In the cell, enzymes are almost always spatially confined in crowded and tightly controlled cellular compartments. The entrapment of artificial nanoreactors as biomimetic systems can be expected to contribute understanding activity interactions spaces. capsid Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle virus (CCMV) represents such an nanoreactor that used encapsulate multiple proteins its interior. Employing a encapsulation process we able load precise number (Pseudozyma antarctica lipase B EGFP) into CCMV...

Together with droplet creation, fusion and sorting, the incubation of droplets is one most important essential operations for droplet-based microfluidic assays. This manuscript concerns development delay-lines, which are necessary to allow reactions precise time periods. We analyze problems associated creating delay-lines in minute hour range, arise from back-pressure dispersion due unequal speeds pass through delay-line. describe delay-line systems resolve these demonstrate their use...

Lipase immobilization is frequently used for altering the catalytic properties of these industrially enzymes. Many lipases bind strongly to hydrophobic surfaces where they undergo interfacial activation. Candida antarctica lipase B (CalB), one most commonly biocatalysts, discussed as an atypical lacking Here we show that CalB displays enhanced rate large, bulky substrates when adsorbed a interface composed densely packed alkyl chains. We attribute this increased activity more than 7-fold...

Balanced transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ)/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-signaling is essential for tissue formation and homeostasis. While gain in TGFβ signaling often found diseases, the underlying cellular mechanisms remain poorly defined. Here we show that receptor BMP type 2 (BMPR2) serves as a central gatekeeper of this balance, highlighted by its deregulation diseases such pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We BMPR2 deficiency endothelial cells (ECs) does not abolish...

Direct quantification of biomolecular interaction by single-molecule force spectroscopy has evolved into a powerful tool for materials and life sciences. We introduce an approach in which the unbinding forces required to break intermolecular bonds are measured differential format comparison with known reference bond (here, short DNA duplex). In addition marked increase sensitivity resolution, enabled us resolve single-base pair mismatches, this concept allows highly specific parallel assays....

A new class of antibody-functionalized, semi-flexible and filamentous polymers (diameter 5–10 nm, length ∼200 nm) with a controlled persistence length, high degree stereoregularity the potential for multiple simultaneous receptor interactions has been developed. We have decorated these highly controlled, semi-stiff T cell activating anti-CD3 antibodies analyzed their application as simple synthetic mimics dendritic cells (sDCs). Our sDCs do not only activate at significantly lower...

Shearing of short, dimeric coiled coils proceeds<italic>via</italic>three competing timescale-dependent mechanisms: progressive helix uncoiling, uncoiling-assisted sliding and dissociation.

Over the last decade, water-soluble polyisocyanopeptides (PICs) have emerged as a new class of biomimetic polymers. Analogous to biopolymers, PICs exhibit semi-flexible nature; however, unlike their biological counterparts, they possess unique advantage being highly customizable. Hydrogels made fibrous and porous architecture and, consequently, mechanical properties. This includes strain stiffening, which is well known in materials but rarely found synthetic gels. These properties make PIC...

Artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPCs) have recently gained a lot of attention. They efficiently activate T and serve as powerful replacements for dendritic in cancer immunotherapy. Focusing on specific class polymer-based aAPCs, so-called synthetic (sDCs), we investigated the importance multivalent binding T-cell activation. Using antibody-functionalized sDCs, tested influence polymer length antibody density. Increasing character lowered effective concentration required This was...

Biological materials have evolved to combine a number of functionally relevant properties. They are sensitive chemical and mechanical signals respond these in highly specific manner. Many biological hydrogels possess the ability stress‐stiffen, property that is difficult mimic synthetic systems. A novel hydrogel described possesses stress‐stiffening behavior biologically stress regime and, at same time, contains DNA cross‐links as stimuli‐responsive elements. The scaffold composed...

Natural biopolymeric materials often possess properties superior to their individual components. In mussel byssus, reversible histidine (His)–metal coordination is a key feature, which mediates higher-order self-assembly as well self-healing. The byssus structure, thus, serves an excellent natural blueprint for the development of self-healing biomimetic with reversibly tunable mechanical properties. Inspired by byssal threads, we bioengineered His–metal sites into heterodimeric coiled coil...

Biofilms appear when bacteria colonize a surface and synthesize assemble extracellular matrix components. In addition to the organic matrix, some biofilms precipitate mineral particles such as calcium phosphate. While calcified induce diseases like periodontitis in physiological environments, they also inspire engineering of living composites. Understanding mineralization mechanisms will thus provide key knowledge for either inhibiting or promoting these research fields. this work, we study...

James Batteas, et al. , introduce the field of mechanochemistry in “Moving forward”.

The mechanical properties of bacterial biofilms depend on the composition and micro-structure their extracellular matrix (ECM), which constitutes a network proteins polysaccharide fibers. In particular, E. coli macrocolony were suggested to present tissue-like elasticity due dense fiber consisting amyloid curli phosphoethanolamine-modified cellulose (pEtN-cellulose). To understand contribution these two main ECM components emergent biofilms, we performed shear-rheology microindentation...

Integrating single molecule force spectroscopy with fluorescence-based techniques allows the manipulation of an enzyme a periodic stretching and relaxation protocol while simultaneously monitoring its catalytic activity. After releasing we observe higher probability for enzymatic activity at time 1.7 s. A detailed theoretical analysis reveals that from force-induced conformation to observed active follows cascade reaction several steps free energy difference least 8 kBT. Our study clearly...

Using a single-molecule fluorescence approach, the time series of catalytic events an enzymatic reaction can be monitored, yielding sequence fluorescent "on"- and "off"-states. An accurate on/off-assignment is complicated by intrinsic extrinsic noise in every experiment. simulated data, performance most widely employed binning thresholding approach was systematically compared to change point analysis. It shown that underlying on- off-histograms as well off-autocorrelation are not necessarily...

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting that play an essential role in T cell activation. Recent efforts cancer immunotherapy have been directed at the development of artificial antigen presenting (aAPCs) loaded with tumor antigens. These aAPCs designed to mimic DCs goal triggering efficient and specific response against tumor. We a novel synthetic dendritic (sDC) possesses features natural DCs. Our sDC is based on semiflexible poly(isocyano peptide) polymer carries anti-CD3 antibodies...

Many carbon nanotube (CNT) applications require precisely controlled chemical functionalization that is minimally disruptive to electrical performance. A promising approach the generation of sp3 hybridized atoms in sp2-bonded lattice. We have investigated possibility using a carboxylic acid-functionalized diazonium reagent introduce defined number defects into electrically contacted CNTs. Having performed real-time measurements on individually CNTs, we show formation an individual defect...

In this work, we present the design and preparation of catalytic single chain polymeric nanoparticles (SCPNs), their characterization at ensemble level as well our progress toward analyzing individual SCPNs with single-molecule fluorescence microscopy.

Biofilms are complex living materials that form as bacteria become embedded in a matrix of self-produced protein and polysaccharide fibers. In addition to their traditional association with chronic infections or clogging pipelines, biofilms currently gain interest potential source functional material. On nutritive hydrogels, micron-sized Escherichia coli cells can build centimeter-large biofilms. During this process, bacterial proliferation, production, water uptake introduce mechanical...