Action to protect the independence and integrity of global health research

Storeng KT, Abimbola S, Balabanova D, et al. Action to protect the independence and integrity of global health research. BMJ GLOBAL HEALTH. 2019;4(3): e001746

Polypeptide Folding-Mediated Tuning of the Optical and Structural Properties of Gold Nanoparticle Assemblies

Responsive hybrid nanomaterials with well-defined properties are of significant interest for the development of biosensors with additional applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. Here, we present a detailed characterization using UV-vis spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering of a hybrid material comprised of polypeptide-decorated gold nanoparticles with highly controllable assembly properties. The assembly is triggered by a folding-dependent bridging of the particles mediated by the heteroassociation of immobilized helix-loop-helix polypeptides and a complementary nonlinear polypeptide present in solution. The polypeptides are de novo designed to associate and fold into a heterotrimeric complex comprised of two disulfide-linked four-helix bundles. The particles form structured assemblies with a highly defined interparticle gap (4.8 ± 0.4 nm) that correlates to the size of the folded polypeptides. Transitions in particle aggregation dynamics, mass-fractal dimensions and ordering, as a function of particle size and the concentration of the bridging polypeptide, are observed; these have significant effects on the optical properties of the assemblies. The assembly and ordering of the particles are highly complex processes that are affected by a large number of variables including the number of polypeptides bridging the particles and the particle mobility within the aggregates. A fundamental understanding of these processes is of paramount interest for the development of novel hybrid nanomaterials with tunable structural and optical properties and for the optimization of nanoparticle-based colorimetric biodetection strategies. © 2011 American Chemical Society.Financial support from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW) for D.A., the EPSRC and ERC Grant “Naturale” for M.M.S., the Swedish Research Council (VR), and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) is gratefully acknowledged. B.S. acknowledges the “Ramón y Cajal” program from “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación” of Spain for financial support. We thank the Australian synchrotron for synchrotron time on the SAXS beamline (Grant AS093/SAXS1875) and the extensive support of the beamline scientists (Dr. Hawley and Dr. Mudie) without whom this research could not have been performed. We thank Dr. Nicholas Schaeffer and Dr. Aaron Eberle for discussions and input.Peer Reviewe

The Phaeodactylum genome reveals the evolutionary history of diatom genomes

Diatoms are photosynthetic secondary endosymbionts found throughout marine and freshwater environments, and are believed to be responsible for around one-fifth of the primary productivity on Earth1, 2. The genome sequence of the marine centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana was recently reported, revealing a wealth of information about diatom biology3, 4, 5. Here we report the complete genome sequence of the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum and compare it with that of T. pseudonana to clarify evolutionary origins, functional significance and ubiquity of these features throughout diatoms. In spite of the fact that the pennate and centric lineages have only been diverging for 90 million years, their genome structures are dramatically different and a substantial fraction of genes (40%) are not shared by these representatives of the two lineages. Analysis of molecular divergence compared with yeasts and metazoans reveals rapid rates of gene diversification in diatoms. Contributing factors include selective gene family expansions, differential losses and gains of genes and introns, and differential mobilization of transposable elements. Most significantly, we document the presence of hundreds of genes from bacteria. More than 300 of these gene transfers are found in both diatoms, attesting to their ancient origins, and many are likely to provide novel possibilities for metabolite management and for perception of environmental signals. These findings go a long way towards explaining the incredible diversity and success of the diatoms in contemporary oceans