Department of Biotechnology

About: Department of Biotechnology is a government organization based out in New Delhi, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Silver nanoparticle. The organization has 4800 authors who have published 5033 publications receiving 82022 citations.

Recent advances in cardanol chemistry in a nutshell: from a nut to nanomaterials.

Abstract: This tutorial review could serve as an introduction of cardanol into the world of soft nanomaterials; it is a biobased lipid-mixture obtained from the plant Anacardium occidentale L. Cardanol is a renewable raw material derived from a byproduct of cashew nut processing industry: Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL). Cardanol is a rich mixture of non-isoprenoic phenolic compounds that is a valuable raw material for generating a variety of soft nanomaterials such as nanotubes, nanofibers, gels and surfactants. These nanostructures may then serve as templates for the synthesis of additional nanomaterials. The wealth and diversity of cardanol-derived functional nanomaterials has urged us to present an article that will give readers a taste of a new class of cardanol-derived functional amphiphiles, along with their ability to generate hierarchical functional nanomaterials through non-covalent soft-chemical routes. In this concise review, we discuss selected examples of novel biobased surfactants, glycolipids, and polymers derived from cardanol, and their subsequent self-assembly into functional soft materials.

Synthesis of ecofriendly copper oxide nanoparticles for fabrication over textile fabrics: Characterization of antibacterial activity and dye degradation potential.

Abstract: Growing concerns over the toxicity of metallic nanoparticles synthesized using physical and chemical techniques seems to be a major hurdle for researchers. Green synthesis of nanoparticles is one of the promising, ecofriendly and safer methods. Utilizing plant sources as reducing agents will replace the use of toxic chemicals for nanoparticle synthesis. Among the various nanoparticles, copper has been theoretically and practically proved for its antimicrobial properties. However, to reduce the risk of copper toxicity, Ruellia tuberosa (R. tuberosa) aqueous extract is used for the synthesis of CuONPs in the present study. Nonetheless, till date no work has been reported on the use of R. tuberosa aqueous extract for the synthesis of CuONPs. In the present study, aqueous extract of R. tuberosa has been used for the synthesis of CuONPs. The synthesis of CuONPs was confirmed by the absorption peak at 327 nm representing the nanorods with an average size of 83.23 nm. Further, the CuONPs revealed antimicrobial effects against clinical pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Embedding CuONPs on cotton fabrics showed bactericidal activity against the bacterial pathogens. In addition, the photocatalytic property of the CuONPs was divulged by their crystal violet (CV) dye degradation potential. Thus, the green synthesized CuONPs using R. tuberosa could provide a remedy against bacterial pathogens in hospital and industrial environments.

RNA interference for the control of whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) by oral route

Abstract: RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated gene silencing was explored for the control of sap-sucking pest Bemisia tabaci, commonly known as whitefly. dsRNAs and siRNAs were synthesized from five different genes – actin ortholog, ADP/ATP translocase, α-tubulin, ribosomal protein L9 (RPL9) and V-ATPase A subunit. A simplified insect bioassay method was developed for the delivery of ds/siRNA through the oral route, and efficacy was evaluated. ds/siRNA caused 29–97% mortality after 6 days of feeding. Each insect ingested nearly 150 nl of insect diet per day, which contained a maximum of 6 ng of RNA. Knocking down the expression of RPL9 and V-ATPase A caused higher mortality with LC50 11.21 and 3.08 μg/ml, respectively, as compared to other genes. Semi-quantitative PCR of the treated insects showed significant decrease in the level of RPL9 and V-ATPase A transcripts. siRNAs were found stable in the insect diet for at least 7 days at the room temperature. Phloem-specific expression of dsRNAs of RPL9 and V-ATPase A in transgenic plants for the protection against whiteflies might be an interesting application of this technology.