UK – Page 25 – TechConnect Briefs

Physico-chemical Structure of Multilayer Polyion Complexes Comprising PolyHyrdoxylAmine & Genomie DNA

Harper G., WetaScience, UK

Alternating multilayers of DNA and polyhydroxylamine [PT] were produced on cationic microbeads [C]. DNA elution on two enclosed layers and a surface layer of DNA, provided 10µg DNA/mg bead/ per layer and yield 54µg/mg bead. [...]

Polymer-based gene delivery system fabricated with the participation of a polyanion

Sun Q., Stolnik S., University of Nottingham, UK

A DNA/polycation/polyanion system is being designed, which is supposed to be a potentially improved system in comparison to the traditional gene delivery system (DNA/polycation system). The production of such a DNA/polycation/polyanion system is based on [...]

Characterisation of Drug Nanoparticles by Atomic Force Microscopy

Bailey N.A., Booth J., Clark B.C., AstraZeneca, UK

A key consideration when developing a drug nanoparticle formulation, particularly when intended for parenteral administration, is the control of particle size, shape and physical properties such as dissolution rate and stability with respect to Ostwald [...]

Controlled production of food emulsion using microfluidics

Pulido de Torres C., Amici E., Gallarino A., Da Silva M., Jousse F., Unilever, UK

We present Microfluidic technology applied to the production of monodisperse emulsion in a food context. We investigate the effect of surfactants and microdevice geometry on drop size and robust production regimes. Minimum drop size achievable in [...]

Characterisation of thin film piezoelectric materials by differential interferometric techniques

Cain M.G., Steward M., Downs M., National Physical Laboratory, UK

Piezoelectric thin films are considered emergent materials for integration within Micro Systems Technology (MST) or MEMS devices. The development of suitable measurement facilities to characterise the materials functional properties is complicated by the fact that [...]

Optical and impedance detection of DNA hybridisation on barcoded micro particles in a microfluidic device

Holmes D., Whitton A., Cavalli-Petraglia G., Galitonov G., Birtwell S., Banu S., Zheludev N., Morgan H., University of Southampton, UK

A common problem with high throughput combinatorial chemistry is the inability to easily analyse and track the multitude of molecules produced. This bottleneck is a major problem for the big pharmaceutical companies and other researchers [...]

Detection and Localization of Antibody-Antigen Interactions with High Spatial Resolution on Collagen Tendons

Boyd R.D., Avci R., Schweitzer M., Wittmeyer J., Spangler B., Thieltges K.M., Cranfield University, UK

Measuring ligand receptor forces using the atomic force microscope as a force-sensing instrument has been well documented. For example in the detection of antibody-antigen interactions with the antibody attached to the AFM tip with a [...]

Synergistic Release of DNA from pH Responsive Polyion Complexes (PICs)

Harper G., WetaScience, UK

Polyelectrolyte complexes based on an outer layer of cationic polyhydroxylamine (PT) were prepared on carboxylated microparticles pretreated with polyamine (A) and a middle layer of Polyacrylic Acid (PA). A synergistic effect between PT and PA [...]

Microscopic Mechanism of Sonoporation

Prentice P.A., Burns J.M., Cuschieri A., Campbell P.A., University of Dundee, UK

This paper will expand on our recent paper in Nature Physics (November 2005) and will show that the initial observations can be extended from rigid albumin systems to flexible lipid based microbubbles also. We will [...]

Cationic Nanoparticles based on pH Responsive Polyion Complexes containing Plasmid GFP DNA

Harper G., Gibbs R., WetaScience, UK

Cationic nanoparticles were formulated from a polycationic Polyhydroxylamine (PT) with low pKa and polyanionic PolyAcrylic Acid (PA) that form binary polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs). Particles spontaneously form on component mixing with sizes between 80-700nm and particle [...]