Growth-uncoupled isoprenoid synthesis in .

Background: Microbial cell factories are usually engineered and employed for cultivations that combine product synthesis with growth. Such a strategy inevitably invests part of the substrate pool towards the generation of biomass and cellular maintenance. Hence, engineering strains for the formation of a specific product under non-growth conditions would allow to reach higher product yields.

Hybrid Complex Coacervate.

Underwater adhesion represents a huge technological challenge as the presence of water compromises the performance of most commercially available adhesives. Inspired by natural organisms, we have designed an adhesive based on complex coacervation, a liquid-liquid phase separation phenomenon. A complex coacervate adhesive is formed by mixing oppositely charged polyelectrolytes bearing pendant thermoresponsive poly(-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) chains.

Tuning the Interactions in Multiresponsive Complex Coacervate-Based Underwater Adhesives.

In this work, we report the systematic investigation of a multiresponsive complex coacervate-based underwater adhesive, obtained by combining polyelectrolyte domains and thermoresponsive poly(-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) units. This material exhibits a transition from liquid to solid but, differently from most reactive glues, is completely held together by non-covalent interactions, i.e.

Effect of Polymer Concentration on the Structure and Dynamics of Short Poly(,-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) in Aqueous Solution: A Combined Experimental and Molecular Dynamics Study.

A combined experimental and molecular dynamics (MD) study is performed to investigate the effect of polymer concentration on the zero shear rate viscosity η of a salt-free aqueous solution of poly(,-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA), a flexible thermoresponsive weak polyelectrolyte with a bulky 3-methyl-1,1-diphenylpentyl unit as the terminal group. The study is carried out at room temperature ( = 298 K) with relatively short PDMAEMA chains (each containing = 20 monomers or repeat units) at a fixed degree of ionization (α = 100%). For the MD simulations, a thorough validation of several molecular mechanics force fields is first undertaken for assessing their capability to accurately reproduce the experimental observations and established theoretical laws.

Thermoresponsive Complex Coacervate-Based Underwater Adhesive.

Sandcastle worms have developed protein-based adhesives, which they use to construct protective tubes from sand grains and shell bits. A key element in the adhesive delivery is the formation of a fluidic complex coacervate phase. After delivery, the adhesive transforms into a solid upon an external trigger.