Advances in Bionanomaterials (eBook)

Preface 6
Organization 8
Chairs 8
Program Committee 8
Supported By 9
Contents 10
Nanomaterials Engineering 12
1 Nanoliposomes Production by a Protocol Based on a Simil-Microfluidic Approach 13
Abstract 13
1 Introduction 13
2 Experimental 15
2.1 Materials and Methods 15
3 Results and Discussion 16
3.1 Nanoliposomes Production 16
3.2 Influence of Volumetric Flow Rate Ratio on Liposomes Formation 17
3.3 Influence of Lipid Concentration on Liposomes Formation 18
4 Conclusions 19
References 19
2 Production of Nanostructured Microspheres Biopolymer-Active Principle-Magnetic Nanoparticles by Supercritical Assisted Atomization 21
Abstract 21
1 Introduction 21
2 Materials and Methods 23
3 Results and Discussion 25
3.1 Stability of Suspensions 25
3.2 Micronization Experiments 25
4 Conclusions 30
Acknowledgements 30
References 31
3 Encapsulation of Hydrophilic and Lipophilic Compounds in Nanosomes Produced with a Supercritical Based Process 33
Abstract 33
1 Introduction 34
2 Materials 35
3 Methods 35
3.1 Liposomes Dimensions 35
3.2 Liposomes Morphology 36
3.3 Encapsulation Efficiency 36
3.4 Statistical Analysis 37
4 Apparatus 37
5 Results 37
5.1 Empty Liposomes 37
5.2 Hydrophilic Compounds Encapsulation 38
5.3 Lipophilic Compounds Encapsulation 40
5.4 Microscopy Characterization 40
6 Conclusions 43
Acknowledgements 43
References 43
4 Supercritical Antisolvent Process: PVP/Nimesulide Coprecipitates 46
Abstract 46
1 Introduction 47
2 Materials, Methods and Procedures 48
2.1 Materials 48
2.2 SAS Apparatus and Procedure 48
2.3 Analytical Methods 49
3 Experimental Results 50
3.1 Effect of Polymer/Drug Ratio 52
3.2 Effect of Overall Solute Concentration 52
3.3 Effect of the Operating Temperature and Pressure 53
3.4 Characterization of Precipitates 54
4 Discussion 55
5 Conclusions 56
References 56
5 PLA-Based Nanobiocomposites with Modulated Biodegradation Rate 59
Abstract 59
1 Introduction 60
2 Materials 60
3 Experimental 60
3.1 Sample Preparation 60
3.2 Hydrolysis Tests 61
3.3 Calorimetric Tests (DSC) 62
4 Results 62
4.1 Hydrolysis Tests: PH Evolution 62
4.2 Hydrolysis Tests: Weight and Appearance Evolution 63
4.3 Hydrolysis Tests: Calorimetric Characterization of the Samples 65
5 Conclusions 67
References 67
Modelling of Bionanomaterials 69
6 Modelling Approach to Enzymatic pH Oscillators in Giant Lipid Vesicles 70
Abstract 70
1 Introduction 71
2 Results: Modelling 72
3 Conclusions 79
Acknowledgements 80
References 80
7 Dissipative Particle Dynamics Study of Alginate/Gelatin Aerogels Obtained by Supercritical Drying 82
Abstract 82
1 Introduction 82
2 Materials and Methods 84
2.1 Dissipative Particle Dynamics 84
2.2 Mechanical Properties Calculations 85
2.3 Production of Alginate/Gelatin Aerogels 86
3 Results 87
3.1 DPD Results 88
4 Conclusion 90
References 90
8 Molecular Dynamics and Morphing Protocols for High Accuracy Molecular Docking 92
Abstract 92
1 Introduction 92
2 Materials and Methods 94
2.1 Data Set 94
2.2 Sampling Stage 97
2.3 Morphing 97
2.4 Docking Stage 97
3 Results 99
4 Conclusion 102
References 102
9 Modelling Giant Lipid Vesicles Designed for Light Energy Transduction 104
Abstract 104
1 Introduction 104
2 The Photo-Conversion Model 106
2.1 General Assumptions 106
2.2 The Photo-Cycle Reaction Network 107
2.3 The Reaction Rates 107
2.4 The Ordinary Differential Equation Set 110
2.5 The Differential Equation of Proton Consumption 110
3 Results 111
4 Conclusion 115
References 116
10 A Computational Approach to the Design of Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering 117
Abstract 117
1 Introduction 117
2 Materials and Methods 119
3 Results and Discussion 121
References 122
11 Air Assisted Production of Alginate Beads Using Focusing Flow Microfluidic Devices: Numerical Modeling of Beads Formation 124
Abstract 124
1 Introduction 125
2 Materials and Methods 127
3 Results 130
4 Conclusions 131
References 132
Applications of Bionanomaterials 133
12 Environmental Application of Extra-Framework Oxygen Anions in the Nano-Cages of Mayenite 134
Abstract 134
1 Introduction 134
2 Experimental 136
2.1 Mayenite Catalyst Preparation and Characterization 136
2.2 Apparatus and Experimental Conditions 136
3 Results and Discussion 137
4 Conclusions 140
Acknowledgements 140
References 141
13 Current Directions in Synthetic Cell Research 143
Abstract 143
1 What Are Synthetic Cells 144
1.1 From the Pioneer Phase (up to 2001) to the Most Recent Developments 145
2 Current Directions in SC Research 146
2.1 Reconstitution of Advanced Architecture and Functions in SCs 146
2.2 The Population/Community Perspective 148
2.3 Manipulation of (Bio)Chemical Signals: The Bio-Chem-ICTs Perspective 149
2.4 The Integration of Mathematical Models 150
2.5 Synthetic Biology and Artificial Intelligence: The Potential of Synthetic Cell Research for the Synthetic Exploration of Embodied Cognition 152
3 Concluding Remarks 153
Acknowledgements 153
References 154
14 Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles from Extracts of Cucurbita pepo L. Leaves: Insights on the Role of Plant Ageing 157
Abstract 157
1 Introduction 158
2 Materials and Methods 159
2.1 Plant Material and Preparation of Plant Extracts 159
2.2 Preparation of AuNPs 159
2.3 Visible Spectroscopy 160
2.4 Electron Microscopy 160
2.5 Determination of Pigment Concentration in the Extracts 160
3 Results and Discussion 160
3.1 Nanoparticles from Plants at the Beginning of the Life Cycle 161
3.2 Nanoparticle from Plants at the End of the Life Cycle 164
3.3 Pigment Concentration in the Extracts 164
4 Conclusions 165
References 165
15 Photosynthesis Without the Organisms: The Bacterial Chromatophores 167
Abstract 167
1 Introduction 167
2 Classification of Photosynthetic Bacteria 168
3 The Wild Type of the Bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides 169
4 The Energy Conversion Apparatus 171
5 The Chromatophores 172
6 The Strain R26 of R. Sphaeroides 175
7 Conclusions 175
Acknowledgements 176
References 176
Index 178