Controlled vesicle self-assembly in microfluidic channels with hydrodynamic focusing

Traditional liposome preparation methods are based on mixing of bulk phases, leading to inhomogeneous chemical and/or mechanical conditions during formation; hence liposomes are often polydisperse in size and lamellarity. Here we show the formation of liposomes that encapsulate reagents in a continuous two-phase flow microfluidic network with precision control of size from 100 to 300 nm by manipulation of liquid flow rates. We demonstrate that by creating a solvent-aqueous interfacial region in a microfluidic format that is homogeneous and controllable on the length scale of a liposome, we can facilitate the fine control of liposome size and polydispersity.     

13C NMR pattern of Sc3N@C68. Structural assignment of the first fullerene with adjacent pentagons

Sc3N@C68 is assigned to isomer Sc3N@C68:6140 on the grounds of relative energies, geometrical data, and its 13C NMR pattern. Sc3N@C68:6140 is an endohedral fullerene where each Sc atom is coordinated to the center of an equatorial pentalene unit. Static and dynamic computer simulations explain the different point groups observed in NMR and X-ray experiments. Computed and experimental 13C NMR pattern are in close agreement except for one low-intensity signal. The competing isomer Sc3N@C68:6275 is found to be 409 kJ/mol less stable and shows a different 13C NMR pattern.     

Reaction Engineering Aspects of α-l,4-D-Glucan Phosphorylase Catalysis

Some important process properties of α-l,4-D-ghican phosphorylases isolated from the bacteriumCorynebacterium callunae and potato tubers (Solatium tuberosum) were compared. Apart from minor differences in their stability and specificity (represented by the maximum degree of maltodextrin conversion) and a 10-fold higher affinity of the plant phosphorylase for maltodextrin (K _M of 1.3 g/L at 300 mM of orthophosphate), the performances of both enzymes in a continuous ultrafiltration membrane reactor were almost identical. Product synthesis was carried out over a time course of 300–400 h in the presence or absence of auxiliary pullulanase (increasing the accessibility of the glucan substrate for phosphorolytic attack up to 15–20%). The effect of varied dilution rate and reaction temperature on the resulting productivities was quantitated, and a maximum operational temperature of 40°C was identified.     

A study on the utility of bismuth-film electrodes for the determination of In(III) in the presence of Pb(II) and Cd(II) by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry

This work is an investigation into the utility of bismuth-film electrodes (BiFEs) for the determination of indium in the presence of cadmium and lead by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that, after judicious choice of the associated chemical and instrumental conditions, it is possible to achieve satisfactory separation of the relevant stripping peak and, thus, to determine simultaneously trace concentrations of cadmium, lead and indium. It was conclusively demonstrated that a BiFE performed better than the equivalent mercury-film electrode (MFE) in this particular application.     

Synthesis and peptide-binding properties of a luminescent pyrimidine zinc(II) complex

The synthesis and peptide-binding properties of a Zn(II)nitrilotriacetate complex substituted with pyrimidine hydrazine amides are reported. The metal complex provides millimolar binding affinity in aqueous buffer to peptides bearing N-terminal His. The pyrimidine heterocycles intermolecularly interact with the bound peptide and quench the emission of nearby Trp residues by energy transfer.     

Characterisation of combinatorial libraries of mucin-2 antigen peptides by high-resolution mass spectrometry

An epitope motif, TX(1)TX(2)T, of mucin-2 glycoprotein was identified by means of a mucin-2-specific monoclonal antibody, mAb 994, raised against a synthetic mucin-derived 15-mer peptide conjugate. For determination of the epitope sequence recognised with highest affinity by mAb 994, a combinatorial approach was applied using the portioning-mixing technique excluding Cys. Antibody binding of libraries was most profound when Gln was at the X(1) position. Analytical characterisation of the TQTX(2)T library was conducted by amino acid analysis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) and electrospray ionisation Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (ESI-FTICR) mass spectrometric methods. Control libraries were prepared by mixing 19 individual peptides corresponding to the TQTX(2)T sequence. Thus, mixtures of 6, 10 and 19 pentapeptides were analysed and compared with the combinatorial mixture. MALDI-TOFMS was able to detect only partially the components in the 6- and 10-member mixtures, but failed to characterise a more complex 19-member mixture. In contrast, ESI-FTICRMS resolved all mixtures of higher complexity and provided direct identification at monoisotopic resolution, such as for a peptide library containing 'isobaric' lysine and glutamine (Delta m = 0.0364 Da). The results of this study suggest that ESI-FTICRMS is a powerful tool for characterisation of combinatorial peptide libraries of higher complexity.