaces. The safety factor went down with body mass and with surface roughness, suggesting that smaller animals may be more likely to occupy rough substrates in their natural habitat. Keywords: allometry; biomechanics; ecology; habitat; ontogeny; substrate; Introduction

• Animals attach to surfaces in numerous ways, including claws, suction, and both wet and dry adhesion. In fact, some animals can utilize multiple attachment mechanisms [1][2], leading to multifunctionality across surfaces of varying roughness. Dry adhesion is found in many invertebrates and squamate

Laser-processed antiadhesive bionic combs for handling nanofibers inspired by nanostructures on the legs of cribellate spiders

• Sebastian Lifka,
• Kristóf Harsányi,
• Erich Baumgartner,
• Lukas Pichler,
• Dariya Baiko,
• Karsten Wasmuth,
• Johannes Heitz,
• Marco Meyer,
• Anna-Christin Joel,
• Jörn Bonse and
• Werner Baumgartner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1268–1283, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.105

• product in the form of a random network of fibers, referred to as nonwoven fabric, the stickiness of the freshly produced and thus fragile nanofiber nonwoven remains a problem. This is mainly because nanofibers strongly adhere to any surface because of van der Waals forces. In nature, there are animals

• interacting surface area. Though technical nanofiber handling and processing is limited today, in nature, there are animals that are actually able to efficiently produce, process, and handle nanofibers, namely cribellate spiders [10][11]. Their capture thread consists of one or two axial fibers as

• endangered or protected species. Special permits were not required. All applicable international, national, and institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. Amaurobius similis (Blackwall, 1861) and Uloborus plumipes (Lucas, 1846) were captured in Aachen, Germany, and kept in the

Microneedle-based ocular drug delivery systems – recent advances and challenges

• Piotr Gadziński,
• Anna Froelich,
• Monika Wojtyłko,
• Antoni Białek,
• Julia Krysztofiak and
• Tomasz Osmałek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1167–1184, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.98

• concluded from the presented studies, the current state of knowledge is related mostly to physicochemical parameters and the number of studies performed with the use of in vivo models is rather limited. It is also noteworthy that the available data refer to animals and, to the best of our knowledge, no

Recent advances in green carbon dots (2015–2022): synthesis, metal ion sensing, and biological applications

• Aisha Kanwal,
• Naheed Bibi,
• Sajjad Hyder,
• Arif Muhammad,
• Hao Ren,
• Jiangtao Liu and
• Zhongli Lei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1068–1107, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.93

Spindle-like MIL101(Fe) decorated with Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles for enhanced degradation of chlortetracycline under visible-light irradiation

• Chen-chen Hao,
• Fang-yan Chen,
• Kun Bian,
• Yu-bin Tang and
• Wei-long Shi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1038–1050, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.91

• ]. Chlortetracycline (CTC) is the first tetracycline antibiotic used for veterinary purposes [3]. Due to the abusive use of CTC in livestock industry and the low absorption in animals, a large amount of CTC has been released into the environment through animal excretions. At present, CTC has been detected in aquatic

Interaction between honeybee mandibles and propolis

• Leonie Saccardi,
• Franz Brümmer,
• Jonas Schiebl,
• Oliver Schwarz,
• Alexander Kovalev and
• Stanislav Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 958–974, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.84

• development process that led to the anatomical investigation of honeybee mandibles. The hypothesis is that animal species that regularly have close contact with resinous plants or even actively harvest resins may have developed counter-stickiness strategies. This is because animals that permanently stick to a

• morphology of the mandibles, as all examined mandibles had this characteristic. Anisotropic structures are also present on other animals such as snakes and were proposed to support anisotropic properties, for example, anisotropic friction [34]. The scales on bee mandibles are mostly oriented towards the apex

Bioselectivity of silk protein-based materials and their bio-inspired applications

• Hendrik Bargel,
• Vanessa T. Trossmann,
• Christoph Sommer and
• Thomas Scheibel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 902–921, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.81

• bioselectivity. Keywords: antifouling; bacteriostatic; biofouling; bioselective cell adhesion; spider silk protein; Review 1 Introduction 1.1 Bioadhesive protein surfaces Biological adhesion is important for all organisms such as plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi, covering a wide range of biological aspects

Micro-structures, nanomechanical properties and flight performance of three beetles with different folding ratios

• Jiyu Sun,
• Pengpeng Li,
• Yongwei Yan,
• Fa Song,
• Nuo Xu and
• Zhijun Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 845–856, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.75

• with the “Guiding Principles in the Care and Use of Animals” (China) and were approved by the ethics committee of experimental animal welfare of Jilin University. High-speed camera A high-speed camera (Phantom V711, Vision Research Inc., USA) was used to obtain the postures and flapping frequencies of

Photothermal ablation of murine melanomas by Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle clusters

• Xue Wang,
• Lili Xuan and
• Ying Pan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 255–264, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.20

• the heat shock protein HSP70 as a plausible explanation for the observed therapeutic benefits as a result of hyperthermia. Findings of the current study accentuate the potential application of Fe3O4 nanoparticle clusters in the treatment of melanoma. Experimental Reagents and animals Iron

Engineered titania nanomaterials in advanced clinical applications

• Padmavati Sahare,
• Paulina Govea Alvarez,
• Juan Manual Sanchez Yanez,
• Gabriel Luna-Bárcenas,
• Samik Chakraborty,
• Sujay Paul and
• Miriam Estevez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 201–218, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.15

• and chemotherapy methods for cancer treatment [15]. Titania nanomaterials as antidotes to venom Snakebites cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide (around 100,000 deaths annually). The only treatment of snakebites available are antivenoms from immunized animals, which contain specific IgG

Bacterial safety study of the production process of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers

• Axel Steffen,
• Yu Xiong,
• Radostina Georgieva,
• Ulrich Kalus and
• Hans Bäumler

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 114–126, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.8

• animals are declared fit for human consumption after a post-mortem inspection. In the geographical area where the blood is collected, many critical viral pathogens do not occur [10]. Nevertheless, the blood is tested for viral contamination. In terms of bacterial safety, the blood and the hemoglobin

• . coli is mainly found in the intestines of humans and animals, is Gram-negative, and has an approximate length of 2 µm with a diameter of 1 µm and a cylindrical shape [31]. S. epidermidis lives on human skin but is also frequently responsible for infections of immunocompromised patients in hospitals [32

Use of nanosystems to improve the anticancer effects of curcumin

• Andrea M. Araya-Sibaja,
• Norma J. Salazar-López,
• Krissia Wilhelm Romero,
• José R. Vega-Baudrit,
• J. Abraham Domínguez-Avila,
• Carlos A. Velázquez Contreras,
• Ramón E. Robles-Zepeda,
• Mirtha Navarro-Hoyos and
• Gustavo A. González-Aguilar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1047–1062, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.78

• melanoma cells, respectively) was observed when using doses up to 100 μM. In vivo (C57BL/6 mice) data showed that a topical application prevented regrowth and metastasis of excised tumors (melanoma), in contrast to a significant recurrence (70%) in untreated animals. Based on their data, the authors

• studies performed on human subjects. Data generated in vitro and in animals should complement the efficacy of a treatment and can be used to determine its mechanisms of action at cellular and molecular scales. However, there is no substitute for human-derived data. Figure 1 summarizes relevant data

• esophageal cancer) and to reduce drug resistance. However, further research is necessary to validate its possible beneficial effects in humans. It should also be emphasized that there is significant variation in the metabolism and rate of nanosystems in experimental animals as compared to humans. For example

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

Physical constraints lead to parallel evolution of micro- and nanostructures of animal adhesive pads: a review

• Thies H. Büscher and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 725–743, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.57

• morphology of attachment devices is affected by physical constraints. This resulted in two main types of attachment devices in animals: hairy and smooth. They differ in morphology and ultrastructure but achieve mechanical adaptation to substrates with different roughness and maximise the actual contact area

• with them. Species-specific environmental surface conditions resulted in different solutions for the specific ecological surroundings of different animals. As the conditions are similar in discrete environments unrelated to the group of animals, the micro- and nanostructural adaptations of the

• influence of different factors, such as substrate roughness and pad stiffness, on contact forces, and review the chemical composition of pad fluids, which is an important component of an adhesive function. Attachment systems are omnipresent in animals. We show parallel evolution of attachment structures on

Fate and transformation of silver nanoparticles in different biological conditions

• Barbara Pem,
• Marija Ćurlin,
• Darija Domazet Jurašin,
• Valerije Vrček,
• Rinea Barbir,
• Vedran Micek,
• Raluca M. Fratila,
• Jesus M. de la Fuente and
• Ivana Vinković Vrček

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 665–679, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.53

• ]. Here, we exposed Wistar rats to poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP)-coated AgNPs for 28 days. A microscopic examination of liver tissues of treated animals revealed an interesting result (described below) that initiated our subsequent research (presented here) on a possible transformation pattern of AgNPs in

• regarded as an extension of our previous work [40]. In addition, liver tissues of control (untreated) and treated animals were prepared for TEM analysis, which revealed quite surprising observations. While TEM images obtained for control animals conformed to classical histological features of liver tissue

• (Figure 2a), large electron-dense spherical and cubic forms were found in the liver slices of treated animals (Figure 2b). Our first explanation for the origin of these forms was the preparation of the tissue samples for TEM examination (i.e., precipitates of Pb acetate or OsO4). However, such electron

The impact of molecular tumor profiling on the design strategies for targeting myeloid leukemia and EGFR/CD44-positive solid tumors

• Nikola Geskovski,
• Nadica Matevska-Geshkovska,
• Simona Dimchevska Sazdovska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Kristina Mladenovska and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 375–401, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.31

• ascites leukemia models, compared to non-functionalized carriers, and that the pre-treatment of the animals with ATRA further improved the efficacy of the FR-targeted liposomes by up to 50% [51]. Since AML and CML proliferation is mainly governed by leukemia stem cells (LSC), there is a rationale to

• addition, the treated B220+/Mac1− cells were injected in immunodeficient mice, and the median time for leukemia onset in the animals was observed for daunorubicin, daunorubicin-loaded non-functionalized nanoparticles, and anti-B220 antibody-functionalized nanoparticles loaded with daunorubicin. The

Intracranial recording in patients with aphasia using nanomaterial-based flexible electronics: promises and challenges

• Qingchun Wang and
• Wai Ting Siok

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 330–342, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.27

• accurate recordings of cortical activity [6]. Preclinical tests using animals (rats or primates) have shown that nanomaterial-based electronics could boost the spatiotemporal accuracy and resolution of brain imaging signals [7]. In general, iEEG electrode arrays made of nanomaterials are thinner, lighter

• decoding for a long time [84]. The development allows for the observation of brain activity in freely moving animals. Researchers are able to investigate the correlation between behaviour and neural networks. The adaption of nanomaterial-based flexible electronics in iEEG recordings offers a great

A review on the biological effects of nanomaterials on silkworm (Bombyx mori)

• Sandra Senyo Fometu,
• Guohua Wu,
• Lin Ma and
• Joan Shine Davids

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 190–202, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.15

• ]. The use of these model organisms in research has paved the way for new discoveries in science. However, the use of mammalian animal models, such as pigs, mice, and primates have sparked bioethical problems since experimental trials may cause pain and discomfort to the animals. Thus, it is imperative

• numerous advantages in using silkworm as a model organism. These animals require less sophisticated infrastructure for rearing, are prolific breeders, have a short life cycle, a moderate body size which allows for an easy manipulation of genes and organs, a clear genetic background, and abundant mutation

• organs between these two classes of animals. Hamamoto et al. reported that the absence of neurotoxin receptors in silkworms could be a reason why the levels of neurotoxic substances were higher in silkworms when compared to mice [99]. The silkworm is an invertebrate organism that has a distant

Bio-imaging with the helium-ion microscope: A review

• Matthias Schmidt,
• James M. Byrne and
• Ilari J. Maasilta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1–23, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.1

• oligomerisation of the 33-mer peptide gliadin [74]. The HIM data helped the authors to “show a plausible pathway of 33-mer peptide protofilaments formation” via the contact of square-like oligomers and the formation of protofilaments by “longitutinal association of matured rod-like oligomers.” Imaging animals and

• plants HIM imaging of small animals and plants has been around since the early years of helium ion microscopy, when pollen samples [7][8] and pine leaves [14] were imaged. The first in-depth and notable HIM imaging demonstration of small animals was done in 2012 by Boden et al. [12], when the intricate

Transient coating of γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles with glutamate for its delivery to and removal from brain nerve terminals

• Konstantin Paliienko,
• Artem Pastukhov,
• Michal Babič,
• Daniel Horák,
• Olga Vasylchenko and
• Tatiana Borisova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1381–1393, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.122

• on the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals 86/609/EEC) and the experimental protocols were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of the Palladin Institute of Biochemistry (Protocol from 19/09-2016). Ten animals were used in experiments analyzing ʟ-[14C]glutamate uptake, its extracellular level

• and the membrane potential of nerve terminals. Six animals were used for blood plasma preparation. Isolation of nerve terminals (synaptosomes) from rat cortex The cortex zone of the rat brain was rapidly removed and homogenized in ice-cold 0.32 M sucrose, 5 mM HEPES-NaOH, pH 7.4 and 0.2 mM EDTA. The

Applications of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in drug and therapeutic delivery, and biotechnological advancements

• Maria Suciu,
• Corina M. Ionescu,
• Alexandra Ciorita,
• Septimiu C. Tripon,
• Dragos Nica,
• Hani Al-Salami and
• Lucian Barbu-Tudoran

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1092–1109, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.94

Plant growth regulation by seed coating with films of alginate and auxin-intercalated layered double hydroxides

• Vander A. de Castro,
• Valber G. O. Duarte,
• Danúbia A. C. Nobre,
• Geraldo H. Silva,
• Vera R. L. Constantino,
• Frederico G. Pinto,
• Willian R. Macedo and
• Jairo Tronto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1082–1091, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.93

• applied to plantations in higher doses than recommended. These high doses can cause environmental problems such as contamination of soil, water, plants, and animals. The intercalation of agrochemicals in LDHs can generate a sustained release of the organic compounds, reducing the number of applications

Uniform Fe₃O₄/Gd₂O₃-DHCA nanocubes for dual-mode magnetic resonance imaging

• Miao Qin,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Mengjie Xu,
• Hui Yan,
• Yizhu Cheng,
• Xiumei Zhang,
• Di Huang,
• Weiyi Chen and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1000–1009, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.84

• cause significant side effects in cells or animals. In vivo T1WI and T2WI images showed that FGDA nanocubes can be used as a T1–T2 dual-mode contrast agent in MRI. Collectively, the results show that FGDA nanocubes may serve as a potential MRI tracker in research and clinical settings. In the future

• received FGDA nanocubes as the contrast agent. The animals were anesthetized with 2% isoflurane inhalation anesthesia while the MRI was being performed. T1WI and T2WI were acquired by the turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence with TR/TE = 550/14 ms and TR/TE = 2510/101 ms, respectively. After the FGDA nanocubes

Preparation and in vivo evaluation of glyco-gold nanoparticles carrying synthetic mycobacterial hexaarabinofuranoside

• Gennady L. Burygin,
• Polina I. Abronina,
• Nikita M. Podvalnyy,
• Sergey A. Staroverov,
• Leonid O. Kononov and
• Lev A. Dykman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 480–493, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.39

• (conjugate of an antigen with GNPs) is typical for the immunization of animals, starting with the first published work on the production of antibodies using colloidal gold [102]. The prepared Ara6-GNPs 3 and 4 were not separated from the excess of ligands 1 and 2 and were used for hyperimmunization of

• tetrasaccharide epitope S. pneumonia type 14 without T-helper peptide did not result in the activation of the immune response of the animals (mice) or the production of specific antibodies. The situation is rather complex as our analysis of the literature data on the use of thiol- and amino-containing glyco-GNPs

• of glyco-GNPs bearing the hexasaccharide epitope of LAM/AG for the activation of a specific immune response against carbohydrate antigens in laboratory animals (rabbits). The results are helpful in the development of synthetic protein- and peptide-free glycoconjugate vaccines based on glyco-GNPs. It

Facile biogenic fabrication of hydroxyapatite nanorods using cuttlefish bone and their bactericidal and biocompatibility study

• Satheeshkumar Balu,
• Manisha Vidyavathy Sundaradoss,
• Swetha Andra and
• Jaison Jeevanandam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 285–295, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.21

• ; cuttlefish bone; hard tissue treatment; hydroxyapatite; nanorods; Introduction Generally, the hard tissue of humans and animals, such as bone and teeth, are composed of natural hydroxyapatite (Hap), which is a bioactive ceramic material with high calcium phosphate concentration whereby the material can