Biomimetic mineralization of metal-organic frameworks as protective coatings for biomacromolecules

Enhancing the robustness of functional biomacromolecules is a critical challenge in biotechnology, which if addressed would enhance their use in pharmaceuticals, chemical processing and biostorage. Here we report a novel method, inspired by natural biomineralization processes, which provides unprecedented protection of biomacromolecules by encapsulating them within a class of porous materials termed metal-organic frameworks. We show that proteins, enzymes and DNA rapidly induce the formation of protective metal-organic framework coatings under physiological conditions by concentrating the framework building blocks and facilitating crystallization around the biomacromolecules. The resulting biocomposite is stable under conditions that would normally decompose many biological macromolecules. For example, urease and horseradish peroxidase protected within a metal-organic framework shell are found to retain bioactivity after being treated at 80 °C and boiled in dimethylformamide (153 °C), respectively. This rapid, low-cost biomimetic mineralization process gives rise to new possibilities for the exploitation of biomacromolecules.Kang Liang, Raffaele Ricco, Cara M. Doherty, Mark J. Styles, Stephen Bell, Nigel Kirby, Stephen Mudie, David Haylock, Anita J. Hill, Christian J. Doonan, Paolo Falcar

Etude de l'activité des volcans de boue (Paclele Mari et Mici) de Berca (Buzau, Roumanie) à l'aide de la technique d'interférométrie différentielle (DinSAR)

peer reviewedLa région de Buzau (Roumanie), précisément la zone de Berca, est caractérisée par la présence des volcans de boue. Elle est aussi caractérisée par des séismes et des forages pétroliers à proximité ; on peut s’interroger sur le rôle des secousses sismiques et des forages extensifs des nappes pétrolifères sur l’accroissement de l’activité des volcans à libérer de la boue et du gaz. Dans cette logique nous avons essayé d’étudier les volcans de boue (Buzau) à partir des images radars RSO de la plate-forme ENVISAT à l’aide de la technique d’interférométrie différentielle (DinSAR). Cette étude se focalise sur le suivi de leurs activités dans une période courte allant des mois d’octobre et décembre 2004 au mois d’avril 2005. L’intérêt et l’objectif principal de cette étude sont ainsi de surveiller et de détecter les faibles déformations dues aux activités des volcans de boue dans la zone de Berca

Genome screen in the French EGEA study: detection of linked regions shared or not shared by allergic rhinitis and asthma.

International audienceIn the sample of 295 French EGEA families with at least one asthmatic subject, a genome screen was conducted to identify potential linkage regions specific either to allergic rhinitis (AR) or to asthma as well as those shared by the two diseases. Two binary rhinitis phenotypes based on (1) diagnosis (ARbin1) and (2) symptoms (ARbin2) and a categorical ordered trait (ARcat) were considered. Asthma phenotype was based on answers to a standardized questionnaire plus the presence of bronchial hyper-responsiveness. Linkage analyses were conducted using the maximum likelihood binomial (MLB) method. These analyses provided potential evidence for linkage to three regions in the whole sample: 1p31 for the phenotype defined by ARbin2 plus asthma (P=0.00016), 2q32 for ARbin2 (P=0.00016) and 3p24-p14 for ARcat (P=0.001). Two other regions were detected in the subset of 185 families with at most one asthmatic sib: 9p22 and 9q22-q34 for ARbin1 (P=0.001 and 0.0007, respectively). No region showed evidence for linkage to asthma without being also linked to AR. While 1p31 may contain a genetic determinant common to asthma and AR, 2q32, 3p24-p14, 9p22 and 9q22-q34 are more likely to harbor genetic factors specific to AR