All Outputs (24)

An enzymatically controlled mucoadhesive for enhancing flavour during food oral processing (2019)
Journal Article

While a good mucoadhesive biopolymer must adhere to a mucus membrane, it must also have a good unloading ability. Here, we demonstrate that the biopolymer pullulan is partially digested by human salivary α-amylase, thus acting as a controlled release... Read More about An enzymatically controlled mucoadhesive for enhancing flavour during food oral processing.

Use of the extended Fujita method for representing the molecular weight and molecular weight distributions of native and processed oat beta-glucans (2018)
Journal Article

Beta 1–3, 1–4 glucans (“beta-glucans”) are one of the key components of the cell wall of cereals, complementing the main structural component cellulose. Beta-glucans are also an important source of soluble fibre in foods containing oats with claims o... Read More about Use of the extended Fujita method for representing the molecular weight and molecular weight distributions of native and processed oat beta-glucans.

The Svedberg Lecture 2017. From nano to micro: the huge dynamic range of the analytical ultracentrifuge for characterizing the sizes, shapes and interactions of molecules and assemblies in biochemistry and polymer science (2018)
Journal Article

The analytical ultracentrifuge (AUC) invented by T. Svedberg has now become an extremely versatile and diverse tool in Biochemistry and Polymer Science for the characterisation of the sizes, shapes and interactions of particles ranging in size from a... Read More about The Svedberg Lecture 2017. From nano to micro: the huge dynamic range of the analytical ultracentrifuge for characterizing the sizes, shapes and interactions of molecules and assemblies in biochemistry and polymer science.

Characterisation of insulin analogues therapeutically available to patients (2018)
Journal Article

The structure and function of clinical dosage insulin and its analogues were assessed. This included ‘native insulins’ (human recombinant, bovine, porcine), ‘fast-acting analogues’ (aspart, glulisine, lispro) and ‘slow-acting analogues’ (glargine, de... Read More about Characterisation of insulin analogues therapeutically available to patients.

Controlled depolymerisation, as assessed by analytical ultracentrifugation, of low molecular weight chitosan for potential use in archaeological conservation (2018)
Journal Article

The heterogeneity and molecular weight of a chitosan of low molecular weight (molar mass) and low degree of acetylation (0.1), for potential use as a consolidant for decayed archaeological wood, has been examined by sedimentation velocity and sedimen... Read More about Controlled depolymerisation, as assessed by analytical ultracentrifugation, of low molecular weight chitosan for potential use in archaeological conservation.

Full hydrodynamic reversibility of the weak dimerization of vancomycin and elucidation of its interaction with VanS monomers at clinical concentration (2017)
Journal Article

The reversibility and strength of the previously established dimerization of the important glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin in four different aqueous solvents (including a medically-used formulation) have been studied using short-column sedimentati... Read More about Full hydrodynamic reversibility of the weak dimerization of vancomycin and elucidation of its interaction with VanS monomers at clinical concentration.

Hydrodynamics of the VanA-type VanS histidine kinase: an extended solution conformation and first evidence for interactions with vancomycin (2017)
Journal Article

VanA-type resistance to glycopeptide antibiotics in clinical enterococci is regulated by the VanSARA two-component signal transduction system. The nature of the molecular ligand that is recognised by the VanSA sensory component has not hitherto been... Read More about Hydrodynamics of the VanA-type VanS histidine kinase: an extended solution conformation and first evidence for interactions with vancomycin.

Assessing sedimentation equilibrium profiles in analytical ultracentrifugation experiments on macromolecules: from simple average molecular weight analysis to molecular weight distribution and interaction analysis (2016)
Journal Article

Molecular weights (molar masses), molecular weight distributions, dissociation constants and other interaction parameters are fundamental characteristics of proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides and glycoconjugates in solution. Sedimentation equil... Read More about Assessing sedimentation equilibrium profiles in analytical ultracentrifugation experiments on macromolecules: from simple average molecular weight analysis to molecular weight distribution and interaction analysis.

Solution conformation and flexibility of capsular polysaccharides from Neisseria meningitidis and glycoconjugates with the tetanus toxoid protein (2016)
Journal Article

The structural integrity of meningococcal native, micro-fluidized and activated capsular polysaccharides and their glycoconjugates – in the form most relevant to their potential use as vaccines (dilute solution) - have been investigated with respect... Read More about Solution conformation and flexibility of capsular polysaccharides from Neisseria meningitidis and glycoconjugates with the tetanus toxoid protein.

Both reversible self-association and structural changes underpin molecular viscoelasticity of mAb solutions (2016)
Journal Article

The role of antibody structure (conformation) in solution rheology is probed. It is demonstrated here that pH-dependent changes in the tertiary structure of 2 mAb solutions lead to viscoelasticity and not merely a shear viscosity (η) increase. Steady... Read More about Both reversible self-association and structural changes underpin molecular viscoelasticity of mAb solutions.

Genetic improvement of tomato by targeted control of fruit softening (2016)
Journal Article

Controlling the rate of softening to extend shelf life was a key target for researchers engineering genetically modified (GM) tomatoes in the 1990s, but only modest improvements were achieved. Hybrids grown nowadays contain 'non-ripening mutations' t... Read More about Genetic improvement of tomato by targeted control of fruit softening.

Molecular weight analysis of starches: which technique? (2016)
Journal Article

A number of methods are available to researchers for estimating molecular weights (molar masses) and molecular weight distributions of starches ? or those in solution, using an appropriate solvent/solubilisation protocol. We outline the methods avail... Read More about Molecular weight analysis of starches: which technique?.

Aspects of the analytical ultracentrifuge determination of the molar mass distribution of polysaccharides (2016)
Book Chapter

Molar mass or ‘molecular weight’ is one of the most fundamental parameters describing a macromolecule. Because of their polydisperse nature, polysaccharides are usually described by distributions of molar mass. SEC-MALS (size exclusion chromatography... Read More about Aspects of the analytical ultracentrifuge determination of the molar mass distribution of polysaccharides.

A glycoconjugate of Haemophilus influenzae Type b capsular polysaccharide with tetanus toxoid protein: hydrodynamic properties mainly influenced by the carbohydrate (2016)
Journal Article

Three important physical properties which may affect the performance of glycoconjugate vaccines against serious disease are molar mass (molecular weight), heterogeneity (polydispersity), and conformational flexibility in solution. The dilute solution... Read More about A glycoconjugate of Haemophilus influenzae Type b capsular polysaccharide with tetanus toxoid protein: hydrodynamic properties mainly influenced by the carbohydrate.

Coiled coil type neoglycoproteins presenting three lactose residues (2016)
Journal Article

Scaffold design, synthesis and application are relevant for biomedical research. For example, multivalent interactions, such as those between cell surface glycoproteins and lectins can influence the potency and duration of signalling. The spacing bet... Read More about Coiled coil type neoglycoproteins presenting three lactose residues.

Location dependent coordination chemistry and MRI relaxivity, in de novo designed lanthanide coiled coils (2015)
Journal Article

Herein, we establish for the first time the design principles for lanthanide coordination within coiled coils, and the important consequences of binding site translation. By interrogating design requirements and by systematically translating binding... Read More about Location dependent coordination chemistry and MRI relaxivity, in de novo designed lanthanide coiled coils.

Application of recent advances in hydrodynamic methods for characterising mucins in solution (2015)
Journal Article

Mucins are the primary macromolecular component of mucus—nature’s natural lubricant—although they are poorly characterised heterogeneous substances. Recent advances in hydrodynamic methodology now offer the opportunity for gaining a better understand... Read More about Application of recent advances in hydrodynamic methods for characterising mucins in solution.

Ultracentrifuge Methods for the Analysis of Polysaccharides, Glycoconjugates, and Lignins (2015)
Book Chapter

Although like proteins, polysaccharides are synthesized by enzymes, unlike proteins there is no template. This means that they are polydisperse, do not generally have compact folded structures, and are often very large with greater nonideality behavi... Read More about Ultracentrifuge Methods for the Analysis of Polysaccharides, Glycoconjugates, and Lignins.

Matrix-free hydrodynamic study on the size distribution and conformation of three technical lignins from wood and non-wood (2015)
Journal Article

Molecular weight (MW) and related conformational data of three commercially available technical lignins (Alcell L, kraft L, and soda L) have been studied by means of analytical ultracentrifugation, taking advantage of some recent developments in both... Read More about Matrix-free hydrodynamic study on the size distribution and conformation of three technical lignins from wood and non-wood.

Recent advances in the analysis of macromolecular interactions using the matrix-free method of sedimentation in the analytical ultracentrifuge (2015)
Journal Article

Sedimentation in the analytical ultracentrifuge is a matrix free solution technique with no immobilisation, columns, or membranes required and can be used to study self-association and complex or “hetero”-interactions, stoichiometry, reversibility an... Read More about Recent advances in the analysis of macromolecular interactions using the matrix-free method of sedimentation in the analytical ultracentrifuge.