Determination and characterisation of the surface charge properties of the bacteriophage M13 to assist bio-nanoengineering.

To truly understand the mechanisms behind the supramolecular self-assembly of nanocomponents, the characterisation of their surface properties is crucial. M13 emerged as a practical nanocomponent for bio-nanoassemblies of functional materials and devices, and its popularity is increasing as time goes by. The investigation performed in this study provides important information about the surface charge and the surface area of M13 determined through the comparison of structural data and the measurement of -potential at pH ranging between 2 and 11.

Graphene platelet reinforced copper composites for improved tribological and thermal properties.

In this work, investigations were conducted to evaluate a type of graphene platelet-reinforced copper (GPL/Cu) composite for enhanced tribological and thermal properties. The pin-on-disc (steel) results show that the wear loss and the friction coefficient of the composites decrease by nearly 80% and 70%, respectively, in comparison with those of pure Cu. Thermal conductivity of the composites initially improves substantially by approximately 30% with a slight loading of 0.

Contrasting motif preferences of platinum and gold nanoclusters between 55 and 309 atoms.

The atomic structure of size-selected Pt clusters in the range 10-600 atoms is investigated with aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and reveals significantly different behaviour from the existing data for Au clusters. The Pt clusters show a dominance of the FCC motif from relatively small sizes, whereas traditionally for Au multiple motifs - the icosahedron, decahedron and FCC motifs (and related structures) compete. The new data motivates a comprehensive computational investigation to better understand similarities and differences in the structures and energetics of the two different metallic clusters.

Contact lenses for continuous corneal temperature monitoring.

Temperature variation is a ubiquitous medical sign to monitor ocular conditions including dry eye disease (DED), glaucoma, carotid artery stenosis, diabetic retinopathy, and vascular neuritis. The ability to measure OST in real time is desirable in point-of-care diagnostics. Here, we developed minimally invasive contact lens temperature sensors for continuous monitoring of the corneal temperature.

Effect of additives, ball milling and isotopic exchange in porous magnesium borohydride.

Magnesium borohydride (Mg(BH)) is a promising material for solid state hydrogen storage. However, the predicted reversible hydrogen sorption properties at moderate temperatures have not been reached due to sluggish hydrogen sorption kinetics. Hydrogen (H) → deuterium (D) exchange experiments can contribute to the understanding of the stability of the BH anion.

Exposure of mass-selected bimetallic Pt-Ti nanoalloys to oxygen explored using scanning transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory.

The response of nanoparticles to exposure to ambient conditions and especially oxidation is fundamental to the application of nanotechnology. Bimetallic platinum-titanium nanoparticles of selected mass, 30 kDa and 90 kDa, were produced using a magnetron sputtering gas condensation cluster source and deposited onto amorphous carbon TEM grids. The nanoparticles were analysed with a C-corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) in High Angle Annular Dark Field (HAADF) mode.

butterfly-inspired optical diffraction, diffusion, and bio-chemical sensing.

-butterfly is well-known for the blue colouration in its tiny wing scales and finds applications in colour filters, anti-reflecting coatings and optical devices. Herein, the structural optical properties of the -butterfly wing scales were examined through light reflection, diffraction and optical diffusion. The light diffraction property from wing scales was investigated through experiments and computation modelling.

Computational Intelligence-Assisted Understanding of Nature-Inspired Superhydrophobic Behavior.

In recent years, state-of-the-art computational modeling of physical and chemical systems has shown itself to be an invaluable resource in the prediction of the properties and behavior of functional materials. However, construction of a useful computational model for novel systems in both academic and industrial contexts often requires a great depth of physicochemical theory and/or a wealth of empirical data, and a shortage in the availability of either frustrates the modeling process. In this work, computational intelligence is instead used, including artificial neural networks and evolutionary computation, to enhance our understanding of nature-inspired superhydrophobic behavior.

DUT-58 (Co) Derived Synthesis of Co Clusters as Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalyst for Zinc-Air Battery.

To meet the requirement of fuel cells and metal-air batteries, non-noble metal catalysts have to be developed to replace precious platinum-based catalysts. Herein, Co nanoclusters (≈2 nm) are anchored on nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (Co/N-r-GO) by using DUT-58 (Co) metal-organic framework and GO as precursors. Compared with single-atom catalysts usually with ultralow concentration (<0.

Potent Prearranged Positive Allosteric Modulators of the Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor.

Drugs that allosterically modulate G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activity display higher specificity and may improve disease treatment. However, the rational design of compounds that target the allosteric site is difficult, as conformations required for receptor activation are poorly understood. Guided by photopharmacology, a set of prearranged positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) with restricted degrees of freedom was designed and tested against the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), a GPCR involved in glucose homeostasis.

Insights into 6-Methylsalicylic Acid Bio-assembly by Using Chemical Probes.

Chemical probes capable of reacting with KS (ketosynthase)-bound biosynthetic intermediates were utilized for the investigation of the model type I iterative polyketide synthase 6-methylsalicylic acid synthase (6-MSAS) in vivo and in vitro. From the fermentation of fungal and bacterial 6-MSAS hosts in the presence of chain termination probes, a full range of biosynthetic intermediates was isolated and characterized for the first time. Meanwhile, in vitro studies of recombinant 6-MSA synthases with both nonhydrolyzable and hydrolyzable substrate mimics have provided additional insights into substrate recognition, providing the basis for further exploration of the enzyme catalytic activities.

Tracer-Based Metabolic NMR-Based Flux Analysis in a Leukaemia Cell Line.

High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have a profound impact on acute myeloid leukaemia cells and can be used to specifically target these cells with novel therapies. We have previously shown how the combination of two redeployed drugs, the contraceptive steroid medroxyprogesterone and the lipid-regulating drug bezafibrate exert anti-leukaemic effects by producing ROS. Here we report a C-tracer-based NMR metabolic study to understand how these drugs work in K562 leukaemia cells.