RNAi for Insect Control: Current Perspective and Future Challenges

The research on the RNA interference (RNAi) for the control of insect pests has made significant growth in recent years. The availability of the genomic sequences of insects has further widened the horizons for the testing of this technology to various insect groups. Different modes of application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) have been tested; however, the practicability of delivery of dsRNA in insects still remains the biggest challenge. Till date, the oral delivery of dsRNA in insects is one of the efficient approaches for the practical application of this technique. The uptake of dsRNA from the insect gut is mediated either by SID-1/SID-2 transmembrane proteins or by endocytosis; however, the systemic RNAi machinery still remains to be revealed in insect species. The RNAi-mediated gene knockdown has shown striking results in different insect groups, pointing it to be the upcoming technique for insect control. However, before the successful application of this technique for insect control, some potential issues need to be resolved. This review presents the account of prospects and challenges for the use of this technology for insect control.     

“Dial-In” Emission from a Unique Flexible Material with Polarization Tuneable Spectral Intensity

The development of organic photoluminescent materials, which show promising roles as catalysts, sensors, organic light-emitting diodes, logic gates, etc., is a major demand and challenge for the global scientific community. In this context, a photoclick polymerization method is adopted for the growth of a unique photoluminescent three-dimensional (3D) polymer film, E, as a model system that shows emission tunability over the range 350–650 nm against the excitation range 295–425 nm. The DFT analysis of energy calculations and π-stacking supports the spectroscopic observations for the material exhibiting a broad range of emission owing to newly formed chromophoric units within the film. Full polarization spectroscopic Mueller matrix studies were employed to extract and quantify the molecular orientational order of both the ground (excitation) and excited (emission) state anisotropies through a set of newly defined parameters, namely the fluorescence diattenuation and fluorescence polarizance. The information contained in the recorded fluorescence Mueller matrix of the organic polymer material provided a useful way to control the spectral intensity of emission by using pre- and post-selection of polarization states. The observation was based on the assumption that the longer lifetime of the excited dipolar orientation is attributed to the compactness of the film.     

N‐bromo‐hydantoin grafted polystyrene beads: Synthesis and nano‐micro beads characteristics for achieving controlled release of active oxidative bromine and extended microbial inactivation efficiency

N‐bromo‐hydantoin and N‐bromo‐5,5′‐dimethylhydantoin conjugated polystyrene beads were synthesized from chloromethyl polystyrene beads which differ in their particles size, crosslinking, nano‐micro porosity, and tunnels size on the surface, in order to study the effect of these parameters on oxidative halogen release and resultant activity, for water purification applications. The synthesized beads were characterized using elemental analysis, FT‐IR, solid state ¹³C‐NMR, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The conjugation yield and kinetics in different solvents and bromine loading capacity were studied. The N‐bromoamine polystyrene beads were tested for water decontamination according to NSF 231 protocol. The release of active bromine was analyzed by spectrophotometer using a DPD‐1 kit and also studied the antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and MS2 phages. Bead's nano‐micro characteristics were found critical for oxidative halogen release control: rate stabilization and modulation, extension and also influences antimicrobial activity. The synthesized beads exhibited extended and stable release of bromine, 6 and 4 log reduction for E. coli and MS2, respectively for 250 L of passing contaminated water. Thus, N‐halamine hydantoins conjugated polystyrenes, chemically or kinetically release modified should have applications as disinfectants in water purification systems as well as medical field. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 596–610     

Acrylate nanolatex via self‐initiated photopolymerization

The use of UV light to initiate emulsion polymerization processes is generally overlooked, whilst extensive literature exists on photocuring of monomer films. In this study, the unique potential of UV light to produce at ambient temperature polyacrylate latexes without initiator was exploited. Although radical initiators are utilized at low concentration, their cost, toxicity, and odor provide incentives for finding alternatives. Starting with concentrated (30 wt %) and low scattering acrylate miniemulsions (droplet diameter <100 nm), it was demonstrated that acrylate self‐initiation can promote an efficient and fast photopolymerization in micrometer‐scale reactor (spectrophotometric cell) and lab‐scale photoreactor. Herein, all kinetic, colloidal, and mechanistic aspects involved in the self‐initiation of acrylate miniemulsion were extensively examined to provide a complete picture. In particular, the effects of droplet size, initiating wavelength, optical path, and irradiance on the course of the polymerization were thoroughly discussed. A diradical self‐initiation pathway is the most likely mechanism. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 1843–1853     

Synthesis of glycopeptides from glucosaminic acid

We report on the synthesis of polypeptides with saccharide side chains starting from d ‐glucosaminic acid. The hydroxyl groups were first protected by benzylation, followed by N‐carboxyanhydride formation, which was polymerized by ring opening to form a high molecular weight polyamide. De‐protection of the benzyl groups yields a polypeptide with fully de‐protected saccharide side chains. The resulting new non‐ionic, water soluble, and optically active polymers possessing the properties of both peptides and saccharides have potential use as scaffolds for tissue engineering and drug carriers. The method described here may be extended to any saccharide α‐amino acid. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 2657–2662     

Mannose‐based graft polyesters with tunable binding affinity to concanavalin A

Glycopolymers have been widely used to understand the interactions between carbohydrates and lectins, which facilitate the diagnosis and detection of disease and pathogens as well as the development of vaccines. While studies have been focused on the correlation of glycopolymer structure and their binding to lectins, graft‐type glycopolyesters are uncommon. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of mannose‐based graft polyesters by “grafting‐from” method and investigate their interactions with Concanavalin A (Con A). As confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and sulfuric acid‐UV method, graft polyesters with different lengths of mannose graft were successfully synthesized. Our results from turbidimetry binding assay showed that graft polyesters with longer mannose graft exhibit higher initial binding rate (k_i). Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements of these graft polyesters with Con A showed that polymers exhibit higher binding affinity (k_a) with the number of side chain mannose. This study provides understanding of the interaction between Con A and mannose‐based graft polyesters, which can be employed for the development of glycopolymeric therapeutics. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3908–3917