Porous, Water-Resistant Multifilament Yarn Spun from Gelatin.

Sustainability, renewability, and biodegradability of polymeric material constantly gain in importance. A plausible approach is the recycling of agricultural waste proteins such as keratin, wheat gluten, casein or gelatin. The latter is abundantly available from animal byproducts and may well serve as building block for novel polymeric products.

Labeling milk along its production chain with DNA encapsulated in silica.

The capability of tracing a food product along its production chain is important to ensure food safety and product authenticity. For this purpose and as an application example, recently developed Silica Particles with Encapsulated DNA (SPED) were added to milk at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 100 ppb (μg per kg milk).

PCR quantification of SiO₂ particle uptake in cells in the ppb and ppm range via silica encapsulated DNA barcodes.

There is a strong interest in studying the cellular uptake of silica nanoparticles, particularly at medically relevant concentrations (ppb-ppm range) to understand their toxicology. At present, uptake analysis at these exposure levels is impeded by the high silica background concentration. Here we describe the use of DNA encapsulated within silica particles as a tool to quantify silica nanoparticles in in vitro cell-uptake experiments at low concentrations (down to 10 fg cell(-1)).

Reversible DNA encapsulation in silica to produce ROS-resistant and heat-resistant synthetic DNA 'fossils'.

This protocol describes a method for encapsulating DNA into amorphous silica (glass) spheres, mimicking the protection of nucleic acids within ancient fossils. In this approach, DNA encapsulation is achieved after the ammonium functionalization of silica nanoparticles. Within the glass spheres, the nucleic acid molecules are hermetically sealed and protected from chemical attack, thereby withstanding high temperatures and aggressive radical oxygen species (ROS).