Although multivalent binding to surfaces is an important tool in nanotechnology, quantitative information about the residual valency and orientation of surface-bound molecules is missing. To address these questions, we study streptavidin (SAv) binding to commonly used biotinylated surfaces such as supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Stability and kinetics of SA...

Strategies for cardiac repair include injection of cells, but these approaches have been hampered by poor cell engraftment, survival, and differentiation. To address these shortcomings for the purpose of improving cardiac function after injury, we designed self-assembling peptide nanofibers for prolonged delivery of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a cardiomyocyte growth and differentiatio...

The poor water solubility of paclitaxel causes significant problems in producing cancer therapeutic formulations. Here, we aimed to solubilize paclitaxel using biocompatible cyclic carbohydrates. Generally recognized as safe, labeled β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), a cyclic α-1,4-glucan consisting of seven glucoses, was prepared, and bio-sourced cyclosophoraoses (CyS), which are unbranched cyclic β-1,2-...

UNLABELLED We have examined the interactions of wild-type (WT) and matrix protein-deleted (ΔMA) HIV-1 precursor Gag (PrGag) proteins in virus-producing cells using a biotin ligase-tagging approach. To do so, WT and ΔMA PrGag proteins were tagged with the Escherichia coli promiscuous biotin ligase (BirA*), expressed in cells, and examined. Localization patterns of PrGag proteins and biotinylated...

The oxidized version of Avidin, known as AvidinOX, was previously shown to link to tissue proteins upon injection or nebulization, thus becoming a stable receptor for biotinylated therapeutics. AvidinOX is currently under clinical investigation to target radioactive biotin to inoperable tumor lesions (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02053324). Presently, we show that the anti-ErbB2 monoclonal antibodies ...

Commercially available bovine-specific assays are limited in number, and multiplex for this species rare. Our objective was to develop a assay the bovine inflammatory cytokines IL-1?, IL-6, TNF-? using Meso Scale Discovery U-PLEX platform. "Do-It-Yourself" ELISA kits that contained polyclonal antibodies, both unlabeled biotinylated, specific recombinant cytokine standard, were purchased each of...

Paper-based DNA biosensors are powerful tools in point-of-care diagnostics since they affordable, portable, user-friendly, rapid and robust. However, their sensitivity is not always as high required to enable quantification. To improve the response of standard dot blots, we have applied a new enhancement strategy that increases assays based on use biotinylated silica-nanoparticles (biotin-Si-NP...

Biotinylated compounds are commonly used to label neuronal cell bodies via intracellular filling or retrograde tracing. Endogenous concentrations of biotin within a subset of neuronal cell bodies would pose a problem for interpreting such experiments. Here I report that a subset of turtle spinal cord neuronal cell bodies strongly stains for biotin, using the avidin-biotin-horseradish peroxidase...