This book includes a plain text version that is designed for high accessibility. To use this version please follow this link.
68


nanotimes News in Brief


Scientists from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) supported by Gyeonggi Regional Research Center (GRRC) have developed a sim- ple method to prepare hollow mesoporous silica capsules (HMSCs). The structures are potential candidates for transporting different types of drugs, proteins and siRNA, and could be particularly suited to larger cargo, which can be difficult to deliver using more conventional geometries. The HMSCs consisted of mesostructured silica walls with a large surface hole (25 to 50nm) and the average particle dimension was 100 to 300nm. They exhibited high surface areas of up to 719.3 m2


g−1 and a mesopo-


rous range of pores of 2.4 to 2.7nm. © Nanotechnology/IOP Publishing


Ji-Sun Lim, Kiwon Lee, Jong-Nam Choi, Yong-Kyung Hwang, Mi-Yeon Yun, Hee-Jin Kim, Yong Sun Won, Sung-Jin Kim, Hyockman Kwon and Seong Huh: Intra- cellular protein delivery by hollow mesoporous silica capsules with a large surface hole, In: Nanotechnology, Volume 23(2012), Number 8, March 02, 2012, Article 085101, DOI:10.1088/0957-4484/23/8/085101: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/23/8/085101


12-02 :: February/March 2012


“We’re very interested in creating protein assem- blies. We want to be able to treat proteins like Lego,” explains Dr Mark Howarth, who with his graduate student Bijan Zakeri at the Department of Biochemistry developed the superglue. “But previ- ously we’ve been limited to ill-controlled processes or have had to build using weak biological interac- tions.”


The Oxford biochemists came up with their new super-strength molecular glue by engineering an un- usual protein from a type of bacteria that can cause life-threatening disease. Mark and his team are now working on developing the molecular superglue technology through Isis Innovation, the University of Oxford’s technology transfer company.


http://www.isis-innovation.com


Bijan Zakeri, Jacob O. Fierer, Emrah Celik, Emily C. Chit- tock, Ulrich Schwarz-Linek, Vincent T. Moy, and Mark Howarth: Peptide tag forming a rapid covalent bond to a protein, through engineering a bacterial adhesin, In: PNAS Early Edition, February 24, 2012, DOI:10.1073/ pnas.1115485109:


http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1115485109


A bio-inspired superglue has been developed by Oxford University (UK) researchers that can’t be matched for sticking molecules together and not let- ting go. It could prove to be a very useful addition to any toolbox for biotechnology or nanotechnology. You could use the glue to grab hold of proteins or stick them immovably to surfaces. You could even use it to assemble proteins and enzymes to build new structures on the nanometre scale.


Nanomedicine faces two main challenges: control- ling the synthesis of extremely small vectors contai- ning one or several active ingredients and releasing these agents in the right place at the right time, in controlled forms and doses. Researchers from the Organic Polymer Chemistry Laboratory (CNRS/ Bordeaux 1 University/ Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux) have recently encapsulated nanovesi-


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89