We examine the persistent random motion of self-propelled rods (SPR) as a function of the area fraction phi and study the effect of steric interactions on their diffusion properties. SPR of length l and width w are fabricated with a spherocylindrical head attached to a beaded chain tail, and show directed motion on a vibrated substrate. The mean square displacement (MSD) on the substrate grows ...

Several proteins, like transcription factors, bind to certain DNA sequences, thereby regulating biochemical pathways that determine the fate of the corresponding cell. Due to these key positions, it is indispensable to analyze protein-DNA interactions and to identify their mode of action. Surface plasmon resonance is a label-free method that facilitates the elucidation of real-time kinetics of ...

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is a powerful label-free diagnostic tool to study biomolecular interactions. However, one of the drawbacks of SPR is the lack of controlled immobilization of ligands on the sensor surface. We have developed a modular platform for the fast, reagent-free and site-specific immobilization of azide-containing ligands by strain-promoted cycloaddition onto a cyclooctyne...

In this paper we provide an algebraic method for the design of an appropriate transfer function making simultaneously two polynomials strictly positive real (SPR), in the so-called robust SPR problem for two polynomials. This problem arises in the design of recursive estimation algorithms used for identi"cation purposes and in active noise control (ANC) applications. In the former a given trans...

Vertebrate vision begins when retinal photoreceptors transduce photons into electrical signals that are then relayed to other neurons in the eye, and ultimately to the brain. In rod photoreceptors, transduction of single photons is achieved by a well-understood G-protein cascade that modulates cGMP levels, and in turn, cGMP-sensitive inward current. The spatial extent and depth of the decline i...

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of silver nanoparticles can be tuned throughout the visible and near-infrared region by their shape and size. Considering SPR applications, an easy and controllable method for preparing the silver nanocrystals with defined shape and size, is necessary. In this work, the triangular silver nanoplates were synthesized by reducing Ag(+) ions with ascorbic acid in...

We present a new perspective on the classical shortest path routing (SPR) problem in graphs. We show that the SPR problem can be recast to that of probabilistic inference in a mixture of simple Bayesian networks. Maximizing the likelihood in this mixture becomes equivalent to solving the SPR problem. We develop the well known Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm for the SPR problem that maxi...

We describe a simple, stable, and high-resolution surface plasmon resonance ~SPR! sensor using a quadrant cell photodetector. The sensor focuses a diode laser through a prism onto a gold film that is divided into two areas, one for reference and the other for sensing analyte. The angular shifts of the SPR generated in the two areas are detected with a quadrant cell photodetector. Because signal...

Non-invasive real-time observations and the evaluation of living cell conditions and functions are increasingly demanded in life sciences. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors detect the refractive index (RI) changes on the surface of sensor chips in label-free and on a real-time basis. Using SPR sensors, we and other groups have developed techniques to evaluate living cells' reactions in re...

We have made surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurements of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c (Cyt c) on a gold surface. Angle-resolved SPR curves are recorded as a function of urea concentration before and after self-assembly of the Cyt c. Exposure to a urea solution causes denaturation of Cyt c, which shifts the minimum in the SPR curve to a larger angle and decreases the signal amplitude. The Gibbs ...