Archive for the ‘Hot Article’ Category

A simple method for preventing nanoparticle-protein aggregation

The interaction of proteins with nanoparticles has significant applications for clinical and biomedical therapies, specifically the field of theranostics, where diagnostic and therapeutic agents are combined into a single entity.  Unfortunately, it has been well documented that attachment of proteins to nanoparticle surfaces leads to deformation of the protein and loss of protein activity.  Aggregates of proteins form on the particle and induce aggregate formation of the particles themselves, hindering any theranostic capability.

In a recent communication in Soft Matter, researchers from Johns Hopkins University, USA, and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India, describe a simple chemical method for solving this dilemma; addition of sugar.  The naturally occurring disaccharide, trehalose, has demonstrated the ability to stabilize protein structures and shield them from thermal stress and dehydration.  The protective nature of trehalose has been described by three hypotheses: (1) mechanical entrapment of the protein within the sugar molecules, (2) hydrogen bonding of the trehalose with the protein for chemical stabilization, (3) or water entrapment between the surface of the protein and trehalose.  The research team exploited the protective properties of trehalose to insulate the protein, lysozyme, while the protein was exposed to silver nanoparticles, thus preventing denaturing of the protein.

Silver nanoparticles

Interaction of silver nanoparticles with lysozyme with varying trehalose concentrations

Without chemical stabilization, lysozyme aggregated on the nanoparticle surface and had significant structural deorganization.  In the presence of trehalose, lysozyme maintained its active conformation and exhibited limited or no aggregation.  By adjusting the concentration of trehalose in solution, nanoparticle-protein interactions were modulated.  Analytical methods, including UV-vis absorbance, circular dichroism, and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) illustrated and characterized the changes is binding of the lysozyme to the silver nanoparticle surface and the enhanced stability of the protein.  The proof-of-concept system created a biocompatible environment for nanoparticles and proteins to engage without compromising lysozyme structure or activity.  The proposed method will facilitate the development of nanoparticle theranostics and opens new avenues for nanomedicine design.

See the full Soft Matter article here:

Revealing the trehalose mediated inhibition of protein aggregation through lysozyme-silver nanoparticle interaction
Soumik Siddhanta, Ishan Barman, and Chandrabhas Narayana
Soft Matter, 2015, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C5SM01896J


Morgan M. Stanton Dr. Morgan M. Stanton is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany.  She completed her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2014.  Read more about Morgan’s research publications here.

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HOT Articles for June!

Imaging viscoelastic properties of live cells by AFM: power-law rheology on the nanoscale
Fabian M. Hecht, Johannes Rheinlaender, Nicolas Schierbaum, Wolfgang H. Goldmann, Ben Fabry and Tilman E. Schäffer

Graphical abstract: Imaging viscoelastic properties of live cells by AFM: power-law rheology on the nanoscale

Studying the concentration dependence of the aggregation number of a micellar model system by SANS
Matthias Amann, Lutz Willner, Jörg Stellbrink, Aurel Radulescu and Dieter Richter

Graphical abstract: Studying the concentration dependence of the aggregation number of a micellar model system by SANS

These articles will be free until 29th June 2015


Transverse migration of polyelectrolytes in microfluidic channels induced by combined shear and electric fields
Mert Arca, Jason E. Butler and Anthony J. C. Ladd

Graphical abstract: Transverse migration of polyelectrolytes in microfluidic channels induced by combined shear and electric fields

Cholesterol expels ibuprofen from the hydrophobic membrane core and stabilizes lamellar phases in lipid membranes containing ibuprofen
Richard J. Alsop, Clare L. Armstrong, Amna Maqbool, Laura Toppozini, Hannah Dies and Maikel C. Rheinstädter

Graphical abstract: Cholesterol expels ibuprofen from the hydrophobic membrane core and stabilizes lamellar phases in lipid membranes containing ibuprofen

These articles will be free until 8th June 2015


Modelling the rheology of anisotropic particles adsorbed on a two-dimensional fluid interface
Alan M. Luo, Leonard M. C. Sagis, Hans Christian Öttinger, Cristiano De Michele and Patrick Ilg

Graphical abstract: Modelling the rheology of anisotropic particles adsorbed on a two-dimensional fluid interface
 
Nonthermal fluctuations of the mitotic spindle
Kevin Smith, Brian Griffin, Henry Byrd, F. C. MacKintosh and Maria L. Kilfoil

Graphical abstract: Nonthermal fluctuations of the mitotic spindle

These articles will be free until 13th July 2015


Fluctuations of particle motion in granular avalanches – from the microscopic to the macroscopic scales
Ziwei Wang and Jie Zhang

Graphical abstract: Fluctuations of particle motion in granular avalanches – from the microscopic to the macroscopic scales
A giant polymer lattice in a polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal
H. Kikuchi, S. Izena, H. Higuchi, Y. Okumura and K. Higashiguchi 

Graphical abstract: A giant polymer lattice in a polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal

These articles will be free until 21st  July 2015


 
pH-Responsive assembly of metal nanoparticles and fluorescent dyes by diblock copolymer micelles
Hyun Woo Kim, Jang Whan Kim, Seong Ho Jo, Chang-Lyoul Lee, Won-Ki Lee, Seong Soo Park, Bonghoon Chung and Seong Il Yoo

Graphical abstract: pH-Responsive assembly of metal nanoparticles and fluorescent dyes by diblock copolymer micelles

 
 
Two types of Cassie-to-Wenzel wetting transitions on superhydrophobic surfaces during drop impact
Choongyeop Lee, Youngsuk Nam, Henri Lastakowski, Janet I. Hur, Seungwon Shin, Anne-Laure Biance, Christophe Pirat, Chang-Jin “CJ” Kim and Christophe Ybert 

Graphical abstract: Two types of Cassie-to-Wenzel wetting transitions on superhydrophobic surfaces during drop impact

These articles will be free until 27th  July 2015


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HOT Articles for May!

A new lattice Monte Carlo simulation for dielectric saturation in ion-containing liquids
Xiaozheng Duan and Issei Nakamura

Graphical abstract: A new lattice Monte Carlo simulation for dielectric saturation in ion-containing liquids

Domain walls and anchoring transitions mimicking nematic biaxiality in the oxadiazole bent-core liquid crystal C7
Young-Ki Kim, Greta Cukrov, Jie Xiang, Sung-Tae Shin and Oleg D. Lavrentovich

Graphical abstract: Domain walls and anchoring transitions mimicking nematic biaxiality in the oxadiazole bent-core liquid crystal C7

These articles will be free until 3rd June 2015


Interface-enforced complexation between copolymer blocks
Alexander A. Steinschulte, Weinan Xu, Fabian Draber, Pascal Hebbeker, Andre Jung, Dimitri Bogdanovski, Stefanie Schneider, Vladimir V. Tsukruk and Felix A. Plamper

Graphical abstract: Interface-enforced complexation between copolymer blocks

A dynamic and self-crosslinked polysaccharide hydrogel with autonomous self-healing ability
Fuyuan Ding, Shuping Wu, Shishuai Wang, Yuan Xiong, Yan Li, Bin Li, Hongbing Deng, Yumin Du, Ling Xiao and Xiaowen Shi

Graphical abstract: A dynamic and self-crosslinked polysaccharide hydrogel with autonomous self-healing ability

These articles will be free until 8th June 2015


Surfactant-induced assembly of enzymatically-stable peptide hydrogels
Brad H. Jones, Alina M. Martinez, Jill S. Wheeler and Erik D. Spoerke  

Graphical abstract: Surfactant-induced assembly of enzymatically-stable peptide hydrogels

Tunable synthesis of self-assembled cyclic peptide nanotubes and nanoparticles
Leming Sun, Zhen Fan, Yongzhong Wang, Yujian Huang, Michael Schmidt and Mingjun Zhang

Graphical abstract: Tunable synthesis of self-assembled cyclic peptide nanotubes and nanoparticles
 

These articles will be free until 16th  June 2015


Anisotropic colloidal transport and periodic stick-slip motion in cholesteric finger textures
Kui Chen, Linnea P. Metcalf, David P. Rivas, Daniel H. Reich and Robert L. Leheny

Graphical abstract: Anisotropic colloidal transport and periodic stick-slip motion in cholesteric finger textures
 

Heterogeneous flow kinematics of cellulose nanofibril suspensions under shear
F. Martoïa, C. Perge, P. J. J. Dumont, L. Orgéas, M. A. Fardin, S. Manneville and M. N. Belgacem

Graphical abstract: Heterogeneous flow kinematics of cellulose nanofibril suspensions under shear

These articles will be free until 23rd  June 2015


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HOT Articles for April!

In situ laser-imprinted surface realignment of a nematic liquid crystal
Giorgio Mirri, Miha Škarabot and Igor Muševič

Graphical abstract: In situ laser-imprinted surface realignment of a nematic liquid crystal

Electrostatic swelling of bicontinuous cubic lipid phases
Arwen I. I. Tyler, Hanna M. G. Barriga, Edward S. Parsons, Nicola L. C. McCarthy, Oscar Ces, Robert V. Law, John M. Seddon and Nicholas J. Brooks

Graphical abstract: Electrostatic swelling of bicontinuous cubic lipid phases

These articles will be free until 28th  April 2015


Self-assembly of mesogenic bent-core DNA nanoduplexes
Khanh Thuy Nguyen, Anna Battisti, Daniele Ancora, Francesco Sciortino and Cristiano De Michele

Graphical abstract: Self-assembly of mesogenic bent-core DNA nanoduplexes

Self-assembly of microcapsules regulated via the repressilator signaling network
Henry Shum, Victor V. Yashin and Anna C. Balazs

Graphical abstract: Self-assembly of microcapsules regulated via the repressilator signaling network

These articles will be free until 22nd May 2015


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HOT Articles for March!

Phase separation in ternary fluid mixtures: a molecular dynamics study
Awaneesh Singh and Sanjay Puri

Graphical abstract: Phase separation in ternary fluid mixtures: a molecular dynamics study

Phase transformations in binary colloidal monolayers
Ye Yang, Lin Fu, Catherine Marcoux, Joshua E. S. Socolar, Patrick Charbonneau and Benjamin B. Yellen 

Graphical abstract: Phase transformations in binary colloidal monolayers
These articles will be free until 30th March 2015


Spider’s super-glue: thread anchors are composite adhesives with synergistic hierarchical organization
Jonas O. Wolff, Ingo Grawe, Marina Wirth, André Karstedt and Stanislav N. Gorb

Graphical abstract: Spider's super-glue: thread anchors are composite adhesives with synergistic hierarchical organization

Stretching self-entangled DNA molecules in elongational fields
C. Benjamin Renner and Patrick S. Doyle

Graphical abstract: Stretching self-entangled DNA molecules in elongational fields

These articles will be free until 6th April 2015


Smectic block copolymer thin films on corrugated substrates
Aldo D. Pezzutti, Leopoldo R. Gómez and Daniel A. Vega

Graphical abstract: Smectic block copolymer thin films on corrugated substrates

Solving the mystery of the internal structure of casein micelles
B. Ingham, G. D. Erlangga, A. Smialowska, N. M. Kirby, C. Wang, L. Matia-Merino, R. G. Haverkamp and A. J. Carr

Graphical abstract: Solving the mystery of the internal structure of casein micelles

These articles will be free until 6th April 2015


Flexibility and protection by design: imbricated hybrid microstructures of bio-inspired armor
Stephan Rudykh, Christine Ortiz and Mary C. Boyce

Graphical abstract: Flexibility and protection by design: imbricated hybrid microstructures of bio-inspired armor

Derivation of stretched exponential tap density equations of granular powders
Tian Hao

Graphical abstract: Derivation of stretched exponential tap density equations of granular powders

These articles will be free until 21st  May 2015


Mechanism of anomalously increased oil displacement with aqueous viscoelastic polymer solutions
Andrew Clarke, Andrew M. Howe, Jonathan Mitchell, John Staniland, Laurence Hawkes and Katherine Leeper

Self-assembly of Janus particles under shear
Arash Nikoubashman, Emanuela Bianchi and Athanassios Z. Panagiotopoulos

These articles will be free until 25th  May 2015


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Building Next-Generation Superplasticisers from Plant-Derived Lignin

Superplasticisers are a class of materials used to inhibit aggregation in hydraulic cement, improving workability and reducing water requirements without sacrificing strength. Most superplasticisers are anionic polymer dispersants, such as the leading commercial products, polycarboxylate ethers. A low-cost alternative to this class of materials is provided by the plant-derived biopolymer lignin. Lignin is an abundant biopolymer as it is found in most land plants as a component in cell walls. However, Lignin-based substances are poorly performing plasticisers and attempts to significantly improve their properties by copolymerisation with synthetic monomers have thus far been relatively unsuccessful.

In this recent report Gupta et al. provide an alternate approach to the production of high-performance superplasticisers by utilising lignin as a macroinitiator for a reverse addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerisation. RAFT is a controlled radical polymerisation technique, which affords good control of molecular weight and polydispersity. Acrylamide was polymerised from the lignin surface in order to create grafted architectures composed of lignin cores with synthetic polyacrylamide coronas. It is found that the lignin compounds synthesised using RAFT polymerisation are more efficient superplasticisers than those prepared by free radical polymerisation, due to their unique polymer-grafted architecture.

The resulting lignin based materials reduced the yield stress of cement paste to similar levels as a leading commercial superplasticiser at concentrations ten-fold lower. These compounds have excellent potential as next-generation admixtures for hydraulic cement, with further work needed to clarify optimal grafting density and length of coronal polymer-chains.

Comparison of physical properties of cement with different superplasticizers
Comparison of physical properties of cement with different superplasticisers

To findout more read the full article below:

Molecular Architecture Requirements for Polymer-Grafted Lignin Superplasticizers by Chetali Gupta, Madeline J. Sverdlove and Newell R. Washburn, Soft Matter, 2015, Advance Article. DOI: 10.1039/C4SM02675F

This post was written by web writer Rob Woodward. Rob is currently based in Imperial College London working in the Polymer and Composite Engineering (PaCE) group. Rob has a background in both responsive polymeric surfactants and microporous organic polymers for carbon capture and storage.

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HOT Articles for February!

Sphere to rod transitions in self assembled systems probed using direct force measurement
Christopher J. Fewkes, Rico F. Tabor and Raymond R. Dagastine

Graphical abstract: Sphere to rod transitions in self assembled systems probed using direct force measurement

Effect of shape on the self-assembly of faceted patchy nanoplates with irregular shape into tiling patterns
Jaime A. Millan, Daniel Ortiz and Sharon C. Glotzer

Graphical abstract: Effect of shape on the self-assembly of faceted patchy nanoplates with irregular shape into tiling patterns

These articles will be free until 3rd March 2015


Angle- and strain-independent coloured free-standing films incorporating non-spherical colloidal photonic crystals
Seon Ju Yeo, Fuquan Tu, Seung-hyun Kim, Gi-Ra Yi, Pil J. Yoo and Daeyeon Lee

Graphical abstract: Angle- and strain-independent coloured free-standing films incorporating non-spherical colloidal photonic crystals

The role of bond tangency and bond gap in hard sphere crystallization of chains
Nikos Ch. Karayiannis, Katerina Foteinopoulou and Manuel Laso

Graphical abstract: The role of bond tangency and bond gap in hard sphere crystallization of chains

These articles will be free until 10th March 2015


2D protein arrays induce 3D in vivo-like assemblies of cells
S. Moreno-Flores and S. Küpcü  

Graphical abstract: 2D protein arrays induce 3D in vivo-like assemblies of cells

Mixed mode of dissolving immersed nanodroplets at a solid–water interface
Xuehua Zhang, Jun Wang, Lei Bao, Erik Dietrich, Roeland C. A. van der Veen, Shuhua Peng, James Friend, Harold J. W. Zandvliet, Leslie Yeo and Detlef Lohse

Graphical abstract: Mixed mode of dissolving immersed nanodroplets at a solid–water interface

These articles will be free until 17th March 2015


Freely drawn single lipid nanotube patterns
Kaori Sugihara, Amin Rustom and Joachim P. Spatz 

Graphical abstract: Freely drawn single lipid nanotube patterns

Liquid crystal quenched orientational disorder at an AFM-scribed alignment surface
J. S. Pendery, T. J. Atherton, M. Nobili, R. G. Petschek, E. Lacaze and C. Rosenblatt

Graphical abstract: Liquid crystal quenched orientational disorder at an AFM-scribed alignment surface

These articles will be free until 24th March 2015


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HOT articles for January!

Graphene oxide single sheets as substrates for high resolution cryoTEM
Marcel W. P. van de Put, Joseph P. Patterson, Paul H. H. Bomans, Neil R. Wilson, Heiner Friedrich, Rolf A. T. M. van Benthem, Gijsbertus de With, Rachel K. O’Reilly and Nico A. J. M. Sommerdijk

Graphical abstract: Graphene oxide single sheets as substrates for high resolution cryoTEM

Cell membrane wrapping of a spherical thin elastic shell
Xin Yi and Huajian Gao

Graphical abstract: Cell membrane wrapping of a spherical thin elastic shell

 

These articles will be free until 3rd February 2015


A Master equation for the probability distribution functions of forces in soft particle packings
Kuniyasu Saitoh, Vanessa Magnanimo and Stefan Luding

Graphical abstract: A Master equation for the probability distribution functions of forces in soft particle packings

Structural tailoring of hydrogen-bonded poly(acrylic acid)/poly(ethylene oxide) multilayer thin films for reduced gas permeability
Fangming Xiang, Sarah M. Ward, Tara M. Givens and Jaime C. Grunlan

Graphical abstract: Structural tailoring of hydrogen-bonded poly(acrylic acid)/poly(ethylene oxide) multilayer thin films for reduced gas permeability

These articles will be free until 10th February 2015


Smectic layer instabilities in liquid crystals
Ingo Dierking, Michel Mitov and Mikhail A. Osipov

Graphical abstract: Smectic layer instabilities in liquid crystals

 
Graphical abstract: Coarse-grained simulation of dynamin-mediated fission
 
 
 These articles will be free until 17th February 2015Self-recovering caddisfly silk: energy dissipating, Ca2+-dependent, double dynamic network fibers
Nicholas N. Ashton and Russell J. Stewart   

Graphical abstract: Self-recovering caddisfly silk: energy dissipating, Ca2+-dependent, double dynamic network fibers
Structure and percolation of one-patch spherocylinders
Cheng-yu Zhang, Xing-liang Jian and Wei Lu   

Graphical abstract: Structure and percolation of one-patch spherocylinders

These articles will be free until 24th February 2015


 


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Leading Article by Soft Matter 2014 Lectureship Winner

Surface tension and the mechanics of liquid inclusions in compliant solids

Robert W. Style, John S. Wettlaufer, and Eric R. Dufresne

Dufresne et al. graphical abstract

This article proposes a theory of fluid inclusions in soft solids and builds upon experimental findings of a previous paper recently published in Nature Physics – “Stiffening solids with liquid inclusions” doi:10.1038/nphys3181 – which revealed that Eshelby’s foundational theory fails to describe the mechanical response of soft composites. Eshelby’s theory of elastic inclusions is significantly cited and outlines the response of microscopic inclusions within an elastic solid when macroscopically stress is applied. Furthermore, Eshelby’s theory allows the prediction of bulk properties and is fundamental in calculating the stress field in fracture mechanics. It has been widely used in many other areas such as cell biology to predict cell interactions and seismology.

The theoretical study aims to rationalise the experimental results from the previous paper and explain that they were due to the surface tension of the solid-liquid interface, which is completely ignored in established theory.

The work expands previous theories based on strain-dependent surface stresses, relevant to nanoinclusions in stiffer materials, but not for softer materials such as gels.

The group adapted Eshelby’s inclusion theory so that it included surface tension for liquid inclusions in a linear elastic solid, giving both the microscopic behaviour and the macroscopic effects of inclusions in composites. The authors believe that these findings can be applied to a wide variety of soft material systems, especially composites comprising of soft materials such as gels and elastomers.

Full citation information:

Surface tension and the mechanics of liquid inclusions in compliant solids
Robert W. Style, John S. Wettlaufer and Eric R. Dufresne
Soft Matter, 2015, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C4SM02413C

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HOT articles for December!

Pearling and arching instabilities of a granular suspension on a super-absorbing surface
Julien Chopin and Arshad Kudrolli

Graphical abstract: Pearling and arching instabilities of a granular suspension on a super-absorbing surface

Effects of topological constraints on globular polymers
Maxim V. Imakaev, Konstantin M. Tchourine, Sergei K. Nechaev and Leonid A. Mirny

Graphical abstract: Effects of topological constraints on globular polymers

These articles will be free until 7th January 2015


Thermodynamics of the self-assembly of non-ionic chromonic molecules using atomistic simulations. The case of TP6EO2M in aqueous solution
Anna Akinshina, Martin Walker, Mark R. Wilson, Gordon J. T. Tiddy, Andrew J. Masters and Paola Carbone

Graphical abstract: Thermodynamics of the self-assembly of non-ionic chromonic molecules using atomistic simulations. The case of TP6EO2M in aqueous solution

Graphene Oxide Single Sheets as Substrate for High Resolution cryoTEM
Marcel van de Put, Joseph P. Patterson, Paul Bomans, Neil Wilson, Heiner Friedrich, Rolf van Benthem, Gijsbertus de With, Rachel K. O’Reilly and Nico Sommerdijk 

These articles will be free until 14th January 2015


Surface tension and the mechanics of liquid inclusions in compliant solids
Robert W. Style, John S. Wettlaufer and Eric R. Dufresne

Graphical abstract: Surface tension and the mechanics of liquid inclusions in compliant solids

Observation of dynamical heterogeneities and their time-evolution on the surface of an amorphous polymer
Hung Kim Nguyen, Dong Wang, Thomas P Russell and Ken Nakajima

These articles will be free until 20th  January 2015


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