A platform for dissecting force sensitivity and multivalency in actin networks.

The physical structure and dynamics of cells are supported by micron-scale actin networks with diverse geometries, protein compositions, and mechanical properties. These networks are composed of actin filaments and numerous actin binding proteins (ABPs), many of which engage multiple filaments simultaneously to crosslink them into specific functional architectures. Mechanical force has been shown to modulate the interactions between several ABPs and individual actin filaments, but it is unclear how this phenomenon contributes to the emergent force-responsive functional dynamics of actin networks.

X-ray Activated Nanoplatforms for Deep Tissue Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), the use of light to excite photosensitive molecules whose electronic relaxation drives the production of highly cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), has proven an effective means of oncotherapy. However, its application has been severely constrained to superficial tissues and those readily accessed either endoscopically or laparoscopically, due to the intrinsic scattering and absorption of photons by intervening tissues. Recent advances in the design of nanoparticle-based X-ray scintillators and photosensitizers have enabled hybridization of these moieties into single nanocomposite particles.

Cumulative environmental changes, skewed antigen exposure, and the increase of allergy.

The human immune system evolved over many hundreds of million of years in the ancestors of vertebrates and mammals to defend them against infectious and parasitic organisms in their natural habitats. By the time the Primates and Rodentia orders diverged about 88 million years ago, the human immune system was largely configured. From about 125,000 years ago, marked by the use of fire, Homo sapiens began to make substantial changes in their living environment and lifestyle.