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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Modular Metal–Organic Polyhedra Superassembly: From Molecular‐Level Design to Targeted Drug Delivery

Abstract Targeted drug delivery remains at the forefront of biomedical research but remains a challenge to date. Herein, the first superassembly of nanosized metal–organic polyhedra (MOP) and their biomimetic coatings of lipid bilayers are described to synergistically combine the advantages of micelles and supramolecular coordination cages for targeted drug delivery. The superassembly technique affords unique hydrophobic features that endow individual MOP to act as nanobuilding blocks and enable their superassembly into larger and well‐defined nanocarriers with homogeneous sizes over a broad range of diameters. Various cargos are controllably loaded into the MOP with high payloads, and the nanocages are then superassembled to form multidrug delivery systems. Additionally, functional nanoparticles are introduced into the superassemblies via a one‐pot process for versatile bioapplications. The MOP superassemblies are surface‐engineered with epidermal growth factor receptors and can be targeted to cancer cells. In vivo studies indicated the assemblies to have a substantial circulation half‐life of 5.6 h and to undergo renal clearance—characteristics needed for nanomedicines.

Zhu, Wei↗
DOE OSTI2019

DIY XES-development of an inexpensive, versatile, and easy to fabricate XES analyzer and sample delivery system

The application of X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) has grown substantially with the development of X-ray free-electron lasers, third and fourth generation synchrotron sources, and high-power benchtop sources. By providing the high X-ray flux required for XES, these sources broaden the availability and application of this method of probing electronic structure. As the number of sources increase, so does the demand for X-ray emission detection and sample delivery systems that are cost effective and customizable. In this work, we present a detailed fabrication protocol for von Hamos X-ray optics and give details for a 3D-printed spectrometer design. Additionally, we outline an automated, externally triggered liquid sample delivery system that can be used to repeatedly deliver nanoliter droplets onto a plastic substrate for measurement. These systems are both low cost, efficient, and easy to recreate or modify depending on the application. A low cost multiple X-ray analyzer system enables measurement of dilute samples, whereas the sample delivery limits sample loss and reproducibly replaces spent sample with fresh sample in the same position. While both systems can be used in a wide range of applications, the design addresses several challenges associated specifically with time-resolved XES (TRXES). As an example application, we show results from TRXES measurements of photosystem II, a dilute, photoactive protein.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Gas–Liquid Chemical Reactions with Nanosecond Pulses: Role of Frequency and Pulse Delivery Modes

The effects of changes in the mode of delivery of nanosecond pulses in a gas-liquid plasma reactor on the formation of hydrogen peroxide, H 2 O 2 , and, as an indicator for ·OH radicals, the decoloration of methylene blue, MB, were determined for pulse delivery by a) increasing frequency with uniform pulses (5-50 kHz), b) variation of the time between bursts of pulses (burst period), c) changing the inner burst frequency (1 over the time between the pulses in the burst), and d) variation of number of pulses in a burst (N-cycles). H 2 O 2 peroxide formation was not affected by the method of pulse delivery in the range of parameters studied here and all data followed an approximately linear increase in H 2 O 2 production rate with discharge power. In contrast, the MB decoloration rate was affected by the burst modes. In terms of discharge power, the MB decoloration rate was highest for the uniform pulse mode; however, the linear trend in increase of MB decoloration with power when the burst period was varied, suggest that at higher power the burst mode may be more effective than the uniform pulsing. Consideration of the per pulse decoloration with energy per pulse and with number of pulses suggest that the burst mode can affect reactions differently from applying a uniform pulse.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

A site-specific branching poly-glutamate tag mediates intracellular protein delivery by cationic lipids

Highlights: • We reported a highly potent strategy for intracellular protein delivery. • A branching poly-E tag mediated the entrapment of proteins into liposomes. • The resultant protein-lipid complexes entered into cytosol with a high efficiency. • The strategy maintained protein's biological activity. Intracellular protein delivery is of significance for cellular protein analysis and therapeutic development, but remains challenging technically. Herein, we report a general and highly potent strategy for intracellular protein delivery based on commercially available cationic lipids. In this strategy, a designed double branching poly-glutamate tag is site-specifically attached onto the C-terminal of protein cargos via expressed protein ligation (EPL), which mediates the entrapment of proteins into cationic liposomes driven by electrostatic interaction. The resultant protein-lipid complexes can enter into cytosol with a high efficiency even at the low protein concentration while maintaining protein's biological activity.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Layer-by-layer assembled PEI-based vector with the upconversion luminescence marker for gene delivery

The upconversion luminescence (UCL) marker based on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) shows unique advantages over traditional fluorescence markers, such as enhanced tissue penetration, better photostability, and less autofluorescence. Herein, we constructed a new UCL gene-delivery nonviral vector via layer-by-layer self-assembly of poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) with UCNPs. To reduce the cytotoxicity of PEI, citric acid (CA) was introduced for aqueous modification, and PEI assembly was introduced on the UCNP surface. Our data show that the nonviral vector for UCL gene-delivery demonstrates excellent photostability, low toxicity, and good stability under physiological or serum conditions and can strongly bind to DNA. Moreover, this UCL PEI-based vector could serve as a promising fluorescent gene-delivery carrier for theranostic applications.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Life-cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from hydrogen delivery: A cost-guided analysis

The cost of hydrogen delivery for transportation accounts for most of the current H 2 selling price; delivery also requires substantial amounts of energy. In this work, we developed harmonized techno-economic and life-cycle emissions models of current and future H 2 production and delivery pathways. Our techno-economic analysis of dispensed H 2 costs guided our selection of pathways for the life-cycle analysis. In this paper, we present the results of market expansion scenarios using existing capabilities (for example, those that use H 2 from steam methane reforming, chlor-alkali, and natural gas liquid cracker plants), as well as results for future electrolysis plants that use nuclear, solar, and hydroelectric power. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions for fuel cell electric vehicles compared to conventional gasoline pathways vary from 40% reduction for fossil-derived H 2 to 20-fold for clean H 2 . Supplemental tables with greenhouse gas emissions data for each step in the H 2 pathways enable readers to evaluate additional scenarios.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bacteria-mediated dsRNA delivery for mosquito-borne virus control

Mosquito-borne viruses represent an increasing global public health threat, exacerbated by urbanisation and climate change, thus making effective mosquito control essential. RNA interference (RNAi), a sequence-specific gene regulation mechanism, can be a flexible vector control tool. RNAi effectors, such as double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), can target mosquito genes or the viruses they carry, disrupting development or suppressing infection. However, current RNAi delivery methods are ineffective. Engineered bacterial symbionts offer a promising alternative for delivery, as they can produce dsRNA directly within mosquitoes. However, bacterial RNAi delivery in mosquitoes remains underexplored. We review emerging genetic tools, insights from RNAi and bacteria–mosquito interactions to outline priorities for realising bacterial RNAi as an efficient and sustainable vector control strategy.

Biological and medical sciences↗
DOE OSTI2018

Benchmarking Bicontinuous Nanospheres against Polymersomes for in Vivo Biodistribution and Dual Intracellular Delivery of Lipophilic and Water-Soluble Payloads

Bicontinuous nanospheres (BCNs) are polymeric analogs to lipid cubosomes, possessing cubic liquid crystalline phases with high internal surface area, aqueous channels for loading hydrophilic molecules, and high hydrophobic volume for lipophilic payloads. Primarily due to difficulties in scalable and consistent fabrication, neither controlled delivery of payloads via BCNs nor their organ or cellular biodistributions following in vivo administration have been demonstrated or characterized. We have recently validated flash nanoprecipitation as a rapid method of assembling uniform monodisperse 200–300 nm diameter BCNs from poly(ethylene glycol)-$b$-poly(propylene sulfide) (PEG-$b$-PPS) co-polymers. In this work, we compare these BCNs both in vitro and in vivo to 100 nm PEG-$b$-PPS polymersomes (PSs), which have been well characterized as nanocarriers for controlled delivery applications. Using a small molecule fluorophore and a fluorescently tagged protein as respective lipophilic and water-soluble model cargos, we demonstrate that BCNs can achieve significantly higher encapsulation efficiencies for both payloads on a per unit mass basis. At time points of 4 and 24 h after intravenous administration to mice, we found significant differences in organ-level uptake between BCNs and PSs, with BCNs showing reduced accumulation in the liver and increased uptake in the spleen. Despite these organ-level differences, BCNs and PSs displayed strikingly similar uptake profiles by immune cell populations in vitro and in the liver, spleen, and blood, as assayed by flow cytometry. In conclusion, we have found PEG-$b$-PPS BCNs to be well suited for dual loading and delivery of molecular payloads, with a favorable organ biodistribution and high cell uptake by therapeutically relevant immune cell populations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Viral delivery of an RNA-guided genome editor for transgene-free germline editing in Arabidopsis

Genome editing is transforming plant biology by enabling precise DNA modifications. However, delivery of editing systems into plants remains challenging, often requiring slow, genotype-specific methods such as tissue culture or transformation1. Plant viruses, which naturally infect and spread to most tissues, present a promising delivery system for editing reagents. However, many viruses have limited cargo capacities, restricting their ability to carry large CRISPR-Cas systems. Here we engineered tobacco rattle virus (TRV) to carry the compact RNA-guided TnpB enzyme ISYmu1 and its guide RNA. This innovation allowed transgene-free editing of Arabidopsis thaliana in a single step, with edits inherited in the subsequent generation. By overcoming traditional reagent delivery barriers, this approach offers a novel platform for genome editing, which can greatly accelerate plant biotechnology and basic research.

Weiss, Trevor↗
DOE OSTI2026

Targeted delivery of genome editors in vivo

Genome editing has revolutionized the treatment of genetic diseases, yet the difficulty of tissue-specific delivery currently limits applications of editing technology. Here, in this Review, we discuss preclinical and clinical advances in delivering genome editors with both established and emerging delivery mechanisms. Targeted delivery promises to considerably expand the therapeutic applicability of genome editing, moving closer to the ideal of a precise ‘magic bullet’ that safely and effectively treats diverse genetic disorders.

Ngo, Wayne [University of California, Berkeley, CA↗
DOE OSTI2025

Controlled electrochemical nutrient delivery to enhance marine primary productivity

Oceanic photosynthesis contributes to approximately half of the Earth’s net annual primary productivity. Marine photosynthetic productivity has a high degree of heterogeneity due to spatial and temporal co-limitations of light, temperature, and/or nutrients. Across coastal, near-shore, and open ocean regions, insufficient concentrations of key nutrients (e.g., N, P, Fe) can limit primary productivity. Although studies have shown a significant increase in primary productivity with the addition of low doses of trace nutrients, a sustainable approach to reliably deliver and maintain low doses of nutrients and ensure their bioavailability, remains a challenge. Chemical nutrient addition has relied on the use of chelating agents to ensure nutrient bioavailability, but synthetic chelators are persistent environmental pollutants. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time the use of a controlled electrochemical nutrient delivery (CEND) approach to accelerate the growth of phytoplankton without the need for such chelators. Our study uses commercial stainless-steel electrodes to deliver low concentrations of iron to enhance growth rates in the microalga Picochlorum celeri TG2. To demonstrate the process control offered by the CEND method, we evaluate iron delivery as a function of pulse time, pulse frequency, and rest time between pulses. Our data show that at the same total Fe dose of 163 ppb, electrochemical iron delivery can achieve 9.54 ± 0.58 mg biomass/µg Fe, which is comparable to 9.14 ± 0.17 mg biomass/µg Fe achieved with chemical iron additions that include the synthetic chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Further, when different total iron doses (163 ppb, 325 ppb, and 650 ppb) were delivered over 72 h using CEND, biomass yield per iron dose was higher at lower doses: 9.54 ± 0.58 mg biomass/µg Fe at 163 ppb vs. 4.32 ± 0.32 mg biomass/µg Fe at 650 ppb. This highlights the benefits of CEND in delivering frequent and low doses of nutrients for improved process efficiency. Preliminary assessments show both lower cost and reduced greenhouse gas emissions from electrochemical over chemical iron additions with EDTA. The CEND approach opens new pathways to enhance marine primary productivity, without the unintended environmental impacts of synthetic chelators.

analytical chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2020

ServiceX A Distributed, Caching, Columnar Data Delivery Service

We will describe a component of the Intelligent Data Delivery Service being developed in collaboration with IRIS-HEP and the LHC experiments. ServiceX is an experiment-agnostic service to enable on-demand data delivery specifically tailored for nearly-interactive vectorized analysis. This work is motivated by the data engineering challenges posed by HL-LHC data volumes and the increasing popularity of python and Spark-based analysis workflows.ServiceX gives analyzers the ability to query events by dataset metadata. It uses containerized transformations to extract just the data required for the analysis. This operation is colocated with the data to avoid transferring unnecessary branches over the WAN. Simple filtering operations are supported to further reduce the amount of data transferred.Transformed events are cached in a columnar datastore to accelerate delivery of subsequent similar requests. ServiceX will learn commonly related columns and automatically include them in the transformation to increase the potential for cache hits by other users.Selected events are streamed to the analysis system using an efficient wire protocol that can be readily consumed by a variety of computational frameworks. This reduces time-to-insight for physics analysis by delegating to ServiceX the complexity of event selection, slimming, reformatting, and streaming.

Galewsky, B.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Charge-altering releasable transporters (CARTs) for the delivery and release of mRNA in living animals

Significance Protein expression using mRNA has the potential to transform many areas of life science research and affect the prevention, detection, and treatment of disease. However, realizing this potential requires the development of readily accessible, efficacious, and safe delivery systems that can functionally deliver mRNA to cells in culture and in vivo. A class of materials developed for mRNA delivery is described that operates through an unprecedented self-immolation mechanism. These materials are accessed in two steps through an organocatalytic oligomerization. They noncovalently complex, protect, deliver, and release mRNA with >99% transfection efficiency in cultured cells and with robust protein expression in mice using multiple routes of administration. This mRNA delivery technology should be broadly applicable to numerous research and therapeutic applications.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Enhanced mRNA delivery into lymphocytes enabled by lipid-varied libraries of charge-altering releasable transporters

We report a strategy for generating a combinatorial library of oligonucleotide transporters with varied lipid domains and their use in the efficient transfection of lymphocytes with mRNA in vitro and in vivo. This library is based on amphiphilic charge-altering releasable transporters (CARTs) that contain a lipophilic block functionalized with various side-chain lipids and a polycationic α-amino ester mRNA-binding block that undergoes rearrangement to neutral small molecules, resulting in mRNA release. We show that certain binary mixtures of these lipid-varied CARTs provide up to a ninefold enhancement in mRNA translation in lymphocytes in vitro relative to either a single-lipid CART component alone or the commercial reagent Lipofectamine 2000, corresponding to a striking increase in percent transfection from 9–12% to 80%. Informed by the results with binary mixtures, we further show that CARTs consisting of optimized ratios of the two lead lipids incorporated into a single hybrid-lipid transporter molecule maintain the same delivery efficacy as the noncovalent mixture of two CARTs. The lead lipid CART mixtures and hybrid-lipid CARTs show enhanced lymphocyte transfection in primary T cells and in vivo in mice. This combinatorial approach for rapidly screening mRNA delivery vectors has provided lipid-varied CART mixtures and hybrid-lipid CARTs that exhibit significant improvement in mRNA delivery to lymphocytes, a finding of potentially broad value in research and clinical applications.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Rheological Properties of Aqueous Colloidal Silica Suspensions Related to Amendment Delivery for Subsurface Remediation

Colloidal silica (fumed silica) suspensions are being tested as carriers for remedial amendment delivery in subsurface remediation and as media for underground contamination containment. The knowledge of the rheological behavior of the silica suspensions is lack in the literature while it is essential for the preparation and field injection of the suspensions. This contribution is focused on the rheological characteristics of colloidal silica suspensions under various environmental conditions relevant to amendment delivery for subsurface remediation. We investigated the influence of silica particle concentration, water source, ionic strength, pH, aging, amendment type and concentration, and subsurface sediment on the rheological behavior of the suspensions. All tested suspension formulations exhibited shear thinning before gelation. Higher silica particle concentration and salinity (Na+ and K+) increased suspensions’ viscosity and the degree of shear thinning. The viscosity of suspensions increased with aging. The suspensions at natural pH exhibited the highest viscosity compared to the acidic and alkaline suspensions with the same silica concentration. Addition of KMnO4 amendment to aqueous silica suspensions increased viscosity, while addition of alcohol amendment decreased suspensions’ viscosity. The presence of amendment did not reduce shear thinning. The gelation rate of silica suspensions was increased with silica concentration and with the addition of sediments. The rheological characteristics of shear thinning aqueous fumed silica suspensions were compared to that of shear thinning solutions formed with organic polymer xanthan gum, which was applied for amendment delivery in subsurface remediation.

Yang, Shuo↗
DOE OSTI2019

Strategies for sample delivery for femtosecond crystallography

Highly efficient data-collection methods are required for successful macromolecular crystallography (MX) experiments at X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). XFEL beamtime is scarce, and the high peak brightness of each XFEL pulse destroys the exposed crystal volume. It is therefore necessary to combine diffraction images from a large number of crystals (hundreds to hundreds of thousands) to obtain a final data set, bringing about sample-refreshment challenges that have previously been unknown to the MX synchrotron community. In view of this experimental complexity, a number of sample delivery methods have emerged, each with specific requirements, drawbacks and advantages. To provide useful selection criteria for future experiments, this review summarizes the currently available sample delivery methods, emphasising the basic principles and the specific sample requirements. Two main approaches to sample delivery are first covered: (i) injector methods with liquid or viscous media and (ii) fixed-target methods using large crystals or using microcrystals inside multi-crystal holders or chips. Additionally, hybrid methods such as acoustic droplet ejection and crystal extraction are covered, which combine the advantages of both fixed-target and injector approaches.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Rapid and efficient in planta genome editing in sorghum using foxtail mosaic virus‐mediated sgRNA delivery

SUMMARY The requirement of in vitro tissue culture for the delivery of gene editing reagents limits the application of gene editing to commercially relevant varieties of many crop species. To overcome this bottleneck, plant RNA viruses have been deployed as versatile tools for in planta delivery of recombinant RNA. Viral delivery of single‐guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to transgenic plants that stably express CRISPR‐associated (Cas) endonuclease has been successfully used for targeted mutagenesis in several dicotyledonous and few monocotyledonous plants. Progress with this approach in monocotyledonous plants is limited so far by the availability of effective viral vectors. We engineered a set of foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV) and barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) vectors to deliver the fluorescent protein AmCyan to track viral infection and movement in Sorghum bicolor . We further used these viruses to deliver and express sgRNAs to Cas9 and Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) expressing transgenic sorghum lines, targeting Phytoene desaturase ( PDS ), Magnesium‐chelatase subunit I ( MgCh ), 4‐hydroxy‐3‐methylbut‐2‐enyl diphosphate reductase , orthologs of maize Lemon white1 ( Lw1 ) or GFP . The recombinant BSMV did neither infect sorghum nor deliver or express AmCyan and sgRNAs. In contrast, the recombinant FoMV systemically spread throughout sorghum plants and induced somatic mutations with frequencies reaching up to 60%. This mutagenesis led to visible phenotypic changes, demonstrating the potential of FoMV for in planta gene editing and functional genomics studies in sorghum.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Data for Rapid and Efficient in planta Genome Editing in Sorghum Using Foxtail Mosaic Virus-mediated sgRNA Delivery

The requirement of in vitro tissue culture for the delivery of gene editing reagents limits the application of gene editing to commercially relevant varieties of many crop species. To overcome this bottleneck, plant RNA viruses have been deployed as versatile tools for in planta delivery of recombinant RNA. Viral delivery of single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to transgenic plants that stably express CRISPR-associated (Cas) endonuclease has been successfully used for targeted mutagenesis in several dicotyledonous and few monocotyledonous plants. Progress with this approach in monocotyledonous plants is limited so far by the availability of effective viral vectors. We engineered a set of foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV) and barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) vectors to deliver the fluorescent protein AmCyan to track viral infection and movement in Sorghum bicolor . We further used these viruses to deliver and express sgRNAs to Cas9 and Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) expressing transgenic sorghum lines, targeting Phytoene desaturase (PDS), Magnesium-chelatase subunit I (MgCh), 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase, orthologs of maize Lemon white1 (Lw1) or GFP. The recombinant BSMV did neither infect sorghum nor deliver or express AmCyan and sgRNAs. In contrast, the recombinant FoMV systemically spread throughout sorghum plants and induced somatic mutations with frequencies reaching up to 60%. This mutagenesis led to visible phenotypic changes, demonstrating the potential of FoMV for in planta gene editing and functional genomics studies in sorghum.

Feedstock Production↗