September 2012 – Chemical Communications Blog

Archive for September, 2012

ChemComm and the chemistry-biology interface

20 Sep 2012

The chemical sciences make a huge contribution to solving challenges in the biological sciences.

So quite rightly, articles at the chemistry–biology interface make up an important part of ChemComm.

Here’s a selection of some recent articles, all free to access until 19th October:

Nucleic acid aptamers: an emerging frontier in cancer therapy
Guizhi Zhu, Mao Ye, Michael J. Donovan, Erqun Song, Zilong Zhao and Weihong Tan
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC35042D

Picomolar level profiling of the methylation status of p53 tumor suppressor gene by label-free electrochemical biosensor
Po Wang, Hai Wu, Zong Dai and Xiaoyong Zou
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC35615E

Oriented Immobilization of Oxyamine-Modified Proteins
Long Yi, Yong-Xiang Chen, Po-Chiao Lin, Hendrik Schroeder, Christof M. Niemeyer, Yaowen Wu, Roger S. Goody, Gemma Triola and Herbert Waldmann
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC35237K

Colorimetric detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms with a real-time PCR-like sensitivity
Wei Shen, Huimin Deng, Alan Kay Liang Teo and Zhiqiang Gao
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC35070J

A bioresponsive controlled-release biosensor using Au nanocages capped with an aptamer-based molecular gate and its application in living cells
Wei Wang, Tao Yan, Shibin Cui and Jun Wan
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC33165A

Cascade imaging of proteolytic pathway in cancer cell using fluorescent protein-conjugated gold nanoquenchers
Kyoungsook Park, Jinyoung Jeong and Bong Hyun Chung
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC35687B

Eager for more?

Check out the Nucleic acids: new life, new materials web theme, jointly organised with OBC and RSC Advances.

Comments Off on ChemComm and the chemistry-biology interface

Glucometers altered to detect HIV

19 Sep 2012

Glucometers used by diabetic patients can be altered to detect HIV-related DNA sequences, say scientists in China.

The commercially available personal glucometer has been the most successful point-of-care (POC) device up to date. But the glucometer only responds to glucose. Extending its use to monitoring different types of targets would potentially revolutionise POC technology.

The team used invertase, an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of sucrose into glucose, to interpret DNA recognition events into readouts measurable by the glucometer.

They loaded nanoparticle amplification labels with invertase, which, through target/probe DNA hybridisations, catalysed the conversion of sucrose on the sensing surface to glucose. They could detect as low as 0.5pM of target DNA. While they demonstrate the method with HIV DNA, it could potentially used to detect different DNAs.

Link to journal article
Sensitive point-of-care monitoring of HIV related DNA sequences with a personal glucometer
J Xu et al
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2cc35941c

Comments Off on Glucometers altered to detect HIV

Micromotors with built in compasses

12 Sep 2012

Iron containing microtubular engines can be magnetised and act as compass needles

A collaboration between scientists in Germany and Singapore has produced a micromotor that can be controlled by a magnetic field.

The motors are microtubes that contain a platinum catalyst and iron. The catalyst reacts with hydrogen peroxide to produce a jet of oxygen bubbles to drive the tube forward and the iron allows the tubes to react to a magnet. Gaining control of the direction in which the tubes travel is the challenge, and now scientists have found a way to manipulate the direction using magnets. This is a step towards a future in which they could be used inside the body, as engines in nanoscale systems or for environmental remediation.

Martin Pumera, who is based at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and his team, worked with researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, Germany, to make the micromotors. First they deposited thin layers of titanium, iron, chromium and platinum on a support. Once the support was removed, the layers rolled into a tube. Next, the microtubes were made into permanent magnets, using a neodymium magnet, and put into a hydrogen peroxide solution to test their reaction to external magnets.

Read the full article in Chemistry World

Link to journal article
Micromotors with built-in compasses
G Zhao et al
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2cc35671f

Comments Off on Micromotors with built in compasses

Improved organocatalyst

12 Sep 2012

UK scientists have developed a scalable, resolution-free synthesis of a helical DMAP organocatalyst.

In 2011 Dave Carbery (University of Bath) and colleagues made a helicene catalyst that they say was the most active chiral DMAP-like nucleophilic catalyst (DMAP = 4-dimethylamino pyridine). It was an effective catalyst for the acylative kinetic resolution of chiral secondary alcohols. With it, the team achieved reactions on a gram scale using only 1mg of catalyst – a 0.05mol% loading. However, the catalyst needed HPLC resolution.

They are now able to make more than 1g of the helical DMAP without any resolution. They say that it is also possible to do late-stage functionalisation.

Link to journal article
Point-to-helical chirality transfer for a scalable and resolution-free synthesis of a helicenoidal DMAP organocatalyst
M R Crittall, N W G Fairhurst and D R Carbery
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2cc35583c

Comments Off on Improved organocatalyst

Refinery test for mesostructured zeolite

12 Sep 2012

The Y zeolite is used as a catalyst for fluid catalytic cracking. It has a high surface area and large pores and is thermally and hydrothermally stable. But scientists are working on improving the catalyst for a better performance. One reason is that the 7.4Å micropores are limited in terms of size of hydrocarbon that they can take in. The process involves diffusion of large hydrocarbon molecules into the crystals and diffusion of the desired intermediate cracking products (diesel or light oil, gasoline and liquefied petroleum gases) out.

Introducing wider pores allows large hydrocarbon molecules to go through the process. Scientists from Spain had recently carried out a templating process (using a surfactant) to introduce highly controlled mesoporosity into zeolites. This led to improved catalytic selectivity, in which more gasoline, light oil and liquefied petroleum gas were obtained.

The team have now scaled up the catalyst and tested its hydrothermal stability and catalytic cracking performance in a refinery. The catalyst showed much better product selectivity compared to the current catalyst, says the team.

Link to journal article
A mesostructured Y zeolite as a superior FCC catalyst – from lab to refinery
J Garcia-Martinez, K Li and G Krishnaiah
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2cc35659g

Comments Off on Refinery test for mesostructured zeolite

Nominations invited for ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship 2013

05 Sep 2012

We are delighted to invite nominations for ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship 2013. The lectureship, which is awarded annually, will recognise an emerging scientist in the early stages of their independent academic career.

To qualify
To be eligible for the ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship, the candidate should have completed their PhD on or after 5th September 2004.

The candidate should also have published at least one article in ChemComm during the course of their independent career.

Award details
The recipient of the award will be invited to present a lecture at three different locations over a 12 month period. It is expected that at least one of the locations will be a conference. The recipient will receive a contribution of £1500 towards travel and accommodation costs. S/he will also be presented with a certificate and be asked to contribute a ChemComm Feature Article.

Nominations
Those wishing to make a nomination should send the following details to the ChemComm Editorial Office by 7th December 2012:

Recommendation letter, including the name, contact details and website URL of the nominee.
A one page CV for the nominee, including their date of birth, summary of education and career, list of up to five independent publications, total numbers of publications and patents and other indicators of esteem and evidence of independence.
A copy of the candidate’s best publication to date (as judged by the nominator).
Two supporting letters of recommendation from two independent referees. These should not be someone from the same institution or the candidate’s post doc or PhD supervisor.

The nominator and independent referees are requested to comment on the candidate’s presenting skills.

Please note that self nomination is not permitted.

Selection procedure
The ChemComm Editorial Board will draw up a short-list of candidates based on the information provided by the referees and nominator. Short-listed candidates will be asked to provide a supporting statement justifying why they deserve the award. The recipient of the award will then be selected and endorsed by the ChemComm Editorial Board.

Previous winners

	2012 Professor Hiromitsu Maeda (Ritsumeikan University, Japan) – he’ll be presented with his lecture certificate at ICPOC 21.
	2011 Dr Scott Dalgarno (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK) – Find out about his Emerging Investigator Lecture tour in China.

Comments Off on Nominations invited for ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship 2013

Chemical Communications Blog

Archive for September, 2012

ChemComm and the chemistry-biology interface

Glucometers altered to detect HIV

Micromotors with built in compasses

Improved organocatalyst

Refinery test for mesostructured zeolite

Nominations invited for ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship 2013

Links

Categories

Archives

Meta