Nanostructure Formation in Glycerolipid Films during Enzymatic Hydrolysis: A GISAXS Study.

Responsive nanostructured films from food-grade lipids can be valuable for food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological science. Lyotropic liquid crystalline structures that respond to enzymes in their environment can, for instance, be innovated as drug delivery platforms or biosensors. However, the structural changes that such films undergo during enzymatic reactions with lipase are not yet understood.

Colloidal Structure Dictates Antimicrobial Efficacy in LL-37 Self-Assemblies With Glycerol Monooleate.

The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics to combat bacteria in suspension and biofilms. Its self-assembly with polar lipids is suggested to improve its potential for therapeutic applications with higher stability against degradation and bioavailability. This study investigates the self-assembly of LL-37 with glyceryl monooleate (GMO), establishing the link between colloidal structure and antimicrobial activity.

A Coarse-Grained SPICA Makeover for Solvated and Bare Sodium and Chloride Ions.

Aqueous ionic solutions are pivotal in various scientific domains due to their natural prevalence and vital roles in biological and chemical processes. Molecular dynamics has emerged as an effective methodology for studying the dynamic behavior of these systems. While all-atomistic models have made significant strides in accurately representing and simulating these ions, the challenge persists in achieving precise models for coarse-grained (CG) simulations.

Interfacial structurization between triolein and water from pH and buffer ions.

Hypothesis: Understanding and manipulating the oil/water interface is important across various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and detergents. Many of these processes occur under elevated pH conditions in buffer systems, where base-catalyzed hydrolysis of triglyceride ester bonds leads to amphiphilic reaction products such as fatty acids.

Experiments: Here, pH-triggered alterations of the triolein/water interface are analyzed in the presence of phosphate (PB) and tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS).

Human antimicrobial peptide inactivation mechanism of enveloped viruses.

Hypothesis: Enveloped viruses are pivotal in causing various illnesses, including influenza and COVID-19. The antimicrobial peptide LL-37, a critical part of the human innate immune system, exhibits potential as an antiviral agent capable of thwarting these viral threats. Its mode of action involves versatile and non-specific interactions that culminate in dismantling the viral envelope, ultimately rendering the viruses inert.

Solvent Dependent Folding of an Amphiphilic Polyaramid.

A series of synthetic alternating and amphiphilic aromatic amide polymers were synthesized by a step growth polymerization. Alternating - and -linkages were introduced to force the polymer chain into a helical shape in the highly polar solvent water. The polymers were analyzed by H NMR spectroscopy and SEC in polar aprotic solvents such as DMSO and DMF.

Biocompatible Rhamnolipid Self-Assemblies with pH-Responsive Antimicrobial Activity.

There is an urgent need for alternative antimicrobial materials due to the growing challenge of bacteria becoming resistant to conventional antibiotics. This study demonstrates the creation of a biocompatible pH-switchable antimicrobial material by combining bacteria-derived rhamnolipids (RL) and food-grade glycerol monooleate (GMO). The integration of RL into dispersed GMO particles, with an inverse-type liquid crystalline cubic structure in the core, leads to colloidally stable supramolecular materials.

Single particle investigation of triolein digestion using optical manipulation, polarized video microscopy, and SAXS.

Hypothesis: Understanding how soft colloids, such as food emulsion droplets, transform based on their environment is critical for various applications, including drug and nutrient delivery and biotechnology. However, the mechanisms behind colloidal transformations within individual oil droplets still need to be better understood.

Experiments: This study employs optical micromanipulation with microfluidics and polarized optical video microscopy to investigate the pancreatic lipase- and pH-triggered colloidal transformations in a single triolein droplet.

Protein Cage-Stabilized Emulsions: Formulation and Characterization.

The formulation of Pickering emulsions using protein cages is gaining interest for applications in molecular delivery. Despite the growing interest, methods to investigate the at the liquid-liquid interface are limited. This chapter describes standard methods to formulate and protocols to characterize protein cage-stabilized emulsions.

Computer-Aided Drug Design and Synthesis of Rhenium Clotrimazole Antimicrobial Agents.

In the context of the global health issue caused by the growing occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the need for novel antimicrobial agents is becoming alarming. Inorganic and organometallic complexes represent a relatively untapped source of antibiotics. Here, we report a computer-aided drug design (CADD) based on a 'scaffold-hopping' approach for the synthesis and antibacterial evaluation of -Re(I) tricarbonyl complexes bearing clotrimazole (ctz) as a monodentate ligand.

Supramolecular design of CO-responsive lipid nanomaterials.

Hypothesis: Stimuli-responsive materials can innovate in various fields, including food and pharmaceutical sciences. Their response to a specific stimulus can be utilized to release loaded bioactive molecules or sense their presence. The biocompatibility and abundance of CO in the environment make it an exciting stimulus for such applications.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Sense the Toughness of Nanomaterials and Interfaces.

Stem cells are known to sense and respond to the mechanical properties of biomaterials. In turn, cells exert forces on their environment that can lead to striking changes in shape, size and contraction of associated tissues, and may result in mechanical disruption and functional failure. However, no study has so far correlated stem cell phenotype and biomaterials toughness.

(Anti)viral Material Design Guided by Scattering Methods.

Viruses are nature's own nanoparticles that are highly symmetric and monodisperse in size and shape with well-defined surface chemistry. They have evolved for optimal cell interactions, genetic information delivery and replication by the host cell over millions of years. These features render them into very efficient pathogens that place a severe burden onto the health of our society.

PEGylation of Phosphatidylglycerol/Docosahexaenoic Acid Hexosomes with d-α-Tocopheryl Succinate Poly(ethylene glycol) Induces Morphological Transformation into Vesicles with Prolonged Circulation Times.

Considering the broad therapeutic potential of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), here we study the effect of PEGylation of DHA-incorporated hexosomes on their physicochemical characteristics and biodistribution following intravenous injection into mice. Hexosomes were formed from phosphatidylglycerol and DHA with a weight ratio of 3:2. PEGylation was achieved through the incorporation of either d-α-tocopheryl succinate poly(ethylene glycol) (TPGS-mPEG) or 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) (DSPE-mPEG) at a concentration of 1.

Optical tweezer platform for the characterization of pH-triggered colloidal transformations in the oleic acid/water system.

Hypothesis: Soft colloidal particles that respond to their environment have innovative potential for many fields ranging from food and health to biotechnology and oil recovery. The in situ characterisation of colloidal transformations that triggers the functional response remain a challenge.

Experiments: This study demonstrates the combination of an optical micromanipulation platform, polarized optical video microscopy and microfluidics in a comprehensive approach for the analysis of pH-driven structural transformations in emulsions.

Donor-Acceptor Stenhouse Adduct-Polydimethylsiloxane-Conjugates for Enhanced Photoswitching in Bulk Polymers.

Donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs) are a rapidly emerging class of visible light-activated photochromes and DASA-functionalized polymers hold great promise as biocompatible photoresponsive materials. However, the photoswitching performance of DASAs in solid polymer matrices is often low, particularly in materials below their glass transition temperature. To overcome this limitation, DASAs are conjugated to polydimethylsiloxanes which have a glass transition temperature far below room temperature and which can create a mobile molecular environment around the DASAs for achieving more solution-like photoswitching kinetics in bulk polymers.

Improved Purification of Human Granzyme A/B and Granulysin Using a Mammalian Expression System.

Cytotoxic lymphocytes release proteins contained within the cytoplasmic cytolytic granules after recognition of infected or tumor target cells. These cytotoxic granular proteins (namely granzymes, granulysin, and perforin) are key immunological mediators within human cellular immunity. The availability of highly purified cytotoxic proteins has been fundamental for understanding their function in immunity and mechanistic involvement in sepsis and autoimmunity.

Bioinspired Antimicrobial Coatings from Peptide-Functionalized Liquid Crystalline Nanostructures.

Surface-associated microbial infections and contaminations are a major challenge in various fields including the food and health sectors. This study demonstrates the design of antimicrobial coatings based on the self-assembly of the food-grade amphiphilic lipid glycerol monooleate with the human cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptide LL-37. Structural properties of the coating and their alterations with composition were studied using advanced experimental methods including synchrotron grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering and ellipsometry.

Multifunctional Anthracene-Based Ni-MOF with Encapsulated Fullerenes: Polarized Fluorescence Emission and Selective Separation of C from C.

We report an anthracene-based Ni-MOF [Ni(II) metal-organic framework, {[Ni(μ-)Cl]·(CH)·(MeOH)} (), = anthracene-9,10-diylbis(methylene)diisonicotinate] whose crystal structure reveals the presence of hexagonal channels with a pore size of 1.4 nm that can accommodate guests such as C and C. Both confocal fluorescence and Raman microscopy results are in agreement with a homogeneous distribution of fullerenes throughout the single crystals of .

Human Antimicrobial Peptide Triggered Colloidal Transformations in Bacteria Membrane Lipopolysaccharides.

Growing concerns of bacterial resistance against conventional antibiotics shifts the research focus toward antimicrobial peptide (AMP)-based materials. Most AMPs kill gram-negative bacteria by destroying their inner membrane, but have to first pass the outer membrane covered with lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Their interplay with the LPS is crucial for bactericidal activity, but is yet to be elucidated in detail.

Ethanol Inactivation of Enveloped Viruses: Structural and Surface Chemistry Insights into Phi6.

Lipid-enveloped viruses, such as Ebola, influenza, or coronaviruses, are a major threat to human health. Ethanol is an efficient disinfectant that is widely used to inactivate these viruses and prevent their transmission. However, the interactions between ethanol and enveloped viruses leading to their inactivation are not yet fully understood.

Cell medium-dependent dynamic modulation of size and structural transformations of binary phospholipid/ω-3 fatty acid liquid crystalline nano-self-assemblies: Implications in interpretation of cell uptake studies.

Lyotropic non-lamellar liquid crystalline (LLC) nanoparticles, with their tunable structural features and capability of loading a wide range of drugs and reporter probes, are emerging as versatile injectable nanopharmaceuticals. Secondary emulsifiers, such as Pluronic block copolymers, are commonly used for colloidal stabilization of LLC nanoparticles, but their inclusion often compromises the biological safety (e.g.

pH-responsive aminolipid nanocarriers for antimicrobial peptide delivery.

Hypothesis: pH-responsive aminolipid self-assemblies are promising platforms for the targeted delivery of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), with the potential to improve their therapeutic efficiency and physico-chemical stability.

Experiments: pH-sensitive nanocarriers based on dispersed self-assemblies of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-dimethylammonium-propane (DODAP) with the human cathelicidin LL-37 in excess water were characterized at different pH values using small-angle X-ray scattering, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. Fluorescence and electrophoretic mobility measurements were used to probe the encapsulation efficiency of LL-37 and the nanocarriers' surface potential.

Virus pH-Dependent Interactions with Cationically Modified Cellulose and Their Application in Water Filtration.

Norovirus and Rotavirus are among the pathogens causing a large number of disease outbreaks due to contaminated water. These viruses are nanoscale particles that are difficult to remove by common filtration approaches which are based on physical size exclusion, and require adsorption-based filtration methods. This study reports the pH-responsive interactions of viruses with cationic-modified nanocellulose and demonstrates a filter material that adsorbs nanoscale viruses and can be regenerated by changing the solution's pH.

Applying Cryo-X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy to Study the Surface Chemical Composition of Fungi and Viruses.

Interaction between microorganisms and their surroundings are generally mediated the cell wall or cell envelope. An understanding of the overall chemical composition of these surface layers may give clues on how these interactions occur and suggest mechanisms to manipulate them. This knowledge is key, for instance, in research aiming to reduce colonization of medical devices and device-related infections from different types of microorganisms.