Studies involving bio‐based nanofibers are well utilized in the field of energy, catalysis, electronics, and environmental science. In this review, the importance of utilizing bio‐based materials for the development and optimization of multiplexed nanofibers and the modifications adopted to overcome the drawbacks of conventional electro‐spinning to facilitate better production rates, enhanced adsorption, and its potential in removing heavy metal ions, dyes, and other contaminants polluting the environment are highlighted. This work provides the readers the ability to understand the complexity in fabrication of bio‐based nanofibers focusing primarily on chitosan, cellulose, and protein‐based nanofibers and their mechanism toward quenching/degradation of water contaminants. In addition, it also provides the advantages of using bio‐based materials over synthetic materials for the development of nanofibers.

Robust localization of self-reproducing autocatalytic chemistries is a key step in the realization of heritable and evolvable chemical systems. While autocatalytic chemical reaction networks already possess attributes such as heritable self-reproduction and evolvability, localizing functional multispecies networks within complex primitive phases, such as coacervates, has remained unexplored. Here, we show the self-reproduction of the Azoarcus ribozyme system within charge-rich coacervates where catalytic ribozymes are produced by the autocatalytic assembly of constituent smaller RNA fragments. We systematically demonstrate the catalytic assembly of active ribozymes within phase-separated coacervates—both in micron-sized droplets as well as in a coalesced macrophase, underscoring the facility of the complex, charge-rich phase to support these reactions in multiple configurations. By constructing multispecies reaction networks, we show that these newly assembled molecules are active, participating both in self- and cross-catalysis within the coacervates. Finally, due to differential molecular transport, these phase-separated compartments endow robustness to the composition of the collectively autocatalytic networks against external perturbations. Altogether, our results establish the formation of multispecies self-reproducing reaction networks in phase-separated compartments which in turn render transient robustness to the network composition.

The programmable nature of DNA allows the construction of custom‐designed static and dynamic nanostructures, and assembly conditions typically require high concentrations of magnesium ions that restricts their applications. In other solution conditions tested for DNA nanostructure assembly, only a limited set of divalent and monovalent ions are used so far (typically Mg2+ and Na+). Here, we investigate the assembly of DNA nanostructures in a wide variety of ions using nanostructures of different sizes: a double‐crossover motif (76 bp), a three‐point‐star motif (~134 bp), a DNA tetrahedron (534 bp) and a DNA origami triangle (7221 bp). We show successful assembly of a majority of these structures in Ca2+, Ba2+, Na+, K+ and Li+ and provide quantified assembly yields using gel electrophoresis and visual confirmation of a DNA origami triangle using atomic force microscopy. We further show that structures assembled in monovalent ions (Na+, K+ and Li+) exhibit up to a 10‐fold higher nuclease resistance compared to those assembled in divalent ions (Mg2+, Ca2+ and Ba2+). Our work presents new assembly conditions for a wide range of DNA nanostructures with enhanced biostability.

Robust and dynamic localization of self-reproducing autocatalytic chemistries is a key step in the realization of heritable and evolvable chemical systems. While autocatalytic chemical reaction networks already possess attributes such as heritable self-reproduction and evolvability, localizing functional multispecies networks within complex primitive phases, such as coacervates, has remained unexplored. Here, we show the self-reproduction of an RNA system within charge-rich coacervates where catalytic RNAs are produced by the autocatalytic assembly of constituent smaller RNA fragments. We systematically demonstrate the catalytic assembly of active ribozymes within phase-separated coacervates --- both in micron sized droplets as well as a coalesced macrophase, underscoring the facility of the complex, charge-rich phase to support these reactions in multiple configurations. By constructing multispecies reaction networks, we show that these newly assembled molecules are active, participating both in self- and cross- catalysis within the coacervates. Finally, these collectively autocatalytic reaction networks endow unique compositional identities to the coacervates which in turn transiently protect the identity against external perturbations, due to differential molecular transport and reaction rates. Our results establish a compartmentalised chemical system possessing a compositional identity possessing a balance between robustness and variability required for chemical evolution.