Controlled antibody release from gelatin for on-chip sample preparation

A practical way to realize on-chip sample preparation for point-of-care diagnostics is to store the required reagents on a microfluidic device and release them in a controlled manner upon contact with the sample. For the development of such diagnostic devices, a fundamental understanding of the release kinetics of reagents from suitable materials in microfluidic chips is therefore essential. Here, we study the release kinetics of fluorophore-conjugated antibodies from (sub-) µm thick gelatin layers and several ways to control the release time. The observed antibody release is well-described by a diffusion model. Release times ranging from ~20 s to ~650 s were determined for layers with thicknesses (in the dry state) between 0.25 µm and 1.5 µm, corresponding to a diffusivity of 0.65 µm2/s (in the swollen state) for our standard layer preparation conditions. By modifying the preparation conditions, we can influence the properties of gelatin to realize faster or slower release. Faster drying at increased temperatures leads to shorter release times, whereas slower drying at increased humidity yields slower release. As expected in a diffusive process, the release time increases with the size of the antibody. Moreover, the ionic strength of the release medium has a significant impact on the release kinetics. Applying these findings to cell counting chambers with on-chip sample preparation, we can tune the release to control the antibody distribution after inflow of blood in order to achieve homogeneous cell staining

The proof of the pudding is in the eating: an outbreak of emetic syndrome after a kindergarten excursion, Berlin, Germany, December 2007

An outbreak of food poisoning (emetic syndrome) occurred in three kindergartens (A, B and C) in Berlin, Germany, on 3 December 2007 after an excursion during which food was served. We conducted a retrospective cohort study among the kindergarten children and personnel who participated in the trip. The overall attack rate among the 155 participants was 30%. It was 31% among the 137 children (aged two to six years) and 17% among adults (n=18). The consumption of rice pudding was significantly associated with disease. Among those who ate rice pudding, the attack rate was 36%, compared with 0% for non-eaters (relative risk: infinite,

Synthesis and structural characterisation of heavy alkaline earth N,N '-bis( aryl) formamidinate complexes

© Royal Society of Chemistry 2006Marcus L. Cole, Glen B. Deacon, Craig M. Forsyth, Kristina Konstas and Peter C. Jun

The supramolecular architecture of arene complexes of bis(polyfluorophenyl)mercurials

The 1:1 (arene)mercury complexes [HgR2(arene)] [R = C6F4-o-NO2, C6F4-m-NO2, C6F4-o-H, C6F5; arene = TMB (1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene), PMB (1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylbenzene)] are readily formed when mixtures of the mercurial and arene are crystallised from CH2Cl2 or CH2Cl2/hexane. Analogous 1:1 complexes are also formed from Hg(C6F5)(2) and PhMe, whereas novel 1:2 complexes [HgR2(arene)(2)] result from Hg(C6F4-o-NO2)(2) and PhMe or TMO (1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene) and from Hg(C6F5)(2) and TMO. In the crystalline state, the 1:1 [HgR2(arene)] complexes exist as canted columns of alternating planar HgR2 and arene layers linked by weak (Hg center dot center dot center dot C 3.2-3.5 angstrom) eta(1) or eta(2) pi-arene-mercury interactions. For the TMB (R = C6F4-o-NO2, C6F4-o-H, C6F5) and PhMe (R = C6F5) complexes, the packing of neighbouring columns shows aligned, alternating fluoroarene and arene ring planes resulting in a 2D brick-wall motif with potential supramolecular components (fluoroarene-fluoroarene and fluoroarene-arene stacking). For the TMB complex with R = C6F4-m-NO2 the 2D array is distorted into a herringbone motif by weak C-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions. The 1:2 complex [Hg(C6F4-o-NO2)(2)-(PhMe)(2)] has an analogous mercury environment to the 1:1 complexes, and the packing shows a distinct layer structure of alternating rows of PhMe and HgR2 with two PhMe units per HgR2 unit but with no inter-stack interactions. The TMO complexes have long Hg center dot center dot center dot O contacts (3.2 angstrom.) rather than Hg center dot center dot center dot C and similarly show a layered structure, but in this case, with a single column of alternating HgR2 and pairs of TMO. Theoretical calculations for the 1:2 [HgR2(TMB)(2)] Complexes (R = C6F4-o-NO2, C6F4-m-NO2) are consistent with the findings from the observed crystal structures