GaSbBi alloys and heterostructures: fabrication and properties

International audienceDilute bismuth (Bi) III-V alloys have recently attracted great attention, due to their properties of band-gap reduction and spin-orbit splitting. The incorporation of Bi into antimonide based III-V semiconductors is very attractive for the development of new optoelectronic devices working in the mid-infrared range (2-5 µm). However, due to its large size, Bi does not readily incorporate into III-V alloys and the epitaxy of III-V dilute bismides is thus very challenging. This book chapter presents the most recent developments in the epitaxy and characterization of GaSbBi alloys and heterostructures

Genetic and mutational heterogeneity of autosomal recessive chronic granulomatous disease in Tunisia

International audienceNADPH oxidase, a multi-subunit protein consisting of cytosolic components and the membrane-bound heterodimer, plays an instrumental role in host defence mechanisms of phagocytes. Genetic deficiency of the enzymatic complex results in an inherited disorder, chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), which is characterized by an impaired phagocyte microbicidal activity. X-Linked (XL) CGD results from a mutation in the CYBB gene encoding the gp91phox subunit, while autosomal recessive (AR) CGD is associated with mutations in one of the NCF1, NCF2 and CYBA genes that encode the p47phox, p67phox and p22phox subunits, respectively. In the study reported here, we investigated genetic defects underlying CGD in 15 Tunisian patients from 14 unrelated families. Haplotype analyses and homozygosity mapping with microsatellite markers around known CGD genes assigned the genetic defect to NCF1 in four patients, to NCF2 in four patients and to CYBA in two patients. However, one family with two CGD patients seemed not to link the genetic defect to any known AR-CGD genes. Mutation screening identified two novel mutations in NCF2 and CYBA in addition to the recurrent mutation, Delta GT, in NCF1 and a splice site mutation previously reported in a North African patient. Our results revealed the genetic and mutational heterogeneity of the AR recessive form of CGD in Tunisia