Abstract: The present disclosure provides biodegradable, bioactive biopolymer nanocoating platforms, compositions thereof, and methods for making and producing the biopolymer nanocoating platforms. The present disclosure also provides various agricultural applications of the biodegradable, bioactive biopolymer nanocoating platforms.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for suppressing growth of various plant species with bioactive agents. Also, the present disclosure provides agricultural compositions and methods of using the formulations containing minicells and bioactive agents for targeted delivery and controlled release to enhance control of various plant species in a stable and scalable manner.

Abstract: Methods of purifying mucin, purified mucin, and products comprising the purified mucin. The methods include combining a mucin-containing substance with water and one or more purification agents to form a purification mixture, incubating the purification mixture for a time sufficient to form a mucin precipitate in a liquid phase, and separating the mucin precipitate from the liquid phase. The purification agents include one or more of a surfactant, a chelating agent, and a protic solvent. The mucin purified from the methods can be used alone or in combination with a biopolymer such as a tannin and chitosan and can be used to generate materials in the form of a gel, a foam, a film, or a powder.

Abstract: Composite nanofibers comprising polymers and tannins, methods of making same, and methods of use. The nanofibers include a polymer, such as a synthetic polymer, and a tannin. The tannin can include condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins) and/or hydrolyzable tannins. The nanofibers exhibit a number of structural and functional characteristics, such as enhanced swelling in aqueous liquid, enhanced antibacterial activity, enhanced bacterial adsorption, enhanced fibroblast adhesion, enhanced fibroblast proliferation, and enhanced surface coating of silver nanoparticles, among others. The nanofibers can be made by electrospinning a solvent mixture comprising the synthetic polymer and the tannin in a solvent. The nanofibers can be used in methods of isolating cells, methods of filtration, and methods of detecting cells, among others.

Abstract: Devices for guided tissue regeneration (GTR) include a matrix of chitosan and mutable collagenous tissue (MCT) wherein the chitosan is electrostatically bonded to the MCT to form MCT-chitosan composite material. The MCT can be isolated from invertebrate marine organisms, such as sponges, jellyfish, mollusks and echinoderms. The MCT-chitosan composite material can be formulated as a biofilm, a 3D-sponge, a hydrogel, or as an electrospun nanofiber, or the MCT-chitosan composite material can coat a biomaterial surface. The devices can include wound dressings and tissue sponges, including 3D sponges. Applications include tissue engineering and wound healing, as well as burns and other related guided tissue regeneration applications. MCT and MCT-chitosan composite material, contained in a pharmaceutically acceptable topical carrier, also has cosmeceutical applications, for treating scars, as well as skin discoloration and various pigmentation issues, including melasma/chloasma.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to methods for extracting or purifying collagen type I from marine animals, and uses of the purified collagen type I. Disclosed herein are the methods for the purification of highly pure mutable collagenous tissue from echinoderms. The current disclosure also relates to pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutritional applications of the mutable collagenous tissue purified using the methods disclosed herein, and to compositions, kits and articles of manufacture made from the mutable collagenous tissue purified using the methods disclosed herein.

Abstract: Devices for guided tissue regeneration (GTR) include a matrix of chitosan and mutable collagenous tissue (MCT) wherein the chitosan is electrostatically bonded to the MCT to form MCT-chitosan composite material. The MCT can be isolated from invertebrate marine organisms, such as sponges, jellyfish, mollusks and echinoderms. The MCT-chitosan composite material can be formulated as a biofilm, a 3D-sponge, a hydrogel, or as an electrospun nanofiber, or the MCT-chitosan composite material can coat a biomaterial surface. The devices can include wound dressings and tissue sponges, including 3D sponges. Applications include tissue engineering and wound healing, as well as burns and other related guided tissue regeneration applications. MCT and MCT-chitosan composite material, contained in a pharmaceutically acceptable topical carrier, also has cosmeceutical applications, for treating scars, as well as skin discoloration and various pigmentation issues, including melasma/chloasma.

Abstract: Methods of purifying mucin, purified mucin, and products comprising the purified mucin. The methods include combining a mucin-containing substance with water and one or more purification agents to form a purification mixture, incubating the purification mixture for a time sufficient to form a mucin precipitate in a liquid phase, and separating the mucin precipitate from the liquid phase. The purification agents include one or more of a surfactant, a chelating agent, and a protic solvent. The mucin purified from the methods can be used alone or in combination with a biopolymer such as a tannin and chitosan and can be used to generate materials in the form of a gel, a foam, a film, or a powder.

Abstract: Devices for guided tissue regeneration (GTR) include a matrix of chitosan and mutable collagenous tissue (MCT) wherein the chitosan is electrostatically bonded to the MCT to form MCT-chitosan composite material. The MCT can be isolated from invertebrate marine organisms, such as sponges, jellyfish, mollusks and echinoderms. The MCT-chitosan composite material can be formulated as a biofilm, a 3D-sponge, a hydrogel, or as an electrospun nanofiber, or the MCT-chitosan composite material can coat a biomaterial surface. The devices can include wound dressings and tissue sponges, including 3D sponges. Applications include tissue engineering and wound healing, as well as burns and other related guided tissue regeneration applications. MCT and MCT-chitosan composite material, contained in a pharmaceutically acceptable topical carrier, also has cosmeceutical applications, for treating scars, as well as skin discoloration and various pigmentation issues, including melasma/chloasma.

Abstract: Devices for guided tissue regeneration (GTR) include a matrix of chitosan and mutable collagenous tissue (MCT) wherein the chitosan is electrostatically bonded to the MCT to form MCT-chitosan composite material. The MCT can be isolated from invertebrate marine organisms, such as sponges, jellyfish, mollusks and echinoderms. The MCT-chitosan composite material can be formulated as a biofilm, a 3D-sponge, a hydrogel, or as an electrospun nanofiber, or the MCT-chitosan composite material can coat a biomaterial surface. The devices can include wound dressings and tissue sponges, including 3D sponges. Applications include tissue engineering and wound healing, as well as burns and other related guided tissue regeneration applications. MCT and MCT-chitosan composite material, contained in a pharmaceutically acceptable topical carrier, also has cosmeceutical applications, for treating scars, as well as skin discoloration and various pigmentation issues, including melasma/chloasma.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition comprising a matrix of chitosan and a tannin wherein the chitosan is electrostatically bonded to the tannin to form a chitosan-tannin composite material. The chitosan can be partially or fully deacetylated, and the tannin can be a monomeric or an oligomeric proanthocyanidin or a hydrolysable tannin. The chitosan-tannin composite material can be a nanoparticle, a hydrogel film, a bio-foam, or a biogel, or the chitosan-tannin composite material can coat a liposome. The composite materials can be used for drug delivery, for antibacterial and/or antifungal applications, for tissue engineering applications, for wound healing applications, or they can be used as adjuvants for vaccination, including oral vaccinations. The invention also provides methods of preparing the composite materials and their various forms.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition comprising a matrix of chitosan and a tannin wherein the chitosan is electrostatically bonded to the tannin to form a chitosan-tannin composite material. The chitosan can be partially or fully deacetylated, and the tannin can be a monomeric or an oligomeric proanthocyanidin or a hydrolysable tannin. The chitosan-tannin composite material can be a nanoparticle, a hydrogel film, a bio-foam, or a biogel, or the chitosan-tannin composite material can coat a liposome. The composite materials can be used for drug delivery, for antibacterial and/or antifungal applications, for tissue engineering applications, for wound healing applications, or they can be used as adjuvants for vaccination, including oral vaccinations. The invention also provides methods of preparing the composite materials and their various forms.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition comprising a matrix of chitosan and a tannin wherein the chitosan is electrostatically bonded to the tannin to form a chitosan-tannin composite material. The chitosan can be partially or fully deacetylated, and the tannin can be a monomeric or an oligomeric proanthocyanidin or a hydrolysable tannin. The chitosan-tannin composite material can be a nanoparticle, a hydrogel film, a bio-foam, or a biogel, or the chitosan-tannin composite material can coat a liposome. The composite materials can be used for drug delivery, for antibacterial and/or antifungal applications, for tissue engineering applications, for wound healing applications, or they can be used as adjuvants for vaccination, including oral vaccinations. The invention also provides methods of preparing the composite materials and their various forms.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition comprising a matrix of chitosan and a tannin wherein the chitosan is electrostatically bonded to the tannin to form a chitosan-tannin composite material. The chitosan can be partially or fully deacetylated, and the tannin can be a monomeric or an oligomeric proanthocyanidin or a hydrolysable tannin. The chitosan-tannin composite material can be a nanoparticle, a hydrogel film, a bio-foam, or a biogel, or the chitosan-tannin composite material can coat a liposome. The composite materials can be used for drug delivery, for antibacterial and/or antifungal applications, for tissue engineering applications, for wound healing applications, or they can be used as adjuvants for vaccination, including oral vaccinations. The invention also provides methods of preparing the composite materials and their various forms.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition comprising a matrix of chitosan and a tannin wherein the chitosan is electrostatically bonded to the tannin to form a chitosan-tannin composite material. The chitosan can be partially or fully deacetylated, and the tannin can be a monomeric or an oligomeric proanthocyanidin or a hydrolysable tannin. The chitosan-tannin composite material can be a nanoparticle, a hydrogel film, a bio-foam, or a biogel, or the chitosan-tannin composite material can coat a liposome. The composite materials can be used for drug delivery, for antibacterial and/or antifungal applications, for tissue engineering applications, for wound healing applications, or they can be used as adjuvants for vaccination, including oral vaccinations. The invention also provides methods of preparing the composite materials and their various forms.

Abstract: The invention provides a composition comprising a matrix of chitosan and a tannin wherein the chitosan is electrostatically bonded to the tannin to form a chitosan-tannin composite material. The chitosan can be partially or fully deacetylated, and the tannin can be a monomeric or an oligomeric proanthocyanidin or a hydrolysable tannin. The chitosan-tannin composite material can be a nanoparticle, a hydrogel film, a bio-foam, or a biogel, or the chitosan-tannin composite material can coat a liposome. The composite materials can be used for drug delivery, for antibacterial and/or antifungal applications, for tissue engineering applications, for wound healing applications, or they can be used as adjuvants for vaccination, including oral vaccinations. The invention also provides methods of preparing the composite materials and their various forms.