Abstract: The invention relates to a method for identifying substances which are suitable to be used as medicaments for treating virus infections or for testing the effectiveness of such substances. The invention also relates to the use of a corresponding method for observing the infection route and/or the infection mechanism of viruses in cells, especially viruses that are provided for gene transfers for gene expression or as vectors and/or for gene therapy.

Abstract: Compositions of bacteriorhodopsin variants with increased memory time and their use for reversible optical information recording are disclosed. The compositions are characterized in that the configuration of the retinal of the photoproduct is different from the configuration of the retinal of the initial state and other than 13-cis; the pH value of the composition lies between 3 and 11; the water content of the composition lies between 1 and 30% by weight with respect to the total weight of the composition; and additives for modulating the proton mobility are present in a concentration between 1 and 80% by weight of the mass of purple membrane composition used, and if required matrix materials in a concentration of up to 10% by weight with respect to the total weight of the composition are present. These compositions may be used in reversible information recording systems.

Abstract: In the case of the electrochemical enzyme biosensor comprising noble metal electrodes, an electrochemical oxidation of pyridine nucleotides takes place, in particular of NADH. The noble metal electrodes have a microtexture rich in surface pores and having catalytic properties, as a result of which the overpotential required for electrochemical oxidation of the pyridine nucleotides is reduced. Owing to these microtextures, the surface area of an electrode is from 3 to 10 times larger than its geometric surface area.

Abstract: Purple membrane preparations having an increased holographic diffraction efficiency. The purple membrane preparations have a diffraction efficiency of less than 5 seconds and a resolution of greater than 1,500 lines/mm. The purple membrane preparations are obtainable by adjusting a purple membrane suspension having a photocycle time of at least 10 ms to a pH of between 6 and 11 by means of a buffer, adding from 1% to 10% by weight of a proton donor to this purple membrane suspension, and drying the resultant suspension down to a water content of from 1% to 30% by weight.

Abstract: The invention relates to optical elements based on helical liquid-crystalline substances, having reflection bands of linear-polarized light, and to a process for preparing the same. The optical elements of this invention contain only one optically effective component based on helical liquid-crystalline substances. They reflect light incident perpendicular to the surface in a linear-polarized manner parallel to the direction of incidence of the incident light. The process for preparing the optical elements comprises illuminating a helical liquid-crystalline substance which contains at least one photoisomerizable substance with linear-polarized light in such a manner that this substance is subsequently aligned so that it exhibits at least one reflection band of linear-polarized light on illumination. Suitable helical liquid-crystalline substances are in particular organopolysiloxanes. The optical elements are suitable, for example, for data storage.

Abstract: In processes of holography using bacteriorhodopsin-based recording media, it is essential to design the signal-to-noise ratio to be as favorable as possible. This is achieved by recording the hologram using circularly polarized light and reconstructing the hologram by using linearly polarized light, specific beam components being selected as a function of polarization in the beam path of the reconstructed hologram. The process is suitable both for purely holographic applications and also for other processes which include one or more intermediate or partial steps involving holography.