Macromolecule Sorption and Diffusion in HEMA/MAA Hydrogels

Translational Diffusion of Macromolecule-sized Solutes in Cytoplasm and Nucleus

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) was used to quantify the translational diffusion of microinjected FITC-dextrans and Ficolls in the cytoplasm and nucleus of MDCK epithelial cells and Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. Absolute diffusion coefficients (D) were measured using a microsecond-resolution FRAP apparatus and solution standards. In aqueous media (viscosity 1 cP), D for the FITC-dext...

Solute and macromolecule diffusion in cellular aqueous compartments.

Diffusion of solutes and macromolecules in aqueous cellular compartments is required for numerous cellular processes including metabolism, second messenger signaling and protein-protein interactions. The view of the cell interior has evolved from that of a viscous gel to that of a watery but crowded compartment. Recent measurements of fluorescent probe diffusion using photobleaching, correlatio...

Diffusion and interaction in PEG-DA hydrogels.

Polyethylenglycol (PEG) hydrogels are widely used as tuneable substrates for biological and technical applications due to their good biocompatibility and their high hydrophilicity. Here we compare the mesh size and diffusion characteristics of PEG hydrogels by analyzing the diffusion of solutes with different, well-defined sizes over long and short time scales. Interestingly, one can tune the m...

SBA-16 Materials: Synthesis, Diffusion and Sorption

Brownian Dynamics Simulation of Macromolecule Diffusion in a Protocell.

The interiors of all living cells are highly crowded with macromolecules, which differs considerably the thermodynamics and kinetics of biological reactions between in vivo and in vitro. For example, the diffusion of green fluorescent protein (GFP) in E. coli is ~10-fold slower than in dilute conditions. In this study, we performed Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations of rigid macromolecules in a...