Multivariate Analysis of MALDI Imaging Mass Spectrometry Data of Mixtures of Single Pollen Grains

Mixtures of pollen grains of three different species (Corylus avellana, Alnus cordata, and Pinus sylvestris) were investigated by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF imaging MS). The amount of pollen grains was reduced stepwise from >?10 to single pollen grains. For sample pretreatment, we modified a previously applied approach, where any additional extraction steps were omitted. Our results show that characteristic pollen MALDI mass spectra can be obtained from a single pollen grain, which is the prerequisite for a reliable pollen classification in practical applications. MALDI imaging of laterally resolved pollen grains provides additional information by reducing the complexity of the MS spectra of mixtures, where frequently peak discrimination is observed. Combined with multivariate statistical analyses, such as principal component analysis (PCA), our approach offers the chance for a fast and reliable identification of individual pollen grains by mass spectrometry.

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Determination of boron and hydrogen in materials for multicrystalline solar cell production with prompt gamma activation analysis

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - For the optimization of the manufacturing process of multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) for solar cells in order to reduce energy consumption and...     

MaxSynBio: Avenues Towards Creating Cells from the Bottom Up

A large German research consortium mainly within the Max Planck Society (“MaxSynBio”) was formed to investigate living systems from a fundamental perspective. The research program of MaxSynBio relies solely on the bottom‐up approach to synthetic biology. MaxSynBio focuses on the detailed analysis and understanding of essential processes of life through modular reconstitution in minimal synthetic systems. The ultimate goal is to construct a basic living unit entirely from non‐living components. The fundamental insights gained from the activities in MaxSynBio could eventually be utilized for establishing a new generation of biotechnological processes, which would be based on synthetic cell constructs that replace the natural cells currently used in conventional biotechnology.     

Rational Fabrication of Anti‐Freezing,Non‐Drying Tough Organohydrogels by One‐Pot Solvent Displacement

Tough hydrogels, polymeric network structures with excellent mechanical properties (such as high stretchability and toughness), are emerging soft materials. Despite their remarkably mechanical features, tough hydrogels exhibit two flaws (freezing around the icing temperatures of water and drying under arid conditions). Inspired by cryoprotectants (CPAs) used in the inhibition of the icing of water in biological samples, a versatile and straightforward method is reported to fabricate extreme anti‐freezing, non‐drying CPA‐based organohydrogels with long‐term stability by partially displacing water molecules within the pre‐fabricated hydrogels. CPA‐based Ca‐alginate/polyacrylamide (PAAm) tough hydrogels were successfully fabricated with glycerol, glycol, and sorbitol. The CPA‐based organohydrogels remain unfrozen and mechanically flexible even up to ?70 °C and are stable under ambient conditions or even vacuum.     

Tetrasulphur Tetranitride: Phase Transition and Crystal Structure at Elevated Temperature

Rietveld X‐ray crystal structure investigations on S₄N₄ give evidence for a new orthorhombic high‐temperature phase (Pbcn, a = 883.9(1) pm, b = 875.5(1) pm, c = 725.81(9) pm) very close to the explosion temperature of the solid‐state material. The phase transition can be described using Landau's theory, yielding a critical temperature of 397 K and a critical exponent of 0.50.     

Packing considerations of bis‐dimedone derivatives

We have determined the crystal structures of 2,2′‐(4‐fluoro­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hydroxy‐5,5‐di­methyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₃H₂₇FO₄, (I), 2,2′‐(4‐chloro­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hy­droxy‐5,5‐dimethyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₃H₂₇ClO₄, (II), 2,2′‐(4‐hydroxy­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hydroxy‐5,5‐di­methyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₃H₂₈O₅, (III), 2,2′‐(4‐methyl­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hydroxy‐5,5‐di­methyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₄H₃₀O₄, (IV), 2,2′‐(4‐methoxy­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hy­droxy‐5,5‐di­methyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₄H₃₀O₅, (V), and 2,2′‐(4‐N,N′‐di­methyl­amino­phenyl)­methyl­enebis(3‐hydroxy‐5,5‐di­methyl‐2‐cyclo­hexen‐1‐one), C₂₅H₃₃NO₄, (VI). Structures (III) to (VI) of these bis‐dimedone derivatives show nearly the same packing pattern irrespective of the different substituent in the para position of the aromatic ring. However, (II) does not fit into this scheme, although the Cl atom is a substituent not too different from the others. The different packing of the fluoro compound, (I), can be explained by the fact that it crystallizes with two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit, which show a different conformation of the dimedone ring. On the other hand, (I) shows a similar packing pattern to bis(2‐hydroxy‐4,4‐di­methyl‐6‐oxo‐1‐cyclo­hexenyl)­phenyl­methane, a compound containing an aromatic ring without any substituent and with Z′ = 2.