Influence of carbon coatings origin on the properties important for biomedical application

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the properties of a carbon layer depending of the origin of applied methods. Quasiamorphous carbon coatings prepared by ion beam methane decomposition by RF dense plasma and vacuum pulsed arc deposition were applied to stainless steel implants used in surgery. The studies of carbon films as coatings for implants in surgery were aimed on the investigations of biological resistance of implants, histopathological investigations using laboratory animals, tests of corrosion resistance, measurements of mechanical properties and a breakdown test in Tyrod solution. The comparison of the properties of the coating produced by these methods shows very good biotolerance and biocompatibility of all of the coatings. They are not corroded in physiological fluids. From the other side they have different properties, especially electrical and optical, and are not influenced on medical applications. The obtained results prove that the implants coated by all the methods mentioned are a very good material for medical use

Optical Control of Ligand-Gated Ion Channels

In the vibrant field of optogenetics, optics and genetic targeting are combined to commandeer cellular functions, such as the neuronal action potential, by optically stimulating light-sensitive ion channels expressed in the cell membrane. One broadly applicable manifestation of this approach are covalently attached photochromic tethered ligands (PTLs) that allow activating ligand-gated ion channels with outstanding spatial and temporal resolution. Here, we describe all steps towards the successful development and application of PTL-gated ion channels in cell lines and primary cells. The basis for these experiments forms a combination of molecular modeling, genetic engineering, cell culture, and electrophysiology. The light-gated glutamate receptor (LiGluR), which consists of the PTL-functionalized GluK2 receptor, serves as a model