Adsorption Strategy of Plasmid DNA Nanoparticulate: Preparative Purification by a Simple Custom Expanded Bed Column

This paper summarizes the critical examination of the hydrodynamic performance of the NBG expanded bed contactor operated with streamline-DEAE adsorbent under various operating conditions for expanded bed adsorption of plasmid DNA nanoparticles from alkaline lysate. The purification process is not RNase-free. In this study, a rapid and efficient scaleable purification protocol obtaining, plasmid DNA nanoparticles (average size of 40 nm) with a high purity level for use as therapeutic agent in customized NBG expanded bed columns was developed. This technique allows efficient levels of binding to the column media and vector purification without centrifugation or filtration steps. Residence time distribution (RTD) studies were exploited to achieve the optimal condition of plasmid DNA nanoparticle (pDNA) recovery upon anion exchange adsorbent in this contactor. In addition, the purification experiments were carried out in the expanded bed columns with settle bed height of 6.0 ± 0.2 cm. NaCl gradient elution enabled the isolation of supercoiled plasmid from low-Mr RNA, cDNA and plasmid variants. Subsequently dynamic binding capacity of the adsorbent was calculated while these values decreased with increase in flow velocity. Moreover, the effect of pH upon the performance of this recovery process and the feedstock volume upon the expanded bed anion exchange purification was investigated. The results demonstrated that separation of low-Mr RNA from plasmid DNA isoforms in the range of pH between 5.5 and 7.5 is achievable in this column. The yield of recovery of pDNA in optimal condition was higher than 88.51% which was a superior result in one-pass frontal chromatography. The generic application of simple customized NBG expanded bed column and its potential for the purification and recovery of plasmid DNA as a nanoparticulate bioproduct is strongly discussed.     

Enhancement of the StreptoTag method for isolation of endogenously expressed proteins with complex RNA binding targets

StreptoTag is a novel affinity chromatography-based method for the isolation of high- and low-affinity RNA binding proteins. Originally it was shown possible to isolate recombinant protein from yeast or bacterial extracts using small, specific, well-characterised RNA binding targets. Here we show that using an enhanced aptamer it is not only possible to efficiently immobilise large, highly structured RNA binding targets onto the streptomycin columns but also that the StreptoTag method can be used for the isolation and purification of endogenously expressed regulatory proteins, with relatively low abundance, from eukaryotic extracts. As an example for this we uncover the identity of a karyophilic cellular protein which specifically binds to an area within the large, highly folded structure that characterises the mRNA from the unique 3' region (U3) of the mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) long terminal repeat (LTR). Hence, this method is now suitable for the quick and efficient isolation and identification of novel RNA binding proteins such as regulatory factors.     

Solid-phase extraction for metabolomic analysis of high-salinity samples by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry

Environmental samples such as soil solutions contain inorganic ions such as NH4(+), K(+), Na(+), NO3(-), and PO4(3-) in high concentrations, which must be removed prior to capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry analysis to obtain accurate results. However, the separation of these inorganic ions from ionic metabolites, which are the target compounds in capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry analysis, is difficult because the physicochemical properties of the inorganic ions are similar to those of the ionic metabolites. In this study, we used various solid-phase extraction (SPE) columns for the purification of the samples containing inorganic ions in high concentrations. We found that cation-exchange SPE columns successfully filtered out the inorganic ions while retaining most of the organic compounds, which were easily collected with high recovery rates. In addition, 17 cationic metabolites in the soil solution were quantified by CE-MS analysis following the SPE purification process. The results suggest that our method can be used to analyze other environmental samples containing inorganic ions in high concentrations.     

Highly Enantioselective Cross‐Aldol Reactions of Acetaldehyde Mediated by a Dual Catalytic System Operating under Site Isolation

Polystyrene‐supported (PS) diarylprolinol catalysts 1 a (Ar=phenyl) and 1 b (Ar=3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) have been developed. Operating under site‐isolation conditions, PS‐ 1 a / 1 b worked compatibly with PS‐bound sulfonic acid catalyst 2 to promote deoligomerization of paraldehyde and subsequent cross‐aldol reactions of the resulting acetaldehyde in one pot, affording aldol products in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. The effect of water on the performance of the catalytic system has been studied and its optimal amount (0.5 equiv) has been determined. The dual catalytic system ( 1 / 2 ) allows repeated recycling and reuse (10 cycles). The potential of this methodology is demonstrated by a two‐step synthesis of a phenoperidine analogue (68 % overall yield; 98 % ee) and by the preparation of highly enantioenriched 1,3‐diols 4 and 3‐methylamino‐1‐arylpropanols 5 , key intermediates in the synthesis of a variety of druglike structures.     

Glass capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry at high temperatures. direct analysis of free base porphyrins and metal porphyrin complexes extracted from the serpiano oil shale

This contribution describes GC/MS analysis of natural petroporphyrin extracts containing alkylporphyrins either as vanadyl complexes or as demetalated free bases. The combination of high temperature glass capillary gas chromatography with mass spectrometry allows, for the first time, direct determination of electron impact mass spectra of separated alkylporphyrins, making additional purification and derivatization unnecessary. The separation is carried out on glass capillary columns coated with the high temperature-stable medium polar, OH-terminated, polysiloxane phases PS 086 and OV-225-OH. The paper gives detailed working directions for the preparation of the high temperature GC/MS-interface, and of the high temperature stable OV-225-OH columns (max. working temperature 390°C).     

离子液体中手性催化剂回收研究

近年来,贵重的手性催化剂的回收与再利用越来越引起化学工作者的关注,而离子液体在催化剂回收方面有其独特的优势.本文综述了离子液体在手性催化反应中的应用,在回收催化剂的同时,也能一定程度上提高催化剂的催化效率:着重介绍了新型含咪唑盐手性催化剂及其在不对称催化中的应用,由于它在离子液体和有机溶剂的显著差异可以很容易地得到回收,并且能一定程度地稳定催化剂,提高催化效率,这对我们设计合成新型可回收的催化剂具有重要的借鉴意义.     

Half-numerical evaluation of pseudopotential integrals

A half-numeric algorithm for the evaluation of effective core potential integrals over Cartesian Gaussian functions is described. Local and semilocal integrals are separated into two-dimensional angular and one-dimensional radial integrals. The angular integrals are evaluated analytically using a general approach that has no limitation for the l-quantum number. The radial integrals are calculated by an adaptive one-dimensional numerical quadrature. For the semilocal radial part a pretabulation scheme is used. This pretabulation simplifies the handling of radial integrals, makes their calculation much faster, and allows their easy reuse for different integrals within a given shell combination. The implementation of this new algorithm is described and its performance is analyzed.     

Identification and segregation of materials in mixed waste

A great amount of plastics are present in waste material, a high percentage of which stem from the family of so-called “commodities”. Bearing this in mind, it is essential to develop a recycling system in order to avoid the environmental deterioration their presence causes and to reuse materials whose composition enables their recovery. The first problem this paper deals with is the separation of individual polymers before recycling in order to obtain regenerated products of high quality with consequently greater value. The work involves an attempt to use chemical additives as tracers in commonly occurring plastics such as PE, PVC, PP, etc. The tracers must be non-toxic and must not alter the physical or transformation properties of the plastics. They should be identifiable by simple spectroscopic methods so as to enable physical separation of different polymers prior to recyclying.     

Properties of monolithic silica columns for HPLC.

Monolithic silica columns and their use in high peak-capacity HPLC separations are reviewed. Monolithic silica columns can potentially provide higher overall performance than particle-packed columns based on the variable external porosity and variable through-pore size/skeleton size ratios. The high permeability of monolithic silica columns resulting from the high porosity is shown to be advantageous to generate large numbers of theoretical plates with long capillary columns. High permeability together with the high stability of the network structures of silica allows their use in high-speed separations required for a second-dimension column in two dimensional HPLC. Disadvantages of monolithic silica columns are also described.     

Particle Loaded Monolithic Sol‐Gel Columns for Capillary Electrochromatography: A New Dimension for High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Particle‐loaded (3 μm, octadecylsilica) monolithic sol‐gel columns have been prepared and selected characteristics measured. Several electrical properties may be calculated from simple current measurements in the column as a whole. Resistivity in the packed segment is approximately three times that in open segments, resulting in a 60% increase in field strength in the packed regions compared to the capillary with no packing. The surprisingly high specific permeability of these sol‐gel columns is characteristic of 8‐μm particles, which allows their operation in the microLC mode at pressures as low as 69 kPa where their efficiency is about 50,000 plates per meter and in the CEC mode where efficiency is about 106,000 plates per meter at 5 kV. There is a relatively rapid loss of efficiency with increasing linear velocity beyond 0.2 mm/s in microLC mode, which may be due to additional diffusion processes in the inter‐particulate voids. A rapid loss of efficiency above 0.5 mm/s is also observed in the CEC mode, for the same reasons. Chromatographic retention behavior in either separation mode is characteristic of conventional octadecylsilica particles, indicating that analytes have significant access to the surface within the pores of the immobilized bonded phase.     

A simple and advantageous protocol for the oxidation of alcohols with O-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX)

[reaction: see text] An efficient, user-friendly procedure for the oxidation of alcohols using IBX is described. Simply heating a solution of the alcohol in the presence of suspended IBX followed by filtration and removal of the solvent gives excellent yields of the corresponding carbonyl compounds. We illustrate this procedure with a panel of primary and secondary alcohol substrates and note that it allows recycling and reuse of the oxidant.     

Comprehensive two‐dimensional monolithic liquid chromatography of polar compounds

Two‐dimensional liquid chromatography largely increases the number of separated compounds in a single run, theoretically up to the product of the peaks separated in each dimension on the columns with different selectivities. On‐line coupling of a reversed‐phase column with an aqueous normal‐phase (hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography) column yields orthogonal systems with high peak capacities. Fast on‐line two‐dimensional liquid chromatography needs a capillary or micro‐bore column providing low‐volume effluent fractions transferred to a short efficient second‐dimension column for separation at a high mobile phase flow rate. We prepared polymethacrylate zwitterionic monolithic micro‐columns in fused silica capillaries with structurally different dimethacrylate cross‐linkers. The columns provide dual retention mechanism (hydrophilic interaction and reversed‐phase). Setting the mobile phase composition allows adjusting the separation selectivity for various polar substance classes. Coupling on‐line an organic polymer monolithic capillary column in the first dimension with a short silica‐based monolithic column in the second dimension provides two‐dimensional liquid chromatography systems with high peak capacities. The silica monolithic C₁₈ columns provide higher separation efficiency than the particle‐packed columns at the flow rates as high as 5 mL/min used in the second dimension. Decreasing the diameter of the silica monolithic columns allows using a higher flow rate at the maximum operation pressure and lower fraction volumes transferred from the first, hydrophilic interaction dimension, into the second, reversed‐phase mode, avoiding the mobile phase compatibility issues, improving the resolution, increasing the peak capacity, and the peak production rate.     

Reusable catalysts for the asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction

A new method for recycling chiral bis(oxazoline)-copper complexes is described based on the formation of charge-transfer complexes, their subsequent precipitation, and reuse after addition of new substrates. The conditions to perform this procedure were optimized in the presence of three bis(oxazoline)-based ligands. When associated with copper salts, these ligands efficiently catalyzed the Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and alpha,beta-unsaturated acyloxazolidinones. These catalysts were successfully recycled up to ten times while maintaining their high activities and enantioselectivities.     

A New and Efficient Procedure for Synthesis of 1,5‐Benzodiazepine Derivatives in Solution and under Solvent‐Free Conditions

Borax/phosphorous oxychloride (BPO) efficiently catalyzes the preparation of 1,5‐benzodiazepine derivatives of o‐phenylenediamines and ketones in solvent‐free and solution conditions. The reaction proceeds efficiently under ambient conditions giving excellent yields of the products. This new protocol allows the recycling of catalyst with no loss in its potency.     

Isolation and purification of diastereoisomeric flavonolignans from silymarin by binary‐column recycling preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography

Silymarin extracted from Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn consists of a large number of flavonolignans, of which diastereoisomeric flavonolignans including silybin A and silybin B, and isosilybin A and isosilybin B are the main bioactive components, whose preparation from the crude extracts is still a difficult task. In this work, binary‐column recycling preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography systems without sample loop trapping, where two columns were switched alternately via one or two six‐port switching valves, were established and successfully applied to the isolation and purification of the four diastereoisomeric flavonolignans from silymarin. The proposed system showed significant advantages over conventional preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography with a single column in increasing efficiency and reducing the cost. To obtain the same amounts of products, the proposed system spends only one tenth of the time that the conventional system spends, and needs only one eleventh of the solvent that the conventional system consumes. Using the proposed system, the four diastereoisomers were successfully isolated from silymarin with purities over 98%.     

Parallel extraction columns and parallel analytical columns coupled with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for on-line simultaneous quantification of a drug candidate and its six metabolites in dog plasma.

A method with parallel extraction columns and parallel analytical columns (PEC-PAC) for on-line high-flow liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) was developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of a drug candidate and its six metabolites in dog plasma. Two on-line extraction columns were used in parallel for sample extraction and two analytical columns were used in parallel for separation and analysis. The plasma samples, after addition of an internal standard solution, were directly injected onto the PEC-PAC system for purification and analysis. This method allowed the use of one of the extraction columns for analyte purification while the other was being equilibrated. Similarly, one of the analytical columns was employed to separate the analytes while the other was undergoing equilibration. Therefore, the time needed for re-conditioning both extraction and analytical columns was not added to the total analysis time, which resulted in a shorter run time and higher throughput. Moreover, the on-line column extraction LC/MS/MS method made it possible to extract and analyze all seven analytes simultaneously with good precision and accuracy despite their chemical class diversity that included primary, secondary and tertiary amines, an alcohol, an aldehyde and a carboxylic acid. The method was validated with the standard curve ranging from 5.00 to 5000 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day precision was no more than 8% CV and the assay accuracy was between 95 and 107%.     

Renewable microcolumns for automated DNA purification and flow-through amplification: from sediment samples through polymerase chain reaction

There is an increasing need for field-portable systems for the detection and characterization of microorganisms in the environment. Nucleic acids analysis is frequently the method of choice for discriminating between bacteria in complex systems, but standard protocols are difficult to automate and current microfluidic devices are not configured specifically for environmental sample analysis. In this report, we describe the development of an integrated DNA purification and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification system and demonstrate its use for the automated purification and amplification of Geobacter chapellei DNA (genomic DNA or plasmid targets) from sediments. The system includes renewable separation columns for the automated capture and release of microparticle purification matrices, and can be easily reprogrammed for new separation chemistries and sample types. The DNA extraction efficiency for the automated system ranged from 3 to 25%, depending on the length and concentration of the DNA target. The system was more efficient than batch capture methods for the recovery of dilute genomic DNA even though the reagent volumes were smaller than required for the batch procedure. The automated DNA concentration and purification module was coupled to a flow-through, Peltier-controlled DNA amplification chamber, and used to successfully purify and amplify genomic and plasmid DNA from sediment extracts. Cleaning protocols were also developed to allow reuse of the integrated sample preparation system, including the flow-through PCR tube.     

Heterogeneous photoredox catalysis using fluorescein polymer brush functionalized glass beads

Photocatalysis is a valuable and versatile method to perform a variety of chemical transformations under ambient temperatures and pressures using mild visible light. This work showcases an example of fluorescein-functionalized polymers grafted to micro-scale glass beads as heterogeneous photoredox catalysts. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were used to analyze the resulting functional glass beads. Model reactions that are demonstrated include a cyclic condensation and a radical dehalogenation that can both be performed to high yields. Successful recyclability of the fluorescein polymer brush beads is demonstrated with detailed characterization confirming that photocatalytic polymer brushes remain tethered to the surface. As such, this allows for purification and reuse of the heterogeneous photocatalyst beads after simple filtration.     

Immobilized hemoglobin in the purification of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers.

Chemically modified hemoglobins can be used as oxygen carriers in cell-free fluids provided that they have a low oxygen affinity and are stable towards dissociation into subunits. The latter species are undesirable because they are filtered rapidly through the kidneys, have renal toxicity and are characterized by a high oxygen affinity. A most important step in the preparation of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers is therefore their purification from any dissociable material. Hemoglobin immobilized as alpha beta dimers on Sepharose lends itself naturally to this purpose as it is able to interact in a specific and reversible way with soluble alpha beta dimers. Hemoglobin affinity columns are very effective in the purification of cross-linked and pseudo-cross-linked human and bovine hemoglobin. The applicability of the technique is enhanced by the ease with which alpha beta dimers from different species cross-interact to yield hybrid alpha 2 beta 2 tetramers. It is shown that hemoglobin affinity columns may provide analytical information on the cross-linking reaction itself.