Metalloids and Organo-Metalloids in Biology

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 November 2021) | Viewed by 8641

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh 123031, Haryana, India
Interests: aquaporins; comparative genomics; genome editing; nutrient uptake; transporter proteins
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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Interests: heavy metal tolerance; metalloids uptake; genomics and genetics

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Guest Editor
Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
Interests: metalloids; plant physiology; plant nutrition

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Guest Editor
National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81 (Knowledge City), PO Manauli, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali-140306, Punjab, India
Interests: genomics; genome editing; genetic regulation of plant disease; soybean seed composition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metalloids are trace elements possessing shared properties between metals and non-metals. Metalloids include boron (B), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and tellurium (Te). Members of metalloids are essential and beneficial, as well as highly toxic to several species. Boron is an essential element for the normal growth of most living organisms, such as microbes, plants, and animals. In this regard, considerable efforts have been made to elucidate the role of B in the biological systems as compared to any other metalloids. Similarly, Si is the second most abundant element on the earth's crust, and has been proven to have beneficial effects for plants as well as animals. In plants, Si has been proposed as a fertilizer, considering its prophylactic effects, particularly observed under stress conditions. More than thousands of reports showed improved resilience in plants with Si supplementation under stress conditions. Meanwhile, in animals, Si is being used to prevent bone diseases. Silicon supplementation has been found to be helpful to maintain bone health and recommended as a tonic to avoid bone fractures in elderly people. Besides having plenty of reports, very little is known about the precise role of Si in cellular processes. In plants, Si and As share a common path to be taken up by the roots, which imposes a significant risk to the entire food chain. This is because As is highly toxic and carcinogenic. The area affected by As contamination is continuously growing in different parts of the world. Equally, the rest of the metalloids have also had a significant role in biological systems. These metalloids form several different metallo-organic compounds with distinct properties and functions. In this regard, it is a prerequisite to understand the detailed role of different metalloids, their transport, sequestration, deposition, and speciation in the living systems. This Special Issue of Biomolecules will highlight the present understanding and knowledge gaps in the role of metalloids and metallo-organic compounds in the biological systems.

Dr. Rupesh Deshmukh
Dr. Javaid Akhter Bhat
Dr. Durgesh Kumar Tripathi
Dr. Humira Sonah
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • metalloid
  • transporters
  • phytoliths
  • toxicities
  • health benefits
  • organic compounds

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

17 pages, 1671 KiB  
Review
Silicon as a Smart Fertilizer for Sustainability and Crop Improvement
by Rupesh Tayade, Amit Ghimire, Waleed Khan, Liny Lay, John Quarshie Attipoe and Yoonha Kim
Biomolecules 2022, 12(8), 1027; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12081027 - 25 Jul 2022
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 7248
Abstract
Silicon (Si), despite being abundant in nature, is still not considered a necessary element for plants. Si supplementation in plants has been extensively studied over the last two decades, and the role of Si in alleviating biotic and abiotic stress has been well [...] Read more.
Silicon (Si), despite being abundant in nature, is still not considered a necessary element for plants. Si supplementation in plants has been extensively studied over the last two decades, and the role of Si in alleviating biotic and abiotic stress has been well documented. Owing to the noncorrosive nature and sustainability of elemental Si, Si fertilization in agricultural practices has gained more attention. In this review, we provide an overview of different smart fertilizer types, application of Si fertilizers in agriculture, availability of Si fertilizers, and experiments conducted in greenhouses, growth chambers, and open fields. We also discuss the prospects of promoting Si as a smart fertilizer among farmers and the research community for sustainable agriculture and yield improvement. Literature review and empirical studies have suggested that the application of Si-based fertilizers is expected to increase in the future. With the potential of nanotechnology, new nanoSi (NSi) fertilizer applications may further increase the use and efficiency of Si fertilizers. However, the general awareness and scientific investigation of NSi need to be thoughtfully considered. Thus, we believe this review can provide insight for further research into Si fertilizers as well as promote Si as a smart fertilizer for sustainability and crop improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metalloids and Organo-Metalloids in Biology)
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