The production of high-quality silkworm silk is of importance in sericulture in addition to the production of biomass, silk proteins, and animal feed. The distinctive properties of nanomaterials have the potential to improve the development of various sectors including medicine, cosmetics, and agriculture. The application of nanotechnology in sericulture not only improves the survival rate of the silkworm, promotes the growth and development of silkworm, but also improves the quality of silk fiber. Despite the positive contributions of nanomaterials, there are a few concerns regarding the safety of their application to the environment, in humans, and in experimental models. Some studies have shown that some nanomaterials exhibit toxicity to tissues and organs of the silkworm, while other nanomaterials exhibit therapeutic properties. This review summarizes some reports on the biological effects of nanomaterials on silkworm and how the application of nanomaterials improves sericulture.

The distinctive mechanical and photothermal properties of Molybdenum sulfide (MoS₂) have the potential for improving the functionality and utilization of silk products in various sectors. This paper reports on the preparation of regenerated silk fibroin/molybdenum disulfide (RSF/MoS₂) nanoparticles hybrid fiber with different MoS₂ nanoparticles contents by wet spinning. The simulated sunlight test indicated that the temperature of 2 wt% RSF/MoS₂ nanoparticles hybrid fibers could rise from 20.0 °C to 81.0 °C in 1 min and 98.6 °C in 10 min, exhibiting good thermal stability. It was also demonstrated that fabrics made by manual blending portrayed excellent photothermal properties. The addition of MoS₂ nanoparticles could improve the toughness of hybrid fibers, which may be since the mixing of MoS₂ nanoparticles hindered the self-assembly of β-sheets in RSF solution in a concentration-dependent manner because RSF/MoS₂ nanoparticles hybrid fibers showed a lower β-sheet content, crystallinity, and smaller crystallite size. This study describes a new way of producing high toughness and photothermal properties fibers for multifunctional fibers’ applications.

A combination of questionnaires and field research was employed to investigate the types, characteristics, preferences, and socio-cultural of insect consumption among diverse groups across various regions of China, with particular emphasis on the types and characteristics of insects consumed in different localities. Findings indicated notable differences in the edible insect preferences among populations in distinct geographical areas. The insect taxonomic groups frequently consumed in China are primarily Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, and Coleoptera – examples of such insects include locusts and domestic silkworm pupae. People in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and other regions consume bamboo worms, wasp pupae, and other insects. Insect farming, including yellow mealworms, is prominent in Shandong Province. In the three northeastern provinces, people frequently consume silkworm pupae, ants, and dragonflies. In Yunnan and Guizhou, people preferred bamboo worms and wasp pupae. Deep-frying and stir-frying emerged as the predominant cooking methods for edible insects, while newer approaches like barbecue are becoming increasingly popular. Additionally, our research highlighted that several factors, such as local customs, regional traditions, and economic conditions, shape individuals’ perspectives on edible insects.

Chromosomal inversions facilitate local adaptation by maintaining co-adapted allele complexes as a single inherited unit, but the genes driving their phenotypic effects are rarely identified. Inv4m is an inversion from the highland teosinte Zea mays ssp. mexicana that is nearly fixed at 2500 masl in Mexican traditional varieties but absent in temperate maize. While association studies link Inv4m to flowering time, its key adaptive trait, the mechanisms connecting it to this phenotype remain unknown. Here, we generate near isogenic lines by introgressing the highland Michoacán 21 (Mi21) Inv4m haplotype into temperate B73 through eight backcross generations. We assemble the Inv4m -Mi21 NIL genome and, aligning to three Zea reference genomes, provide the first precise delimitation of Inv4m , a 15.2 Mb region with breakpoints overlapping knob repeat arrays. In field trials across Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Inv4m consistently accelerated flowering, whereas its plant height effect reversed sign between regions, a genotype by environment interaction consistent with environment-dependent fitness. Using RNA-seq, we identify 465 differentially expressed genes, the strongest from a cluster of JUMONJI histone demethylases (JMJ). Comparing five Zea genomes, the B73 reference carries a lineage-specific tandem expansion of five JMJ paralogs while highland genotypes carrying Inv4m retain a single ancestral copy, a difference that accounts for most of the cluster’s differential expression. We then show Inv4m disrupts growth related coexpression modules, with the JMJ cluster losing connectivity, and traced a trans regulatory network linking it to cell proliferation genes including pcna2 and sec6 . In summary, we identify candidate genes and networks underlying Inv4m ’s effects and propose that part of this inversion’s adaptive value may reside in a dosage-sensitive regulator whose action propagates through a downstream network of genes that are involved in growth and flowering and are important for highland adaptation. Recombination suppression may thus protect a co-adapted regulatory architecture rather than independent alleles alone. Graphical