Nanostructured Heterogeneous Catalysts for Bioorthogonal Reactions

Bioorthogonal chemistry has inspired a new subarea of chemistry providing a powerful tool to perform novel biocompatible chemospecific reactions in living systems. Following the premise that they do not interfere with biological functions, bioorthogonal reactions are increasingly applied in biomedical research, particularly with respect to genetic encoding systems, fluorogenic reactions for bioimaging, and cancer therapy. This Minireview compiles recent advances in the use of heterogeneous catalysts for bioorthogonal reactions. The synthetic strategies of Pd-, Au-, and Cu-based materials, their applicability in the activation of caged fluorophores and prodrugs, and the possibilities of using external stimuli to release therapeutic substances at a specific location in a diseased tissue are discussed. Finally, we highlight frontiers in the field, identifying challenges, and propose directions for future development in this emerging field.     

Nature-inspired biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles for antibacterial applications

In recent decades, nanotechnology has been empowered as a new and developing interdisciplinary region of science and innovation that coordinates material science and biology. Nanoscience and nanotechnology open up new streets of examination that are helpful in synthesizing novel nanomaterials with remarkable applications. Among different metal nanomaterials, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) attracted the attention of researchers due to their versatile antibacterial characteristics and biological properties. Biogenically synthesizing AgNPs from plants and microorganisms seems to be a highly promising alternative for developing a technology that is both environmentally benign and fast. Plants and microorganisms' ability to synthesize AgNPs has mostly remained untapped, and the lack of investigation is due to the vast variety of plants and microorganisms. This review aims to describe the current progress in various synthetic techniques for AgNPs and their potential for antibacterial applications. It discusses biogenic synthetic approaches, the role of various metabolites in the growth processes of AgNPs with antibacterial implications, bactericidal mechanisms, and the influence of operational parameters on AgNPs synthesis. Furthermore, the present status, critical challenges, and future outlook of AgNPs will be explored, which will definitely affect their present and future scenarios. We believe that by focusing readers' attention on nature-inspired, biogenically synthesized AgNPs and their bactericidal applications, this review will enable them to formulate a new perspective.     

框架核酸高通量检测芯片

构建了一种基于框架核酸的高通量生物检测芯片.利用超微量移液自动化平台,将包含框架核酸探针的液滴按照预设命令固定至生物芯片微阵列上,在探针捕获核酸靶标后利用集成的基因芯片扫描仪对芯片进行成像,通过分析荧光强度定量化分析靶标浓度.结果表明,此框架核酸芯片能够实现框架核酸探针的高通量制备, 24 h即可制备具有15万个点的微阵列,且点间距离的相对偏差W≤10%、荧光强度的变异系数CV=3.30%,具有较高的稳定性,远高于国家标准.此外,该芯片具备高灵敏度、可寻址的高通量生物分析能力,对核酸靶标的检测限可达100 pmol/L.随着多种探针技术的发展,生物检测微阵列技术在高通量生物分析领域展示出巨大的潜力.     

Computer Handling of Chemical and Biological Data of Traditional Chinese Medicines

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含硅二硫代磷酸酯的合成及生物活性

硅基甲硫醇Ｒ＾１Ｒ＾２ＣＨ３ＳｉＣＨ２ＳＨ与Ｏ，Ｏ－二烷基二硫代磷酸酯（ＲＯ）２Ｐ（Ｓ）ＳＨ及甲醛可顺利地发生类Ｍａｎｎｉｃｈ缩合反应，利用此反应和硅基甲硫醇与Ｏ，Ｏ－二乙基－Ｓ（２－溴乙基）二硫代磷酸酯的取代反应合成了３７种新的含硅二硫代到酯化合物（ＲＯ）２Ｐ（Ｓ）Ｓ（ＣＨ２）ｎＳＣＨ２ＳｉＣＨ３Ｒ＾１Ｒ＾２（ｎ＝１，２），在初筛浓度下，该类化合物具有一定的杀虫，杀螨活性。     

The role of surface science in bioengineered materials

Materials employed in biomedical technology are increasingly being designed to have specific, desirable biological interactions with their surroundings, rather than the older common practice of trying to adapt traditional materials to biomedical applications. Moreover, materials scientists are also increasingly deriving new lessons from naturally occurring materials (from mollusk shells to soft animal tissue) about useful composition–structure property relationships that might be mimicked with synthetic materials. Together, these two areas of effort constitute what we may call bioengineered materials. It is possible to set down a reasonably thorough set of characteristics that bioengineered materials have in common. Among these characteristics we discuss the following: self-assembly, bioengineered materials often rely on information content built into structural molecules to determine the order and organization of the material; hierarchical structure, in most bioengineered materials several different length scales of structure are essential and are formed spontaneously and simultaneously via self-assembly; precision synthesis, fundamental to biological material structures is the idea of macromolecules constructed in a precise manner; templating, ordered structures in bioengineered materials are often propagated from one element or set of instructions, to another; specific and non-specific interactions, the forces involved in holding biomaterials structures together. In the future, a carefully selected combination of this set of characteristics will enable us to bioengineer surfaces that are capable to direct and control a desired biological response. Eventually, such bioengineered surfaces will become important tools to comprehend and analyze how materials interact in nature.     

Biostimulation of HeLa cells by low-intensity visible light

Summary The action spectra of low-intensity light in the range from 300 to 900 nm on the synthesis rate of nucleic acids in the culture of HeLa cells has been measured. The synthesis of DNA and RNA is stimulated in several spectral intervals with maxima nearby 400, 630, 680, 760 and 820 nm. The stimulation effect is very sensitive to the irradiation duration (light intensity) at a fixed dose. The dose that causes the maximal stimulation is approximately 10 times smaller in the near-UV blue region than in red-IR region.

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Riassunto Si è misurato lo spettro d’azione della luce a bassa intensità nell’intervallo da 300 a 900 nm sul tasso di sintesi degli acidi nucleici in culture di cellule HeLa. La sintesi di DNA ed RNA è stimolata in parecchi intervalli spetrali con massimi vicino a 400, 630, 680, 760 e 820 nm. L’effetto di stimolazione è molto sensibile alla durata d’irradiazione (intensità della luce) ad una dose fissa. La dose che causa la stimolazione massima è approssimativamente dieci volte piú piccola nella regione blu dell’ultravioletto vicino che nella regione del rosso-infrarosso.

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Резюме Измерен спектр действия низкоинтенсивного света в диапазоне (300⋎900) нм на скорость синтеза нуклеиновых кислот в культуре клеток HeLa 1.5 часа после облучения. Синтез ДНК и РНК стимулируется в несколбких спектральных интервалах с максимумами вблизи 400, 630, 680, 760 и 820 нм. Эффект стимуляции очень чувствителен к продолжительности облуения (интенсивности света) при фиксированной дозе. Доза, при которой наблюдается максимальная стимудяция, в несколько ваз меньше в ближнеи УФ-синей области с максимумом около 400 нм.

     

Assessing the ability of chemical similarity measures to discriminate between active and inactive compounds

Summary A method for assessing the biological discriminating power of chemical similarity measures is presented. The main concern of this work was to develop an objective way of evaluating different similarity measures in terms of how well they distinguished between active and inactive compounds. In addition, we have explored the level of similarity required for optimal separation and commented on its implications for work in the field of chemical diversity studies. The results for one simple similarity measure showed that statistically significant separation could be achieved, and indicated a reasonable similarity value for future work.     

Molecular organization and syn ? anti conformational equilibria in ethane-bridged bis(zinc porphyrin) floating films at the air-water interface

The behavior of the symmetrical ethane-bridged bis(Zn porphyrin) (1) has been investigated at the air-water interface. The molecular organization of floating films of pure 1 and its mixture with amphiphilic substances, such as arachidic acid and n-octadecylamine, was inspected by means of surface pressure-area isotherms, Brewster angle microscopy and reflection spectroscopy in the UV-Vis region. The overall results suggest the presence in all cases of mainly the anti conformer of 1 even when the dimer was spread on pure water, through the ligation of water molecules to the zinc atoms in the axial positions. It was also demonstrated for the first time that the syn-to-anti conformational transition of the porphyrin dimer can be accelerated by the ligation of suitable amphiphiles even at the liquid-air interface. In particular, it is noted that n-octadecylamine, and arachidic acid (to a lesser extent), added to the system as amphiphiles, drive the syn ? anti equilibrium of 1 towards the anti form through the axial ligation of the amino or carboxylate group to the zinc atoms.     

Nuclear Physics in Norway, 1933–1955

In the late 1940s and the 1950s, Norwegian nuclear scientists, engineers, and administrators were deeply split over their nation’s goals, organization, politics, and tools for research in nuclear physics. One faction was determined to build a nuclear reactor in Norway, while another fiercely opposed the reactor plans and focused on particle accelerators. The first faction comprised scientific entrepreneurs and research technologists, the second academic scientists, most of whom began their research careers in nuclear physics in the 1930s. To understand this conflict, I trace the development of nuclear research in Norway from the early 1930s to the mid-1950s, placing it within an international context. Roland Wittje is working on his habilitation thesis in the History of Science Unit at the University of Regensburg, Germany.