Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Modelling human choices: MADeM and decision‑making

Research supported by FAPESP 2015/50122-0 and DFG-GRTK 1740/2. RP and AR are also part of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics FAPESP grant (2013/07699-0). RP is supported by a FAPESP scholarship (2013/25667-8). ACR is partially supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)

Diastereoselective reductive ring expansion of spiroketal dihydropyranones to cis -fused bicyclic ethers

A novel double cascade synthetic strategy was developed for the diastereoselective syntheses of cis-fused bicyclic ethers, featuring cascade Achmatowicz rearrangement/spiroketalization and cascade spiroketal reduction/oxa-Michael cyclization. Especially, the chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselective reduction of densely functionalized spiroketal dihydropyranones, followed by oxa-Michael cyclization in a one-pot fashion, was achieved. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Asymmetric Total Syntheses of (-)-Penicipyrone and (-)-Tenuipyrone via Biomimetic Cascade Intermolecular Michael Addition/Cycloketalization

The first total syntheses of (-)-penicipyrone and (-)-tenulpyrone were accomplished enantioselectively in 12 steps with an 11% yield and 6 steps with a 28% yield from the known 4-((tert-butyldimethylsilyl)oxy)-cyclopent-2-enone, respectively, by developing a biomimetic bimolecular cascade cyclization featuring an intermolecular Michael addition/cyclo-(spiro-)ketalization sequence. The relative, absolute stereochemistry and carbon connectivity of penicipyrone was further confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis and comparison of optical rotations

Diastereoselective Reductive Ring Expansion of Spiroketal Dihydropyranones to <i>cis</i>-Fused Bicyclic Ethers

A novel double cascade synthetic strategy was developed for the diastereoselective syntheses of <i>cis</i>-fused bicyclic ethers, featuring cascade Achmatowicz rearrangement/spiroketalization and cascade spiroketal reduction/oxa-Michael cyclization. Especially, the chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselective reduction of densely functionalized spiroketal dihydropyranones, followed by oxa-Michael cyclization in a one-pot fashion, was achieved