Packaging demand currently exceeds 144 Mt per year, of which >90% is conventional plastic, generating over 100 Mt of waste and 1.8 Gt CO₂-eq emissions annually. In this review, we systematically survey three classes of lignocellulosic feedstocks, agricultural residues, fruit and vegetable by-products, and forestry wastes, with respect to their physicochemical composition (cellulose crystallinity, hemicellulose ratio, and lignin content) and key processing pathways. We then examine fabrication routes (solvent casting, extrusion, and compression molding) and quantify how compositional variables translate into film performance: tensile strength, elongation at break (4–10%), water vapor transmission rate, thermal stability, and biodegradation kinetics. Highlighted case studies include the reinforcement of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with 7 wt% oxidized nanocellulose, yielding a >90% increase in tensile strength and a 50% reduction in water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), as well as pilot-scale extrusion of rice straw/polylactic acid (PLA) blends. We also assess techno-economic metrics and life-cycle impacts. Finally, we identify four priority research directions: harmonizing pretreatment protocols to reduce batch variability, scaling up nanocellulose extraction and film casting, improving marine-environment biodegradation, and integrating circular economy supply chains through regional collaboration and policy frameworks.

Agricultural and agro-industrial waste, produced in vast quantities worldwide, presents both environmental and economic challenges. Microbial valorization offers a sustainable solution, with bacterial cellulose (BC) emerging as a high-value product due to its purity, strength, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. This review highlights recent advances in producing BC from agricultural and agro-industrial residues via optimized fermentation processes, including static and agitated cultivation, co-cultivation, stepwise nutrient feeding, and genetic engineering. Diverse wastes such as fruit peels, sugarcane bagasse, cereal straws, and corn stover serve as cost-effective carbon sources, reducing production costs and aligning with circular bioeconomy principles. Advances in strain engineering, synthetic biology, and omics-guided optimization have significantly improved BC yield and functionalization, enabling applications in food packaging, biomedicine, cosmetics, and advanced biocomposites. Process innovations, including tailored pretreatments, adaptive evolution, and specialized bioreactor designs, further enhance scalability and product quality. The integration of BC production into circular bioeconomy models not only diverts biomass from landfills but also replaces petroleum-based materials, contributing to environmental protection and resource efficiency. This review underscores BC’s potential as a sustainable biomaterial and identifies research directions for overcoming current bottlenecks in industrial-scale implementation.

Background: The differential diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer (LC) is often challenging due to similar clinicopathological presentations when bacterial shedding is negative, which can lead to delays in treatment. In this study, we tested the potential of plasma-circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) for the early and differential diagnosis of TB and LC. Methods: We conducted a two-phase study: profiling 188 miRNAs in pooled plasma samples and validating 14 selected miRNAs in individual plasma samples from 68 LC patients, 38 pulmonary TB patients, and 41 healthy controls. Results: Twelve miRNAs were significantly elevated in LC patients compared to controls and TB patients, while two miRNAs were significantly elevated in TB patients compared to controls. ROC analysis demonstrated that miR-130b-3p, miR-1-3p, miR-423-5p, and miR-200a-3p had good discriminatory ability to distinguish LC patients (including those with stage I tumours) from healthy individuals and miR-130b-3p, miR-423-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-18b-5p effectively distinguished LC patients (including those with stage I tumours) from TB patients. Additionally, miR-18b-5p showed good discriminatory ability between SCLC and NSCLC patients. Conclusions: Circulating miRNAs hold strong potential for the early detection of LC and for distinguishing LC from TB.

The growing demand for sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics has driven interest in bio-based packaging derived from renewable plant biomass. Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on Earth, provides high tensile strength, water resistance, and biodegradability, making it a key raw material for eco-friendly packaging. However, its extraction and processing are hindered by lignin, a complex polymer that adds structural rigidity but reduces cellulose accessibility. Recent research has identified plant microRNAs (miRNAs) as powerful post-transcriptional regulators capable of modifying cell wall composition by simultaneously targeting multiple genes involved in lignin biosynthesis, cellulose synthesis, and secondary cell wall formation. By fine-tuning specific miRNAs, it is possible to increase cellulose yield, reduce lignin content, and enhance overall biomass productivity without severely compromising plant growth or stress tolerance. This review summarizes the roles of major plant miRNAs in biomass regulation and outlines biotechnological strategies such as transgenic overexpression, target mimicry, artificial miRNAs (amiRNAs), and CRISPR-based editing for improving bio-based packaging feedstocks. Harnessing miRNA-mediated gene regulation offers a promising pathway toward producing high-quality biomass with optimized cellulose–lignin ratios, enabling more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable packaging material production.

Background/Objectives: The differential diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer (LC) is often challenging due to similar clinicopathological presentations when bacterial shedding is negative, which can lead to delays in treatment. In this study, we tested the potential of plasma-circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) for the early and differential diagnosis of TB and LC. Methods: We conducted a two-phase study: profiling 188 miRNAs in pooled plasma samples and validating 14 selected miRNAs in individual plasma samples from 68 LC patients, 38 pulmonary TB patients, and 41 healthy controls. Results: Twelve miRNAs were significantly elevated in LC patients compared to controls and TB patients, while two miRNAs were significantly elevated in TB patients compared to controls. ROC analysis demonstrated that miR-130b-3p, miR-1-3p, miR-423-5p, and miR-200a-3p had good discriminatory ability to distinguish LC patients (including those with stage I tumours) from healthy individuals and miR-130b-3p, miR-423-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-18b-5p effectively distinguished LC patients (including those with stage I tumours) from TB patients. Additionally, miR-18b-5p showed good discriminatory ability between SCLC and NSCLC patients. Conclusions: Circulating miRNAs hold strong potential for the early detection of LC and for distinguishing LC from TB.

The growing environmental impact of petroleum-based plastic packaging has intensified the need for biodegradable and sustainable alternatives. Among these, bacterial cellulose stands out as a promising biomaterial due to its remarkable purity, mechanical strength, and nanofibrillar structure. Unlike plant-derived cellulose, bacterial cellulose is naturally synthesized by specific bacteria in a form free from lignin and hemicellulose, making it highly suitable for use in eco-friendly packaging and biomedical applications. This review highlights recent advances in the biotechnological valorization of plant biomass, particularly agricultural residues such as straw, stalks, and husks, for bacterial cellulose production. These lignocellulosic feedstocks are abundant, renewable, and offer significant potential as substrates for microbial fermentation. The paper explores the chemical composition of various biomass types and evaluates their suitability for bacterial cellulose synthesis based on their cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin content. In addition, the review outlines the enzymatic steps involved in bacterial cellulose biosynthesis and the microbial strains primarily responsible for its production. Together, these insights provide a scientific foundation for converting plant-based waste into biodegradable cellulose-based materials, contributing to the development of sustainable packaging solutions and supporting the transition toward a circular bioeconomy. Keywords: bacterial cellulose; lignocellulosic biomass; sustainable packaging; agricultural residues; microbial fermentation