Quantitative Assessment of Tip Effects in Single‐Molecule High‐Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Using DNA Origami Substrates

High‐speed atomic force microscopy (HS‐AFM) is widely employed in the investigation of dynamic biomolecular processes at a single‐molecule level. However, it remains an open and somewhat controversial question, how these processes are affected by the rapidly scanned AFM tip. While tip effects are commonly believed to be of minor importance in strongly binding systems, weaker interactions may significantly be disturbed. Herein, we quantitatively assess the role of tip effects in a strongly binding system using a DNA origami‐based single‐molecule assay. Despite its femtomolar dissociation constant, we find that HS‐AFM imaging can disrupt monodentate binding of streptavidin (SAv) to biotin (Bt) even under gentle scanning conditions. To a lesser extent, this is also observed for the much stronger bidentate SAv–Bt complex. The presented DNA origami‐based assay can be universally employed to quantify tip effects in strongly and weakly binding systems and to optimize the experimental settings for their reliable HS‐AFM imaging.     

Synthesis and Hydrogen-Bond Patterns of Aryl-Group Substituted Silanediols and -triols from Alkoxy- and Chlorosilanes

Organosilanols typically show a high condensation tendency and only exist as stable isolable molecules under very specific steric and electronic conditions at the silicon atom. In the present work, various novel representatives of this class of compounds were synthesized by hydrolysis of alkoxy- or chlorosilanes. Phenyl, 1-naphthyl, and 9-phenanthrenyl substituents at the silicon atom were applied to systematically study the influence of the aromatic substituents on the structure and reactivity of the compounds. Chemical shifts in ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy in solution, correlated well with the expected electronic situation induced by the substitution pattern on the Si atom. ¹H NMR studies allowed the detection of strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Single-crystal X-ray structures of the alkoxides and the chlorosilanes are dominated by π-π interactions of the aromatic systems, which are substituted by strong hydrogen bonding interactions representing various structural motifs in the respective silanol structures.     

Precision tests of the standard model,the Higgs,and new physics

We present a concise review of the status of the standard model and of the search for new physics.     

Linear restrictions and two step least squares with applications

In this paper we consider the full rank regression model with arbitrary covariance matrix: Y = Xß + ε. It is shown that the effect of restricting the information Y to T = A′Y may be analyzed through an associatedi regression problem which is amenable to solution by two step least squares. The results are applied to the important case of missing observations, where some classical results are rederived.     

Methylpyridylbenz-X-azoles. lH NMR Study

The shielding parameters of benz-X-azolyl substituents in various positions of the pyridine nucleus were determined by means of a regression analysis procedure. Analogously the shielding contributions of pyridyl substituents on homocyclic protons of benz-X-azoles were derived. The results evidence some interactions between the two heterocyclic systems when the benz-X-azolyl substituents are linked at the pyridine α-position.