FREE Enantioselective silyl protection of alcohols catalysed by an amino-acid-based small molecule. - pp67 - 70

Yu Zhao, Jason Rodrigo, Amir H. Hoveyda and Marc L. Snapper.

Nature 2006 September 7 443

Reliable, selective, and environmentally friendly chemical reactions are often needed to efficiently synthesize natural products and therapeutics. Although a number of catalysts are available for such syntheses, chemists often search for new ones that can produce organic molecules in high yields and high enantiomeric purity. These authors have developed a simple metal-free catalyst that can be used to protect a specific alcohol with a silyl protecting group without modifying another alcohol nearby. They obtained high yields and enantioselectivities for a number of substrates and hope that this catalyst could lead to new 'green' catalysts capable of producing important organic molecules.

Abstract Enantioselective silyl protection of alcohols catalysed by an amino-acid-based small molecule. | Full text Enantioselective silyl protection of alcohols catalysed by an amino-acid-based small molecule. | PDF Enantioselective silyl protection of alcohols catalysed by an amino-acid-based small molecule.

FREE An unnatural hydrophobic base pair system: site-specific incorporation of nucleotide analogs into DNA and RNA. - pp729 - 735

Ichiro Hirao, Michiko Kimoto, Tsuneo Mitsui, Tsuyoshi Fujiwara, Rie Kawai, Akira Sato, Yoko Harada, Shigeyuki Yokoyama.

Nature Methods 2006 September 3 (9)

Though many researchers have been working towards expanding the DNA alphabet to include unnatural bases, few have been implemented for practical biological applications. Hirao and colleagues have designed a novel hydrophobic DNA base pair that can be amplified by PCR with high fidelity and transcribed into RNA with high efficiency, as well as allowing site-specific labeling of RNA with chemical probes.

Abstract An unnatural hydrophobic base pair system: site-specific incorporation of nucleotide analogs into DNA and RNA. | Full text An unnatural hydrophobic base pair system: site-specific incorporation of nucleotide analogs into DNA and RNA. | PDF An unnatural hydrophobic base pair system: site-specific incorporation of nucleotide analogs into DNA and RNA.

FREE Adaptive liquid microlenses activated by stimuli-responsive hydrogels. - pp551 – 4

Dong L, Agarwal AK, Beebe DJ, Jiang H

Nature 2006 August 3 442 (7102)

Who has not heard of stimuli-responsive hydrogels, the materials that drastically change their volume when sensing the presence of specific biological or chemical agents, or particular temperature or pH values? Now hydrogels have been integrated into microfluidic systems as the autonomous controls over liquid microlenses, by serving as water droplet containers that force the droplet to change shape - and hence focal length - when targeted stimuli are present. The microlenses can have any focal length and are readily integrated into arrays for lab-on-a-chip sensing or diagnostic applications.

Abstract – Adaptive liquid microlenses activated by stimuli-responsive hydrogels. | Full text – Adaptive liquid microlenses activated by stimuli-responsive hydrogels. | PDF – Adaptive liquid microlenses activated by stimuli-responsive hydrogels.

FREE Total biosynthesis of antitumor nonribosomal peptides in Escherichia coli. - pp423 – 8

Watanabe K, Hotta K, Praseuth AP, Koketsu K, Migita A, Boddy CN, Wang CC, Oguri H, Oikawa H

Nature Chemical Biology 2006 August 2 (8)

Bacteria often serve as natural product factories to produce proteins and other biologically interesting materials in cases where host organisms are difficult to culture or manipulate. Yet the introduction and expression of these foreign materials is not always straightforward. Watanabe et al. now use heterologous expression to reconstruct the biosynthetic pathway for echinomycin, a nonribosomal peptide, in E. coli, facilitating the first investigation into the unusual conversion of echniomycin's disulfide bond to a methyl thioacetal.

Abstract – Total biosynthesis of antitumor nonribosomal peptides in Escherichia coli. | Full text – Total biosynthesis of antitumor nonribosomal peptides in Escherichia coli. | PDF – Total biosynthesis of antitumor nonribosomal peptides in Escherichia coli.

FREE Mesostructured germanium with cubic pore symmetry. - pp1122 – 5

Armatas GS, Kanatzidis MG.

Nature 2006 June 29 441 (7097)

Abstract – Mesostructured germanium with cubic pore symmetry. | Full text – Mesostructured germanium with cubic pore symmetry. | PDF – Mesostructured germanium with cubic pore symmetry.

FREE Hexagonal nanoporous germanium through surfactant-driven self-assembly of Zintl clusters. - pp1126 – 30

Sun D, Riley AE, Cadby AJ, Richman EK, Korlann SD, Tolbert SH

Nature 2006 June 29 441 (7097)

Abstract – Hexagonal nanoporous germanium through surfactant-driven self-assembly of Zintl clusters. | Full text – Hexagonal nanoporous germanium through surfactant-driven self-assembly of Zintl clusters. | PDF – Hexagonal nanoporous germanium through surfactant-driven self-assembly of Zintl clusters.

'Porous' silicon was hailed as an exciting new material for microelectronics when it was first produced 15 years ago. It provided an alternative range of properties to complement those of crystalline silicon. Now germanium, another element important in microelectronics, has come under scrutiny, and two groups report the use of a technique called surfactant templating to synthesize germanium with ordered pores: one group obtains cubic, and the other, hexagonal geometry. Initial investigations show that, as with porous silicon, these materials also have differing properties to their bulk counterparts.

FREE Synthesis and structural analysis of 2-quinuclidonium tetrafluoroborate. - pp731 – 4

Tani K, Stoltz BM

Nature 2006 June 8 441 (7094)

The amide bond is ubiquitous in chemistry and biology. In acyclic compounds, amide bonds are often planar. In bicyclic bridgehead lactams, however, amide groups are highly twisted, and a 1938 publication by Czech chemist Rudolf Lukes drew attention to the intriguing properties of these 'twisted amides'. Intriguing yes, but hard to make. Now Kousuke Tani and Brian Stoltz report the first unambiguous synthesis, isolation, and X-ray crystallographic characterization of a compound containing a twisted amide bond. The synthesis avoids the conventional route for classical amide bond formation, and the availability of compounds made in this way should lead to a greater understanding of the properties of amide bonds.

Abstract – Synthesis and structural analysis of 2-quinuclidonium tetrafluoroborate. | Full text – Synthesis and structural analysis of 2-quinuclidonium tetrafluoroborate. | PDF – Synthesis and structural analysis of 2-quinuclidonium tetrafluoroborate.

FREE Thermodynamic control of asymmetric amplification in amino acid catalysis. - pp621 – 3

Klussmann M, Iwamura H, Mathew SP, Wells DH Jr, Pandya U, Armstrong A, Blackmond DG

Nature 2006 June 1 441 (7093)

Asymmetric amplification - the generation of chiral product molecules so that one enantiomer seems amplified over expected values - can prove valuable for the synthesis of chirally pure molecules. The phenomenon is usually attributed to autocatalysis, but this study reminds us that simple physical effects should not be ignored: the equilibrium solid-liquid phase behaviour of amino acids can ensure that despite a small imbalance in the starting material, the amino acids in solution will exhibit a strong bias towards one chiral form that then dominates the enantiomeric outcome of subsequent, amino-acid-catalysed reactions.

Abstract – Thermodynamic control of asymmetric amplification in amino acid catalysis. | Full text – Thermodynamic control of asymmetric amplification in amino acid catalysis. | PDF – Thermodynamic control of asymmetric amplification in amino acid catalysis.

FREE Photocontrolled living polymerizations. - pp467 – 70

Tanabe M, Vandermeulen GW, Chan WY, Cyr PW, Vanderark L, Rider DA, Manners I

Nature Materials 2006 June 5 (6)

Living polymerisations are commonly used to synthesize well-defined macromolecules such as star and block polymers. The use of photoexcited monomers allows unprecedented control over the structures, and access to new types of block copolymers is possible by simply turning the light off and on in between sequential addition of different reagents.

Abstract – Photocontrolled living polymerizations. | Full text – Photocontrolled living polymerizations. | PDF – Photocontrolled living polymerizations.

FREE Site-specific PEGylation of native disulfide bonds in therapeutic proteins. - pp312 – 13

Shaunak S, Godwin A, Choi JW, Balan S, Pedone E, Vijayarangam D, Heidelberger S, Teo I, Zloh M, Brocchini S

Nature Chemical Biology 2006 June 2 (6)

The ubiquitous disulfide bonds found in proteins have traditionally been thought of as resistant to chemical modification. Shaunak et al. now report otherwise. They were able to modify at least three different proteins by adding PEG to a 3-carbon bridge introduced between internal sulfur atoms. Introducing PEG into interferon alpha-2b stabilizes the protein while retaining its activity, making it particularly useful for therapeutic use against Hepatitis C.

Abstract – Site-specific PEGylation of native disulfide bonds in therapeutic proteins. | Full text – Site-specific PEGylation of native disulfide bonds in therapeutic proteins. | PDF – Site-specific PEGylation of native disulfide bonds in therapeutic proteins.

Folding DNA to create nanoscale shapes and patterns. - pp297 - 302

Rothemund PW.

Nature 2006 Mar 16 440 (7082) doi:10.1038/nature04586

"Bottom-up" fabrication aims to create nanostructures by guiding the self-assembly and autonomous ordering of atoms and molecules. In this paper, the author has developed a robust "bottom-up" method that uses a few hundred short DNA strands to "staple" a very long strand - containing 7,176 nucleotides - into two-dimensional structures that are 100 nm in diameter and can resemble any desired shape such as squares, "nanofaces," and stars.

Abstract - Folding DNA to create nanoscale shapes and patterns. | Full text - Folding DNA to create nanoscale shapes and patterns. | PDF - Folding DNA to create nanoscale shapes and patterns.

Ever-fluctuating single enzyme molecules: Michaelis-Menten equation revisited. - pp239 - 245

English BP, Min W, van Oijen AM, Lee KT, Luo G, Sun H, Cherayil BJ, Kou SC, Xie XS.

Nature Chemical Biology 2006 Feb 2 (2) doi:10.1038/nchembio759

The Michaelis-Menten equation has proven invaluable for analyzing the behavior of ensembles of enzymes in solution. By following the turnover of single enzyme molecules, Xie and colleagues demonstrate the validity of the Michaelis-Menten at the single molecule level, yet at the same time highlight the individual behavior of enzyme molecules.

Abstract - Ever-fluctuating single enzyme molecules: Michaelis-Menten equation revisited. | Full text - How T cells 'see' antigen | PDF - Ever-fluctuating single enzyme molecules: Michaelis-Menten equation revisited.

The nitrodibenzofuran chromophore: a new caging group for ultra-efficient photolysis in living cells. - pp35 – 40

Momotake A, Lindegger N, Niggli E, Barsotti RJ, Ellis-Davies GC.

Nature Methods 2006 January 3 (1) doi:10.1038/nmeth821

The synthesis and application is described for a new nitrodibenzofuran-based caging chromophore, for studying the dynamics of fast biological processes. The new calcium caging group can be photoactivated by a 2-photon light source, which is significantly less destructive to living cells than traditional caging compounds.

Abstract – The nitrodibenzofuran chromophore: a new caging group for ultra-efficient photolysis in living cells. | Full text – The nitrodibenzofuran chromophore: a new caging group for ultra-efficient photolysis in living cells. | PDF – The nitrodibenzofuran chromophore: a new caging group for ultra-efficient photolysis in living cells.

Allosteric control of an ionotropic glutamate receptor with an optical switch. - pp47 – 52

Volgraf M, Gorostiza P, Numano R, Kramer RH, Isacoff EY, Trauner D.

Nature Chemical Biology 2006 January 2 (1) doi:10.1038/nchembio756

Naturally occurring mammalian ion channels do not directly respond to light; however, inducing channel activity with light would provide a very precise method for regulating activity. By attaching an agonist to the receptor through a photo-isomerizable linker, Trauner and colleagues have engineered a light-responsive glutamate receptor.

Abstract – Allosteric control of an ionotropic glutamate receptor with an optical switch. | Full text – Allosteric control of an ionotropic glutamate receptor with an optical switch. | PDF – Allosteric control of an ionotropic glutamate receptor with an optical switch.

Light-induced gene transfer from packaged DNA enveloped in a dendrimeric photosensitizer. - pp934 – 41

Nishiyama N, Iriyama A, Jang WD, Miyata K, Itaka K, Inoue Y, Takahashi H, Yanagi Y, Tamaki Y, Koyama H, Kataoka K.

Nature Materials 2005 December 4 (12) doi:10.1038/nmat1524

The site and moment when a gene carrier will release its cargo and endow the cells of a specific tissue with the correspondent protein, can be controlled simply with a low-power laser, thanks to a non-viral system in which DNA is enveloped in an anionic dendrimer phthalocyanine.

Abstract – Light-induced gene transfer from packaged DNA enveloped in a dendrimeric photosensitizer. | Full text – Light-induced gene transfer from packaged DNA enveloped in a dendrimeric photosensitizer. | PDF – Light-induced gene transfer from packaged DNA enveloped in a dendrimeric photosensitizer.

Intrinsic dynamics of an enzyme underlies catalysis. - pp117 – 21

Eisenmesser EZ, Millet O, Labeikovsky W, Korzhnev DM, Wolf-Watz M, Bosco DA, Skalicky JJ, Kay LE, Kern D.

Nature 2005 Nov 3 438 (7064) doi:10.1038/nature04105

Enzymes are obviously not static structures in solution – for this reason, the dynamic nature of proteins has been proposed to have important functions during catalysis. In this paper, the authors showed that the intrinsic plasticity of the prolyl cis–trans isomerase cyclophilin A was a key characteristic of catalysis. The characteristic enzyme motions detected during catalysis are already present in the free enzyme with frequencies corresponding to the catalytic turnover rates, suggesting that the protein motions necessary for catalysis are an intrinsic property of the enzyme and may even limit the overall turnover rate.

Abstract – Intrinsic dynamics of an enzyme underlies catalysis. | Full text – Intrinsic dynamics of an enzyme underlies catalysis. | PDF – Intrinsic dynamics of an enzyme underlies catalysis.

Mixture of new sulfated steroids functions as a migratory pheromone in the sea lamprey. - pp324 – 8

Sorensen PW, Fine JM, Dvornikovs V, Jeffrey CS, Shao F, Wang J, Vrieze LA, Anderson KR, Hoye TR.

Nature Chemical Biology November 2005 1 (6) doi:10.1038/nchembio739

The sea lamprey is an invasive species in the Great Lakes of North America that has devastated the regional fishing industry. Sorenson, Hoye and coworkers characterized the structures of a mixture of secreted steroid-like compounds that attract lamprey larvae to spawning grounds, providing a new approach for controlling these parasitic organisms.

Abstract – Mixture of new sulfated steroids functions as a migratory pheromone in the sea lamprey. | Full text – Mixture of new sulfated steroids functions as a migratory pheromone in the sea lamprey. | PDF – Mixture of new sulfated steroids functions as a migratory pheromone in the sea lamprey.

Fluorescein as a model molecular calculator with reset capability. - pp768 – 71

Margulies D, Melman G, Shanzer A.

Nature Materials 2005 October 4 (10) doi:10.1038/nmat1469

Investigation of the absorption spectral changes that occur on a very simple and well know molecule – fluorescein – when the pH of the solution is modified show that binary logic functions, which may ultimately lead to arithmetic operations, can be implemented with extremely simple chemical systems.

Abstract – Fluorescein as a model molecular calculator with reset capability. | Full text – Fluorescein as a model molecular calculator with reset capability. | PDF – Fluorescein as a model molecular calculator with reset capability.

A mesoporous germanium oxide with crystalline pore walls and its chiral derivative. - pp716 – 9

Zou X, Conradsson T, Klingstedt M, Dadachov MS, O'Keeffe M.

Nature 2005 Sep 2 437 (7059) doi:10.1038/nature04097

Amorphous pore walls have previously been a fundamental limitation ot the practical capability of porous metal oxides. This paper reports a new family of germanium oxides which exhibit very low framework densities, huge pores and, most importantly, crystalline pore walls. The pores form a series of interpenetrating left- and right-handed gyroids running in three dimensions; pores of one specific 'handedness' can be blocked leaving a chiral channel system.

Abstract – A mesoporous germanium oxide with crystalline pore walls and its chiral derivative. | Full text – A mesoporous germanium oxide with crystalline pore walls and its chiral derivative. | PDF – A mesoporous germanium oxide with crystalline pore walls and its chiral derivative.

Macroscopic transport by synthetic molecular machines. - pp704 – 10

Berna J, Leigh DA, Lubomska M, Mendoza SM, Perez EM, Rudolf P, Teobaldi G, Zerbetto F.

Nature Materials 2005 September 4 (9) doi:10.1038/nmat1455

Nature uses molecular motors for virtually every significant biological process. Now, smart coupling of light-induced molecular motion with a change in surface wettability provides an efficient way to drive a liquid drop up an incline.

Abstract – Macroscopic transport by synthetic molecular machines. | Full text – Macroscopic transport by synthetic molecular machines. | PDF – Macroscopic transport by synthetic molecular machines.

Catalytic enantioselective reactions driven by photoinduced electron transfer. - pp1139 – 40

Bauer A, Westkamper F, Grimme S, Bach T.

Nature 2005 Aug 2 436 (7054) doi:10.1038/nature03955

In this paper, the authors used an electron-accepting chiral organocatalyst that enforced a chiral environment on the substrate through hydrogen bonding and showed that the photoinduced electron transfer reaction proceeded with considerable turnover and high enantioselectivity.

Abstract – Catalytic enantioselective reactions driven by photoinduced electron transfer. | Full text – Catalytic enantioselective reactions driven by photoinduced electron transfer. | PDF – Catalytic enantioselective reactions driven by photoinduced electron transfer.

Quantitative phosphoproteome analysis using a dendrimer conjugation chemistry and tandem mass spectrometry. - pp591 – 8

Tao WA, Wollscheid B, O'Brien R, Eng JK, Li XJ, Bodenmiller B, Watts JD, Hood L, Aebersold R.

Nature Methods 2005 Aug 2 (8) doi:10.1038/nmeth776

A polymeric dendrimer can be used to covalently capture and enrich phosphorylated peptides; the large size of the dendrimer makes it easy to selectively filter. The phosphopeptides are released by acid hydrolysis for mass spectrometry analysis and quantification.

Abstract – Quantitative phosphoproteome analysis using a dendrimer conjugation chemistry and tandem mass spectrometry. | Full text – Quantitative phosphoproteome analysis using a dendrimer conjugation chemistry and tandem mass spectrometry. | PDF – Quantitative phosphoproteome analysis using a dendrimer conjugation chemistry and tandem mass spectrometry.

Mycobactin-mediated iron acquisition within macrophages. - pp149 – 53

Luo M, Fadeev EA, Groves JT.

Nature Chemical Biology 2005 Aug1 (3) doi:10.1038/nchembio717

Mycobacterium tuberculosis resides within macrophages, and little is known about how it acquires the iron necessary for infection. Groves and colleagues demonstrate that a lipophilic siderophore from mycobacteria, mycobactin J, can capture intracellular iron.

Abstract – Mycobactin-mediated iron acquisition within macrophages. | Full text – Mycobactin-mediated iron acquisition within macrophages. | PDF – Mycobactin-mediated iron acquisition within macrophages.

High-throughput assays for promiscuous inhibitors. - pp146 – 8

Feng BY, Shelat A, Doman TN, Guy RK, Shoichet BK.

Nature Chemical Biology 2005 Aug 1 (3) doi:10.1038/nchembio718

Distinguishing between specific and non-specific inhibitors is one challenge in identifying promising drug leads from high-throughput screening 'hits'. Shoichet and colleagues report a rapid assay for identifying non-specific inhibitors.

Abstract – High-throughput assays for promiscuous inhibitors. | Full text – High-throughput assays for promiscuous inhibitors. | PDF – High-throughput assays for promiscuous inhibitors.

Highly controlled acetylene accommodation in a metal-organic microporous material. - pp238 – 41

Matsuda R, Kitaura R, Kitagawa S, Kubota Y, Belosludov RV, Kobayashi TC, Sakamoto H, Chiba T, Takata M, Kawazoe Y, Mita Y.

Nature 2005 Jul 1 436 (7048) doi:10.1038/nature03852

Kitagawa et al report high levels of selective sorption of acetylene molecules onto the functionalized surface of a metal-organic microporous material. The acetylene molecules are held at a periodic distance from one another by hydrogen bonding. The approach permits the stable storage of acetylene at a density 200 times the safe compression limit of free acetylene at room temperature.

Abstract – Highly controlled acetylene accommodation in a metal-organic microporous material. | Full text – Highly controlled acetylene accommodation in a metal-organic microporous material. | PDF – Highly controlled acetylene accommodation in a metal-organic microporous material.

Doping semiconductor nanocrystals. - pp91 – 4

Erwin SC, Zu L, Haftel MI, Efros AL, Kennedy TA, Norris DJ.

Nature 2005 July 436 (7047) doi:10.1038/nature03832

The properties of bulk semiconductors can be modified by doping, the intentional incorporation of impurities. The same method applied to semiconductor nanocrystals has had only limited success. In this paper, a microscopic explanation of how dopants are incorporated into growing semiconductor nanocrystals provides pointers as to how these problems might be overcome.

Abstract – Doping semiconductor nanocrystals. | Full text – Doping semiconductor nanocrystals. | PDF – Doping semiconductor nanocrystals.

A second-site suppressor strategy for chemical genetic analysis of diverse protein kinases. - pp345 – 41

Zhang C, Kenski DM, Paulson JL, Bonshtien A, Sessa G, Cross JV, Templeton DJ, Shokat KM.

Nature Methods 2005 Jun 2 (6) doi:10.1038/nmeth764

Kinases can be probed with synthetic inhibitors and ATP analogs by mutating the large "gatekeeper" residue to a much smaller amino acid; however, a significant proportion of kinases do not tolerate these mutations. To restore activity in these kinases (and to obtain complete kinome coverage), a bacterial genetic selection strategy has been used to identify second-site suppressor mutations which "rescue" the gatekeeper

Abstract – A second-site suppressor strategy for chemical genetic analysis of diverse protein kinases. | Full text – A second-site suppressor strategy for chemical genetic analysis of diverse protein kinases. | PDF – A second-site suppressor strategy for chemical genetic analysis of diverse protein kinases.

An inhibitor of Bcl-2 family proteins induces regression of solid tumours. - pp677 – 81

Oltersdorf T, Elmore SW, Shoemaker AR, Armstrong RC, Augeri DJ, Belli BA, Bruncko M, Deckwerth TL, Dinges J, Hajduk PJ, Joseph MK, Kitada S, Korsmeyer SJ, Kunzer AR, Letai A, Li C, Mitten MJ, Nettesheim DG, Ng S, Nimmer PM, O'Connor JM, Oleksijew A, Petros AM, Reed JC, Shen W, Tahir SK, Thompson CB, Tomaselli KJ, Wang B, Wendt MD, Zhang H, Fesik SW, Rosenberg SH.

Nature 2005 Jun 435 (7042)doi:10.1038/nature03579

In this paper, the authors showed that nuclear magnetic resonance-based screening could be used to find new potential anti-cancer agents – they found a small-molecule inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and Bcl-w that had an affinity two to three orders of magnitude more potent than previously reported compounds. This compound causes regression of established tumours and produces cures in a high percentage of treated mice.

Abstract – An inhibitor of Bcl-2 family proteins induces regression of solid tumours. | Full text – An inhibitor of Bcl-2 family proteins induces regression of solid tumours. | PDF – An inhibitor of Bcl-2 family proteins induces regression of solid tumours.

Field regulation of single-molecule conductivity by a charged surface atom. - pp658 – 61

Piva PG, DiLabio GA, Pitters JL, Zikovsky J, Rezeq M, Dogel S, Hofer WA, Wolkow RA.

Nature 2005 Jun 435 (7042) doi:10.1038/nature03563

Molecular electronics – the idea that individual molecules might serve as functional electronic devices – is an exciting proposition. Now, even substrates can be put to work in this context: the electrostatic field associated with a charged silicon surface atom (a so-called dangling bond) regulates electrical conduction through nearby substrate-bound organic molecules. This effect can be externally controlled and causes conductivity changes of substantial magnitude even at room temperature.

Abstract – Field regulation of single-molecule conductivity by a charged surface atom. | Full text – Field regulation of single-molecule conductivity by a charged surface atom. | PDF – Field regulation of single-molecule conductivity by a charged surface atom.

Dynamics of Drosophila embryonic patterning network perturbed in space and time using microfluidics. - pp1134 – 8

Lucchetta EM, Lee JH, Fu LA, Patel NH, Ismagilov RF.

Nature 2005 Apr 2 434 (7037) doi:10.1038/nature03509

Microfluidics and 'lab on a chip' technology have been used in a wide range of applications, including the synthesis of chemical compounds and the analysis of biological systems. In this paper, the authors showed that microfluidics could be used to achieve spatial and temporal regulation of embryonic development of Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract – Dynamics of Drosophila embryonic patterning network perturbed in space and time using microfluidics. | Full text – Dynamics of Drosophila embryonic patterning network perturbed in space and time using microfluidics. | PDF – Dynamics of Drosophila embryonic patterning network perturbed in space and time using microfluidics.

Crystal structure of a membrane-bound metalloenzyme that catalyses the biological oxidation of methane. - pp177-82

Lieberman RL, Rosenzweig AC.

Nature 2005 Mar 1 434 (7030) doi:10.1038/nature03311

Particulate methane monooxygenase from the methanotroph Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) is a membrane protein that catalyses the conversion of methane to methanol – this paper reports the first X-ray crystal structure of this metalloenzyme and shows that there are three possible metal-containing sites that could be where the catalytic event occurs. But which one is it?

Abstract – Crystal structure of a membrane-bound metalloenzyme that catalyses the biological oxidation of methane. | Full text – Crystal structure of a membrane-bound metalloenzyme that catalyses the biological oxidation of methane. | PDF – Crystal structure of a membrane-bound metalloenzyme that catalyses the biological oxidation of methane.

Self-directed self-assembly of nanoparticle/copolymer mixtures. - pp55 – 9

Lin Y, Boker A, He J, Sill K, Xiang H, Abetz C, Li X, Wang J, Emrick T, Long S, Wang Q, Balazs A, Russell TP.

Nature 2005 Mar 434 (7029) doi:10.1038/nature03310

This paper demonstrates that mixtures of diblock copolymers and either cadmium selenide- or ferritin-based nanoparticles exhibit cooperative, coupled self-assembly on the nanoscale. Organization of both the polymeric and particulate entities is achieved without the use of external fields opening a simple and general route for fabrication of nanostructured materials with hierarchical order.

Abstract – Self-directed self-assembly of nanoparticle/copolymer mixtures. | Full text – Self-directed self-assembly of nanoparticle/copolymer mixtures. | PDF – Self-directed self-assembly of nanoparticle/copolymer mixtures.

Quantum chemical calculations show that the uranium molecule U2 has a quintuple bond. - pp848 – 51

Gagliardi L, Roos BO.

Nature 2005 Feb 2 433 (7028) doi:10.1038/nature03249

These authors used a computational approach to show that although the strength of the U2 bond is comparable to that of multiple bonds for other transition metals, the bonding pattern is unique: the molecule has ten bonding electrons – three electron-pair bonds and four one-electron bonds.

Abstract – Quantum chemical calculations show that the uranium molecule U2 has a quintuple bond. | Full text – Quantum chemical calculations show that the uranium molecule U2 has a quintuple bond. | PDF – Quantum chemical calculations show that the uranium molecule U2 has a quintuple bond.

Synthesis of the H-cluster framework of iron-only hydrogenase. - pp610 – 3

Tard C, Liu X, Ibrahim SK, Bruschi M, De Gioia L, Davies SC, Yang X, Wang LS, Sawers G, Pickett CJ.

Nature 2005 Feb 1 433 (7026) doi:10.1038/nature03298

Bio-inorganic chemists are often inspired by Nature and develop catalysts based on the metal centers of various metalloproteins – in this paper, the authors synthesized the H-cluster framework of the iron-only hydrogenase, which contains a di-iron subsite and a {4Fe4S} cluster.

Abstract – Synthesis of the H-cluster framework of iron-only hydrogenase. | Full text – Synthesis of the H-cluster framework of iron-only hydrogenase. | PDF – Synthesis of the H-cluster framework of iron-only hydrogenase.

Polyene-lipids: a new tool to image lipids. - pp39 – 45

Kuerschner L, Ejsing CS, Ekroos K, Shevchenko A, Anderson KI, Thiele C.

Nature Methods 2005 2 (1) doi:10.1038/nmeth728

Synthesis and application of a new fluorescent polyene tag for lipid imaging in live mammalian cells; the polyene tag is less disruptive to the native lipid structure than traditional lipid tags.

Abstract – Polyene-lipids: a new tool to image lipids. | Full text – Polyene-lipids: a new tool to image lipids. | PDF – Polyene-lipids: a new tool to image lipids.