Article
Chemistry, Physical
Pierre Munier, Andi Di, Seyed Ehsan Hadi, Martin Kapuscinski, Mo Segad, Lennart Bergstrom
Summary: Time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering was utilized to investigate the assembly of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and montmorillonite (MNT) in aqueous levitating droplets. Results showed that MNT promotes gelation and assembly of CNC, and liquid crystal assembly competes with gelation in CNC dispersions up to 35% volume fractions.
Article
Polymer Science
Axel-Laurenz Buckinx, Maarten Rubens, Neil R. Cameron, Camille Bakkali-Hassani, Anna Sokolova, Tanja Junkers
Summary: The influence of dispersity in the molecular weight distributions in the core forming block for block copolymer self-assembly is analyzed. It is found that higher polymer dispersities can decrease the overall dispersity of the nanoparticles, revealing the important role of molecular weight distribution shape in polymer self-assembly.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Vikram Barauah, Shyon Parsa, Naail Chowdhury, Thomas Milner, Henry Grady Rylander III
Summary: This study investigates the detection of morphological changes in Bacillus subtilis using scattering angle resolved optical coherence tomography (SAR-OCT). The results show significant differences in the distribution of backscattering angle during the rod-to-coccus shape transition of the bacteria. The study supports the potential of utilizing SAR-OCT to detect bacterial morphological changes.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dritan Siliqi, Alessio Adamiano, Massimo Ladisa, Cinzia Giannini, Michele Iafisco, Lorenzo Degli Esposti
Summary: In this study, the formation and growth of calcium phosphate nanoparticles were investigated in situ using synchrotron X-ray scattering techniques. The combined SAXS/WAXS method allowed for the tracking of particle nucleation, size, morphology, and crystal growth, as well as understanding the effects of temperature and ligand ions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiaoliang Wang, Lilin He, Jacob Sumner, Shuo Qian, Qiu Zhang, Hugh O'Neill, Yimin Mao, Chengxia Chen, Abdullah M. Al-Enizi, Ayman Nafady, Shengqian Ma
Summary: Immobilization of biomolecules into porous materials can improve their stability and ease of reuse. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are promising for immobilizing large biomolecules, but their spatial arrangement within the pores is still not fully understood. In this study, researchers used in situ small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to investigate the spatial arrangement of green fluorescent protein in a mesoporous MOF, revealing that protein molecules form assemblies through adsorbate-adsorbate interactions across pore apertures. This finding provides a crucial foundation for understanding protein structural basics in the confinement environment of MOFs.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guoxing Liao, Matthew J. Derry, Andrew J. Smith, Steven P. Armes, Oleksandr O. Mykhaylyk
Summary: The kinetics of heterogeneous polymerization can be directly determined using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), allowing for in situ monitoring of polymerization kinetics without relying on supplementary characterization techniques. This approach also enables the determination of local monomer and solvent concentrations within the growing nanoparticles.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daniel T. W. Toolan, Michael P. Weir, Jesse Allardice, Joel A. Smith, Simon A. Dowland, Jurjen Winkel, James Xiao, Zhilong Zhang, Victor Gray, Adam L. Washington, Anthony J. Petty, John E. Anthony, Neil C. Greenham, Richard H. Friend, Akshay Rao, Richard A. L. Jones, Anthony J. Ryan
Summary: Controlling the dispersibility of crystalline inorganic quantum dots within organic-QD nanocomposite films is crucial for a wide range of optoelectronic devices. Using appropriate organic ligands on the quantum dots can help compatibilize them with the organic host, both electronically and structurally. The surface chemistry of quantum dot ligands has a pronounced effect on the self-assembly of nanocomposite films.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wenke Mueller, Ralf Schweins, Bernd Noecker, Hans Egold, Klaus Huber
Summary: The complexity of intermolecular interactions and the difficulty to predict assembly behaviour solely based on chemical constitution were demonstrated by studying the self-assembly of three one-fold negatively charged 3-chloro-4-hydroxy-phenylazo dyes (Yellow, Blue and Red). Differences in dye self-assembly were observed, with Yellow not self-assembling, Red forming higher-order aggregates, and Blue forming well-defined H-aggregate dimers with a dimerization constant of Kd = (728 +/- 8) L mol(-1). These differences were suggested to arise from variations in the propensity to form pi-pi interactions due to electrostatic repulsion, sterical constraints and hydrogen-bonding interactions.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Vaclav Sulc, Jiri Vohanka, Ivan Ohlidal, Petr Klapetek, Miloslav Ohlidal, Nupinder Jeet Kaur, Frantisek Vizda
Summary: Angle-resolved scattering was measured for silicon samples with different surface roughness. Three methods were used to evaluate the data, and the multi-wavelength approach was found to be the most important in determining total rms values of the heights.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
IM. Tucker, A. Burley, R. E. Petkova, S. L. Hosking, J. R. P. Webster, P. X. Li, K. Ma, J. Doutch, J. Penfoldoo, R. K. Thomas
Summary: This study investigates the mixed structure of plant-derived surfactant saponins and nonionic surfactants using small angle neutron scattering. The results reveal a complex evolution in the self-assembled structure of the solution, including the transition from elongated micelle structure to micelle structure, and the formation of planar/micellar mixed phases.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bhavesh Bharatiya, Magdalena Wlodek, Robert Harniman, Ralf Schweins, Judith Mantell, Gang Wang, Piotr Warszynski, Wuge H. Briscoe
Summary: Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Bacillus subtilis was found to self-assemble into spherical micelles in aqueous solution and exhibit adsorption behavior at the solid-liquid interface. The presence of calcium chloride (CaCl2) influenced the size and structure of LTA micelles, while also promoting LTA adsorption at the SiO2-water interface. This study provides valuable insights into the self-assembly behavior of LTA and its role in bacterial adhesion.
Article
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
N. Bouzari, F. Goharpey
Summary: By using specific spiral dies and a viscous power-law fluid model, flow distribution in blown film extrusion can be improved while pressure drop is reduced, resulting in uniform film thickness and lower energy consumption.
JOURNAL OF PLASTIC FILM & SHEETING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Helena Mateos, Luigi Gentile, Sergio Murgia, Giuseppe Colafemmina, Mattia Collu, Johan Smets, Gerardo Palazzo
Summary: This study investigates the microstructure and micellization process of Soluplus at different concentrations. The results show the presence of two forms of micelles at all concentrations, and the micellization occurs at much higher concentrations than the critical micellar concentration. The micellization process is suggested to be thermally activated isodesmic self-assembly.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Veena T. Kelleppan, Calum S. G. Butler, Ashley P. Williams, Mark Louis P. Vidallon, Luke W. Giles, Joshua P. King, Anna V. Sokolova, Liliana de Campo, Graeme R. Pearson, Rico F. Tabor, Kellie L. Tuck
Summary: This study investigates the surface activity and self-assembly of synthesised pure amidopropyl betaines commonly found within CAPB. The results show that an increase in alkyl tail length enhances the surface activity and leads to the formation of different micelle geometries, as well as modulating adsorption dynamics and foaming capabilities.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhong-Peng Lv, Martin Kapuscinski, Gabor Jarvas, Shun Yu, Lennart Bergstrom
Summary: In this study, structural transformations and lattice expansion of oleate-capped iron oxide nanocube superlattices during solvent removal were investigated. The combination of COSMO-RS theory and CFD modeling provided information on solvent composition and polarity during droplet evaporation. It was found that the presence of a sufficient amount of added oleic acid and an increase in polarity as the poor solvent is enriched are both necessary to promote the formation of structurally diverse superlattices with large domain sizes.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sudheer K. Cheppali, Raviv Dharan, Raya Sorkin
Summary: Optical tweezers have been used to precisely measure forces and distances in biological processes. This review discusses the use of optical tweezers to study membranes, including the characterization of protein-membrane interactions, membrane curvature generation, and membrane fusion and fission.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Evgenee Yekymov, David Attia, Yael Levi-Kalisman, Ronit Bitton, Rachel Yerushalmi-Rozen
Summary: This study investigated the effect of coupling between hydrogen bonding and excluded volume interactions on the titration curves and pKa values of weak polyelectrolytes in complex fluids. The experimental results showed that the actual degree of ionization of weak polyelectrolytes in complex fluids is significantly lower than that in single-component solutions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Asaf Shemesh, Avi Ginsburg, Raviv Dharan, Yael Levi-Kalisman, Israel Ringel, Uri Raviv
Summary: This study used state-of-the-art solution synchrotron time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering to reveal the disassembly catastrophe of tubulin rings and oligomers and the effects of assembly conditions on the structures.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shira Gigi, Tom Naor, Nir Waiskopf, David Stone, Michal Natan, Gila Jacobi, Adar Levi, Sergei Remennik, Yael Levi-Kalisman, Ehud Banin, Uri Banin
Summary: This study synthesized antimicrobial Cu1-xZnxO nanocrystals (NCs) via a facile and cost-effective method, and found that the antimicrobial activity increased with higher amount of dopant. Additionally, the Cu1-xZnxO NCs exhibited superior antimicrobial activity under visible light illumination, effectively eradicating even multidrug resistant bacteria.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Asaf Shemesh, Nadiv Dharan, Avi Ginsburg, Raviv Dharan, Yael Levi-Kalisman, Israel Ringel, Uri Raviv
Summary: This study characterized the structural changes during the initial nucleation phase of dynamic tubulin and revealed an isodesmic assembly mechanism. They found that a significant amount of tubulin octamers accumulated before the appearance of two-dimensional nanostructures.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nila Nandha Kadamannil, Jung-Moo Heo, Daewoong Jang, Ran Zalk, Sofiya Kolusheva, Raz Zarivach, Gabriel A. Frank, Jong-Man Kim, Raz Jelinek
Summary: High-resolution structures of synthetic nonbiological filaments formed by photopolymerization were obtained using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. The study revealed the self-assembly of these filaments into hollow nanotubes held together by hydrophobic interactions. These hollow nanotube structures may account for the efficient scavenging of pollutants in water and subsequent photodegradation of guest species.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Raviv Dharan, Shahar Goren, Sudheer Kumar Cheppali, Petr Shendrik, Guy Brand, Alisa Vaknin, Li Yu, Michael M. Kozlov, Raya Sorkin
Summary: This study uncovers the mechanisms by which tetraspanin4 and CD9, two tetraspanin proteins, prefer positive membrane curvature and play important roles in migrasome formation and oocyte microvilli shaping. These findings shed light on the membrane remodeling processes and provide insights into the functions of tetraspanin proteins.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Galina Proshkina, Elena Shramova, Anastasiya Ryabova, Liat Katrivas, Clelia Giannini, Daniele Malpicci, Yael Levi-Kalisman, Sergey Deyev, Alexander Kotlyar
Summary: This study demonstrates a methodology to enhance the solubility of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) and delivers it specifically to cancer cells using designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin)-functionalized small multilamellar vesicles (SMVs). The positively charged PNA molecules bind electrostatically to the negatively charged phospholipid membranes, encapsulating the PNA in the vesicles. The DARPin-functionalized SMVs can enter HER2-overexpressing cells and cause cell death by interfering with normal cell functioning.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Raviv Dharan, Yuwei Huang, Sudheer Kumar Cheppali, Shahar Goren, Petr Shendrik, Weisi Wang, Jiamei Qiao, Michael M. Kozlov, Li Yu, Raya Sorkin
Summary: The formation of migrasomes is a two-stage process. In the first stage, local swellings devoid of tetraspanin 4 form on retraction fibers due to membrane tension. In the second stage, tetraspanin 4 migrates to and binds onto these swellings, which grow and transform into migrasomes. Tetraspanin 4 recruitment is essential for migrasome growth and stabilization.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Evgenee Yekymov, David Attia, Yael Levi-Kalisman, Ronit Bitton, Rachel Yerushalmi-Rozen
Summary: This study investigated the effect of non-adsorbing polyvinyl alcohol on the charge regulation of polyacrylic acid. It was found that these non-specific (entropic) interactions affect the degree of ionization of the polymer in crowded environments. This suggests that entropic effects should be taken into consideration when designing functional materials in complex fluid environments.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Janos Szebeni, Balint Kiss, Tamas Bozo, Keren Turjeman, Yael Levi-Kalisman, Yechezkel Barenholz, Miklos Kellermayer
Summary: Despite the success of mRNA-LNP Covid-19 vaccines, the nanoscale structures of these formulations are still not well understood. In this study, various microscopy techniques were used to analyze the nanoparticles in the vaccine and compare them with a well-characterized liposomal formulation. The results revealed important structural features of the mRNA-LNP that may be relevant for its in vivo activities.
Article
Hematology
Dayana Shagidov, Noga Guttmann-Raviv, Severine Cunat, Liora Frech, Muriel Giansily-Blaizot, Niraj Ghatpande, Gili Abelya, Gabriel A. Frank, Patricia Aguilar Martinez, Esther G. Meyron-Holtz
Summary: This study described a female patient with severe hypoferritinemia without anemia. After inadequate heavy IV iron supplementation, the patient developed severe iron overload and musculoskeletal manifestations. Genetic analysis revealed an undescribed homozygous variant of FTL, which may result in incomplete assembly of ferritin nanocages and lead to low serum ferritin levels. This study emphasizes the importance of a broader diagnostic approach for hypoferritinemia without anemia before IV iron supplementation.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
David Attia, Orit Mendelson, Yael Levi-Kalisman, Ronit Bitton, Rachel Yerushalmi-Rozen
Summary: The chiral environment of d-alanine solutions disrupts and modifies the assembly of cellulose nanocrystals into a chiral nematic mesophase, and this effect is specific to d-alanine and not caused by the adsorption of alanine molecules onto the CNC particles.