Liquid crystals as amplifiers of molecular chirality

Bepaalde organisch chemische moleculen komen voor in twee vormen die volledig identiek zijn op één eigenschap na. De twee vormen zijn namelijk spiegelbeelden. Dat onderscheid wordt in de chemie chiraliteitgenoemd. Rienk Eelkema onderzocht hoe je chiraliteit kunt gebruiken voor het ontwikkelen van nieuwe materialen. Daarbij keek hij met name naar het gedrag van zogenaamde moleculaire motoren en schakelaars in vloeibaar kristallijnen films. De resultaten van dit onderzoek werden eerder dit jaar in Nature gepubliceerd (zie persbericht nr. 26 op de RUG website)

Dynamics of hydroxide-ion-driven reversible autocatalytic networks

An autocatalytic reaction network is designed utilising the interplay of hydroxide concentration dependent reactions and acid–base equilibria of imine hydrolysis

Gelation Landscape Engineering Using a Multi-Reaction Supramolecular Hydrogelator System

Simultaneous control of the kinetics and thermodynamics of two different types of covalent chemistry allows pathway selectivity in the formation of hydrogelating molecules from a complex reaction network. This can lead to a range of hydrogel materials with vastly different properties, starting from a set of simple starting compounds and reaction conditions. Chemical reaction between a trialdehyde and the tuberculosis drug isoniazid can form one, two, or three hydrazone connectivity products, meaning kinetic gelation pathways can be addressed. Simultaneously, thermodynamics control the formation of either a keto or an enol tautomer of the products, again resulting in vastly different materials. Overall, this shows that careful navigation of a reaction landscape using both kinetic and thermodynamic selectivity can be used to control material selection from a complex reaction network

The emerging landscape of single-molecule protein sequencing technologies

Single-cell profiling methods have had a profound impact on the understanding of cellular heterogeneity. While genomes and transcriptomes can be explored at the single-cell level, single-cell profiling of proteomes is not yet established. Here we describe new single-molecule protein sequencing and identification technologies alongside innovations in mass spectrometry that will eventually enable broad sequence coverage in single-cell profiling. These technologies will in turn facilitate biological discovery and open new avenues for ultrasensitive disease diagnostics.This Perspective describes new single-molecule protein sequencing and identification technologies alongside innovations in mass spectrometry that will eventually enable broad sequence coverage in single-cell proteomics.</p