Innovative and Emerging Light-Based Technologies for Biomedicine, Food Safety and Agriculture

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2021) | Viewed by 13608

Special Issue Editor

Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: microbiology; antimicrobial technology; food microbiology; food safety; photosensitization; biomedicine; agriculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the formation of our solar system, the free energy for all life on Earth has been delivered in 5.61 × 1024 J of solar energy falling on the surface of the Earth every year. Sunlight plays many roles in living organisms. First, it can be a source of energy, especially for plants. Second, it can be a signal or “trigger” to start different photobiological reactions in living organisms, which eventually determine the induction of specific photobiological processes. About 300 years ago, Isaac Newton was the first to prove that visible light is made up of all the colors that we can see. The question arises, how does visible light interact with living matter? This Special Issue is dedicated to the innovative approaches to how, when, and why we can use the special regions of visible light (from blue to infrared) for different purposes in living systems. Moreover, it will include all emerging light-based biophotonic technologies which can be effectively used to solve some problems in biomedicine, food safety, and agriculture.

Prof. Dr. Zivile Luksiene
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • visible light
  • light-based technologies
  • microorganisms
  • plants
  • animals
  • humans
  • photosensitization
  • electromagnetic field

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2466 KiB  
Article
Identification of Genes Associated with Sensitivity to Ultraviolet A (UVA) Irradiation by Transposon Mutagenesis of Vibrio parahaemolyticus
by Miki Maetani-Yasui, Kazuaki Mawatari, Airi Honjo, Thi Kim Ngan Bui, Takaaki Shimohata, Takashi Uebanso, Mutsumi Aihara, Takahiro Emoto, Masatake Akutagawa, Yohsuke Kinouchi and Akira Takahashi
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(16), 5549; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165549 - 11 Aug 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1966
Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is used to disinfect water and food and can be classified as UVA (detected at wavelengths 320–400 nm), UVB (280–320 nm), and UVC (<280 nm). We developed a method for UVA sterilization of equipment with a UVA-light-emitting diode (LED); however, [...] Read more.
Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is used to disinfect water and food and can be classified as UVA (detected at wavelengths 320–400 nm), UVB (280–320 nm), and UVC (<280 nm). We developed a method for UVA sterilization of equipment with a UVA-light-emitting diode (LED); however, a high rate of fluence was needed to promote pathogen inactivation. The aim of this study was to identify genes associated with UVA sensitivity with the goal of improving UVA-LED-mediated bactericidal activity. We constructed a transposon-mutant library of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and selected six mutants with high sensitivity to UVA irradiation. Genes associated with this phenotype include F-type H+-transporting ATPases (atp), as well as those involved in general secretion (gsp), and ubiquinone and terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis (ubi). Gene complementation resulted in decreased sensitivity to UVA-LED. The atp mutants had lower intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentrations than the wild-type treatment, with 20 mM L-serine resulting in elevated ATP concentrations and decreased sensitivity to UVA-LED. The gsp mutants exhibited high levels of extracellular protein transport and the ubi mutants exhibited significantly different intracellular concentrations of ubiquinone-8. Taken together, our results suggest that the protein products of the atp, gsp, and ubi genes may regulate sensitivity to UVA irradiation. Full article
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18 pages, 1184 KiB  
Review
Photodynamic Therapy—An Up-to-Date Review
by Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu and Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(8), 3626; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083626 - 17 Apr 2021
Cited by 98 | Viewed by 11053
Abstract
The healing power of light has attracted interest for thousands of years. Scientific discoveries and technological advancements in the field have eventually led to the emergence of photodynamic therapy, which soon became a promising approach in treating a broad range of diseases. Based [...] Read more.
The healing power of light has attracted interest for thousands of years. Scientific discoveries and technological advancements in the field have eventually led to the emergence of photodynamic therapy, which soon became a promising approach in treating a broad range of diseases. Based on the interaction between light, molecular oxygen, and various photosensitizers, photodynamic therapy represents a non-invasive, non-toxic, repeatable procedure for tumor treatment, wound healing, and pathogens inactivation. However, classic photosensitizing compounds impose limitations on their clinical applications. Aiming to overcome these drawbacks, nanotechnology came as a solution for improving targeting efficiency, release control, and solubility of traditional photosensitizers. This paper proposes a comprehensive path, starting with the photodynamic therapy mechanism, evolution over the years, integration of nanotechnology, and ending with a detailed review of the most important applications of this therapeutic approach. Full article
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