High energy and power densities are the greatest challenge for all-solid-state lithium batteries due to the poor interfacial compatibility between electrodes and electrolytes as well as low lithium ion transfer kinetics in solid materials. Intimate contact at the cathode-solid electrolyte interface and high ionic conductivity of solid electrolyte are crucial to realizing high-performance all-solid-state lithium batteries. Here, we report a general interfacial architecture, i.e., LiPS electrolyte particles anchored on cobalt sulfide nanosheets, by an in situ liquid-phase approach. The anchored LiPS electrolyte particle size is around 10 nm, which is the smallest sulfide electrolyte particles reported to date, leading to an increased contact area and intimate contact interface between electrolyte and active materials. The neat LiPS electrolyte synthesized by the same liquid-phase approach exhibits a very high ionic conductivity of 1.5 × 10 S cm with a particle size of 0.4-1.0 μm. All-solid-state lithium batteries employing cobalt sulfide-LiPS nanocomposites in combination with the neat LiPS electrolyte and Super P as the cathode and lithium metal as the anode exhibit excellent rate capability and cycling stability, showing reversible discharge capacity of 421 mAh g at 1.27 mA cm after 1000 cycles. Moreover, the obtained all-solid-state lithium batteries possesses very high energy and power densities, exhibiting 360 Wh kg and 3823 W kg at current densities of 0.13 and 12.73 mA cm, respectively. This contribution demonstrates a new interfacial design for all-solid-state battery with high performance.

Current influenza vaccines provide limited protection against circulating influenza A viruses. A universal influenza vaccine will eliminate the intrinsic limitations of the seasonal flu vaccines. Here we report methodology to generate double-layered protein nanoparticles as a universal influenza vaccine. Layered nanoparticles are fabricated by desolvating tetrameric M2e into protein nanoparticle cores and coating these cores by crosslinking headless HAs. Representative headless HAs of two HA phylogenetic groups are constructed and purified. Vaccinations with the resulting protein nanoparticles in mice induces robust long-lasting immunity, fully protecting the mice against challenges by divergent influenza A viruses of the same group or both groups. The results demonstrate the importance of incorporating both structure-stabilized HA stalk domains and M2e into a universal influenza vaccine to improve its protective potency and breadth. These potent disassemblable protein nanoparticles indicate a wide application in protein drug delivery and controlled release.

The successful isolation of a human influenza virus in 1933 was soon followed by the first attempts to develop an influenza vaccine. Nowadays, vaccination is still the most effective method to prevent human influenza disease. However, licensed influenza vaccines offer protection against antigenically matching viruses, and the composition of these vaccines needs to be updated nearly every year. Vaccines that target conserved epitopes of influenza viruses would in principle not require such updating and would probably have a considerable positive impact on global human health in case of a pandemic outbreak. The extracellular domain of Matrix 2 (M2e) protein is an evolutionarily conserved region in influenza A viruses and a promising epitope for designing a universal influenza vaccine. Here we review the seminal and recent studies that focused on M2e as a vaccine antigen. We address the mechanism of action and the clinical development of M2e-vaccines. Finally, we try to foresee how M2e-based vaccines could be implemented clinically in the future.

The methylerythritol phosphate pathway in photosynthetic cyanobacteria was engineered to allow highly efficient production of isoprene from CO2.

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Matrix protein 2 ectodomain (M2e) is considered an attractive component of a broadly protective, universal influenza A vaccine. Here we challenge the canonical view that antibodies against M2e are the prime effectors of protection. Intranasal immunizations of Balb/c mice with CTA1-3M2e-DD-generated M2e-specific memory CD4 T cells that were I-A restricted and critically protected against infection, even in the complete absence of antibodies, as observed in JhD mice. Whereas some M2e-tetramer-specific memory CD4 T cells resided in spleen and lymph nodes, the majority were lung-resident Th17 cells, that rapidly expanded upon a viral challenge infection. Indeed, immunized IL-17A mice were significantly less well protected compared with wild-type mice despite exhibiting comparable antibody levels. Similarly, poor protection was also observed in congenic Balb/B (H-2) mice, which failed to develop M2e-specific CD4 T cells, but exhibited comparable antibody levels. Lung-resident CD69 CD103 M2e-specific memory CD4 T cells were αβ TCR and 50% were Th17 cells that were associated with an early influx of neutrophils after virus challenge. Adoptively transferred M2e memory CD4 T cells were strong helper T cells, which accelerated M2e- but more importantly also hemagglutinin-specific IgG production. Thus, for the first time we demonstrate that M2e-specific memory CD4 T cells are broadly protective.

For the high-energy battery using Li metal as a negative electrode, the electrolyte is one of the most critical factors that significantly affects the cell performance. Herein, new 75Li2S·(25-x)P2S5·xP2O5 (mol%) solid state electrolytes are prepared by optimized mechanical milling technique and subsequent heat-treatment process. The electrolyte substituted with 1 mol% P2O5 presents the highest conductivity of 8 × 10−4 S cm−1 at room temperature, which increases up to 56% compared to that of the pristine sample. The enhanced conductivity could be attributed to the decrease of the activation energy for Li+-ion diffusion. The as-prepared 75Li2S·24P2S5·1P2O5 electrolyte exhibits good electrochemical stability and compatibility with the metallic lithium electrode. The all-solid-state cell with a structure of LiCoO2/75Li2S·24P2S5·1P2O5/Li shows a discharge capacity of 109 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and high capacity retention 85.2% after 30 cycles at 25°C, which are better than these of the cell use the 75Li2S·25P2S5 as electrolyte.