Antibody-labeled gold nanoparticle based resonance Rayleigh scattering detection of S100B.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a sudden brain injury due to an external force that causes a large number of deaths and permanent disabilities every year. S100B has been recognized as a potential objective quantitative biomarker for screening the prognosis of TBI and severe head injury. In this article, an anti-S100B monoclonal antibody was immobilized on cysteamine (Cy) functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by EDC-NHS chemistry, which enabled S100B resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) detection based on antibody-labeled gold nanoparticles. The prepared conjugates were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Based on the specific binding of the antibody and antigen, the RRS intensities at 381 nm and 541 nm wavelengths were significantly enhanced, and thus a dual wavelength overlapping resonance Rayleigh scattering (DWO-RRS) method was established. The scattering intensity of the two overlapping peaks was proportional to the concentration of S100B in the range of 0.05-4.5 ng mL-1 with a detection limit of 0.002 ng mL-1. The proposed DWO-RRS method is time-saving, simple, sensitive, and can be used to determine the concentration of S100B in human serum with satisfactory results, which has a promising application in the early diagnosis of TBI.

Assessment of Tunable Resistive Pulse Sensing (TRPS) Technology for Particle Size Distribution in Vaccine Formulations - A Comparative Study with Dynamic Light Scattering.

PURPOSE: A comparative assessment was performed to evaluate the potential of particle sizing by an ensemble based conventional dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique and an emerging technology based on tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS) using particle by particle approach by evaluating three different types of vaccine formulations representing three case studies and showing the limitation of each technique, instrument variability, sensitivity, and the resolution in mixed population. METHODS: Three types of in-house vaccine formulations- a protein antigen, an outer membrane vesicle and viral particles were simultaneously evaluated by TRPS based Exoid and two DLS instruments-Zetatrac and Zetasizer for particle size distribution, aggregates, and resolution of polydisperse species. RESULTS: The data from first case study show the risk of possible size overestimation and size averaging in polydisperse samples in DLS measurements which can be addressed by the TRPS analysis. It also shows how TRPS may be utilized only to large size antigens due to its limited size range. The second case study highlights the difference in the sensitivities of two DLS instruments working on the same principle. The third case study show that how TRPS can better resolve the large aggregate species compare to DLS in polydisperse samples. CONCLUSION: This analysis shows that TRPS can be used as an orthogonal technique in addition to conventional DLS based methods for more precise and in-depth characterization. Both techniques are efficient in size characterization and produce comparable results, however the choice will depend on the type of formulation and size range to be evaluated.

Targeted Delivery of Cisplatin by Gold Nanoparticles: The Influence of Nanocarrier Surface Modification Type on the Efficiency of Drug Binding Examined by CE-ICP-MS/MS.

Spherical gold nanoparticles (GNPs), whose unique properties regarding biomedical applications were broadly investigated, are an object of interest as nanocarriers in drug targeted delivery systems (DTDSs). The possibility of surface functionalization, especially in enabling longer half-life in the bloodstream and enhancing cellular uptake, provides an opportunity to overcome the limitations of popular anticancer drugs (such as cisplatin) that cause severe side effects due to their nonselective transportation. Herein, we present investigations of gold nanoparticle-cisplatin systems formation (regarding reaction kinetics and equilibrium) in which it was proved that the formation efficiency and stability strongly depend on the nanoparticle surface functionalization. In this study, the capillary electrophoresis hyphenated with inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (CE-ICP-MS/MS) was used for the first time to monitor gold-drug nanoconjugates formation. The research included optimizing CE separation conditions and determining reaction kinetics using the CE-ICP-MS/MS developed method. To characterize nanocarriers and portray changes in their physicochemical properties induced by the surface's processes, additional hydrodynamic size and ζ-potential by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements were carried out. The examinations of three types of functionalized GNPs (GNP-PEG-COOH, GNP-PEG-OCH3, and GNP-PEG-biotin) distinguished the essential differences in drug binding efficiency and nanoconjugate stability.

Ultrasensitive dynamic light scattering immunosensing platform for NT-proBNP detection using boronate affinity amplification.

Herein, we reported a new dynamic light scattering (DLS) immunosensing technology for the rapid and sensitive detection of glycoprotein N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). In this design, the boronate affinity recognition based on the interaction of boronic acid ligands and cis-diols was introduced to amplify the nanoparticle aggregation to enable highly sensitive DLS transduction, thereby lowering the limit of detection (LOD) of the methodology. After covalently coupling with antibodies, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were employed as the nanoprobes to selectively capture trace amount of NT-proBNP from complex samples and facilitate DLS signal transduction. Meanwhile, silica nanoparticles modified with phenylboronic acid (SiO2@PBA) were designed as the crosslinking agent to bridge the aggregation of MNPs in the presence of target NT-proBNP. Owing to the multivalent and fast affinity recognition between NT-proBNP containing cis-diols and SiO2@PBA, the developed DLS immunosensor exhibited charming advantages over traditional immunoassays, including ultrahigh sensitivity with an LOD of 7.4 fg mL-1, fast response time (< 20 min), and small sample consumption (1 µL). The DLS immunosensor was further characterized with good selectivity, accuracy, precision, reproducibility, and practicability. Collectively, this work demonstrated the promising application of the designed boronate affinity amplified-DLS immunosensor for field or point-of-care testing of cis-diol-containing molecules.

Time-resolved Rayleigh scattering measurements of methane clusters for laser-cluster fusion experiments.

We present a time-resolved analysis of Rayleigh scattering measurements to determine the average size of methane clusters and find the optimum timing for laser-cluster fusion experiments. We measure Rayleigh scattering and determine the average size of methane clusters varying the backing pressure (P0) from 11 bar to 69 bar. Regarding the onset of clustering, we estimate that the average size of methane clusters at the onset of clustering is Nc0≅20 at 11 bar. According to our measurements, the average cluster radius r follows the power law of r∝P01.86. Our ion time-of-flight measurements indicate that we have produced energetic deuterium ions with kT = 52±2 keV after laser-cluster interaction using CD4 gas at 50 bar. We find that this ion temperature agrees with the predicted temperature from CD4 clusters at 50 bar with r = 14 nm assuming the Coulomb explosion model.

Stability of Erythrocyte-Derived Nanovesicles Assessed by Light Scattering and Electron Microscopy.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are gaining increasing amounts of attention due to their potential use in diagnostics and therapy, but the poor reproducibility of the studies that have been conducted on these structures hinders their breakthrough into routine practice. We believe that a better understanding of EVs stability and methods to control their integrity are the key to resolving this issue. In this work, erythrocyte EVs (hbEVs) were isolated by centrifugation from suspensions of human erythrocytes that had been aged in vitro. The isolate was characterised by scanning (SEM) and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), flow cytometry (FCM), dynamic/static light scattering (LS), protein electrophoresis, and UV-V spectrometry. The hbEVs were exposed to various conditions (pH (4-10), osmolarity (50-1000 mOsm/L), temperature (15-60 °C), and surfactant Triton X-100 (10-500 µM)). Their stability was evaluated by LS by considering the hydrodynamic radius (Rh), intensity of scattered light (I), and the shape parameter (ρ). The morphology of the hbEVs that had been stored in phosphate-buffered saline with citrate (PBS-citrate) at 4 °C remained consistent for more than 6 months. A change in the media properties (50-1000 mOsm/L, pH 4-10) had no significant effect on the Rh (=100-130 nm). At pH values below 6 and above 8, at temperatures above 45 °C, and in the presence of Triton X-100, hbEVs degradation was indicated by a decrease in I of more than 20%. Due to the simple preparation, homogeneous morphology, and stability of hbEVs under a wide range of conditions, they are considered to be a suitable option for EV reference material.

Covalent and non-covalent interactions of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside with milk proteins revealed modifications in protein conformational structures, digestibility, and allergenic characteristics.

Currently, there is a need to explore the effects of different types of protein-anthocyanin complexations, as well as the possible changes in the nutrition and allergenicity of the formed complexes. Here, we systematically investigated the covalent and non-covalent interactions between cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) and two major milk proteins, α-casein (α-CN) and ß-lactoglobulin (ß-LG). Fluorescence quenching data showed that, under non-covalent conditions, C3G quenched the fluorescence of the two proteins via a static process, with the interaction forces being revealed; for covalent products, decreased fluorescence intensities were observed with red shifts in the λmax. Multiple spectroscopic analyses implied that C3G-addition induced protein structural unfolding through transitions between the random coil and ordered secondary components. With a two-stage simulated gastrointestinal (GI) digestion model, it was seen that covalent complexes, not their non-covalent counterparts, showed reduced protein digestibility, ascribed to structural changes resulting in the unavailability of enzyme cleaving sites. The GI digests displayed prominent 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation-scavenging abilities (3.8-11.1 mM Trolox equivalents per mL digest), in contrast to the markedly reduced 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging capacities. Additionally, covalent protein-C3G complexes, but not their non-covalent counterparts, showed lower IgE-binding levels in comparison to the native control. This study provides new understanding for the development of anthocyanin-milk protein systems as functional ingredients with health-beneficial properties.

Determination of Triterpenoids and Phenolic Acids from Sanguisorba officinalis L. by HPLC-ELSD and Its Application.

A novel analytical method involving high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD) was developed for simultaneous determination of 11 phenolic acids and 12 triterpenes in Sanguisorba officinalis L. Chromatographic separation was conducted with gradient elution mode by using a DiamonsilTM C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) with the mobile phase of 0.1% acetic acid water (A) and methanol (B). The drift tube temperature of ELSD was set at 70 °C and the nitrogen cumulative flow rate was 1.6 L/min. The method was fully validated to be linear over a wide concentration range (R2 ≥ 0.9991). The precisions (RSD) were less than 3.0% and the recoveries were between 97.7% and 101.4% for all compounds. The results indicated that this method is accurate and effective for the determination of 23 functional components in Sanguisorba officinalis L. and could also be successfully applied to study the influence of processing method on those functional components in Sanguisorba officinalis L.

Complex Micellization Behavior of the Polysorbates Tween 20 and Tween 80.

Polysorbates (PSs, Tweens) are widely used surfactant products consisting of a sorbitan ring connecting up to four ethylene oxide (EO) chains of variable lengths, one or more of which are esterified with fatty acids of variable lengths and saturation degrees. Pharmaceutical applications include the stabilization of biologicals in solutions and the solubilization of poorly water soluble, active ingredients. This study characterizes the complex association behavior of compendial PSs PS20 and PS80, which is fundamentally different from that of single-component surfactants. To this end, a series of demicellization experiments of isothermal titration calorimetry with different PS concentrations are evaluated. Their experiment-dependent heats of titration are converted into a common function of the state of a sample, the micellar enthalpy Qm(c). These functions demonstrate that initial micelles are already present at the lowest concentrations investigated, 2 µM for PS20 and 10 µM for PS80. Initial micelles consist primarily of the surfactant species with the lowest individual critical micelle concentration (cmc). With increasing concentration, the other PS species gradually enter these micelles in the sequence of increasing individual cmc's and hydrophilic-lipophilic balance. Concentration ranges with pronounced slopes of Qm(c) can be tentatively assigned to the uptake of the major components of the PS products. Micellization and the variation of the micelle properties progress up to at least 10 mM PS. That means the published cmc values or ranges of PS20 and PS80 may be related to certain, major components being incorporated into and forming specific micelles but must not be interpreted in terms of an absence of micelles below and constant properties, e.g., the surface activity, of the micelles above these ranges. The micellization enthalpy curves differ quite substantially between PS20 and PS80 and, in a subtler fashion, between individual quality grades such as high purity, pure lauric acid/pure oleic acid, super-refined, and China grade.

Asymmetric-flow field-flow fractionation of prions reveals a strain-specific continuum of quaternary structures with protease resistance developing at a hydrodynamic radius of 15 nm.

Prion diseases are transmissible neurodegenerative disorders that affect mammals, including humans. The central molecular event is the conversion of cellular prion glycoprotein, PrPC, into a plethora of assemblies, PrPSc, associated with disease. Distinct phenotypes of disease led to the concept of prion strains, which are associated with distinct PrPSc structures. However, the degree to which intra- and inter-strain PrPSc heterogeneity contributes to disease pathogenesis remains unclear. Addressing this question requires the precise isolation and characterization of all PrPSc subpopulations from the prion-infected brains. Until now, this has been challenging. We used asymmetric-flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) to isolate all PrPSc subpopulations from brains of hamsters infected with three prion strains: Hyper (HY) and 263K, which produce almost identical phenotypes, and Drowsy (DY), a strain with a distinct presentation. In-line dynamic and multi-angle light scattering (DLS/MALS) data provided accurate measurements of particle sizes and estimation of the shape and number of PrPSc particles. We found that each strain had a continuum of PrPSc assemblies, with strong correlation between PrPSc quaternary structure and phenotype. HY and 263K were enriched with large, protease-resistant PrPSc aggregates, whereas DY consisted primarily of smaller, more protease-sensitive aggregates. For all strains, a transition from protease-sensitive to protease-resistant PrPSc took place at a hydrodynamic radius (Rh) of 15 nm and was accompanied by a change in glycosylation and seeding activity. Our results show that the combination of AF4 with in-line MALS/DLS is a powerful tool for analyzing PrPSc subpopulations and demonstrate that while PrPSc quaternary structure is a major contributor to PrPSc structural heterogeneity, a fundamental change, likely in secondary/tertiary structure, prevents PrPSc particles from maintaining proteinase K resistance below an Rh of 15 nm, regardless of strain. This results in two biochemically distinctive subpopulations, the proportion, seeding activity, and stability of which correlate with prion strain phenotype.

Non-invasive super-resolution imaging through dynamic scattering media.

Super-resolution imaging has been revolutionizing technical analysis in various fields from biological to physical sciences. However, many objects are hidden by strongly scattering media such as biological tissues that scramble light paths, create speckle patterns and hinder object's visualization, let alone super-resolution imaging. Here, we demonstrate non-invasive super-resolution imaging through scattering media based on a stochastic optical scattering localization imaging (SOSLI) technique. After capturing multiple speckle patterns of photo-switchable point sources, our computational approach utilizes the speckle correlation property of scattering media to retrieve an image with a 100-nm resolution, an eight-fold enhancement compared to the diffraction limit. More importantly, we demonstrate our SOSLI to do non-invasive super-resolution imaging through not only static scattering media, but also dynamic scattering media with strong decorrelation such as biological tissues. Our approach paves the way to non-invasively visualize various samples behind scattering media at nanometer levels of detail.

An Optical Method for Immediate Evaluation of Microfoam Stability in Foam Sclerotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study was to develop an optical method that instantly evaluates the stability of sclerosing foam, which would enable early predictions of the clinical performance of the foam and reduce the occurrence of clinical side effects. METHODS: Based on the principle of light scattering, we developed a method to optically test foam stability and verified it experimentally using sodium morrhuate (2 mL; 0.05 g/mL) and carbon dioxide. A self-made foam preparation instrument was used to achieve a preparation speed of 275 mm/s. The liquid-gas ratios were considered as 1:3, 1:4, and 1:5. Curves of illuminance with respect to the drainage rate and decay time were obtained. By fitting the curve, the relationship between foam half-life time (FHT) and foam decay was obtained. Thus, foam stability was evaluated using the initial illuminance value; the foam transfer time was approximately 3 s. RESULTS: The experimental FHT varies between 205 and 232 s. Illuminance is exponentially related to drainage rate and linearly related with time. FHT can be expressed by the initial illuminance and illuminance curve fitting coefficients. The half-life of the foam decreases as the initial illuminance value increases, for the same sclerosing drug. The suitability of foam stability is determined by the position of the initial value in the chart. CONCLUSION: Optical methods are feasible for evaluating foam stability over a short period of time. Clinically predicting the stability of freshly prepared foam can reduce number of incidences of further complications. This will promote the development of foam sclerotherapy and provide a basic understanding of the internal mechanical properties of foam.

Scattered Light Imaging: Resolving the substructure of nerve fiber crossings in whole brain sections with micrometer resolution.

For developing a detailed network model of the brain based on image reconstructions, it is necessary to spatially resolve crossing nerve fibers. The accuracy hereby depends on many factors, including the spatial resolution of the imaging technique. 3D Polarized Light Imaging (3D-PLI) allows the three-dimensional reconstruction of nerve fiber tracts in whole brain sections with micrometer in-plane resolution, but leaves uncertainties in pixels containing crossing fibers. Here we introduce Scattered Light Imaging (SLI) to resolve the substructure of nerve fiber crossings. The measurement is performed on the same unstained histological brain sections as in 3D-PLI. By illuminating the brain sections from different angles and measuring the transmitted (scattered) light under normal incidence, light intensity profiles are obtained that are characteristic for the underlying brain tissue structure. We have developed a fully automated evaluation of the intensity profiles, allowing the user to extract various characteristics, like the individual directions of in-plane crossing nerve fibers, for each image pixel at once. We validate the reconstructed nerve fiber directions against results from previous simulation studies, scatterometry measurements, and fiber directions obtained from 3D-PLI. We demonstrate in different brain samples (human optic tracts, vervet monkey brain, rat brain) that the 2D fiber directions can be reliably reconstructed for up to three crossing nerve fiber bundles in each image pixel with an in-plane resolution of up to 6.5 µm. We show that SLI also yields reliable fiber directions in brain regions with low 3D-PLI signals coming from regions with a low density of myelinated nerve fibers or out-of-plane fibers. This makes Scattered Light Imaging a promising new imaging technique, providing crucial information about the organization of crossing nerve fibers in the brain.

Emulsion-based isothermal nucleic acid amplification for rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection via angle-dependent light scatter analysis.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, an ongoing global health crisis, has revealed the need for new technologies that integrate the sensitivity and specificity of RT-PCR tests with a faster time-to-detection. Here, an emulsion loop-mediated isothermal amplification (eLAMP) platform was developed to allow for the compartmentalization of LAMP reactions, leading to faster changes in emulsion characteristics, and thus lowering time-to-detection. Within these droplets, ongoing LAMP reactions lead to adsorption of amplicons to the water-oil interface, causing a decrease in interfacial tension, resulting in smaller emulsion diameters. Changes in emulsion diameter allow for the monitoring of the reaction by use of angle-dependent light scatter (based off Mie scatter theory). Mie scatter simulations confirmed that light scatter intensity is diameter-dependent and smaller colloids have lower intensity values compared to larger colloids. Via spectrophotometers and fiber optic cables placed at 30° and 60°, light scatter intensity was monitored. Scatter intensities collected at 5 min, 30° could statistically differentiate 10, 103, and 105 copies/µL initial concentrations compared to NTC. Similarly, 5 min scatter intensities collected at 60° could statistically differentiate 105 copies/µL initial concentrations in comparison to NTC. The use of both angles during the eLAMP assay allows for distinction between high and low initial target concentrations. The efficacy of a smartphone-based platform was also tested and had a similar limit of detection and assay time of less than 10 min. Furthermore, fluorescence-labeled primers were used to validate target nucleic acid amplification. Compared to existing LAMP assays for SARS-CoV-2 detection, these times-to-detections are very rapid.

Measuring particle concentration of multimodal synthetic reference materials and extracellular vesicles with orthogonal techniques: Who is up to the challenge?

The measurement of physicochemical properties of polydisperse complex biological samples, for example, extracellular vesicles, is critical to assess their quality, for example, resulting from their production and isolation methods. The community is gradually becoming aware of the need to combine multiple orthogonal techniques to perform a robust characterization of complex biological samples. Three pillars of critical quality attribute characterization of EVs are sizing, concentration measurement and phenotyping. The repeatable measurement of vesicle concentration is one of the key-challenges that requires further efforts, in order to obtain comparable results by using different techniques and assure reproducibility. In this study, the performance of measuring the concentration of particles in the size range of 50-300 nm with complementary techniques is thoroughly investigated in a step-by step approach of incremental complexity. The six applied techniques include multi-angle dynamic light scattering (MADLS), asymmetric flow field flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering (AF4-MALS), centrifugal liquid sedimentation (CLS), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS), and high-sensitivity nano flow cytometry (nFCM). To achieve comparability, monomodal samples and complex polystyrene mixtures were used as particles of metrological interest, in order to check the suitability of each technique in the size and concentration range of interest, and to develop reliable post-processing data protocols for the analysis. Subsequent complexity was introduced by testing liposomes as validation of the developed approaches with a known sample of physicochemical properties closer to EVs. Finally, the vesicles in EV containing plasma samples were analysed with all the tested techniques. The results presented here aim to shed some light into the requirements for the complex characterization of biological samples, as this is a critical need for quality assurance by the EV and regulatory community. Such efforts go with the view to contribute to both, set-up reproducible and reliable characterization protocols, and comply with the Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV) requirements.

Molecular Weight Analysis of Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) Collagen Hydrolysates by GPC-LS; Effect of High Molecular Weight Hydrolysates on Fibroblast Cultures: mRNA Collagen Type I Expression and Synthesis.

High molecular weight (Mw) collagen hydrolysates have been demonstrated to produce a higher synthesis of collagen type I mRNA. Mw determination is a key factor maximizing the effect of collagen hydrolysates on collagen type I synthesis by fibroblasts. This work aimed to achieve a high average Mw in Blue Shark Collagen Hydrolysate, studying different hydrolysis parameters by GPC-LS analysis and testing its effect on mRNA Type I collagen expression. Analysis revealed differences in blue shark collagen hydrolysates Mw depending on hydrolysis conditions. Papain leads to obtaining a significantly higher Mw hydrolysate than Alcalase at different times of hydrolysis and at different enzyme/substrate ratios. Besides, the time of the hydrolysis factor is more determinant than the enzyme/substrate ratio factor for obtaining a higher or lower hydrolysate Mw when using Papain as the enzyme. Contrary, Alcalase hydrolysates resulted in similar Mw with no significant differences between different conditions of hydrolysis assayed. Blue shark collagen hydrolysate showing the highest Mw showed neither cytotoxic nor proliferation effect on fibroblast cell culture. Besides, it exhibited an increasing effect on both mRNA expression and pro-collagen I production.

Direct competitive ELISA enhanced by dynamic light scattering for the ultrasensitive detection of aflatoxin B1 in corn samples.

Compared with absorbance, scattering-based dynamic light scattering (DLS) signal has higher sensitivity because its light-scattering intensity is very sensitive to changes in size, thereby enhancing the sensitivity. Herein, we first developed a DLS-enhanced direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DLS-dcELISA) for ultrasensitive detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in corn. By using hydroxyl radical-induced gold nanoparticle (AuNP) aggregation to amplify AuNP scattering signals, the developed DLS-dcELISA exhibited ultrahigh sensitivity for AFB1. The detection limit was 0.12 pg mL-1, which was 153- and 385-fold lower than those obtained using plasmonic and colorimetric dcELISA. In addition, the DLS-dcELISA exhibited excellent selectivity, high accuracy, and strong practicality. Overall, this work presented a simple and universal strategy for improving the sensitivity of traditional ELISA platform only by using the sensitive DLS signals. This technique can replace absorbance-based plasmonic or colored signals as immunoassay signal output for enhanced competitive detection of mycotoxins.

In Situ Measurements of Polypeptide Samples by Dynamic Light Scattering: Membrane Proteins, a Case Study.

Integral membrane proteins are important drug targets that are critical in supporting many biological processes. Despite that, the study of their structure-function relationships remains a major goal in structural biology, yet progress has been hampered by inherent challenges in the production for stable and homogeneous protein samples. Dynamic light scattering provides a straightforward probe of protein quality in solution, particularly in relation to stability and aggregation. However, the necessity to use large amounts of sample and the low-throughput nature of the analysis remain as major bottlenecks of the technique.Here, we present a protocol for dynamic light scattering measurements that are executed in a fully automated fashion for low-volume samples, in situ. The protocol offers a generic pre-screening method for downstream structural studies of biomolecules using higher-resolution approaches such as X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and NMR .

Structural Characterization of Biomaterials by Means of Small Angle X-rays and Neutron Scattering (SAXS and SANS), and Light Scattering Experiments.

Scattering techniques represent non-invasive experimental approaches and powerful tools for the investigation of structure and conformation of biomaterial systems in a wide range of distances, ranging from the nanometric to micrometric scale. More specifically, small-angle X-rays and neutron scattering and light scattering techniques represent well-established experimental techniques for the investigation of the structural properties of biomaterials and, through the use of suitable models, they allow to study and mimic various biological systems under physiologically relevant conditions. They provide the ensemble averaged (and then statistically relevant) information under in situ and operando conditions, and represent useful tools complementary to the various traditional imaging techniques that, on the contrary, reveal more local structural information. Together with the classical structure characterization approaches, we introduce the basic concepts that make it possible to examine inter-particles interactions, and to study the growth processes and conformational changes in nanostructures, which have become increasingly relevant for an accurate understanding and prediction of various mechanisms in the fields of biotechnology and nanotechnology. The upgrade of the various scattering techniques, such as the contrast variation or time resolved experiments, offers unique opportunities to study the nano- and mesoscopic structure and their evolution with time in a way not accessible by other techniques. For this reason, highly performant instruments are installed at most of the facility research centers worldwide. These new insights allow to largely ameliorate the control of (chemico-physical and biologic) processes of complex (bio-)materials at the molecular length scales, and open a full potential for the development and engineering of a variety of nano-scale biomaterials for advanced applications.

Aggregation of a double hydrophilic block glycopolymer: the effect of block polymer ratio.

Double hydrophilic block glycopolymers (DHBGs) composed of glycopolymers and polyethylene glycol (PEG) aggregate in aqueous solution. However, there are no guidelines to direct and design DHBG aggregation. Herein, we investigated the effect of the ratio of glycopolymer length to PEG length on the structure, and report that structure size could be influenced by the block polymer ratio. Nine kinds of DHBG with different glycopolymers and PEG lengths were synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The aggregation capability of DHBG was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). In all cases, the DHBGs formed the spherical structures, even when the PEG and glycopolymer lengths were quite different. The size of the structure was controlled by the ratio of the PEG length to the glycopolymer length. The aggregation of the DHBGs was induced by hydrogen bonding between the sugar moieties. The aggregation of the DHBG was affected by temperature and concentration.