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Wavelength-resolved heterodimer [2 + 2] photocycloadditions for reversible surface grafting

đŸ”„ New and HOT in Chemical Science!

“” by Kai Mundsinger (Queensland University of Technology, Australia), Christopher Barner-Kowollik (Queensland University of Technology, Australia and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany), et al.

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We report the first wavelength-dependent quantum yields of a [2 + 2] photocycloaddition generating the heterodimers of 7-hydroxycoumarin (7HCou) and styrene via a photochemical action plot. The wavelength-dependent heterodimer quantum yields are quantified at a constant number of photons at each wavelength between 310 and 370 nm. The resulting wavelength-dependent quantum yields demonstrate that the heterodimer is most efficiently generated at 345 nm, red-shifted by close to 25 nm compared to the absorption maximum of 7HCou at 320 nm. We subsequently translate these findings to photochemical surface functionalization by exploiting heterodimer formation between a surface bound coumarin derivative and para-styrene perfluoroalkyl ether (StyPFA) on surfaces under 345 nm irradiation to reversibly modulate surface hydrophobicity. The reversibility of the surface heterodimerization is demonstrated by removing StyPFA under UVC irradiation, and re-functionalization on the same surface. Functional heterodimer formation and the reversibility of the reaction on surface are followed via surface-sensitive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurements. We subsequently apply our photochemical surface functionalization strategy to a dual cure photoresin based on a polyurethane-acrylate interpenetrating network, without deterioration of its mechanical properties, thereby confirming the feasibility of a photocycloaddition-based functionalization strategy for photoresins.

12 Emerging Innovative Technology Areas for Government Prioritization

By Chuck Brooks

#technology #government #security


By Chuck Brooks, president of Brooks Consulting International

The future of innovation in both government and industry will not be distinguished by singular breakthroughs, but rather by the convergence and meshing of a number of different new technologies. Going forward, industries, national security, economic competitiveness, privacy and almost every aspect of everyday life will all be reshaped as a result of this integrated ecosystem, which encompasses artificial intelligence, quantum computing, improved connectivity, space systems and other areas.

12 Emerging Innovative Technology Areas for Government Prioritization

Twelve crucial technical domains will help propel the federal government toward this convergent transformation.

A prebiotic template-directed peptide synthesis based on amyloids

Amyloids may have played an important role in prebiotic molecular evolution but understanding replication of such information-coding molecules is still a problem. Here the authors design a model amyloid substrate and demonstrate sequence regio- and stereoselectivity during template-based replication.

A unified framework combining linear and 3D molecular features for robust drug-protein interaction prediction

Robust drug-protein interaction prediction tool.

The researchers develop PointDPI to predict drug-protein interactions (DPIs) by integrating linear and 3D molecular structures.

PointDPI preserves intermolecular relationships and predicts key regulatory sites, outperforming several state-of-the-art methods.

Four predicted drug-protein interactions (DPIs) are experimentally validated at both mRNA and protein levels, highlighting the therapeutic potential of adenosine in inflammatory diseases, ondansetron and etodolac in neurological diseases, and neuroprotective action for dopamine. sciencenewshighlights ScienceMission https://sciencemission.com/rug-protein-interaction


Sun et al. develop PointDPI to predict drug-protein interactions (DPIs) by integrating linear and 3D molecular structures. PointDPI preserves inter-molecular relationships and predicts key regulatory sites, outperforming several state-of-the-art methods.

So gene therapy administered during the operation can extend bypass life

Extending the life of the bypass, the operation that saves the heart when the coronary arteries close, by intervening in the biological behaviour of the implanted vessels. This is the idea behind the first gene therapy administered during a heart bypass. The first patient in the world to receive it was a 73-year-old man in Scotland’s Golden Jubilee University National Hospital.

Bypass allows blood flow to the heart to be restored by bypassing blocked arteries, using vessels taken from other parts of the body to act as a graft, i.e. a ‘bridge’ to the blocked arteries. In most cases, veins taken from the leg (usually the great saphenous vein) are used because they are readily available and simple to implant. In the case of the 73-year-old British man, gene therapy was added to the bypass, which consists of carrying the TIMP-3 gene into the vein before implanting it as a graft. The new gene therapy aims to make the vessel more stable and resistant right from the start by affecting its biological behaviour before it is implanted in the heart. The researchers are thus attempting to overcome one of the main limitations of the bypass procedure: once connected to the heart, the veins have to withstand much higher pressure than they are designed for, which in time leads them to shrink and reduce blood flow, until they lose their function.

Light-based sensor detects early molecular signs of cancer in the blood

Researchers have developed a highly sensitive light-based sensor that can detect extremely low concentrations of cancer biomarkers in the blood. The new technology could one day make it possible to spot early signs of cancer and other conditions using a simple blood test.

Biomarkers such as proteins, DNA or other molecules can be used to reveal the presence, progression or risk of cancer and other diseases. However, one of the main challenges in early disease diagnosis is the extremely low concentration of biomarkers present at the onset.

“Our sensor combines nanostructures made of DNA with quantum dots and CRISPR gene editing technology to detect faint biomarker signals using a light-based approach known as second harmonic generation (SHG),” said research team leader Han Zhang from Shenzhen University in China.

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