The REPAIR-lab will use human in vitro systems to study the cellular effects of the nano-objects developed by the other partner laboratories. The use of complete cells represents the most complex of the in vitro models available in the consortium.
The REPAIR-lab has human cell culture models of different complexity, beginning with permanent cell lines of […]
Mutual adaptation of the structure in molecular motors and impact of structural changes in the thermodynamic efficiency of the molecular motor.
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This is the first reported example of a naturally existing surface with a physical structure that exhibits such effective bactericidal properties. Cicada wing nanopillars are extremely effective at killing Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells; the wing surface was able to kill individual cells within approximately 3 min. This bactericidal ability of the wing surface is primarily a physico-mechanical effect, […]
Cell membranes represent a serious protective barrier for external molecules, proteins, nanoparticles and drugs. This barrier is quite efficient in protecting the interior of the cells. Cell penetrating peptides, certain proteins, pore forming peptides can preferentially interact with lipid membranes and form different structures. Very little can be said about the pathway and the entry […]
Electrostatic interactions are instrumental in determining the structure and function of living organisms, biopolymers and drug delivery systems. Charged macromolecules can self-assemble and aggregate into compact intermolecular complexes.
This ability of oppositely charged polymers to form finite size complexes determines their biological function, which for example is important in gene transfection and compactization of DNA, that provide promising alternatives to viral vectors. […]
Cell membranes represent a serious protective barrier for external molecules, proteins, nanoparticles and drugs. This barrier is quite efficient in protecting the interior of the cells. However, large nanoscale objects, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been found inside the cells both in direct and indirect biological experiments. Such experiments suggest that carbon nanotubes can efficiently […]
Block copolymer micelles are composed of polymer chains with sequences of hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks. In a dilute aqueous solution, they form spherical or cylindrical nano-objects comprised of several chains with a hydrophobic core and extended hydrophilic corona. Lipophilic drugs can be dissolved in the core of these micelles, while the corona will assure solubility […]
Lipid bilayers emerge by self-organization of amphiphilic molecules and are the essential component of membranes of living cells. An important task of them is the selective exchange of substances between the cell and its environment. This becomes particularly interesting for delivering foreign molecules and RNA into the cell. In the classical view of cell biology static […]
Our new study suggests #microplastics can mechanically destabilize membranes of human red #blood #cells and stretch them out such that it may potentially affect their ability to transport #oxygen pnas.org/content/118…
