Bivalent cholesterol-based coupling of oligonucletides to lipid membrane assemblies

By mimicking Nature's way of utilizing multivalent interactions, we introduce in the present work a novel method to improve the strength of cholesterol-based DNA coupling to lipid membranes. The bivalent coupling of DNA was accomplished by hybridization between a 15-mer DNA and a 30-mer DNA, being modified with cholesterol in the 3' and 5' end, respectively. Compared with DNA modified with one cholesterol moiety only, the binding strength to lipid membranes appears to be significantly stronger and even irreversible over the time scale investigated ( approximately 1 hr). First, this means that the bivalent coupling can be used to precisely control the number of DNA per lipid-membrane area. Second, the strong coupling is demonstrated to facilitate DNA-hybridization kinetics studies. Third, exchange of DNA between differently DNA-modified vesicles was demonstrated to be significantly reduced. The latter condition was verified via site-selective and sequence-specific sorting of differently DNA-modified lipid vesicles on a low-density cDNA array. This means of spatially control the location of different types of lipid vesicles is likely to find important applications in relation to the rapid progress currently made in the protein chip technology and the emerging need for efficient ways to develop membrane protein arrays.     

Enzyme thermistors for process monitoring and control

In today’s biotechnology there is an increasing demand for appropriate analytical systems for process control. At present the most widely used control systems are based on measurements of pH, pO₂, and pCO₂. Such systems do not allow the direct measurement of substrates and products. To overcome this drawback sensors such as enzyme thermistors and enzyme electrodes have been designed and their development into industrial useful sensors for monitoring and controlling is the subject of active research.     

Electrokinetic-driven microfluidic system in poly(dimethylsiloxane) for mass spectrometry detection integrating sample injection, capillary electrophoresis, and electrospray emitter on-chip

A novel microsystem device in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for MS detection is presented. The microchip integrates sample injection, capillary electrophoretic separation, and electrospray emitter in a single substrate, and all modules are fabricated in the PDMS bulk material. The injection and separation flow is driven electrokinetically and the total amount of external equipment needed consists of a three-channel high-voltage power supply. The instant switching between sample injection and separation is performed through a series of low-cost relays, limiting the separation field strength to a maximum of 270 V/cm. We show that this set-up is sufficient to accomplish electrospray MS analysis and, to a moderate extent, microchip separation of standard peptides. A new method of instant in-channel oxidation makes it possible to overcome the problem of irreversibly bonded PDMS channels that have recovered their hydrophobic properties over time. The fast method turns the channel surfaces hydrophilic and less prone to nonspecific analyte adsorption, yielding better separation efficiencies and higher apparent peptide mobilities.     

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip: microchannel with integrated open electrospray tip

A polymer microchip with an open tip for electrospray mass spectrometry is presented. The tip consists of a groove with parallel walls where a droplet can form at the end surface. A lid covers the whole chip except at the microchannel tip, which is left open. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchips were cast using a nickel mould which in turn was replicated from a dry etched silicon wafer. Tips with microchannel widths of around 50 microm could easily be replicated. Since the tip had no cover, the assembly of microchip and cover was simplified. A total ion current variation of 5% during 300 s was achieved for a 1 microM myoglobin solution. The non-complex design of the cover makes it suitable for versatile tests of chip prototypes. The nickel mould was found to be useful for PDMS microstructure fabrication. Also, such a robust mould allows casting electrospray tips in more rigid thermoset materials.     

Stereochemistry of copper- and nickel-catalyzed insertion of carbon dioxide into epoxides. A microwave study

Reaction of trans-1,2-dideuterioethene oxide ($\text{1}$) with carbon dioxide, using copper and nickel catalysts, and subsequent analysis of the product ethene carbonate-d₂ ($\text{2}$) by microwave spectroscopy, shows that the copper-catalyzed reaction is stereo-specific (retention) whereas the nickel-catalyzed reaction is non-stereospecific.     

A total synthesis of hydroxylysine in protected form and investigations of the reductive opening of p-methoxybenzylidene acetals

A synthesis of (2S,5R)-5-hydoxylysine, based on (R)-malic acid and Williams glycine template as chiral precursors, has been developed. This afforded hydroxylysine, suitably protected for direct use in peptide synthesis, in 32% yield over the 13-step sequence. Regioselective reductive opening of a p-methoxybenzylidene acetal and alkylation of the Williams glycine template were key steps in the synthetic sequence. Surprisingly, the regioselectivity in opening of the p-methoxybenzylidene acetal was reversed as compared to what was expected. It was found that this was due to chelation of the trialkylsilyl choride, used as an electrophile in the reductive opening, to an adjacent azide functionality. It was also discovered that an equivalent amount of trialkylsilyl hydride was formed in the reaction, a finding that led to additional mechanistic insight into reductive openings of p-methoxybenzylidene acetals with sodium cyanoborohydride as reducing agent.     

Zirconium catalyzed amide formation without water scavenging

A scalable homogeneous metal‐catalyzed protocol for direct amidation of carboxylic acids is presented. The use of 2–10 mol% of the commercially available Zr(Cp)₂(OTf)₂·THF results in high yields of amides at moderate temperature, using an operationally convenient reaction protocol that circumvents the use of water scavenging techniques.     

Inventory problems with perishable items: Fixed lifetimes and backlogging

Our model deals with a single-product and a single-stock location with Poisson demand. The replenishment leadtime from the external supplier is fixed. The lifetime of the product is also fixed, and aging is assumed to begin when the order is placed. When the age of a unit has reached its lifetime, the unit is useless and thus discarded from the system. The replenishment policy is assumed to be an order-up-to S-policy. Demand that cannot be met immediately is backordered. We consider three different cases where the service requirements are represented by: (1) backorder costs per unit, (2) a service level constraint, (3) backorder costs per unit and time unit. Cases 1 and 2 are solved exactly, while an approximation is developed for case 3. We show how the results from an earlier paper assuming lost sales can be used to solve the considered problems. Our results are compared to the results in a related paper considering (Q, r)-policies.