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In this Perspective, a vision of a fully reconfigurable microfluidic device that can change its shape and function dynamically is outlined. Reconfigurable microfluidic platforms can enable new functionalities, which have the potential to go beyond the reach of current lab-on-a-chip systems.
Microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) can determine the structure of proteins from crystals that are orders of magnitude smaller than those used by X-ray methods. Here, the application of MicroED to protein–ligand complexes is reviewed.
We propose that life originated in spontaneously formed catalytic lipid micelles. Accumulating experimental evidence shows that such micelles undergo compositional autocatalytic reproduction. Lipid-first constitutes a parsimonious alternative to the RNA-first scenario.
Reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) are evaluated in terms of their mechanistic strengths and weaknesses, versatility and latest synthetic advances.
Although a stalwart in materials science, electron diffraction has only recently become popular for characterizing molecular structures. This Perspective describes practical aspects of the method, which affords complementary information to X-ray and neutron diffraction.
Implementing effective chemomechanical coupling in the microscopic world is challenging. This Perspective describes recent advances of chemically-powered swimming or diffusion of objects on the molecular scale, nanoscale and microscale.
Understanding the relationship between reaction rate and thermodynamic driving force is central to developing efficient catalysts. This Perspective describes this relationship and the conditions that can give rise to reversible catalysis, which is relevant to energy conversions of fuels and motor proteins alike.
Theoretical models of clusters that account for molecular symmetry offer guidelines for their design. This Perspective describes the models and how we can synthesize the clusters thus designed.
