Nucleic acid aptamers are novel molecular recognition tools that offer many advantages compared to their antibody and peptide-based counterparts. However, challenges associated with in vitro selection, characterization, and validation have limited their wide-spread use in the fields of diagnostics and therapeutics. Here, we extracted detailed information about aptamer selection experiments housed in the Aptamer Base, spanning over two decades, to perform the first parameter analysis of conditions used to identify and isolate aptamers de novo. We used information from 492 published SELEX experiments and studied the relationships between the nucleic acid library, target choice, selection methods, experimental conditions, and the affinity of the resulting aptamer candidates. Our findings highlight that the choice of target and selection template made the largest and most significant impact on the success of a de novo aptamer selection. Our results further emphasize the need for improved documentation and more thorough experimentation of SELEX criteria to determine their correlation with SELEX success.

Single or multiple RT exposures did not affect RBC quality but slightly promoted bacterial growth in contaminated units. The clinical significance of these results remains unclear and needs further investigation.

The field of nanotechnology has seen tremendous growth over the past decade and has had a measurable impact on all facets of our society, from electronics to medicine. Nevertheless, nanotechnology applications in the agricultural sector are still relatively underdeveloped. Nanotechnology has the potential to provide solutions for fundamental agricultural problems caused by conventional fertilizer management. Through this chapter, we aim to highlight opportunities for the intervention of nanotechnologies in the area of fertilizers and plant nutrition and to provide a snapshot of the current state of nanotechnology in this area. This chapter will explore three themes in nanotechnology implementation for fertilizers: nanofertilizer inputs, nanoscale additives that influence plant growth and health, and nanoscale coatings/host materials for fertilizers. This chapter will also explore the potential directions that nanotechnology in fertilizers may take in the next 5-10 years as well as the potential pitfalls that should be examined and avoided.