Living functional hydrogels generated by bioorthogonal cross-linking reactions of azide-modified cells with alkyne-modified polymers.

To date, many scientists have thoroughly investigated both cells and cellular functions, resulting in the identification of numerous molecular mechanisms underlying the cellular functions. Based on these findings, medical scientists and pharmacologists have developed many technological applications for cells and cellular functions in medicine. How can material scientists utilize cells and cellular functions? Here, we show a concept for utilizing cells and their functions from the viewpoint of materials science.

Characterization of the quinones in purple sulfur bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum.

Quinone distributions in the thermophilic purple sulfur bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum have been investigated at different levels of the photosynthetic apparatus. Here we show that, on average, the intracytoplasmic membrane contains 18 ubiquinones (UQ) and 4 menaquinones (MQ) per reaction center (RC). About one-third of the quinones are retained in the light-harvesting-reaction center core complex (LH1-RC) with a similar ratio of UQ to MQ.