DNA Computing Systems Activated by Electrochemically-triggered DNA Release from a Polymer-brush-modified Electrode Array.

An array of four independently wired indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes was used for electrochemically stimulated DNA release and activation of DNA-based Identity, AND and XOR logic gates. Single-stranded DNA molecules were loaded on the mixed poly(,-di-methylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA)/poly-(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) brush covalently attached to the ITO electrodes. The DNA deposition was performed at pH 5.

Voltage preamplifier for extensional quartz sensors used in scanning force microscopy.

Extensional-mode quartz resonators are being increasingly used as force sensors in dynamic scanning force microscopy or atomic force microscopy (AFM). We propose a voltage preamplifier in order to amplify the charge induced on quartz electrodes. The proposed solution has some advantages over the typically used current-to-voltage converters.

Gap size dependent transition from direct tunneling to field emission in single molecule junctions.

I/V characteristics recorded in mechanically controllable break junctions revealed that field emission transport is enhanced in single molecule junctions as the gap size between two nanoelectrodes is reduced. This observation indicates that Fowler-Nordheim tunneling occurs not only for intermolecular but also for intramolecular electron transport driven by a reduced energy barrier at short tunneling distances.

Substrate, focal adhesions, and actin filaments: a mechanical unit with a weak spot for mechanosensitive proteins.

Mechanosensing is a vital prerequisite for dynamic remodeling of focal adhesions and cytoskeletal structures upon substrate deformation. For example, tissue formation, directed cell orientation or cell differentiation are regulated by such mechanosensing processes. Focal adhesions and the actin cytoskeleton are believed to be involved in these processes, but where mechanosensing molecules are located and how elastic substrate, focal adhesions and the cytoskeleton couple with each other upon substrate deformation still remains obscure.

Mechanical strength of specific bonds acting isolated or in pairs: a case study on engineered proteins.

The dynamic strength of multiple specific bonds exposed to external mechanical force is of significant interest for the understanding of biological adhesion. Exploiting the well-established FLAG tag technology, we engineered model proteins exhibiting no, one, or two identical binding sites for a monoclonal antibody. Bonds between these engineered proteins and the antibody were studied with dynamic force spectroscopy.

Selective-area catalyst-free MBE growth of GaN nanowires using a patterned oxide layer.

GaN nanowires (NWs) were grown selectively in holes of a patterned silicon oxide mask, by rf-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE), without any metal catalyst. The oxide was deposited on a thin AlN buffer layer previously grown on a Si(111) substrate. Regular arrays of holes in the oxide layer were obtained using standard e-beam lithography.

Axon guidance of rat cortical neurons by microcontact printed gradients.

Substrate-bound gradients expressed in numerous spatio-temporal patterns play a crucial role during the development of complex neural circuits. A deeper understanding of the axon guidance mechanism is provided by studying the effect of a defined substrate-bound cue on a confined neural network. In this study, we constructed a discontinuous substrate-bound gradient to control neuronal cell position, the path of neurite growth, and axon directionality.

Molecular junctions based on intermolecular electrostatic coupling.

Electrostatically linked ferrocene junctions were assembled and their conductance was investigated on the level of individual molecules by means of an electrochemical mechanical break junction. Conductance histograms of repeatedly formed molecular junctions showed peaks at multiples of 3.4 × 10(-5) G(0), which is one order of magnitude smaller than the conductance reported for covalently linked cysteamine-ferrocene-cysteamine.

Light induced stimulation and delay of cardiac activity.

This article shows the combination of light activatable ion channels and microelectrode array (MEA) technology for bidirectionally interfacing cells. HL-1 cultures, a mouse derived cardiomyocyte-like cell line, transfected with channelrhodopsin were stimulated with a microscope coupled 473 nm laser and recorded with custom built 64 electrode MEAs. Channelrhodopsin induced depolarization of the cell can evoke action potentials (APs) in single cells.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of vinculin at position 1065 modifies focal adhesion dynamics and cell tractions.

Focal adhesions (FAs) connect the cellular actin cytoskeleton via integrin with the extracellular matrix. They comprise of many structural and signaling proteins which are highly dynamic, well regulated, and responsible for the sensing of physical properties from the environment. Vinculin is a protein that incorporates all these functions.

Enhanced light scattering of the forbidden longitudinal optical phonon mode studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy on single InN nanowires.

In the literature, there are controversies on the interpretation of the appearance in InN Raman spectra of a strong scattering peak in the energy region of the unscreened longitudinal optical (LO) phonons, although a shift caused by the phonon-plasmon interaction is expected for the high conductance observed in this material. Most measurements on light scattering are performed on ensembles of InN nanowires (NWs). However, it is important to investigate the behavior of individual nanowires and here we report on micro-Raman measurements on single nanowires.

Extracellular recording of glycine receptor chloride channel activity as a prototype for biohybrid sensors.

There is a continuously growing scientific and technological interest to develop and improve the application of artificial sensors. Biological components which are capable to transduce neutral signals into specific, robust and reproducible indicators frame an attractive alternative to construct biohybrid sensors. Since naturally "occurring" biosensors are only sparsely compatible with artificial devices, genetic engineering of eukaryotic cells provides an attractive approach, where cells can be tailored such to detect target compounds with exquisite specificity and sensitivity.

Bidirectional immobilization of affinity-tagged cytochrome c on electrode surfaces.

Here, we report a new strategy for the directed bivalent immobilization of cyt c on or between gold electrodes. C-terminal modification with cys- or his-tag did not affect the functional integrity of the protein. In combination with electrostatic protein binding, these tags enable a bifunctional immobilization between two electrodes or alternatively one electrode and interacting enzymes.

Deformation of nanostructures on polymer molds during soft UV nanoimprint lithography.

Soft nanoimprint lithography (soft NIL) relies on a mechanical deformation of a resist by a patterned polymer used as a mold. Here, we report on the investigation of the nanopattern fidelity of the high pressure imprint process based on a perfluorinated polyether (PFPE) soft mold material. The perfluorinated polyether material was found to be well suited to transfer the mold pattern into the resist by a direct imprinting process at low cost.

Simultaneously measured signals in scanning probe microscopy with a needle sensor: frequency shift and tunneling current.

We present combined noncontact scanning force microscopy and tunneling current images of a platinum(111) surface obtained by means of a 1 MHz quartz needle sensor. The low-frequency circuit of the tunneling current was combined with a high-frequency signal of the quartz resonator enabling full electrical operation of the sensor. The frequency shift and the tunneling current were detected simultaneously, while the feedback control loop of the topography signal was fed using one of them.

Mechanical properties of bare and protein-coated giant unilamellar phospholipid vesicles. A comparative study of micropipet aspiration and atomic force microscopy.

In this study, protein-coated giant phospholipid vesicles were used to model cell plasma membranes coated by surface protein layers that increase membrane stiffness under mechanical or osmotic stress. These changed mechanical properties like bending stiffness, membrane area compressibility modulus, and effective Young's modulus were determined by micropipet aspiration, while bending stiffness, effective Young's modulus, and effective spring constant of vesicles were analyzed by AFM. The experimental setups, the applied models, and the results using both methods were compared here.

Novel fusogenic liposomes for fluorescent cell labeling and membrane modification.

Efficient delivery of biomolecules into membranes of living cells as well as cell surface modifications are major biotechnological challenges. Here, novel liposome systems based on neutral and cationic lipids in combination with lipids modified by aromatic groups are introduced for such applications. The fusion efficiency of these liposome systems was tested on single cells in culture like HEK293, myofibroblasts, cortical neurons, human macrophages, smooth muscle cells, and even on tissue.

The key feature for early migratory processes: Dependence of adhesion, actin bundles, force generation and transmission on filopodia.

Migration of cells is one of the most essential prerequisites to form higher organisms and depends on a strongly coordinated sequence of processes. Early migratory events include substrate sensing, adhesion formation, actin bundle assembly and force generation. While substrate sensing was ascribed to filopodia, all other processes were believed to depend mainly on lamellipodia of migrating cells.

Filopodial focal complexes direct adhesion and force generation towards filopodia outgrowth.

Filopodia are key structures within many cells that serve as sensors constantly probing the local environment. Although filopodia are involved in a number of different cellular processes, their function in migration is often analyzed with special focus on early processes of filopodia formation and the elucidation of filopodia molecular architecture. An increasing number of publications now describe the entire life cycle of filopodia, with analyses from the initial establishment of stable filopodium-substrate adhesion to their final integration into the approaching lamellipodium.

Electrical characterization of strained and unstrained silicon nanowires with nickel silicide contacts.

We present electrical characterization of nickel monosilicide (NiSi) contacts formed on strained and unstrained silicon nanowires (NWs), which were fabricated by top-down processing of initially As(+) implanted and activated strained and unstrained silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. The resistivity of doped Si NWs and the contact resistivity of the NiSi to Si NW contacts are studied as functions of the As(+) ion implantation dose and the cross-sectional area of the wires. Strained silicon NWs show lower resistivity for all doping concentrations due to their enhanced electron mobility compared to the unstrained case.

Iridium oxide microelectrode arrays for in vitro stimulation of individual rat neurons from dissociated cultures.

We present the first in vitro extracellular stimulation of individual neurons from dissociated cultures with iridium oxide (IrO(x)) electrodes. Microelectrode arrays with sputtered IrO(x) films (SIROF) were developed for electrophysiological investigations with electrogenic cells. The microelectrodes were characterized with scanning electron and atomic force microscopy, revealing rough and porous electrodes with enlarged surface areas.

Probing biomembrane dynamics by dual-wavelength reflection interference contrast microscopy.

We present an improved analysis of reflection interference contrast microscopy (RICM) images, recorded to investigate model membrane systems that mimic cell adhesion. The model systems were giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV) adhering via specific ligand-receptor interactions to supported lipid bilayers (SLB) or to patterns of receptors. Conventional RICM and dual-wavelength RICM (DW-RICM) were applied to measure absolute optical distances between the biomembranes and planar substrates.

Nanoscale pit formation at 2D Ge layers on Si: influence of energy and entropy.

The structural stability of two-dimensional (2D) SiGe nanostructures is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. The formation of pits with a diameter of 2-30 nm in one atomic layer thick Ge stripes is observed. The unanticipated pit formation occurs due to an energetically driven motion of the Ge atoms out of the Ge stripe towards the Si terminated step edge followed by an entropy driven GeSi intermixing at the step edge.

Electrical transport properties of single undoped and n-type doped InN nanowires.

Electrical transport properties of undoped and n-type doped InN nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy were studied by current-voltage and back-gate field-effect transistor measurements. The current-voltage characteristics show ohmic behavior in the temperature range between 4 and 300 K. Down to about 120 K a linear decrease in resistance with temperature is observed.