When the Aß peptides aggregate into
soluble oligomeric clusters, they form
central nervous system neurotoxins known
as amyloid-ß-derived diffusible ligands
(ADDLs). The assembly of ADDLs is
currently thought to be a pathogenic
process in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Understanding the molecular structure and
properties of ADDLs could prove useful in
the...
Silver nanoparticles exhibit distinctive
optical properties. When exposed to
electromagnetic radiation, a noble metal
nanoparticle demonstrates the unique
optical property of localized surface
plasmon resonance (LSPR). LSPR is
measured through an extinction spectrum,
the sum of absorption and Rayleigh
scattering, which results when the
collective oscillation of electrons is
resonant...
In many biological systems, ligand-receptor
pairs bind to each other via noncovalent
interactions such as hydrogen-bonding and
Van der Waals forces. This project’s method
of studying these interactions uses electron
transfer theory. When a receptor binds to a
redox-modified ligand, there is a change in
the reorganization energy of the...
Germanium (Ge) nanowires were grown via
the vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism
and surface-doped with manganese (Mn).
The nanowires were annealed at 350˚ C for
30 min to promote the Mn diffusion.
Pulsed-laser local electrode atom probe
tomography was used to determine the
concentration and distribution of Mn in the
Ge nanowires....
In this research project, particle sorting of
Brownian liquids was explored by sweeping
two noncoherent pairs of parallel optical
standing waves in a translating medium.
Each wave was created by interfering two
coherent beams of light, and the resulting
fringe periods were determined by the angle
of intersection. Adjusting the...
Chip-based devices and biosensors
incorporate the attachment of biomolecules
at interfaces. The behavior of biomolecules
at the surface and interfaces differs from the
behavior of biomolecules in the bulk solution.
Surface-analysis techniques are therefore
required to characterize these interfaces.
Second harmonic generation (SHG) has been
used to characterize DNA on...