MOTIVATION Most existing bioinformatics methods are limited to making point estimates of one variable, e.g. the optimal alignment, with fixed input values for all other variables, e.g. gap penalties and scoring matrices. While the requirement to specify parameters remains one of the more vexing issues in bioinformatics, it is a reflection of a larger issue: the need to broaden the view on stati...

Following recent x-ray diffraction experiments by Wong, Li, and Safinya on biopolymer gels, we apply Onsager excluded volume theory to a nematic mixture of rigid rods and strong " pi/2" cross-linkers obtaining a long-ranged, highly anisotropic depletion attraction between the linkers. This attraction leads to breakdown of the percolation theory for this class of gels, to breakdown of Onsager's ...

DIFFUSION OF NANOPARTICLES IN SYNTHETIC AND BIOPOLYMERSOLUTIONSbyINDERMEET KOHLIAUGUST 2013 Advisor: Dr. Ashis Mukhopadhyay

Photocrosslinked methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA) hydrogels support chondrogenesis of encapsulated human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). However, the covalent crosslinks formed via chain polymerization in these hydrogels are hydrolytically non-degradable and restrict cartilage matrix spatial distribution and cell spreading. Meanwhile, cells are known to remodel their surrounding extracellul...

Organocatalysts facilitate the synthesis of polythionolactones; oxidative crosslinking yields a degradable polymer foam.

Janus particles with differentially degradable compartments were prepared by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) co-jetting and subsequent controlled crosslinking. These bicompartmental particles are composed of an interpenetrating polymer network of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) in one hemisphere and a crosslinked copolymer of dextran and poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) segm...

The introduction of biodegradable implant materials as well as minimally invasive surgical procedures in medicine has substantially improved health care within the past few decades. This report describes a group of degradable thermoplastic polymers that are able to change their shape after an increase in temperature. Their shape-memory capability enables bulky implants to be placed in the body ...

Towards the development of (bio)degradable polymers with medical relevance a non-radical thiolene synthesis route is investigated. In this work, step growth polymerization based on Michael addition click reactions is presented. Homotelechelic RAFT polymers were conjugated leading to polymers with molar weight distribution typical for a step growth polymerization, tailing up to 100 000 g∙mol-1 i...

The present work was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of nickel (II) removal from aqueous solution by adsorption onto a biopolymer adsorbent. The adsorbent was prepared using modification of mesoporous silicate SBA-15 with alginate biopolymer (alginateSBA-15) by encapsulation method. Morphological structure of the obtained nanocomposite adsorbent was characterized by XRD, scanning electro...

The aim of the present work was to prepare and characterize biopolymer nanocarriers and evaluate their suitability in possible oral delivery of insulin. The egg albumin biopolymer was used to prepare nanoparticles which were further characterized by Fourier transformed Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential, Dynam...