Abstract: A technique for determining whether or not a fluorescent material exhibits a directionally dependent property, such as anisotropy or chirality, involves illuminating the particle at its excitation wavelength to stimulate fluorescent emission at both a full-frequency (fundamental) wavelength and a half-frequency wavelength. The ratio of the full-frequency signal strength to the half-frequency signal strength provides an indication of the sample's directionally dependent property. This half-frequency spectral analysis can be used to sort anisotropic particles suspended in fluid flowing through a flow cytometer. For instance, the present technique may be used to separate racemic mixtures of chiral enantiomers of cells, pharmaceutical compounds, and other samples.

Abstract: Methods including contacting, in the solid state, a sample comprising a first organic molecule with a composition comprising: a carbon nanotube, such that an interface forms between the sample and the composition; observing any movement of the interface; and characterizing the first organic molecule based on the observed movement are described.

Abstract: Enzyme compositions with enhanced enzyme activity and/or thermophilic and psychrophilic stability are described. Additionally, methods and kits for making and using the enzyme compositions are provided.

Abstract: The present technology provides liquid quality assessment systems and methods for their preparation and use. The systems can include a light source configured to illuminate a liquid sample, a reflecting surface configured to reflect light scattered by the liquid sample, and a detector configured to detect light intensity, wherein the light source illuminates the liquid sample with a first incident light when the reflecting surface is absent; the detector detects a first light scattered by the liquid sample in response to the first incident light; the light source illuminates the liquid sample with a second incident light when the reflecting surface is present; and the detector detects a second light which is a combination of light scattered by the liquid sample in response to the second incident light and light reflected by the reflecting surface of light scattered by the liquid sample in response to the second incident light.

Abstract: A food preservation system can include a gas (e.g., oxygen) permeable package having at least one oxygen permeable member defining a package chamber therein, and a silverized biomass in the package chamber of the oxygen permeable package. Another food preservation system can include a container having an internal chamber, and an oxygen permeable divider located in the internal chamber so as to divide the internal chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber can being configured for receiving food therein, and a silverized biomass is located in the second chamber. A method of preserving food can include retaining a food in a container that includes silverized biomass such that the food does not contact the silverized biomass. The silverized biomass can have a combination of silver and biomass.

Abstract: A method of determining the relative concentrations of enantiomeric forms of a compound in an enantiomeric mixture includes combining the enantiomeric mixture with carbon nanotubes or graphene to form a carbon-enantiomer mixture, exposing the mixture to a monochromatic polarized light, and analyzing reflected polarized light from the mixture using a differential analyzer.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for enhancing enzyme activity, half-life, thermostability, enhanced activity at elevated temperature, and/or decreasing the pH dependency of laccase enzyme. Also provided are methods for using the composition comprising the stabilized enzymes.

Abstract: Exposure to a static magnetic field changes the fluorescence intensity of a wide range of fluorophores, including small molecules (e.g., tryptophan), complex organizations of fluorophores (e.g., proteins), quantum dots, nanoparticles, and other materials. Different materials may experience different changes in fluorescence emission upon exposure to a magnetic field—for instance, some or all of a material's fluorescence emission spectrum may increase in amplitude or shift in wavelength. Different materials may also experience different changes in relaxation time, which is the time constant associated with fluorescence decay. These magnetically induced differences fluorescence emission spectra and decay can be used to identify, classify, or sort materials noninvasively.

Abstract: The present technology provides liquid quality assessment systems and methods for their preparation and use. The systems can include a light source configured to illuminate a liquid sample, a reflecting surface configured to reflect light scattered by the liquid sample, and a detector configured to detect light intensity, wherein the light source illuminates the liquid sample with a first incident light when the reflecting surface is absent; the detector detects a first light scattered by the liquid sample in response to the first incident light; the light source illuminates the liquid sample with a second incident light when the reflecting surface is present; and the detector detects a second light which is a combination of light scattered by the liquid sample in response to the second incident light and light reflected by the reflecting surface of light scattered by the liquid sample in response to the second incident light.

Abstract: A method includes detecting D2O in a sample by fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence spectroscopy may be near-infrared fluorescence spectroscopy. The method may include observing an excitation wavelength of the sample at 620 nm to 640 nm. The method may also include observing an emission wavelength of the sample at 900 nm to 1000 nm. The method includes detecting D2O and D2O nano-clusters and their alterations in presence of suspended or colloidal objects including bio-molecules or cells, by emission spectroscopy.

Abstract: The present technology provides for enzyme compositions with enhanced enzyme activity, thermophilic and psychrophilic stability.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for enhancing enzyme activity, half-life and/or thermostability. Also provided herein are compositions and methods including the enhanced enzymes. Also provided herein are methods and compositions related to improved pectinolytic enzymes, such as pectate lyase, which exhibit enhanced activity, thermostability and/or longer half-life.

Abstract: Methods including contacting, in the solid state, a sample comprising a first organic molecule with a composition comprising a carbon nanotube, such that an interface forms between the sample and the composition; observing any movement of the interface; and characterizing the first organic molecule based On the observed movement are described.

Abstract: Technologies are generally described for providing and using a material including: a template molecule; a first cluster of one or more nanoparticles located at a first site on the template molecule; and a second cluster of one or more nanoparticles located at a second site on the template molecule and spaced apart from the first cluster. In some embodiments, the first and second clusters of nanoparticles exhibit a plasmon resonance having a first resonant peak and a second resonant peak.

Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for enhancing enzyme activity, half-life, thermostability, enhanced activity at elevated temperature, and/or decreasing the pH dependency of laccase enzyme. Also provided are methods for using the composition comprising the stabilized enzymes.

Abstract: A method of determining the relative concentrations of enantiomeric forms of a compound in an enantiomeric mixture includes combining the enantiomeric mixture with carbon nanotubes or graphene to form a carbon-enantiomer mixture, exposing the mixture to a monochromatic polarized light, and analyzing reflected polarized light from the mixture using a differential analyzer.

Abstract: The present technology provides for enzyme compositions with enhanced enzyme activity, thermophilic and psychrophilic stability. Additionally, the present technology provides for methods and kits for making and using the enzyme compositions.

Abstract: Technologies are generally described for systems and methods for detecting chiral properties of materials and separating materials based on their chiral properties. A chiral vector is constructed from anisotropy properties of a polarization-dependent output signal from a sample. Different types of molecules from the sample can be differentiated based on a magnitude of the chiral vector. Chiral properties of the sample can be detected based on an angle of the chiral vector. The output signal can be a fluorescent emission from the sample and can be used to detect chiral properties of a substantially opaque sample.

Abstract: Enzyme compositions with enhanced enzyme activity and/or thermophilic and psychrophilic stability are described. Additionally, methods and kits for making and using the enzyme compositions are provided.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, compositions and devices for detecting oxygen in various samples such as environmental and biological samples.