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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to DNA-directed arrangement of soft synthetic compartments and their behavior in vitro and in vivo
ClearRemodeling of lipid-foam prototissues by network-wide tension fluctuations induced by active particles
This study investigated how active synthetic cells can reshape assemblies of lipid-foam structures through tension fluctuations, exploring the mechanics of artificial tissue formation. No microplastics or environmental science content is present in this entry.
DNA Nano‐Biomaterials Based Futuristic Technologies for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Therapeutics
This review covers advances in DNA-based nanomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, including drug delivery and wound healing. While not directly about microplastics, DNA nanotechnology could potentially be applied to detect or remediate nanoplastic contamination in biological tissues. The research represents a broader trend in nanoscale biomaterials that may intersect with microplastics research in the future.
Reconstructed membrane vesicles from the microalga Dunaliella as a potential drug delivery system
Researchers reconstructed tiny bubble-like vesicles from microalgae cell membranes and tested their potential as drug delivery vehicles. The vesicles proved soft, water-friendly, and semi-permeable to certain molecules, pointing to a sustainable, ocean-inspired approach for transporting medicines or studying how materials move across biological membranes.
Micro‐ and Nanorobots Meet DNA
This review explored how DNA-functionalized micro- and nanorobots are being developed for applications including targeted drug delivery, environmental remediation, and biosensing, highlighting the versatile role of DNA in creating intelligent robotic systems at the nanoscale.
A Five-Stage Model of Nanoplastic Interaction with Biological Membranes
Researchers developed a five-stage conceptual model describing how nanoplastics interact with biological membranes, from initial surface corona acquisition through physical approach, adsorption, hydrophobic core penetration, and structural deformation. The model connects nanoplastic behavior to membrane stability outcomes — including stabilization, defect formation, or collapse — and links prebiotic vesicle behavior to modern cellular stress responses.
A Five-Stage Model of Nanoplastic Interaction with Biological Membranes
Researchers developed a five-stage conceptual model describing how nanoplastics interact with biological membranes, from initial surface corona acquisition through physical approach, adsorption, hydrophobic core penetration, and structural deformation. The model connects nanoplastic behavior to membrane stability outcomes — including stabilization, defect formation, or collapse — and links prebiotic vesicle behavior to modern cellular stress responses.
Interfacial Engineering of Soft Matter Substrates by Solid-State Polymer Adsorption
Researchers investigated interfacial engineering of soft matter substrates through solid-state polymer adsorption, examining how polymer films modify surface properties with implications for materials design and the broader understanding of polymer behavior relevant to plastic persistence in the environment.
Mechanical properties of carriers based on natural polymers: Polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids as wall materials
Researchers reviewed how carriers made from natural polymers — polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids — can replace synthetic plastic-based carriers while offering tunable mechanical properties, summarizing preparation techniques, modification strategies, and the promise of these biodegradable materials for sustainable applications.
Intrinsically Disordered Synthetic Polymers in Biomedical Applications
This is a polymer chemistry review on intrinsically disordered synthetic polymers designed to mimic flexible proteins for biomedical applications like drug delivery and organ transplants; it is not a microplastics research paper.
Spherical DNA for Probing Wettability of Microplastics
Researchers used spherical nucleic acids to probe the wettability of microplastics, finding that soaking microplastics in water for three months increased their surface adsorption capacity due to physical changes — specifically air removal from nanosized pores — rather than chemical transformation.
Active colloids orbiting giant vesicles
Scientists observed that self-propelled colloidal particles persistently orbit around lipid membrane vesicles in water. This soft matter physics research could contribute to understanding how active micro-scale particles, including some plastic fragments, interact with biological membranes.
DNA attachment to polymeric, soft and quantum materials: mechanisms and applications
This review covered mechanisms and applications of DNA oligonucleotide attachment to polymeric, soft, and quantum materials—including polydopamine and nanodiamond surfaces—showing how DNA functionalization enables molecular recognition, directed assembly, and environmental detection of pollutants including microplastics.
Polystyrene and polyethylene perturb the structure of membrane: An experimental and computational study
Researchers combined cell experiments, molecular dynamics simulations, and toxicogenomic analysis to show that polystyrene and polyethylene nanoplastics — individually and as a mixture — physically penetrate cell membranes and form pores, with the mixture producing stronger disruption than either polymer alone.
Soft Actuators and Actuation: Design, Synthesis, and Applications
This review covers the design, synthesis, and applications of soft actuators made from hydrogel materials, which are used in robotics, artificial muscles, and biomedical devices. Researchers examined fabrication techniques including 3D printing and photolithography, as well as how these materials respond to environmental stimuli. While primarily a materials science review, it touches on the broader context of developing biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic-based components.
Protein at liquid solid interfaces: Toward a new paradigm to change the approach to design hybrid protein/solid-state materials
Researchers review protein adsorption behavior at solid-liquid interfaces, proposing a new classification of proteins as "hard" or "soft" based on their structural stability upon adsorption, which helps predict how proteins form coronas on nanoparticle and material surfaces — a key consideration for nanoplastic-protein interactions in biological environments.
Evaluation of properties for synthetic polymers in medicine
This review examines the properties and biomedical applications of synthetic polymers, covering their use in drug delivery, tissue engineering, cardiovascular devices, and implants, with synthetic polymers accounting for the majority of new pharmaceutical and therapeutic research applications.
Controlled adhesion, membrane pinning and vesicle transport by Janus particles
Researchers developed Janus polystyrene microparticles half-coated with iron to study controlled adhesion and encapsulation by giant vesicles used as model cell membranes, demonstrating that electrostatic charge and ferromagnetic patches enable tunable particle engulfment and magnetic manipulation of vesicle transport.
Synthetic Polymer-based Hydrogels and Properties
Researchers reviewed the synthesis, properties, and applications of synthetic polymer-based hydrogels, summarizing advances in zwitterionic and hybrid formulations that overcome brittleness and poor toughness to enable uses from drug delivery to neural interfaces and bioelectronic devices.
Surfactant-free production of biomimetic giant unilamellar vesicles using PDMS-based microfluidics
Researchers developed a microfluidic method to produce giant lipid vesicles — artificial cell membranes — without the need for surfactants or other chemical additives, creating more biomimetic and biologically relevant model cells. The technique enables high-throughput production of vesicles across a wide size range and is compatible with encapsulating proteins, DNA, and living cells for synthetic biology research.
3D nanofabricated soft microrobots with super-compliant picoforce springs as onboard sensors and actuators
Researchers developed tiny 3D-printed soft microrobots using an elastic, magnetic material that can sense forces as small as half a piconewton — roughly the weight of a single molecule — enabling the robots to grasp and manipulate individual biological cells with unprecedented precision for biomedical applications.