Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are tiny fat bubbles that are used to deliver medicines, genes, and RNA into cells. However, in some cases LNPs can cause harmful inflammation as a result of the process of RNA delivery. Now, two new solutions can help alleviate inflammation while still getting RNA where it needs to be in the cell. One discovery found that inflammation could be reduced with the addition of a unique biodegradable lipid to the treatment; another solution identified a common drug, called thiodigalactoside (TG), which blocked inflammation when added to the LNP. Today’s Nature Nanotechnology features this research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Using dollar stores for food purchases may be a common practice for Americans looking to free up funds for the rest of their grocery list, researchers from Tufts University and the USDA-Economic Research Service report. Their multi-year analysis of where households buy their non-restaurant calories found that dollar store food purchases are rising, but families are balancing this with purchasing more nutritious items elsewhere. 

A UNSW analysis of Sydney water has found at least 31 PFAS chemicals, including 21 not previously recorded in Australian tap water, and one detected in tap water globally for the first time.