A dual compartment cuvette system for correcting scattering in whole-cell absorbance spectroscopy of photosynthetic microorganisms.

Absorption spectroscopy is widely used to determine absorption and transmission spectra of chromophores in solution, in addition to suspensions of particles, including micro-organisms. Light scattering, caused by photons deflected from part or all of the cells or other particles in suspension, results in distortions to the absorption spectra, lost information and poor resolution. A spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere may be used to alleviate this problem.

Synthesis and structural characterization of a mimetic membrane-anchored prion protein.

During pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) an abnormal form (PrP(Sc)) of the host encoded prion protein (PrP(C)) accumulates in insoluble fibrils and plaques. The two forms of PrP appear to have identical covalent structures, but differ in secondary and tertiary structure. Both PrP(C) and PrP(Sc) have glycosylphospatidylinositol (GPI) anchors through which the protein is tethered to cell membranes.

Carbohydrate-protein interactions at interfaces: synthesis of thiolactosyl glycolipids and design of a working model for surface plasmon resonance.

Thiolactosyl lipids designed for carbohydrate-protein binding studies have been synthesised. One representative was selected for binding studies with a plant lectin RCA120, the agglutinin from Ricinus communis. The interactions were measured quantitatively in real time using a BIAcore surface plasmon resonance instrument.