A trend towards a lower PI, similar to that in the parent artery, was found in unruptured aneurysms, while ruptured aneurysms followed a trend of higher pulsatility. The difference was significant at the aneurysm neck, indicating that pulsatility and this location may be important aspects of aneurysm rupture and a useful predictor of the risk of aneurysm rupture.
Humans have always looked to nature for design inspiration, and material design on the molecular level is no different. Here we explore how this idea applies to nanoscale biomimicry, specifically examining both recent advances and our own work on engineering lipid and polymer membrane systems with cellular processes.
Measuring signal transduction in large numbers of cells with high spatial and temporal resolution is fundamental to studying information processing in the nervous system. DNA-encoded sensors have an advantage in that they can be introduced into an organism noninvasively and targeted to specific brain regions, cell types, or subcellular compartments. A variety of chimeric proteins that report transmembrane voltage have been developed. The prototype sensor, FlaSh, is a green fluorescent protein fused to a voltage-sensitive K(+) channel, where voltage-dependent rearrangements in the channel induce changes in the protein's fluorescence. Subsequent sensors have refined this basic design using a monomeric voltage-sensing phosphatase domain from Ciona intestinalis and pairs of fluorescent proteins to produce a larger fluorescent signal. These sensors and their uses are discussed here.
Voltage-gated membrane proteins function as biomolecular transistors, making them attractive components for biologically based nanodevices. A functional assay for purified channel proteins is described and demonstrated with sodium selective, voltage-gated NaChBac ion channels. Purified NaChBac proteins were incorporated into a nanovesicle system utilizing oxonol VI, a fluorescent indicator of trans-membrane voltage. The ionophore valinomycin was used to trigger a change in membrane potential, allowing the observation of sodium permeability using a fluorometer. This method is suitable for concurrently testing a large population of purified proteins prior to incorporation in nanodevices.
The exploration and exploitation of biologic modes of design and self-assembly are now studies of both greater urgency and ease, as the tools for manipulation and visualization of nanoscale materials become increasingly available. Engineering biologically inspired nanoscale devices encompasses a wide variety of research, from current nanomaterials such as gecko tape, self-cleaning glass, and artificial shark skin [1], to the mechanics of how biological molecules such as proteins, enzymes, DNA and RNA can function as analogous man-made structures . In this chapter, we will briefly examine a sample of these technologies and follow up with current related research. We will discuss what can be gleaned from these emerging technologies, focusing primarily on biomimetic proteinbased devices. Finally, we will present our research efforts in the area of biocomputation and extend this discussion to the prospects of future applications.Engineering hybrid nanoscale devices requires the concurrent application of technology from a variety of fields. Incorporating varying levels of organization is central to creating functional biomimetic materials. The common thread among biological nano-hybrid devices is the need to exploit natural self-assembly schemes that have evolved over the millennia to build complex structures. Often, utilizing such a self-assembly scheme is sufficient, but optimum form may not always follow natural function, and producing devices which convert chemical energy to electricity, or light into chemical energy such as ATP can improve on Nature's design through engineering. Here, we show two bodies of work, including protein-based devices and cellular power generation, the common theme being a fusion of biologic molecules with synthetic structures to produce nanoscale hybrid devices. 401 Nanobiotechnology II. Edited by Chad A. Mirkin and Christof M. Niemeyer
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