The IMB Jena Image Library of Biological Macro-molecules (http://www. imb-jena.de/IMAGE.html ) is aimed at a better dissemination of information on three-dimensional biopolymer structures with an emphasis on visualization and analysis. It provides access to all structure entries deposited at the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and Nucleic Acid Database (NDB). By combining automatic and manual processin...

The nonbiodegradable and nonrenewable nature of plastic packaging has led to a renewed interest in packaging materials based on bio-nanocomposites (biopolymer matrix reinforced with nanoparticles such as layered silicates). One of the reasons for unique properties of bio-nanocomposites is the difference in physics at nanoscale as compared to that at macroscale. Therefore, the effect of nanoscal...

In the present study, a biopolymer (cellulose, rice starch or zein protein) was dissolved in the ionic liquid (1-butyl-3methylimidazolium chloride) and co-solvent (dimethyl sulfoxide) mixture (1:1 weight ratio), and then blended with the agar solution, followed by gelation at low temperature. The blends were soaked and shaken in 250 mL distilled water, washed and freeze-dried. The agar/biopolym...

A biosensor based on chitosan-gelatin composite biopolymers nanofibers is found to be effective for the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase to detect hydrogen peroxide. The biopolymer nanofibers were fabricated by an electrospining technique. Upon optimization of synthesis parameters, biopolymers nanofibers, an average of 80 nm in diameter, were obtained and were then modified on the worki...

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...

BACKGROUND Oregano essential oil (EO) was incorporated into film-forming dispersions (FFDs) based on biopolymers (chitosan and/or methylcellulose) at two different concentrations. The effect of the application of the FFDs was evaluated on tomato plants (cultivar Micro-Tom) at three different stages of development, and on pre-harvest and postharvest applications on tomato fruit. RESULTS The ap...

Biopolymer networks, such as those constituting the cytoskeleton of a cell or biological tissue, exhibit a nonlinear strain-stiffening behavior when subjected to large deformations. Interestingly, rheological experiments on various in vitro biopolymer networks have shown similar strain-stiffening trends regardless of the differences in their microstructure or constituents, suggesting a universa...

Numerical results on the translocation of long biopolymers through mid-sized and wide pores are presented. The simulations are based on a novel methodology which couples molecular motion to a mesoscopic fluid solvent. Thousands of events of long polymers (up to 8000 monomers) are monitored as they pass through nanopores. Comparison between the different pore sizes shows that wide pores can host...

The first syntheses of two cyclic tetramers of cyclodextrins, dubbed tetraplexes, are described as well as the use of one of them to form a supramolecular assembly with a modified biopolymer.

One of the critical components of the mechanisms of cell communication and cell computing has been postulated to be spaceand time-organized teleonomic (or goaldirected) shape changes of biopolymers that are driven by exergonic chemical reactions catalyzed by biopolymer shape changes themselves. The generalized Franck-Condon principle resolves the apparent paradox arising when a coupling is atte...