The use of renewable monomers and green polymerization processes for preparing new synthetic polymers is a hot topic today. In this work we have obtained high molecular weight copolyesters derived from ω-pentadecalactone (PDL), dimethyl succinate (DMS) 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (1,4-CHDM) by combination ring opening (ROP) two step melt polycondensation processes. reaction has been carried in bu...

One of the most intriguing questions in modern enzymology is whether enzyme dynamics evolved to enhance the catalyzed chemical transformation. In this study, dihydrofolate reductase, a small monomeric protein that catalyzes a single C-H-C transfer, is used as a model system to address this question. Experimental and computational studies have proposed a dynamic network that includes two residue...

organophosphorus compounds are highly toxic chemicals that have application in production of warfare agents and agricultural pesticides. detoxification of areas that have been exposed to these types of materials is of vital importance and several approaches have been used for this purpose. biodegradation of organophosphates is one of these approaches that is in the center of attention due to it...

In the present work, the two-photon polymerization (2PP) technique was applied to develop precisely defined biodegradable 3D tissue engineering scaffolds. The scaffolds were fabricated via photopolymerization of gelatin modified with methacrylamide moieties. The results indicate that the gelatin derivative (GelMod) preserves its enzymatic degradation capability after photopolymerization. In add...

A hydrophobic cuticle consisting of waxes and the polyester cutin covers the aerial epidermis of all land plants, providing essential protection from desiccation and other stresses. We have determined the enzymatic basis of cutin polymerization through characterization of a tomato extracellular acyltransferase, CD1, and its substrate, 2-mono(10,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoyl)glycerol. CD1 has in vitr...

Enzymes are remarkable catalysts that lie at the heart of biology, accelerating chemical reactions to an astounding extent with extraordinary specificity. Enormous progress in understanding the chemical basis of enzymatic transformations and the basic mechanisms underlying rate enhancements over the past decades is apparent. Nevertheless, it has been difficult to achieve a quantitative understa...