3,396 results match your criteria: "NanoScience Center[Affiliation]"

Multivalency as an interaction principle is widely utilized in nature. It enables specific and strong binding by multiple weak interactions through enhanced avidity and is a core process in immune recognition and cellular signaling, which is also a current concept in drug design. Here, we use the high signals from plasmon-enhanced fluorescence of nanoparticles to extract binding kinetics and dynamics of multivalent interactions on the single-molecule level and in real time.

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Photochemical initiation of polariton-mediated exciton propagation.

Nanophotonics

June 2024

Nanoscience Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.

Placing a material inside an optical cavity can enhance transport of excitation energy by hybridizing excitons with confined light modes into polaritons, which have a dispersion that provides these light-matter quasi-particles with low effective masses and very high group velocities. While in experiments, polariton propagation is typically initiated with laser pulses, tuned to be resonant either with the polaritonic branches that are delocalized over many molecules, or with an uncoupled higher-energy electronic excited state that is localized on a single molecule, practical implementations of polariton-mediated exciton transport into devices would require operation under low-intensity incoherent light conditions. Here, we propose to initiate polaritonic exciton transport with a photo-acid, which upon absorption of a photon in a spectral range not strongly reflected by the cavity mirrors, undergoes ultra-fast excited-state proton transfer into a red-shifted excited-state photo-product that can couple collectively with a large number of suitable dye molecules to the modes of the cavity.

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Targeted nanoliposomes to improve enzyme replacement therapy of Fabry disease.

Sci Adv

December 2024

Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.

The central nervous system represents a major target tissue for therapeutic approach of numerous lysosomal storage disorders. Fabry disease arises from the lack or dysfunction of the lysosomal alpha-galactosidase A (GLA) enzyme, resulting in substrate accumulation and multisystemic clinical manifestations. Current enzyme replacement therapies (ERTs) face limited effectiveness due to poor enzyme biodistribution in target tissues and inability to reach the brain.

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Fe-Doped Ni-Based Catalysts Surpass Ir-Baselines for Oxygen Evolution Due to Optimal Charge-Transfer Characteristics.

ACS Catal

December 2024

Chemistry and Nanoscience Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States.

Ni-based catalysts with Co or Fe can potentially replace precious Ir-based catalysts for the rate-limiting oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in anion-exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzers. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide atomic- and electronic-level resolution on how the inclusion of Co or Fe can overcome the inactivity of NiO catalysts and even enable them to surpass IrO in activating key steps to the OER. Namely, NiO resists binding the key OH* intermediate and presents a high energetic barrier to forming the O*.

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Aluminum adjuvants (Alum), approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, have been extensively used in vaccines containing recombinant antigens, subunits of pathogens, or toxins for almost a century. While Alums typically elicit strong humoral immune responses, their ability to induce cellular and mucosal immunity is limited. As an alternative, layered double hydroxide (LDH), a widely used antacid, has emerged as a novel class of potent nano-aluminum adjuvants (NanoAlum), demonstrating advantageous physicochemical properties, biocompatibility and adjuvanticity in both humoral and cellular immune responses.

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Electrochemical valorization of captured CO: recent advances and future perspectives.

Chem Soc Rev

December 2024

Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) CO2 Research Center, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

The excessive emission of CO has led to severe climate change, prompting global concern. Capturing CO and converting it through electrochemistry into value-added products represent promising approaches to mitigating CO emissions and closing the carbon cycle. Traditionally, these two processes have been performed independently, involving multiple steps, high energy consumption, and low efficiency.

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Nanobodies' duo facilitates ultrasensitive serum HER-2/neu immunoassays via enhanced avidity interactions.

Anal Chim Acta

January 2025

Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark. Electronic address:

Background: Existing liquid biopsy assays for protein biomarkers of cancer are mostly based on antibodies (Ab) contributing unfavorably to their high cost. Easy to express and modify in vitro, nanobodies may be a cost-effective alternative to Ab.

Results: We show that serum HER-2/neu, a biomarker and target of aggressive HER-2/neu(+) cancers, can be accurately detected in a 1.

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Article Synopsis
  • Protein crosslinks caused by oxidative stress are linked to diseases like atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's, but their specific nature and locations in proteins remain unclear.
  • A new method utilizing "light" and "heavy" isotope-labeled reagents for efficient amine labeling of crosslinked peptides has shown improved identification and quantification over previous techniques.
  • This approach has led to the successful identification of novel crosslinks in proteins like β-casein and α-synuclein, as well as effective mapping of disulfide bonds in serum albumin, highlighting its versatility for studying protein modifications.
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Solubility of metal-boron-hydrogen compounds.

Dalton Trans

January 2025

Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Energy Transition, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.

Boron-hydrogen compounds are of increasing importance as electrolytes in solid state batteries, for hydrogen storage and possibly as high temperature super conductors. Solvent based methods are of increasing importance to obtain pure products, for purification of materials and also for the synthesis of novel compounds. In this context, the solubility information of several classes of metal-boron-hydrogen compounds such as borohydrides, -decahydridodecaborates, -dodecahydridododecaborates, - and -hydridoborates in typical solvents is vital.

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Global plastic production exceeded 400 million tons in 2022, urgently demanding improved waste management and recycling strategies for a circular plastic economy. While the enzymatic hydrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has become feasible on industrial scales, efficient enzymes targeting other hydrolyzable plastic types, such as polyurethanes (PURs), are lacking. Recently, enzymes of the amidase signature (AS) family, capable of cleaving urethane bonds in a polyether-PUR analog and a linear polyester-PUR, have been identified.

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The high electrical contact resistance at the metal-semiconductor interface hinders the practical application of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor electronics in the postsilicon era. Conventional strategies toward Ohmic contact involve optimizing contact electrode materials. In this work, we utilize the band structure tunability of a 2D semiconductor by introducing a high dielectric constant gate dielectric to optimize the Schottky barrier height and width.

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Copper is an essential micronutrient and yet is highly toxic to cells at elevated concentrations. P-ATPase proteins are critical for this regulation, providing active extrusion across cellular membranes. One unique molecular adaptation of P-ATPases compared to other P-type ATPases is the presence of metal-binding domains (MBDs) at the cytosolic termini, which however are poorly characterized with an elusive mechanistic role.

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Young rat microbiota extracts strongly inhibit fibrillation of α-synuclein and protect neuroblastoma cells and zebrafish against α-synuclein toxicity.

Mol Cells

January 2025

Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus Centrum, Denmark; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus Centrum, Denmark. Electronic address:

The clinical manifestations of Parkinson's disease (PD) are driven by aggregation of α-Synuclein (α-Syn) in the brain. However, there is increasing evidence that PD may be initiated in the gut and thence spread to the brain, eg, via the vagus nerve. Many studies link PD to changes in the gut microbiome, and bacterial amyloid has been shown to stimulate α-Syn aggregation.

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Photoelectrochemical CO reduction reaction (PEC-CO2RR) into multicarbon (C and C) products is one of the most favorable paths for converting and utilizing atmospheric CO. Although Cu-based photocathodes have unique features that can convert CO into value-added products, they have limited selectivity. In this study, we established the Cu-based heterostructure by introducing the CuO (111) phase on the surface of Cu/Cu(OH) nanorods array (CNA) while integrating Pd cocatalyst to improve the selectivity of the C products via PEC-CO2RR.

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The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (eCORR) using nitrogen-doped carbon (N-C) materials offers a promising and cost-effective approach to global carbon neutrality. Regulating the porosity of N-C materials can potentially increase the catalytic performance by suppressing the concurrence of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the augmentation of porosity usually alters the active sites or the chemical composition of catalysts, resulting in intertwined influences of various structural factors and catalytic performance.

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Remolding the tumor microenvironment by bacteria augments adoptive T cell therapy in advanced-stage solid tumors.

Signal Transduct Target Ther

November 2024

Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310009, Hangzhou, China.

The intricate tumor microenvironment presents formidable obstacles to the efficacy of adoptive T cell therapy in the management of solid tumors by limiting the infiltration and inducing exhaustion of the transferred T cells. Here, we developed a bacterial-based adjuvant approach that augments the efficacy of adoptive T-cell therapy for solid tumor treatment. Our study reveals that intratumor injection of E.

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By strategic design and synthesis of a new series of phosphonium salts (compounds 1-7[OTf]), where [OTf] stands for the trifluoromethanesulfonate anion, we performed comprehensive spectroscopic and dynamic studies on the photoinduced anion migration in toluene. Our aim is to probe if the anion migration is associated with an intrinsic barrier or is barrier-free. After the occurrence of excited-state intramolecular charge transfer (ESICT) in 1-7, the charge redistribution of the cation triggers the translocation of the counter anion [OTf], resulting in emission spectral temporal evolution.

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Mammalian receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME) often involves at least one of three isoforms of the large GTPase dynamin (Dyn). Dyn pinches-off vesicles at the plasma membrane and mediates uptake of many viruses, although some viruses directly penetrate the plasma membrane. RME is classically interrogated by genetic and pharmacological interference, but this has been hampered by undesired effects.

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Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males. Early PCa usually shows no clinical symptoms and its primary diagnosis is currently guided by liquid-biopsy testing of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This testing suffers from high false-positive and false-negative rates.

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Iridium oxide (IrO) is recognized as a state-of-art catalyst for anodes of low-temperature polymer-electrolyte membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWE), one of the promising clean energy technologies to produce hydrogen, a critical energy carrier for decarbonization. However, typical IrO ink formulations are challenging to process in liquid-film coating processes because of their poor stability against gravitational settling and low viscosities. Here we report on time evolution of the microstructure of concentrated IrO inks in a water-rich dispersion medium, probed using a combination of rheology and X-ray scattering for up to four days.

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Dynamic nuclear polarization pulse sequence engineering using single-spin vector effective Hamiltonians.

Phys Chem Chem Phys

November 2024

Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has proven to be a powerful technique to enhance nuclear spin polarization by transferring the much higher electron spin polarization to nuclear spins prior to detection. While major attention has been devoted to high-field applications with continuous microwave irradiation, the introduction of fast arbitrary waveform generators is gradually increasing opportunities for the realization of pulsed DNP. Here, we describe how static-powder DNP pulse sequences may systematically be designed using single-spin vector effective Hamiltonian theory.

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Orchestrated action of peptidoglycan (PG) synthetases and hydrolases is vital for bacterial growth and viability. Although the function of several PG synthetases and hydrolases is well understood, the function, regulation, and mechanism of action of PG hydrolases characterised as lysostaphin-like endopeptidases have remained elusive. Many of these M23 family members can hydrolyse glycyl-glycine peptide bonds and show lytic activity against whose PG contains a pentaglycine bridge, but their exact substrate specificity and hydrolysed bonds are still vaguely determined.

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van der Waals heterostructures have emerged as an ideal platform for creating engineered artificial electronic states. While vertical heterostructures have been extensively studied, realizing high-quality lateral heterostructures with atomically sharp interfaces remains a major experimental challenge. Here, we advance a one-pot two-step molecular beam lateral epitaxy approach and successfully synthesize atomically well-defined 1T-VSe─1H-NbSe lateral heterostructures.

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Article Synopsis
  • X-ray crystallography is crucial for identifying atomic positions in protein crystals, but it raises concerns about whether these structures accurately reflect proteins' functional forms in solution due to environmental differences.
  • The study investigates the effect of crystallization on proton affinities by comparing pH measurements through constant pH molecular dynamics simulations for proteins in both crystal and solution environments.
  • Results indicate that pH changes mainly occur at crystal interfaces, with the need for improved techniques in molecular dynamics simulations to better understand protein function post-crystallization.
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Targeting ocular tissues with intravenously administered aptamers selected by SELEX.

Mol Ther Nucleic Acids

December 2024

School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonrinne 1 C, 70210 Kuopio, Finland.

Ocular diseases create a significant economic burden and decrease in quality of life worldwide. Drugs and carrier molecules that penetrate ocular tissues after intravenous administration are needed for more efficient and patient-friendly treatment of ocular diseases. Here, ocular barrier-penetrating aptamers were selected through the utilization of SELEX and intravenous injection in rats.

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