Self-assembled nanoarchitectures based on biological molecules are attractive because of the simplicity and versatility of the building blocks. However, size control is still a challenge. This control is only possible when a given system is deeply understood. Such is the case with the lanreotide acetate, an octapeptide salt that spontaneously forms monodisperse nanotubes when dissolved into pur...

Here we report the successful three-dimensional crystallization of GlpT, the glycerol-3-phosphate transporter from Escherichia coli inner membrane. GlpT possesses 12 transmembrane alpha-helices and is a member of the major facilitator superfamily. It mediates the exchange of glycerol-3-phosphate for inorganic phosphate across the membrane. Approximately 20 phospholipid molecules per protein, id...

A new, efficient method for the characterization of magnetic colloids based on the Faraday effect is proposed. According to the main principles of this technique, it is possible to detect the stray magnetic field of the colloidal particles induced inside the magnetooptical layer. The magnetic properties of individual particles can be determined providing measurements in a wide range of magnetic...

In this study the influence of dicarboxy acetone (DCA), as an oxidation product of sodium citrate, was evaluated by ‘reversed Turkevich’ method in this study. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were synthesized systematically at various sodium citrate to HAuCl4 molar ratio and temperature. TheseThe GNPs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, DLS and TEM techniques. The results showed that by reversi...

Genetic engineering of phage provides unprecedented opportunities to build novel nanomaterials by integrating biology, chemistry and materials science principles. By mimicking the evolution process in nature, the phage is used as an information-mining tool to identify specific peptide information that can recognize desired materials at the molecular level. The unique recognition peptides of the...

Using styrene as raw material, potassium persulfate as an initiator, beta-cyclodextrin as a stabilizer, polystyrene microspheres were successfully prepared with nice monodisperse feature by means of soap-free emulsion polymerization method. Experimental studies were performed in detail to check the effect of the synthesis process of the microspheres, the stabilizer dosage, monomer concentration...

We report the synthesis of penicillamine-protected Ag20 nanoclusters (NCs), with properties of high monodispersity, red fluorescence and water solubility. Full characterization of the Ag20 NCs is addressed, along with first-principles optimization calculations, revealing the chemical composition and structure of the as-prepared Ag NCs within a molecular formula [Ag20(DPA)18-H]-. Moreover, natur...