Reverse transcription as key step in RNA evolution with unnatural base pairs.

Unnatural base pairs (UBPs) augment the chemical diversity of artificial nucleic acids and can thus enable the generation of new aptamers and catalytic nucleic acids by selection. However, owing to a lack of methodologies, the reverse transcription of UBPs, a key step in RNA aptamer selection, has not been sufficiently characterized. Here, we present a series of versatile assays to investigate the reverse transcription of the TPT3:NaM base pair as a representative for hydrophobic unnatural base pairs.

Glucose micro-biosensor for scanning electrochemical microscopy characterization of cellular metabolism in hypoxic microenvironments.

Mapping of the metabolic activity of tumor tissues represents a fundamental approach to better identify the tumor type, elucidate metastatic mechanisms and support the development of targeted cancer therapies. The spatially resolved quantification of Warburg effect key metabolites, such as glucose and lactate, is essential. Miniaturized electrochemical biosensors scanned over cancer cells and tumor tissue to visualize the metabolic characteristics of a tumor is attractive but very challenging due to the limited oxygen availability in the hypoxic environments of tumors that impedes the reliable applicability of glucose oxidase-based glucose micro-biosensors.

Enhanced Uptake and Phototoxicity of C@albumin Hybrids by Folate Bioconjugation.

Fullerenes are considered excellent photosensitizers, being highly suitable for photodynamic therapy (PDT). A lack of water solubility and low biocompatibility are, in many instances, still hampering the full exploitation of their potential in nanomedicine. Here, we used human serum albumin (HSA) to disperse fullerenes by binding up to five fullerene cages inside the hydrophobic cavities.

Multivalent binding kinetics resolved by fluorescence proximity sensing.

Multivalent protein interactors are an attractive modality for probing protein function and exploring novel pharmaceutical strategies. The throughput and precision of state-of-the-art methodologies and workflows for the effective development of multivalent binders is currently limited by surface immobilization, fluorescent labelling and sample consumption. Using the gephyrin protein, the master regulator of the inhibitory synapse, as benchmark, we exemplify the application of Fluorescence proximity sensing (FPS) for the systematic kinetic and thermodynamic optimization of multivalent peptide architectures.

Absolute Versus Relative Success: Why Overconfidence Creates an Inefficient Equilibrium.

Overconfidence is one of the most ubiquitous biases in the social sciences, but the evidence regarding its overall costs and benefits is mixed. To test the possibility that overconfidence might yield important relative benefits that offset its absolute costs, we conducted an experiment ( = 298 university students) in which pairs of participants bargained over the unequal allocation of a prize that was earned through a joint effort. We manipulated confidence using a binary noisy signal to investigate the causal effect of negotiators' beliefs about their relative contribution to the outcome of the negotiation.