Lessons from a Minimal Genome: What Are the Essential Organizing Principles of a Cell Built from Scratch?

One of the primary challenges facing synthetic biology is reconstituting a living system from its component parts. A particularly difficult landmark is reconstituting a self-organizing system that can undergo autonomous chromosome compaction, segregation, and cell division. Here, we discuss how the syn3.0 minimal genome can inform us of the core self-organizing principles of a living cell and how these self-organizing processes can be built from the bottom up. The review underscores the importance of fundamental biology in rebuilding life from its molecular constituents.     

Highly Tunable Thiol-Ene Photoresins for Volumetric Additive Manufacturing

Volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM) forms complete 3D objects in a single photocuring operation without layering defects, enabling 3D printed polymer parts with mechanical properties similar to their bulk material counterparts. This study presents the first report of VAM-printed thiol-ene resins. With well-ordered molecular networks, thiol-ene chemistry accesses polymer materials with a wide range of mechanical properties, moving VAM beyond the limitations of commonly used acrylate formulations. Since free-radical thiol-ene polymerization is not inhibited by oxygen, the nonlinear threshold response required in VAM is introduced by incorporating 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) as a radical scavenger. Tuning of the reaction kinetics is accomplished by balancing inhibitor and initiator content. Coupling this with quantitative measurements of the absorbed volumetric optical dose allows control of polymer conversion and gelation during printing. Importantly, this work thereby establishes the first comprehensive framework for spatial–temporal control over volumetric energy distribution, demonstrating structures 3D printed in thiol-ene resin by means of tomographic volumetric VAM. Mechanical characterization of this thiol-ene system, with varied ratios of isocyanurate and triethylene glycol monomers, reveals highly tunable mechanical response far more versatile than identical acrylate-based resins. This broadens the range of materials and properties available for VAM, taking another step toward high-performance printed polymers.     

Kinetic and spectral studies of EHPG systems using chemi- and electrochemiluminescence methods

The systems containing EHPG, EHPG-OCH3 and EHPG-NH-Ac and Tb(Ⅲ) ions were used to study chemiluminescence (CL) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) processes. In the CL studies the Fenton system (Fe(Ⅱ)/(Ⅲ)-H2O2) was used as a source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Kinetic CL curves and CL spectral distributions were recorded. On the basis of the results obtained, it was demonstrated that Tb(Ⅲ) acted as a sensitizer. Similarly obtained CL decays in the systems of Fe(Ⅱ)/(Ⅲ)-EHPG (or its derivatives)-H2O2 and Fe(Ⅱ)/(Ⅲ)-EHPG (or its derivatives)-Tb(Ⅲ)-H2O2, independently on the Tb(Ⅲ) concentration, showed that the lanthanide ions did not influence the kinetics of the oxidation of EHPG (or its derivatives) in the Fenton systems. The CL intensity increased with the increasing concentration of Tb(Ⅲ) ions, which were the main emitters in the reaction systems. Spectrophotometric and luminescent studies of the systems before and after the additions of hydrogen peroxide proved that the excitation of the lanthanide ion was a result of energy transfer from the excited products of the oxidation of EHPG or its derivatives to the uncomplexed Tb(Ⅲ) ions. ECL was generated on the surface of a nonstructural modified aluminum electrode with the use of K2S2O8, H2O2 or KN3 as coreactants in aqueous solution. In these studies we employed Al electrodes covered with a 2-4 nm layer of Al2O3 doted with Tb(Ⅲ) or Dy(Ⅲ) ions. The electrodes were polarized using cathodic and anodic pulses of various amplitude and frequency. The relative ECL efficiencies were determined as a function of electric pulse parameters, electrolyte compositions and the thickness of barrier or porous layer of the Al2O3 electrode.     

Application of the three-valence model of photorefraction to rhodium-doped barium titanate

Abstract

Small signal and light induced absorption data taken at 633 nm and 1.06 μm for different samples of rhodium-doped barium titanate (Rh : BaTiO₃) have been analysed. These data have been used in conjunction with the three-valence model theory of photorefraction to determine N _D, the total amount of rhodium in each sample. It is shown that the values of N _D calculated at the two wavelengths for individual samples are inconsistent with each other, although no evidence for other impurities in the samples has been observed. This indicates that a more complex theory than the three-valence model is necessary to explain the photorefractive processes in Rh : BaTiO₃, and that an additional photorefractive centre may not be sufficient to account for the observed discrepancies in N _D.     

The relationship between grain hardness, dough mixing parameters and bread-making quality in winter wheat

The influence of grain hardness, determined by using molecular markers and physical methods (near-infrared (NIR) technique and particle size index-PSI) on dough characteristics, which in turn were determined with the use of a farinograph and reomixer, as well as bread-making properties were studied. The material covered 24 winter wheat genotypes differing in grain hardness. The field experiment was conducted at standard and increased levels of nitrogen fertilization. Results of molecular analyses were in agreement with those obtained by the use of physical methods for soft-grained lines. Some lines classified as hard (by physical methods) appeared to have the wild-type Pina and Pinb alleles, similar to soft lines. Differences in dough and bread-making properties between lines classified as hard and soft on the basis of molecular data appeared to be of less significance than the differences between lines classified as hard and soft on the basis of physical analyses of grain texture. Values of relative grain hardness at the increased nitrogen fertilization level were significantly higher. At both fertilization levels the NIR parameter determining grain hardness was significantly positively correlated with the wet gluten and sedimentation values, with most of the rheological parameters and bread yield. Values of this parameter correlated with quality characteristics in a higher degree than values of particle size index.     

Gasochromic switching of Ta and Pd-doped nanocrystalline TiO2 thin films

In this work TiO2:(Ta, Pd) thin films with gasochromic properties have been described. Thin films were prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering process using mosaic Ti-Ta-Pd target. The amounts of dopants were 2.54 at.% and 12.36 at.% of Ta and Pd, respectively. The results of optical measurements performed at presence of ethanol and additional heating of the sample up to 350 degrees C have shown an abrupt change of transmission level from 80% down to 10% in VIS and in IR range. The gasochromic change was very fast. Moreover, rapid cooling (down to room temperature) in an air ambient results in stable thin film coloration. The reverse effect (bleaching) was obtained after annealing at 500 degrees C in an ambient air.     

Functionality of graphene as a result of its heterogenic growth on SiC nanoparticles on the basis of reversible hydrogen storage

This article presents the results from research related to graphene functionality based on the production of spatial structures provided for the reversible storage of hydrogen. The functionality process was conducted during graphene synthesis onto a liquid metallic support, on a single level, using SiC nanoparticles. Within the scope of research it was proved that heterogenic growth of the domains of polycrystalline graphene onto the SiC nanoparticles is possible. These nanoparticles are in-built into the graphene structure constituting the pillars of the spatial structure. Material produced in such a way constitutes the foundation for creating a spatial 3D structure (through the rolling operation), called GraphRoll, for the reversible storage of hydrogen in order to conduct its sorption and de-sorption. So, independently of the theoretical configuration, deviations or a possible exception from the 2D configuration on the silicon carbide/graphene were discussed. These differences resulted from the difference between the crystallographic structures of the analyzed forms as well as the structure determined to decrease tensions within the structure.     

New cadmium and rare earth metal tungstates with the scheelite type structure

New cadmium and rare earth metal tungstates with the formula Cd_0.25RE_0.50□_0.25WO₄ (RE=Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, □-statistical distributed vacancies in cation sublattice) were synthesized by the solid-state reaction between CdWO₄ and corresponding RE₂W₂O₉. The obtained phases crystallize in the scheelite type structure. The Cd_0.25RE_0.50□_0.25WO₄ compounds were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), (DTA-TG), infrared (IR) and EPR methods.