We describe an electrochemistry-based technique to control and monitor the polymerisation of sickle-cell haemoglobin (HbS). The polymerisation was monitored as a change in turbidity during the depletion of oxygen in a small volume custom-built thin-layer electrochemical cell. The cell allowed the investigation of HbS polymerisation as a function of HbS concentration, temperature and solution pH...

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a size exclusion column and ultraviolet monitoring was used to study the effect of synovial fluid hyaluronate concentration and degree of polymerisation on viscosity and mucin clot formation. Rotational viscometry measurements showed an exponential relation between the synovial fluid hyaluronate concentration and relative viscosity, the viscosi...

Neuroserpin (NS) is a serpin inhibitor of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in the brain. The polymerisation of NS pathologic mutants is responsible for a genetic dementia known as familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies (FENIB). So far, a pharmacological treatment of FENIB, i.e. an inhibitor of NS polymerisation, remains an unmet challenge. Here, we present a biophysical cha...

Kinetochores regulate the dynamics of attached microtubule bundles (kinetochore-fibres, K-fibres) to generate the forces necessary for chromosome movements in mitosis. Current models suggest that poleward-moving kinetochores are attached to depolymerising K-fibres and anti-poleward-moving kinetochores to polymerising K-fibres. How the dynamics of individual microtubules within the K-fibre relat...

Ring-opening polymerisation of epsilon-caprolactone in supercritical carbon dioxide is slowed down by a carbonation reaction, resulting in a positive volume of activation and a higher energy of activation as compared to polymerisation in a regular hydrocarbon solvent.

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a size exclusion column and ultraviolet monitoring was used to study the effect of synovial fluid hyaluronate concentration and degree of polymerisation on viscosity and mucin clot formation. Rotational viscometry measurements showed an exponential relation between the synovial fluid hyaluronate concentration and relative viscosity, the viscosi...

The two major problems that have been reported with the use of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement are thermal necrosis of surrounding bone due to the high heat generation during polymerisation and chemical necrosis due to unreacted monomer release. Computer models have been used to study the temperature and monomer distribution after cementation. In most of these models, however, polymerisati...