The global spread of COVID-19 has sparked an urgent demand for innovative antiviral strategies beyond conventional therapeutics. Among emerging approaches, metallic nanoparticles—specifically those composed of gold (AuNPs) and silver (AgNPs)—have shown considerable promise due to their broad-spectrum antiviral capabilities. In this research, we focused on dissecting the interaction dynamics between these nanoparticles and several critical SARS-CoV-2 components. We initially modeled the receptor binding domains (RBDs) of five distinct viral variants—Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omicron, and Gamma—in conjunction with the human ACE2 receptor. Subsequent docking studies explored the potential of AuNPs, AgNPs, and the phytochemical Beta-escin to disrupt or modulate these protein–protein interactions. In parallel, we assessed the binding potential of these nanomaterials against two essential viral enzymes: the main protease (Mpro) and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Computational tools, including AutoDock 4.2 and HDOCK, were employed for structure-based virtual screening. The simulations revealed favorable binding interactions between both nanoparticles and Mpro, while AgNPs exhibited notably higher affinity for RdRp. In contrast, AuNPs showed preferential targeting of the Spike protein interface, particularly in complexes involving the Omicron variant, which demonstrated the tightest binding to ACE2. Furthermore, the study presents a theoretical model for a nanoparticle-based intranasal formulation combining AuNPs, AgNPs, and Beta-escin. This delivery system is designed to leverage synergistic molecular interactions at mucosal entry points to prevent viral attachment and replication. Advanced in silico methods, including molecular dynamics simulations and quantum-level analysis, supported the enhanced antiviral profile of the proposed composite. These computational findings lay the groundwork for future experimental validation and position this novel formulation as a potential front-line preventive agent against evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Liquid biopsy offers a non-invasive approach for the early detection of cancer and metastasis. Biomarkers such as microRNAs, circulating tumor DNA, circulating cancer cells, and exosomes, found in body fluids like blood, saliva, and urine, hold great promise for liquid biopsy applications. MicroRNAs, due to their small size (18-25 nucleotides) and instability, are particularly challenging to analyze. Various techniques have been developed for miRNA analysis. Lateral flow assays (LFAs) are widely used diagnostic tools, with applications spanning diagnostics, medicine, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and environmental and food sciences. Furthermore, artificial intelligence and image analysis tools have emerged in analytical methods and (bio)sensors, enhancing the accuracy of the results. In this work, we developed an innovative multicolor LFA to visually detect and discriminate three different microRNAs (miR-21, miR-let-7a, and miR-155). The method includes i) the isolation of miRNAs form urine samples, ii) amplification of miRNAs by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and iii) detection of the amplified products by lateral flow assay. For this purpose, we utilized polystyrene beads of distinct colors as reporters to distinguish between these targets, achieving detection limits as low as 1.56 fmol for each miRNA in urine samples. To enhance automation and accuracy, we integrated image processing in the form of a web and smartphone application, enabling automated result interpretation. The developed system was successfully applied to real urine samples, marking significant progress in LFA diagnostics, demonstrating 99.3% accuracy, 99.1% sensitivity, and 100% specificity.

The impact of intense structured laser fields—specifically Gaussian and Bessel beams—on the electronic and optical properties of InAs/GaAs quantum dots is theoretically investigated. The study focuses on two distinct geometries of vertically coupled quantum dots: cylindrical and strongly oblate ellipsoidal structures. Using non-resonant laser excitation, we analyze how spatially structured fields dynamically reshape the effective confinement potential within the quantum dots, leading to significant modifications in the single-particle energy spectrum and carrier localization patterns.

The results reveal that both the symmetry and spatial profile of the incident beam strongly influence the confinement landscape, giving rise to localized potential wells and anisotropic electron distributions. These changes, in turn, affect the optical transitions and excitonic behavior of the system. The linear and nonlinear optical responses are studied in detail, including the modulation of the absorption coefficient, refractive index variations, and the generation of higher harmonics under strong field conditions.

Special emphasis is placed on the response of excitonic complexes, particularly biexcitons, under structured light excitation. Our findings demonstrate that tailored beam configurations provide a viable route for precise, all-optical control of quantum states in semiconductor nanostructures. This opens promising avenues for tunable photonic devices and quantum information processing applications utilizing engineered light–matter interaction at the nanoscale.

High-purity indium vanadate (InVO₄) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) were successfully synthesized and thoroughly characterized to investigate their optoelectronic properties and interfacial charge transfer behavior. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the phase purity and crystallinity of the individual materials. UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy revealed direct band gaps of 2.48 eV for InVO₄ and 2.99 eV for g-C₃N₄, highlighting their suitability for visible-light-driven applications. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) provided detailed insight into the surface composition and valence band positions. Furthermore, Mott–Schottky measurements indicated that both materials exhibit n-type semiconducting behavior and allowed the determination of their conduction band edge potentials. The Fermi levels were estimated using valence band maximum (VBM) analysis, and the overall band alignment revealed a staggered (Type II) configuration at the interface.

To probe the charge carrier dynamics, steady-state photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was employed, specifically targeting the generation of hydroxyl (•OH) radicals under illumination. The enhanced production of these reactive oxygen species provided strong evidence for a direct Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism between InVO₄ and g-C₃N₄. This mechanism promotes effective charge separation and preserves strong redox potentials, making the heterostructure a promising candidate for photocatalytic applications such as pollutant degradation and hydrogen evolution. These findings offer valuable insights into band structure tuning and heterojunction design strategies.

In recent years, there has been increasing production of agro-industrial waste, resulting from the transformation of raw materials in the food industry, raising environmental, economic and nutritional concerns, but also becoming a strategic opportunity in the context of the circular bioeconomy (1,2). An example of these by-products is the wine industry, which produces high quantities of organic residues considered promising sources of valuable nutritional components, triggering various bioactive activities (3,4). This literature review aims to investigate the emerging role of bionanotechnology in altering these residues in the development of nanosystems. Several studies refer to the richness of grape extracts in polyphenols and flavonoids; however, these groups are characterized by their chemical instability and solubility, which lead to obstacles such as low permeability and bioavailability (5). For example, nanofibers loaded with grape seed extracts did not affect their morphology and still promoted a sustained release, favoring the antioxidant and regenerative activity of the extract (6,7). Another study nanoincorporated extracts into liposomal vesicles, demonstrating the ability to neutralize the basal production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and showing that they were not cytotoxic to cells (8). Castangia et al. (2017) analyzed silver nanoparticles and an extract of grape pomace designed for skin protection, which were capable of inhibiting the proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9). Thus, the creation of nanosystems is a promising, natural and innovative technological solution for obtaining new sustainable food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, reducing the impacts caused by the wine industry and contributing to the improvement of the circular economy.