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Biomedical subjects

Joerg C Tiller

Publications and source records attributed to Joerg C Tiller.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Optical biochemical sensor for determining hydroperoxides in nonpolar organic liquids as archetype for sensors consisting of amphiphilic conetworks as immobilisation matrices.

This paper reports the successful design of a prototype of an optical biochemical sensor for the determination of hydroperoxides in nonpolar organic liquids. The sensor consists of a matrix of an amphiphilic polymer conetwork (APCN), a novel class of very promising polymeric materials for easy preparation of biochemical sensor matrices. APCNs are characterised by nanoscopic phase separation between the hydrophilic and the hydrophobic phases. For medium ratios of conetwork composition, the domains of both phases are interconnected both on the surface of the conetworks and throughout the bulk. The APCNs have peculiar swelling properties-the hydrophilic phase swells in hydrophilic media and the hydrophobic phase swells in hydrophobic media. In both types of media dissolved reagents can diffuse from the solution into the swollen phase of the polymeric conetwork. This enables loading of the hydrophilic phase of the APCNs with enzymes and indicator reagents by simple impregnation. Hydrophobic analytes can diffuse into the polymeric conetwork via its hydrophobic phase and react with indicator reagents immobilised in the hydrophilic phase at the huge internal interface between the two opposite phases.To prepare the described hydroperoxide-sensitive biosensors, we used APCN films consisting of 58% (w/w) poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) as hydrophilic chains and 42% (w/w) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as hydrophobic linkers. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and diammonium 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) as indicator reagent were co-immobilised in this optically clear and transparent matrix. In this feasibility study the conditions investigated were principally those relevant to characterisation of the innovative matrix material and the disposable biosensor produced from it; the biosensor was not optimised. Sensitivity toward tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBuOOH) dissolved in n-heptane was acceptable, between approximately 1 and at least 50 mmol L(-1), even in the dry state. The response time was 1.7 to 5.0 min. No leaching of immobilised reagents was observed during a period of at least one hour. Pre-swelling the sensors with water increased the reaction rate and the total turnover number of the enzyme. In a dry atmosphere at 4 degrees C the sensors were found to be stable for at least two weeks.

Biosensing Techniques↗

Surface-induced hydrogelation.

The first azo dye that gels from its aqueous solution was synthesized and its moist hydrogel was investigated with electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy; the anionic azo dye in aqueous solution forms a hydrogel on cationic surfaces even at concentrations 50 times below the minimal gelation concentration.

Hydrogels↗

Influence of satellite groups on telechelic antimicrobial functions of polyoxazolines.

The antimicrobial activity of poly(alkyloxazoline) telechelics with one quaternary N,N-dimethyldodecylammonium (DDA) end group was found to be greatly controlled by the non-bioactive distal end group, the so-called satellite group. In systematic investigations, the nature of the latter groups was varied to explore the mechanism of the satellite effect. To this end, poly(2-alkyl-1,3-oxazoline)s (alkyl = ethyl, methyl) with a DDA-group at the terminating end and varying alkyl, aminoalkyl, and polyphenyloxazoline block satellite groups, have been synthesized. Poly(oxazoline) derivatives with polydispersity indices of 1.06-1.20 and molecular weights from 2,200 to 12,800 g . mol(-1) could be obtained. The macromolecular structures have been confirmed by NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS measurements. The polymers were investigated with regard to their antibacterial efficiency towards the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. It was found that the introduction of alkyl chain satellites of 4-10 carbon atoms in length afforded antimicrobial activity of the polymers against both microbes that was about 2-3 times higher than that of the well-known structurally comparable low molecular weight biocide, dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC). Based on the antimicrobial effects of the investigated polymers, a mechanism for the satellite effect was proposed.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Amphiphilic network as nanoreactor for enzymes in organic solvents.

Enzymes are powerful biocatalysts that work naturally in water but are also active in organic solvents. Here, we present a nanophase-separated amphiphilic network, where an enzyme is entrapped into its hydrophilic domains. A substrate that diffuses into the other, hydrophobic, phase of such a network can access the biocatalyst via the extremely large interface. Entrapped horseradish peroxidase and chloroperoxidase showed dramatically increased activity and operational stability compared to the native enzymes.

Catalysis↗

Polymer surfaces derivatized with poly(vinyl-N-hexylpyridinium) kill airborne and waterborne bacteria.

A facile methodology has been developed for covalently derivatizing the surfaces of common materials with a designed antibacterial polycation, poly(vinyl-N-pyridinium bromide), wherein the first, key step involves surface coating with a nanolayer of silica. Various commercial synthetic polymers derivatized in this manner become bactericidal-they kill up to 99% of deposited, from either an aerosol or an aqueous suspension, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria on contact.

Air Microbiology↗

Stabilization of activity of oxidoreductases by their immobilization onto special functionalized glass and novel aminocellulose film using different coupling reagents.

Glucose oxidase (GOD), horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and lactate oxidase (LOD) were covalently immobilized on special NH(2)-functionalized glass and on a novel NH(2)-cellulose film via 13 different coupling reagents. The properties of these immobilized enzymes, such as activity, storage stability, and thermostability, are strongly dependent on the coupling reagent. For example, GOD immobilized by cyanuric chloride on the NH(2)-cellulose film loses approximately half of its immobilized activity after 30 days of storage at 4 degrees C or after treatment at 65 degrees C for 30 min. In contrast, GOD immobilized by L-ascorbic acid onto the same NH(2)-cellulose film retains 90% of its initial activity after 1 year of storage at 4 degrees C and 92% after heat treatment at 65 degrees C for 30 min. Unlike GOD, in the case of LOD only immobilization on special NH(2)-functionalized glass, e.g., via cyanuric chloride, led to a stabilization of the enzyme activity in comparison to the native enzyme. The operational stability of immobilized HRP was up to 40 times higher than that of the native enzyme if coupling to the new NH(2)-cellulose film led to an amide or sulfonamide bond. Regarding the kinetics of the immobilized enzymes, the coupling reagent plays a minor role for the enzyme substrate affinity, which is characterized by the apparent Michaelis constant (K(M,app)). The NH(2)-functionalized support material as well as the immobilized density of the protein and/or immobilized activity has a strong influence on the K(M,app) value. In all cases, K(M,app) decreases with increasing immobilized enzyme protein density and particularly drastically for GOD.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Poly(oxazoline)s with telechelic antimicrobial functions.

Poly(2-alkyl-1,3-oxazoline)s (alkyl = methyl, ethyl) with terminal quarternary ammonium groups were synthesized. It could be shown by NMR and ESI-MS that the termination of the living polymerization with N,N-dimethylalkyl(butyl to hexadecyl)amines was quantitative. The novel functions were investigated regarding their antimicrobial potential toward the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus revealing that only quarternary ammonium functions with 12 and more carbons are antibacterial. Using a novel bifunctional initiator, 3-[(tert-butoxycarbonyl)amino]benzyl-p-toluenesulfonate, poly(oxazoline) with a primary amino group at the starting end and an antimicrobial function at the terminal could be synthesized, as confirmed by NMR and ESI-MS measurements. Comparing the bioactivity of polymers with different functions at the starting end and terminated with dimethyldodecylamine revealed that the starting group has a great effect on the antibacterial properties of the distant terminal. The minimal inhibitory concentrations varied from 0.1 mM for polymer derivatives with a BOC-NH-phenyl starting group to 4 mM for poly(oxazoline)s with a free primary amine at the starting end.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗