Browsing by Author "Ajay Vikram Singh"

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Artificial intelligence and machine learning disciplines with the potential to improve the nanotoxicology and nanomedicine fields: a comprehensive review
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023) Ajay Vikram Singh; Mansi Varma; Peter Laux; Sunil Choudhary; Ashok Kumar Datusalia; Neha Gupta; Andreas Luch; Anusha Gandhi; Pranav Kulkarni; Banashree Nath
The use of nanomaterials in medicine depends largely on nanotoxicological evaluation in order to ensure safe application on living organisms. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (MI) can be used to analyze and interpret large amounts of data in the field of toxicology, such as data from toxicological databases and high-content image-based screening data. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models and nano-quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models can be used to predict the behavior and toxic effects of nanomaterials, respectively. PBPK and Nano-QSAR are prominent ML tool for harmful event analysis that is used to understand the mechanisms by which chemical compounds can cause toxic effects, while toxicogenomics is the study of the genetic basis of toxic responses in living organisms. Despite the potential of these methods, there are still many challenges and uncertainties that need to be addressed in the field. In this review, we provide an overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques in nanomedicine and nanotoxicology to better understand the potential toxic effects of these materials at the nanoscale. © 2023, The Author(s).
Durability of Slippery Liquid-Infused Surfaces: Challenges and Advances
(MDPI, 2023) Divyansh Tripathi; Prauteeto Ray; Ajay Vikram Singh; Vimal Kishore; Swarn Lata Singh
Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have emerged as a unique approach to creating surfaces that can resist fouling when placed in contact with aqueous media, organic fluids, or biological organisms. These surfaces are composed of essentially two components: a liquid lubricant that is locked within the protrusions of a textured solid due to capillarity. Drops, immiscible to the lubricant, exhibit high mobility and very-low-contact-angle hysteresis when placed on such surfaces. Moreover, these surfaces are shown to resist adhesion to a wide range of fluids, can withstand high pressure, and are able to self-clean. Due to these remarkable properties, SLIPS are considered a promising candidate for applications such as designing anti-fouling and anti-corrosion surfaces, drag reduction, and fluid manipulation. These collective properties, however, are only available as long as the lubricant remains infused within the surface protrusions. A number of mechanisms can drive the depletion of the lubricant from the interior of the texture, leading to the loss of functionality of SLIPS. Lubricant depletion is one challenge that is hindering the real-world application of these surfaces. This review mainly focuses on the studies conducted in the context of enhancing the lubricant retention abilities of SLIPS. In addition, a concise introduction of wetting transitions on structured as well as liquid-infused surfaces is given. We also discuss, briefly, the mechanisms that are responsible for lubricant depletion. © 2023 by the authors.
Evaluation of biogenic nanosilver-acticoat for wound healing: A tri-modal in silico, in vitro and in vivo study
(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Kirti Singh; Virendra Bahadur Yadav; Umakant Yadav; Gopal Nath; Anchal Srivastava; Paolo Zamboni; Pranali Kerkar; Preeti Suman Saxena; Ajay Vikram Singh
Wound healing is a complex process that involves numerous biological and physiological events and is influenced by various local and systemic factors. Chronic wounds affect around 6 million people and pose a significant clinical challenge for healthcare professionals, particularly in light of the increasing difficulty in treating wound infections with conventional antibiotics. Conventional wound dressings have several limitations, including insufficient antibacterial potency, toxicity, failure to deliver adequate moisture to the wound, and poor mechanical properties. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have shown great promise in wound healing due to their exceptional antibacterial properties. In this study, AgNPs were synthesized via green synthesis using Camellia sinensis and Ocimum sanctum and characterized by various techniques. The AgNPs were incorporated into carrageenan to develop nanosilver acticoat for wound healing applications. The anti-bacterial property of the acticoat was tested against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria, and in vivo studies showed that dressing with Carrageenan silver nanoparticles (CAgNPs) acticoat promoted wound healing and had good reepithelialization and dense collagen deposition capabilities. With a significance level of < 0.05, we used one-way ANOVA to analyze the means between groups. In silico analysis with pkCSM and SwissADME provided information on the drug-likeness and human health hazard-related predictions for the prepared formulations. The study highlights the potential of the prepared CAgNPs acticoat for dressing applications in the burn, accidental, and diabetic wound infections. These results suggest that the use of CAgNPs acticoat can provide a safe and effective alternative to conventional wound dressings in promoting wound healing. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
Graphene Oxide Synergistically Enhances Antibiotic Efficacy in Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(American Chemical Society, 2019) Vimal Singh; Vinod Kumar; Sunayana Kashyap; Ajay Vikram Singh; Vimal Kishore; Metin Sitti; Preeti S. Saxena; Anchal Srivastava
The current study highlights a new polyvalent inhibitor approach based on Vancomycin conjugated with graphene oxide (Van@GO) against a Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) strain. Physicochemical characteristics of the prepared Van@GO composites were studied using UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy techniques. Characterization results confirm the attachment of Vancomycin to the graphene oxide. A significant inhibition of VRSA growth is achieved by Vancomycin when presented as Van@GO. The polyvalent inhibition activity of Van@GO was characterized by performing bacteriological experiments along with scanning electron microscopy. Results clearly exhibit the enhanced inhibition activity of Van@GO compared to Vancomycin alone against VRSA. The high surface area of GO facilitates high loading and multivalent interaction of conjugated Vancomycin leading to polyvalent inhibition. Further, we found that Van@GO significantly reduces the motility of VRSA via inducing oxidative stress compared with untreated samples. Our findings highlight the importance of Van@GO as an effective polyvalent inhibition recipe for VRSA. © 2019 American Chemical Society.
Multifunctional Nanoscale Pigments: Emerging Risks and Circular Strategies for a Sustainable Future
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Ajay Vikram Singh; Preeti Bhardwaj; Vimal Kishore; Sunil Choudhary; Akihiko Hirose; Neha Gupta; Madleen Busse; Swarn Lata Singh; Christopher J. Osgood
The substantial penetration of nanoscale pigments into a range of sectors has changed the dynamics of industries such as medical, material science, and many more. Nonetheless, their persistence in the environment and probable adverse impacts on health require that an assessment of such risks be formulated considering the One Health perspective. This viewpoint considers the crossing of boundaries of progress in the nanotechnology of nanoscale pigments with environmental, animal, and human health and emphasizes the significance of collaborative activity. Traditional perspectives explain the distribution of pigment history, while the nanotechnology of today's accessibility poses problems regarding utilization, toxicities, and interactions with the environment. Through discussions of environmental pathways, health determinants, and regulatory insufficiencies, this work makes evident that pigments are critical both as emerging contaminant's and as innovation drivers. The necessary advancements in exposure minimization and sustainable practices are discussed as well, giving insight on benign-by-design techniques and circular economy solutions. Expanding the discussion of the existing knowledge and the gap where the ´One Health´ concept can be applied in physiochemical properties of pigments as well as governance, this work offers an approach to enabling risk while enhancing invention. It urges timely global action for sustainable, beneficial nanoscale pigment futures. © 2025 The Author(s). Small Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.
Nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots demonstrate no toxicity under: In vitro conditions in a cervical cell line and in vivo in Swiss albino mice
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2019) Vimal Singh; Sunayana Kashyap; Umakant Yadav; Anchal Srivastava; Ajay Vikram Singh; Rajesh Kumar Singh; Santosh Kumar Singh; Preeti S. Saxena
Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and their derivatives have potential applications in the field of biomedical imaging. Toxicity is one of the critical parameters that can hamper their success in biological applications. In this context, our goal was to systematically investigate both in vivo and in vitro toxicity of nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs). In vivo toxic effects were evaluated for 30 days in Swiss albino mice at two different concentrations (5.0 mg per kg body weight (BW) and 10.0 mg per kg BW) of NCQDs. Results of haematological, serum biochemical, antioxidant and histopathological parameters showed no noteworthy defects at both of these concentrations. An in vitro assessment was performed against the human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa cells) at the concentration of 0-400 μg ml-1. The LDH profile, DNA fragmentation, apoptosis, and growth cycle of cells showed no apparent toxicity of NCQDs. The overall study offers highly biocompatible N-doped carbon quantum dots, which may be considered as an attractive material for future biomedical applications. © 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
Perspective on Quantitative Structure–Toxicity Relationship (QSTR) Models to Predict Hepatic Biotransformation of Xenobiotics
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023) Mansi Rai; Namuna Paudel; Mesevilhou Sakhrie; Donato Gemmati; Inshad Ali Khan; Veronica Tisato; Anurag Kanase; Armin Schulz; Ajay Vikram Singh
Biotransformation refers to the metabolic conversion of endogenous and xenobiotic chemicals into more hydrophilic substances. Xenobiotic biotransformation is accomplished by a restricted number of enzymes with broad substrate specificities. The biotransformation of xenobiotics is catalyzed by various enzyme systems that can be divided into four categories based on the reaction they catalyze. The primary concentration is in cytochrome P450, while the CYP enzymes responsible for xenobiotic biotransformation are located within the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (microsomes). Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes are also present in extrahepatic tissues. Enzymes catalyzing biotransformation reactions often determine the intensity and duration of the action of drugs and play a key role in chemical toxicity and chemical tumorigenesis. The structure of a given biotransforming enzyme may differ among individuals, which can cause differences in the rates of xenobiotic biotransformation. The study of the molecular mechanisms underlying chemical liver injury is fundamental for preventing or devising new modalities of treatment for liver injury using chemicals. Active metabolites arise from the biotransformation of a parent drug compound using one or more xenobiotic-processing enzymes to generate metabolites with different pharmacological or toxicological properties. Understanding how exogenous chemicals (xenobiotics) are metabolized, distributed, and eliminated is critical to determining the impact of these compounds on human health. Computational tools such as Biotransformer have been developed to predict all the possible metabolites of xenobiotic and enzymatic profiles that are linked to the production of metabolites. The construction of xenobiotic metabolism maps can predict enzymes catalyzing metabolites capable of binding to DNA. © 2023 by the authors.
Polymer Translocation and Nanopore Sequencing: A Review of Advances and Challenges
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023) Swarn Lata Singh; Keerti Chauhan; Atul S. Bharadwaj; Vimal Kishore; Peter Laux; Andreas Luch; Ajay Vikram Singh
Various biological processes involve the translocation of macromolecules across nanopores; these pores are basically protein channels embedded in membranes. Understanding the mechanism of translocation is crucial to a range of technological applications, including DNA sequencing, single molecule detection, and controlled drug delivery. In this spirit, numerous efforts have been made to develop polymer translocation-based sequencing devices, these efforts include findings and insights from theoretical modeling, simulations, and experimental studies. As much as the past and ongoing studies have added to the knowledge, the practical realization of low-cost, high-throughput sequencing devices, however, has still not been realized. There are challenges, the foremost of which is controlling the speed of translocation at the single monomer level, which remain to be addressed in order to use polymer translocation-based methods for sensing applications. In this article, we review the recent studies aimed at developing control over the dynamics of polymer translocation through nanopores. © 2023 by the authors.
Recent advances in plant nanobionics and nanobiosensors for toxicology applications
(Bentham Science Publishers, 2020) Mohammad Hasan Dad Ansari; Santosh Lavhale; Raviraj M. Kalunke; Prabhakar L. Srivastava; Vaibhav Pandit; Subodh Gade; Sanjay Yadav; Peter Laux; Andreas Luch; Donato Gemmati; Paolo Zamboni; Ajay Vikram Singh
Emerging applications in the field of nanotechnology are able to solve a gamut of problems surrounding the applications of agroecosystems and food technology. Nano Engineered Material (NEM) based nanosensors are important tools for monitoring plant signaling pathways and metabolism that are nondestructive, minimally invasive, and can provide real-time analysis of biotic and abiotic threats for better plant health. These sensors can measure chemical flux even at the single-molecule level. Therefore, plant health could be monitored through nutrient management, disease assessment, plant hormones level, environmental pollution, etc. This review provides a comprehensive account of the current trends and practices for the proposed NEM related research and its (i) structural aspect, (ii) experimental design and performance as well as (iii) mechanisms of field application in agriculture and food system. This review also discusses the possibility of integration of data from NEM based nanosensors in current and emerging trends of precision agriculture, urban farming, and plant nanobionics to adopt a sustainable approach in agriculture. © 2020 Bentham Science Publishers.
Self-Assembly of DNA-Grafted Colloids: A Review of Challenges
(MDPI, 2022) Manish Dwivedi; Swarn Lata Singh; Atul S. Bharadwaj; Vimal Kishore; Ajay Vikram Singh
DNA-mediated self-assembly of colloids has emerged as a powerful tool to assemble the materials of prescribed structure and properties. The uniqueness of the approach lies in the sequence-specific, thermo-reversible hybridization of the DNA-strands based on Watson–Crick base pairing. Grafting particles with DNA strands, thus, results into building blocks that are fully programmable, and can, in principle, be assembled into any desired structure. There are, however, impediments that hinder the DNA-grafted particles from realizing their full potential, as building blocks, for programmable self-assembly. In this short review, we focus on these challenges and highlight the research around tackling these challenges. © 2022 by the authors.
Sperm cell driven microrobots-Emerging opportunities and challenges for biologically inspired robotic design
(MDPI AG, 2020) Ajay Vikram Singh; Mohammad Hasan Dad Ansari; Mihir Mahajan; Shubhangi Srivastava; Shubham Kashyap; Prajjwal Dwivedi; Vaibhav Pandit; Uma Katha
With the advent of small-scale robotics, several exciting new applications like Targeted Drug Delivery, single cell manipulation and so forth, are being discussed. However, some challenges remain to be overcome before any such technology becomes medically usable; among which propulsion and biocompatibility are the main challenges. Propulsion at micro-scale where the Reynolds number is very low is difficult. To overcome this, nature has developed flagella which have evolved over millions of years to work as a micromotor. Among the microscopic cells that exhibit this mode of propulsion, sperm cells are considered to be fast paced. Here, we give a brief review of the state-of-the-art of Spermbots-a new class of microrobots created by coupling sperm cells to mechanical loads. Spermbots utilize the flagellar movement of the sperm cells for propulsion and as such do not require any toxic fuel in their environment. They are also naturally biocompatible and show considerable speed of motion thereby giving us an option to overcome the two challenges of propulsion and biocompatibility. The coupling mechanisms of physical load to the sperm cells are discussed along with the advantages and challenges associated with the spermbot. A few most promising applications of spermbots are also discussed in detail. A brief discussion of the future outlook of this extremely promising category of microrobots is given at the end. © 2020 by the authors.