Virus-Mimicking Polymer Nanocomplexes Co-Assembling HCV E1E2 and Core Proteins with TLR 7/8 Agonist-Synthesis, Characterization, and In Vivo Activity.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public health concern, and the development of an effective HCV vaccine plays an important role in the effort to prevent new infections. Supramolecular co-assembly and co-presentation of the HCV envelope E1E2 heterodimer complex and core protein presents an attractive vaccine design strategy for achieving effective humoral and cellular immunity. With this objective, the two antigens were non-covalently assembled with an immunostimulant (TLR 7/8 agonist) into virus-mimicking polymer nanocomplexes (VMPNs) using a biodegradable synthetic polyphosphazene delivery vehicle.

Symmetry breaking and intensity switching of counterpropagating Raman waves in a microresonator.

We experimentally demonstrate symmetry breaking, symmetry restoring, and intensity switching of counterpropagating Raman waves in a microresonator with symmetric intracavity waves at the pump frequency. Stationary symmetric and asymmetric states of Raman waves are theoretically found within a symmetric system of equations, and asymmetric branches of solutions turned out to be unstable. To explain the experimental results, it is proposed that there is a weak asymmetry in the system that radically changes the system behavior, which has been confirmed by numerical simulations.

Protein-polyelectrolyte complexation: effects of sterically repulsive groups, macromolecular architecture and hierarchical assembly.

Self-assembly of proteins and polyelectrolytes in aqueous solutions is a promising approach for the development of advanced biotherapeutics and engineering efficient biotechnological processes. Synthetic polyions containing sterically repulsive ethylene oxide moieties are especially attractive as protein modifying agents, as they can potentially induce a PEGylation-like stabilizing effect without the need for complex covalent binding reactions. In this study, we investigated the protein-binding properties of anionic polyelectrolytes based on an inorganic polyphosphazene backbone, with ethylene oxide groups incorporated into both grafted and linear macromolecular topologies.

Polarization squeezing in chalcogenide fibers.

We experimentally demonstrate the generation of polarization-squeezed light in a short piece of solid-core chalcogenide (ChG) (AsS) fiber via the Kerr effect for femtosecond pulses at 1.56 µm. Directly measured squeezing of -2.