Biomimetic Nanoscale Reactors and Networks

Karlsson, Mattias; Davidson, Max; Karlsson, Roger; Karlsson, Anders; Bergenholtz, Johan; Konkoli, Zoran; Jesorka, Aldo; Lobovkina, Tatsiana; Hurtig, Johan; Voinova, Marina; Orwar, Owe

doi:10.1146/annurev.physchem.55.091602.094319

Cited by 143 publications

(129 citation statements)

References 153 publications

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“…48)) created by molecular sieving effects. Similar predictions are expected for reactions occurring in artificial nanoreactors, such as nanofibres, and various biomimetic reactors that typically have diameters of less than a few hundred nanometers 49,50 . …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Discreteness-induced concentration inversion in mesoscopic chemical systems

et al. 2012

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molecular discreteness is apparent in small-volume chemical systems, such as biological cells, leading to stochastic kinetics. Here we present a theoretical framework to understand the effects of discreteness on the steady state of a monostable chemical reaction network. We consider independent realizations of the same chemical system in compartments of different volumes. Rate equations ignore molecular discreteness and predict the same average steadystate concentrations in all compartments. However, our theory predicts that the average steady state of the system varies with volume: if a species is more abundant than another for large volumes, then the reverse occurs for volumes below a critical value, leading to a concentration inversion effect. The addition of extrinsic noise increases the size of the critical volume. We theoretically predict the critical volumes and verify, by exact stochastic simulations, that rate equations are qualitatively incorrect in sub-critical volumes.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Discreteness-induced concentration inversion in mesoscopic chemical systems

et al. 2012

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“…tube is such that all nanotubes emanating from the Y-junction experience only tension and no sheer or bending force.) This process is the same mechanism of forming Y-junctions originally demonstrated with nanotubes pulled from liposome membranes using micropipettes (9,10). We also have demonstrated the formation of a Y-junction by directly pulling on the wall of a nanotube to form an additional nanotube.…”

supporting

confidence: 73%

Stable and robust polymer nanotubes stretched from polymersomes

Reiner

Wells

Kishore

et al. 2006

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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We create long polymer nanotubes by directly pulling on the membrane of polymersomes using either optical tweezers or a micropipette. The polymersomes are composed of amphiphilic diblock copolymers, and the nanotubes formed have an aqueous core connected to the aqueous interior of the polymersome. We stabilize the pulled nanotubes by subsequent chemical crosslinking. The cross-linked nanotubes are extremely robust and can be moved to another medium for use elsewhere. We demonstrate the ability to form networks of polymer nanotubes and polymersomes by optical manipulation. The aqueous core of the polymer nanotubes together with their robust character makes them interesting candidates for nanofluidics and other applications in biotechnology.cross-link ͉ optical tweezers ͉ nanofluidics ͉ vesicles N anotubes are among the most promising structures in nanotechnology. Carbon nanotubes are already finding applications in composite materials requiring high strength-to-weight ratio, and many more applications are expected in the near future (1). Nanotubes also can naturally occur in biology. Transport of genetic material from phage viruses to bacteria can occur via protein nanotubes (2), and phospholipid nanotubes between live cells, purported to be a conduit for intercellular organelle transport, were recently observed (3). The use of nanotubes for transport of biological molecules is particularly exciting, with potentially significant applications in biotechnology. Gold nanotubules in polymer membranes have been used to separate small biological molecules on the basis of molecular size (4) and DNA fragments according to base recognition. Experiments on the movement of DNA in nanofabricated structures (5, 6) showed that new transport mechanisms occur when spatial confinement in one or more dimensions is less than the radius of gyration. Similar effects also have been observed with DNA fragments passing through multiwalled carbon nanotubes (7). All of these nanotubular structures have an interior aqueous environment suitable for biological molecules, but with the exception of ref. 6, the length of an individual channel is only on the order of 1 m.Extremely long, water-filled nanotubes can be formed from self-assembling amphiphilic molecules. For example, phospholipids can spontaneously form nanotubes under appropriate conditions (8). Vesicle membranes composed of self-assembled amphiphilic molecules can exhibit both elastic and viscoelastic properties, which, under the application of a localized force, can result in the formation of a nanotube. Pioneering work by Evans et al. (9) demonstrated the formation of phospholipid nanotubes by using a micropipette to pull on phospholipid vesicle (liposome) membranes. More recently, Orwar and coworkers (10) adopted the technique of Evans to create elaborate networks of liposomes interconnected by phospholipid nanotubes and demonstrated transport through these networks. Similarly, optical tweezers have been used to create phospholipid nanotubes by pulling directly on membranes of ...

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“…The giant unilamellar vesicle 1D lipid nanotube network systems allow the transport of reactive materials between containers and the initiation and control of chemical reactions in ultra-small volumes. 13,45,46 The penetration of a giant uni-lamellar vesicle into a multi-lamellar membrane reservoir with a small buffer-filled glass pipette and subsequent mechanical pulling produced a lipid tube that connected the injection glass tip with the original vesicle. 47 A new vesicle was observed to appear at the end of the lipid nanotube via the slow injection of buffer ( Figure 3c).…”

Section: Lipid-1d-nanostructure Hybridsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lipid-nanostructure hybrids and their applications in nanobiotechnology

Lee

Nam

2013

NPG Asia Mater

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Cell membranes contain a variety of lipids and functional proteins that offer active platforms that organize the membrane components into functional assemblies and perform biologically important reactions. The dynamic and complex nature of the membranes makes them attractive materials, but at the same time, researchers report substantial experimental uncertainty in controlling the membrane reactions and extracting valuable information. The fascinating new structures and properties of nanomaterials could be utilized in addressing aforementioned issues, and the design and synthesis of lipid-nanostructure hybrids could be beneficial to the research areas in lipid-membrane biotechnology and nanobiotechnology. These hybrid structures possess dimensions that are comparable to that of biological molecules and structures and physicochemical properties that arise from both lipids and nanomaterials. Therefore, lipid-nanostructure hybrids offer additional options for control of the synthesized structures, provide new insight in understanding nanostructures and biological systems and allow the mimicking of functional subcellular membrane components and monitoring of the membrane-associated reactions in a highly sensitive and controllable manner. In this review, we present recent advances in the synthesis of various lipid-nanostructure hybrids and the application of these structures in biotechnology and nanotechnology. We further describe the scientific and practical applications of lipid-nanostructure hybrids for detecting membrane-targeting molecules, interfacing nanostructures with live cells and creating membrane-mimicking platforms to investigate various intercellular processes.

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Biomimetic Nanoscale Reactors and Networks

Cited by 143 publications

References 153 publications

Discreteness-induced concentration inversion in mesoscopic chemical systems

Discreteness-induced concentration inversion in mesoscopic chemical systems

Stable and robust polymer nanotubes stretched from polymersomes

Lipid-nanostructure hybrids and their applications in nanobiotechnology

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