Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Raul Rodriguez-Esteban
Summary: Delays in the propagation of scientific discoveries have been criticized for introducing bias and hindering scientific progress. This study quantitatively explores the negative impact on biomedical discovery and finds that the distance between scientific facts affects the probability of new discoveries. Opening the scope of scientific work with modern information retrieval methods is suggested as a solution.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gengjin Zou, Wenhui Yu, Yunjian Xu, Yanping Li, Rui Hu, Junle Qu, Liwei Liu
Summary: A mitochondria-targeted two-photon viscosity probe was developed to detect cell apoptosis by responding to viscosity changes in mitochondria with fluorescence lifetime variations. The proposed phasor fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy technique allows for more precise quantification of apoptosis degree using a microviscosity probe, as demonstrated in experiments with SKOV-3 cells. The method offers a new approach for measuring cellular microviscosity and monitoring apoptosis at early stages.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaomin Ren, Lingxuan Wang, Hongyan Fu, Yu Wang, Dan Hu, Xudong Feng
Summary: Nanofiltration is a widely used technology in seawater desalination, resource recovery, and drinking water purification due to its low energy consumption and no secondary pollution. However, the trade-off effect and membrane fouling limit its application. In this study, glycerol was introduced into the reactive solution to regulate the chemical composition and membrane structure. The addition of glycerol increased the viscosity of the solution, which slowed down the diffusion rate and caused the formation of a crumpled structure. It was found that a membrane with 60% glycerol content showed a pure water permeance of 21.14 L.m(-2).h(-1).bar(-1) with a sodium sulfate rejection of 95.6%. The increase in glycerol concentration led to a competitive reaction between the amine monomer and glycerol, resulting in a minimum oxygen content in the membrane composition. The membrane with a similar structure and higher oxygen content exhibited stronger anti-fouling ability against humic acid. Thus, the rational design of a crumpled membrane with high oxygen-chemical composition could potentially achieve a high flux nanofiltration membrane with anti-fouling performance.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vladimir Adrien, Gamal Rayan, Ksenia Astafyeva, Isabelle Broutin, Martin Picard, Patrick Fuchs, Wladimir Urbach, Nicolas Taulier
Summary: This article compares the results of determining membrane viscosity using FLIM and FRAP, highlighting the sensitivity of FLIM to local viscosity changes and the limited ability of FRAP to provide viscosity values for the hydrophobic part of the membrane. It also discusses the application and limitations of the hydrodynamic model approach in estimating membrane viscosity based on the mobility of different sized membrane inclusions.
BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Seoyoon Kim, Daehyo Lee, W. C. Bhashini Wijesinghe, Duyoung Min
Summary: Single-molecule tweezers, such as magnetic tweezers, are powerful tools for probing nm-scale structural changes in single membrane proteins under force. A robust single-molecule tweezer method that uses dibenzocyclooctyne cycloaddition and traptavidin binding is presented, enabling the estimation of the folding 'speed limit' of helical membrane proteins.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gerhard J. Schuetz, Georg Pabst
Summary: One persistent puzzle in the life sciences is the asymmetric lipid composition of the cellular plasma membrane. In this paper, the authors propose that this asymmetry represents a potential solution for harmonizing the conflicting requirements of the plasma membrane. They view the plasma membrane as a composite material, with the exoplasmic leaflet responsible for barrier function and the cytoplasmic leaflet responsible for fluidity. The validity of the proposed mechanism is reinforced with quantitative data and examples.
Article
Physics, Applied
Raphael Marchand, Radek Sachl, Martin Kalbac, Martin Hof, Rudolf Tromp, Mariana Amaro, Sense J. van der Molen, Thomas Juffmann
Summary: ONEM is an imaging technique that combines noninvasive probing with light and high-spatial-resolution readout via electron optics, providing label-free nanometric resolution without damaging the specimen. By converting optical near fields into a spatially varying electron flux and using low-energy electron microscopy, ONEM enables imaging without the need to scan a probe across the sample.
PHYSICAL REVIEW APPLIED
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xiuzhen Wei, Xufeng Xu, Jiahao Huang, Ze Wang, Huan Li, Fangyuan Shao, Zhongquan Guo, Qinghua Zhou, Jinyuan Chen, Bingjun Pan
Summary: High-performance hollow fiber NF membranes with a network structure were successfully prepared by introducing macromolecular polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) into the aqueous phase, which changed the diffusion coefficient of the amine monomer in the organic phase. A theoretical model (DAO) was proposed to deal with the viscosity of the aqueous phase, molecular weight of PVA, and diffusion coefficient of the amine monomer, and it was verified to be applicable through UV spectrophotometry and one-dimensional diffusion model. The structure of the NF membranes was analyzed by SEM and XPS. The results showed that the diffusion coefficient of the amine monomer was negatively correlated with the viscosity of the aqueous phase and the molecular weight of the polymer. The facile fabrication method proposed in this study can balance the trade-off effect of traditional NF membranes.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Lili Fan, Kaiqiang Li
Summary: This paper studies the behavior of solutions for the 1D radiation hydrodynamic limit model without viscosity in large time, as well as the asymptotic stability of the viscous contact discontinuity wave under the assumption of small strength of the contact wave and initial perturbations. The presence of a fourth-order term in the pressure related to the absolute temperature from radiation effect poses the main difficulty, and the lack of viscosity weakens the dissipativeness of the system. The proof is mainly based on the energy method, including normal and radial directions energy estimates.
NONLINEAR ANALYSIS-REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Sergey A. Khrapak
Summary: A vibrational model of heat transfer in simple liquids with soft pairwise interatomic interactions is discussed, with a general expression derived involving an average over the liquid collective mode excitation spectrum. The model is applied to quantify heat transfer in dense Lennard-Jones liquid and a strongly coupled one-component plasma, showing remarkable agreement with available numerical results. However, a similar picture does not apply to momentum transfer and shear viscosity of liquids.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Francesco Maria Bellussi, Otello Maria Roscioni, Matteo Ricci, Matteo Fasano
Summary: Models with realistic physical-chemical properties are essential for studying biomedical processes or engineering technologies. Atomistic models for water are limited by computational capacity, but calibrated coarse-grained models can exceed these limits.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pawel R. Laskowski, Kristyna Pluhackova, Maximilian Haase, Brian M. Lang, Gisela Nagler, Andreas Kuhn, Daniel J. Mueller
Summary: The authors employed a variety of biophysical approaches to elucidate the molecular details of how the transmembrane insertase YidC facilitates the insertion of a protein into a phospholipid membrane.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
Zhipeng Yuan, Liguang Zhu
Summary: The study systematically explores the effects of Li2O content on the rheological properties, melt structure, and crystallization behavior of mould flux for high-speed thin slabs. Results show that Li2O can depolymerize structural units and stabilize Si-O-Al units, affecting viscosity, melting range, and crystallization behavior of the flux. Increasing Li2O content initially inhibits and later enhances crystallization of the mould flux, with 4.33% Li2O content leading to enhanced Lithium metaaluminate precipitation.
IRONMAKING & STEELMAKING
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Eckhard Vogel, Eckard Bich, Robert Hellmann
Summary: Viscosity measurements of carbon dioxide-nitrogen and ethane-methane mixtures, as well as pure gases, were performed at moderate densities using a rotating-cylinder viscometer. The calculated viscosity values were compared with theoretically computed values for nonspherical potentials.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THERMOPHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Eckhard Vogel
Summary: Low-density viscosity measurements on eight gas and vapor mixtures were reevaluated and converted into quasiisothermal viscosity data. The resulting data showed density dependence and were extrapolated to zero density. Three procedures were applied to determine the interaction viscosity and the product of molar density and diffusion in the limit of zero density.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THERMOPHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jinwoo Lee, Alex J. B. Kreutzberger, Laura Odongo, Elizabeth A. Nelson, David A. Nyenhuis, Volker Kiessling, Binyong Liang, David S. Cafiso, Judith M. White, Lukas K. Tamm
Summary: Cholesterol plays a critical role in enveloped virus fusion by enhancing fusion process and affecting structural features of GP2, thereby facilitating cell entry.
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Jesse Aaron, Teng-Leong Chew
Summary: The focus on improving replicability and reproducibility in life science research has led to efforts to standardize various resources, yet there is relatively less discussion on the proper reporting and documentation of microscopy relevant details. Properly reporting image processing methodology is crucial for scientific reproducibility and strengthening biological conclusions derived from study results.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biochemical Research Methods
Michael A. Reiche, Digby F. Warner, Jesse Aaron, Satya Khuon, Daniel A. Fletcher, Klaus Hahn, Kelly L. Rogers, Musa Mhlanga, Anastasia Koch, Wendye Quaye, Teng-Leong Chew
Summary: This article discusses the strategies and challenges encountered in organizing Imaging Africa workshop, which was an all-expenses-paid, continent-wide practical training in optical microscopy hosted in South Africa. The experience shared in this article can help guide other groups seeking to organize impactful and sustainable training initiatives in Africa.
Article
Microbiology
Courtney M. Klappenbach, Nicholas M. Negretti, Jesse Aaron, Teng-Leong Chew, Michael E. Konkel
Summary: Our study reveals that C. jejuni infection alters the size and topology of focal adhesions in epithelial cells, leading to changes in cell adhesion strength and motility. The increased phosphorylation of paxillin and altered turnover at focal adhesions may contribute to the effects on cell behavior. Additionally, inhibiting protein synthesis or using specific mutants of C. jejuni can partially reverse these effects, suggesting a potential mechanism for the observed restricted intestinal repair in infected animals.
Review
Cell Biology
Michael A. Reiche, Jesse S. Aaron, Ulrike Boehm, Michael C. DeSantis, Chad M. Hobson, Satya Khuon, Rachel M. Lee, Teng-Leong Chew
Summary: Fluorescence microscopy images may not accurately represent biology due to various factors in the biospecimen itself that can significantly affect quantitative microscopy data. It is important to consider sample-related issues beyond commonly discussed ones, such as photobleaching and autofluorescence, in order to properly guide life scientists in understanding the intricacies of bioimaging.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yukti Hari-Gupta, Natalia Fili, Alia dos Santos, Alexander W. Cook, Rosemarie E. Gough, Hannah C. W. Reed, Lin Wang, Jesse Aaron, Tomas Venit, Eric Wait, Andreas Grosse-Berkenbusch, J. Christof M. Gebhardt, Piergiorgio Percipalle, Teng-Leong Chew, Marisa Martin-Fernandez, Christopher P. Toseland
Summary: This study reveals the crucial role of nuclear myosin VI (MVI) in the spatial organization of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). MVI acts as a molecular anchor to maintain high-density clusters of RNAPII. Perturbation of MVI disrupts RNAPII localization, chromatin organization, and gene expression.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
James Osei-Owusu, Ekaterina Kots, Zheng Ruan, Ljubica Mihaljevic, Kevin Hong Chen, Ami Tamhaney, Xinyu Ye, Wei Lu, Harel Weinstein, Zhaozhu Qiu
Summary: In response to acidic pH, the proton-activated chloride (PAC) channel opens to transport anions across cellular membranes, playing important roles in cellular physiology and acidosis-related diseases. Through mutagenesis and electrophysiological studies, this research identifies critical residues, including histidine and aspartic acid, as potential pH sensors for human PAC. The study also reveals that the beta 12 strand and the joint region between upper and lower extracellular domains allosterically regulate proton-dependent PAC activation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
J. Cody Herron, Shiqiong Hu, Takashi Watanabe, Ana T. Nogueira, Bei Liu, Megan E. Kern, Jesse Aaron, Aaron Taylor, Michael Pablo, Teng-Leong Chew, Timothy C. Elston, Klaus M. Hahn
Summary: In this study, the structure and organization of podosome actin cores were characterized using super-resolution microscopy techniques. The findings revealed an hourglass shape of the cores and the presence of extended actin networks. Additionally, the distribution of various proteins and microtubules relative to actin was characterized.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Sai Luo, Jun Zhang, Alex J. B. Kreutzberger, Amanda Eaton, Robert J. Edwards, Changbin Jing, Hai-Qiang Dai, Gregory D. Sempowski, Kenneth Cronin, Robert Parks, Adam Yongxin Ye, Katayoun Mansouri, Maggie Barr, Novalia Pishesha, Aimee Chapdelaine Williams, Lucas Vieira Francisco, Anand Saminathan, Hanqin Peng, Himanshu Batra, Lorenza Bellusci, Surender Khurana, S. Munir Alam, David C. Montefiori, Kevin O. Saunders, Ming Tian, Hidde Ploegh, Tom Kirchhausen, Bing Chen, Barton F. Haynes, Frederick W. Alt
Summary: The Omicron subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 have caused a global crisis as they are resistant to most approved neutralizing antibodies and evade vaccination-induced antibodies. In this study, researchers describe a mouse model that produces a diverse repertoire of humanized SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. Through immunization with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, they identified a potent and broadly neutralizing antibody, SP1-77, which bound to the receptor-binding domain in a unique way. This antibody showed potential therapeutic value and could inform vaccine strategies. Furthermore, this humanized mouse model may contribute to the development of therapeutic antibodies against future SARS-CoV-2 variants and other pathogens.
SCIENCE IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alex J. B. Kreutzberger, Anwesha Sanyal, Anand Saminathan, Louis-Marie Bloyet, Spencer Stumpf, Zhuoming Liu, Ravi Ojha, Markku T. Patjas, Ahmed Geneid, Gustavo Scanavachi, Catherine A. Doyle, Elliott Somerville, Ricardo Bango Da Cunha Correia, Giuseppe Di Caprio, Sanna Toppila-Salmi, Antti Makitie, Volker Kiessling, Olli Vapalahti, Sean P. J. Whelan, Giuseppe Balistreri, Tom Kirchhausen
Summary: A study found that the cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 requires an acidic environment, even after the furin and TMPRSS2 cleavage. The stepwise dissociation of the S1 fragment, fusion, and content release can only be observed in TMPRSS2-overexpressing cells exposed to acidic pH.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biology
Ljubica Mihaljevic, Zheng Ruan, James Osei-Owusu, Wei Lu, Zhaozhu Qiu
Summary: The PAC channel, encoded by PACC1 (TMEM206), is a pH-sensing ion channel that regulates endosomal acidification and macropinosome shrinkage. This study reveals that phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP2) inhibits PAC channel activity by stabilizing the channel in a desensitized-like conformation. The structure of PAC with PIP2 suggests a new pharmacological strategy for targeting this channel.
Article
Cell Biology
Navaneetha Krishnan Bharathan, William L. Giang, Coryn S. Hoffman, Jesse Aaron, Satya Khuon, Teng-Leong Chew, Stephan T. Preibisch, Eric Trautman, Larissa Heinrich, John Bogovic, Davis Bennett, David Ackerman, Woohyun Park, Alyson V. Petruncio, Aubrey Weigel, Stephan Saalfeld, Sara N. COSEM Project Team, A. Wayne P. Vogl, Sara Stahley, Andrew Kowalczyk
Summary: The endoplasmic reticulum associates with keratin intermediate filaments and desmosomal cell-cell junctions, and the distribution, dynamics and function of the endoplasmic reticulum network are regulated by desmosomes and the keratin cytoskeleton.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kailu Yang, Chuchu Wang, Alex J. B. Kreutzberger, K. Ian White, Richard A. Pfuetzner, Luis Esquivies, Tomas Kirchhausen, Axel T. Brunger
Summary: The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 introduced several mutations, including N969K in the highly conserved HR1 region critical for membrane fusion. This mutation leads to structural changes in the HR2 backbone and reduces the efficacy of fusion-entry peptide inhibitors based on the Wuhan strain. A new peptide inhibitor specifically designed for Omicron shows restored inhibition activity and suggests a potential strategy to combat future variants. Mechanistically, our findings highlight the importance of interactions in the extended HR2 region during the transition of the S protein.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eric M. M. Mulhall, Anant Gharpure, Rachel M. M. Lee, Adrienne E. E. Dubin, Jesse S. S. Aaron, Kara L. L. Marshall, Kathryn R. R. Spencer, Michael A. A. Reiche, Scott C. C. Henderson, Teng-Leong Chew, Ardem Patapoutian
Summary: PIEZOs are mechanosensitive ion channels that convert force into chemoelectric signals and play essential roles in diverse physiological settings. In vitro studies have proposed that PIEZO channels transduce mechanical force through the deformation of extensive blades of transmembrane domains. However, little is known about how these channels interact with their native environment and which molecular movements underlie activation.
Review
Biology
Harikrushnan Balasubramanian, Chad M. Hobson, Teng-Leong Chew, Jesse S. Aaron
Summary: This article discusses the importance of optical microscopy in biology, from a traditional observational tool to a powerful bioanalytical platform. However, realizing its full potential in studying live specimens faces technical challenges. The article envisions a future where comprehensive live imaging and research can be achieved.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
