Sequence Analysis of the Mouse RAG Locus lntergenic Region

The recombination activating genes RAG-1 and RAG-2 are highly conserved throughout evolution and are necessary and essential for the DNA rearrangement of antigen-receptor gene segments. These convergently transcribed genes are expressed primarily by developing B and T lineage cells. In addition, recent data suggest that the RAG locus can be reactivated in mouse germinal center B cells. Despite these well-defined patterns of expression, little is known about mechanism(s) regulating transcription of the RAG locus. Experiments with a mouse fibroblast line stably transfected with a genomic fragment of the RAG locus suggest that the intergenic region between RAG-1 and RAG-2 may contain information modulating RAG transcription. In order to begin testing this hypothesis, we have sequenced the 7.0-kb RAG intergenic region of the mouse. The sequence did not contain open reading frames larger than 60 amino acids. Analysis with GCG software identified several potential transcription-factor binding sequences within this region. Many of these are associated with transcriptional regulation of the Ig locus

Elongated Nanostructured Solar Cells with a Plasmonic Core

In this chapter the effects of the plasmonic response in an elongated nano-scale solar cell with a silver nanoneedle core are explored by measuring photocurrents. The silver nanoneedles formed the support of a conformally grown hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) n-i-p junction around it. A spherical morphology of the solar cell functions as a nano-lens, focusing incoming light directly on the plasmonic silver nanoneedle. We found that plasmonics, geometric optics, and Fresnel reflections affect the nanostructured solar cell performance, depending strongly on light incidence angle and polarization. Besides the plasmonic effects, nano-focusing, and orthogonalization of carrier and photon pathways are simultaneously present at illumination of this structure. In this chapter the photovoltaics characterization techniques and simulations are explained and discussed as well. This work provides valuable insight in solar cell processes in which novel concepts such as plasmonics, elongated nanostructures, and nanolenses are used