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Pathogens can manipulate the phenotypic traits of their hosts and vectors, maximizing their own fitness. Among the phenotypic traits that can be modified, manipulating vector behavior represents one of the most fascinating facets. How pathogens infection affects behavioral traits of key insect vectors has been extensively investigated. Major examples include Plasmodium, Leishmania and Trypanosoma spp. manipulating the behavior of mosquitoes, sand flies and kissing bugs, respectively. However, research on how pathogens can modify tick behavior is patchy. This review focuses on current knowledge about the behavioral changes triggered by Anaplasma, Borrelia, Babesia, Bartonella, Rickettsia and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) infection in tick vectors, analyzing their potential adaptive significance. As a general trend, being infected by Borrelia and TBEV boosts tick mobility (both questing and walking activity). Borrelia and Anaplasma infection magnifies Ixodes desiccation resistance, triggering physiological changes (Borrelia: higher fat reserves; Anaplasma: synthesis of heat shock proteins). Anaplasma infection also improves cold resistance in infected ticks through synthesis of an antifreeze glycoprotein. Being infected by Anaplasma, Borrelia and Babesia leads to increased tick survival. Borrelia, Babesia and Bartonella infection facilitates blood engorgement. In the last section, current challenges for future studies are outlined.

In this framework, the present Special Issue is dedicated to the development of effective and eco-friendly insecticides, acaricides, repellents and antimicrobials, including products of natural origin (e.g., plant extracts, essential oils, selected bacterial and fungal metabolites). Evaluation of the impact of selected plant-borne compounds on the behaviour of key insect pests, with special reference to aphids [28]. (f). [...]the Special Issue ends with two reviews. [...]despite the relevant research efforts undertaken in this field for discovering new insecticides, acaricides and repellents of natural origin, the road to their large-scale use in the real world appears long and windy, complicated by costly and complex authorization requirements [33], and with limited commercialization outcomes [34].

The Editorial outlines recent research advances in green insecticide research. Particular attention is devoted to studies shedding light on the modes of action and non-target toxicity of natural substances of plant origin. Research focusing on the development of new formulations (including those relating to nano-objects) to magnify the effectiveness and stability of green insecticides in the field represents key advances. Herein, a carefully reviewed selection of cutting edge articles about green pesticide development recently published in Molecules is presented. The impact of sub-lethal doses of green insecticides on insect behavioral traits is still overlooked, representing a timely challenge for further research.

Nanobiotechnology is receiving extensive research attention worldwide, with special reference to the so-called “green synthesis” of nanomaterials, including nanoparticles, which relies on the use of botanical extracts, invertebrate byproducts (e.g., chitosan) and microbial-borne metabolites to fabricate novel and highly effective pesticides and drugs. However, personal experience reveals that proper analysis of biological data presented in studies of biological activities of nanoparticle or nanocomposite materials is often lacking. This oversight can lead to high rejection rates during the peer-review process. In this Commentary, a short protocol about statistical analysis required for proper presentation and discussion of biological data in the field of bionanoscience is presented.

Living organisms are far superior to state-of-the-art robots as they have evolved a wide number of capabilities that far encompass our most advanced technologies. The merging of biological and artificial world, both physically and cognitively, represents a new trend in robotics that provides promising prospects to revolutionize the paradigms of conventional bio-inspired design as well as biological research. In this review, a comprehensive definition of animal–robot interactive technologies is given. They can be at animal level, by augmenting physical or mental capabilities through an integrated technology, or at group level, in which real animals interact with robotic conspecifics. Furthermore, an overview of the current state of the art and the recent trends in this novel context is provided. Bio-hybrid organisms represent a promising research area allowing us to understand how a biological apparatus (e.g. muscular and/or neural) works, thanks to the interaction with the integrated technologies. Furthermore, by using artificial agents, it is possible to shed light on social behaviours characterizing mixed societies. The robots can be used to manipulate groups of living organisms to understand self-organization and the evolution of cooperative behaviour and communication.

Mosquitoes are key vectors of malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, lymphatic filariasis, Zika virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus. Eco-friendly control tools of Culicidae vectors are a priority. Green nanotechnologies may help to boost the effectiveness of mosquito vector control. We proposed a facile fabrication of poly-disperse and stable silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the Aganosma cymosa leaf extract. Nanoparticles were characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Nanoparticles showed high toxicity on eggs and larvae of Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus . LC 50 values were 12.45, 13.58 and 14.79 μg/mL, respectively. No egg hatchability was noted post-treatment with 40, 50 and 60 μg/mL, respectively. Nanoparticles were found safer to non-target mosquito predators Anisops bouvieri, Diplonychus indicus and Gambusia affinis , LC 50 values ranged from 673.36 to 2247.43 µg/mL. Notably, AgNPs showed high oviposition attractiveness towards the three mosquito species. Overall, the oviposition attractiveness of the A. cymosa extract coupled with the ovicidal action of AgNPs can help to develop “lure and kill” tools to be used at mosquito breeding sites.

Additional studies are dedicated to other important nanomaterials, including silica-based nanomaterials. Because the granulometric characterization of silica nanomaterials requires harmonized protocols, Retamal Marin et al. [...]I sincerely thank Tracy Jin and the editorial staff of Nanomaterials for their stunning support during the development and publication of the Special Issue. Saranya, K.S.; Vellora Thekkae Padil, V.; Senan, C.; Pilankatta, R.; Saranya, K.; George, B.; Wacławek, S.; Černík, M. Green Synthesis of High Temperature Stable Anatase Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Using Gum Kondagogu: Characterization and Solar Driven Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dye.

Nanomaterials possess valuable physical and chemical properties, which may make them excellent candidates for the development of new insecticides, acaricides, fungicides, drugs, catalysts, and sensors, to cite just some key categories [...]

Nowadays, we are tackling various issues related to the overuse of synthetic insecticides. Growing concerns about biodiversity, animal and human welfare, and food security are pushing agriculture toward a more sustainable approach, and research is moving in this direction, looking for environmentally friendly alternatives to be adopted in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) protocols. In this regard, inert dusts, especially diatomaceous earths (DEs), hold a significant promise to prevent and control a wide range of arthropod pests. DEs are a type of naturally occurring soft siliceous sedimentary rock, consisting of the fossilized exoskeleton of unicellular algae, which are called diatoms. Mainly adopted for the control of stored product pests, DEs have found also their use against some household insects living in a dry environment, such as bed bugs, or insects of agricultural interest. In this article, we reported a comprehensive review of the use of DEs against different arthropod pest taxa, such as Acarina, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Ixodida, Lepidoptera, when applied either alone or in combination with other techniques. The mechanisms of action of DEs, their real-world applications, and challenges related to their adoption in IPM programs are critically reported.

Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize a number of research fields, including biomedicine. Currently, the fabrication of biocompatible nanomaterials is of high interest worldwide. Little is known about the possible synthetic routes to fabricate selenium nanoparticles. In this research, we focused on the potential of a medicinally important plant species, garlic ( Allium sativum ), for the green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles. The garlic aqueous extracts acted as a capping and reducing agent in forming selenium nanoparticles. Green-synthesized selenium nanoparticles were characterized using UV-vis spectrophotometry, TEM, SEM, EDAX, FTIR and XRD analysis. Furthermore, green-fabricated and conventional chemically synthesized selenium nanoparticles were tested to evaluate their cytotoxicity against Vero cells. CC 50 values revealed that biologically synthesized selenium nanoparticles showed eco-friendly features and limited cytotoxicity if compared with chemically synthesized selenium nanoparticles.