Bioengineered spider silk is a biomaterial that has exquisite mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Iron oxide nanoparticles can be applied for the detection and analysis of biomolecules, target drug delivery, as MRI contrast agents and as therapeutic agents for hyperthermia-based cancer treatments. In this study, we investigated three bioengineered silks, MS1, MS2 and EMS2, and their potential to form a composite material with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). The presence of IONPs did not impede the self-assembly properties of MS1, MS2, and EMS2 silks, and spheres formed. The EMS2 spheres had the highest content of IONPs, and the presence of magnetite IONPs in these carriers was confirmed by several methods such as SEM, EDXS, SQUID, MIP-OES and zeta potential measurement. The interaction of EMS2 and IONPs did not modify the superparamagnetic properties of the IONPs, but it influenced the secondary structure of the spheres. The composite particles exhibited a more than two-fold higher loading efficiency for doxorubicin than the plain EMS2 spheres. For both the EMS2 and EMS2/IONP spheres, the drug revealed a pH-dependent release profile with advantageous kinetics for carriers made of the composite material. The composite spheres can be potentially applied for a combined cancer treatment via hyperthermia and drug delivery.

The growing human population renders challenges for the future supply of food products with high nutritional value. Here, we enhanced the functional and nutritional value of biscuits, a popular sweet snack, by replacing the wheat flour with 2%, 6%, or 10% (w/w) cricket powder. Consumer acceptance ratings for reference and 2% augmented cookies were comparable, whereas the higher levels of enhancement received inferior consumer scores. This relatively small change in biscuit recipe provided significant and nutritionally desirable enhancements in the biscuits, observed in a series of analyses. An increase in the protein content was observed, including essential amino acids, as well as minerals and fat. This conversion also affected the physical properties of the biscuits, including hardness, and water molecular dynamics measured by ¹H NMR. Cricket powder-augmented biscuits join the line of enhanced, functionally superior food products. This and similar food augmentation provide a viable scenario to meet the human food demands in the future.

The analytical potential of a coupled continuous-microflow ultrasonic nebulizer triple-mode micro capillary system (μ-USN/TCS)-Ar/He mixed gas microwave induced plasma-optical emission spectrometry (MIP-OES) has been evaluated for the purpose of determination of metal volatile species (Au, Ag, Pd, Pt, Rh). An extremely short reaction time between sample, acid and reductant and a rapid separation of the reaction products is obtained by mixing the sample, acid and the sodium borohydride reductant solution at the quartz oscillator, converting liquids into aerosol at the entrance to the spray chamber. A univariate approach and simplex optimization procedure was used to achieve optimized conditions and derive analytical figures of merit. Results showed that the analytical performance of the new system was superior to that of ultrasonic nebulizer dual-mode capillary system. Analytical performance of the ultrasonic nebulization system was characterized by determination of the limits of detection (LODs) and precision (RSDs) with the μ-USN/TCS observed at a 15 μL min⁻¹ flow rate. The experimental concentration detection limits for simultaneous determination, calculated as the concentration giving a signal equal to three times of the standard deviation of the blank (LOD, 3σ_blank criterion, peak height) were 1.2, 1.5, 1.1, 2.9 and 1.8 ng mL⁻¹ for Au, Ag, Pd, Pt and Rh, respectively. The method offers relatively good precision (RSD ranged from 7 to 8%) for liquid analysis and microsampling capability. The accuracy of the method was verified using certified reference materials (TORT-1, NIST 2710, NIST 1643e, IAEA-336) and by the aqueous standard calibration technique. The measured contents of elements in reference materials were in satisfactory agreement with the certified value (Ag) and added amounts (Au, Pd, Pt, Rh).