Abstract: Disclosed is an optical cylinder of a corneal prosthesis comprising: a) an optical cylinder comprising a solid polymer, and b) a plurality of nanoparticles forming a substantially uniform layer on a circumference of the solid polymer surface of the optical cylinder. Also disclosed are methods of surface treatment of optical cylinders of corneal prostheses, and corneal prostheses thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for detecting bacteria. The method utilises a peptide that forms a complex with a conjugated reporter polymer and is susceptible to cleavage by one or more proteases on the surface of a bacteria. Presence or absence of the bacteria can be determined by assessing the optical absorption and/or colour and/or photoluminescence (e.g. fluorescence) of the conjugated reporter polymer, which may undergo a conformational change after binding with the to the cleaved peptide substrate. Specifically, the peptide substrate may comprise a cleavage site for digestion by the protease, and the protease may be an omptin protease. The conjugated reporter polymer may be selected from a polythiophene, a poly(1,4-phenylene vinylene) (PPV), a poly(1,4-phenylene) (PPP), a polyfluorenes (PFO), a nitrogen-containing polymer such as polyquinoline, poly(2,5-pyridinevinylene) (PPyV), 1,3,4-oxadiazole, and poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), and a polypyrrole.

Abstract: The invention relates to self-assembled architectures formed from polymer-lipid blends, and in particular, to tubular and vesicular self-assembled architectures formed from polymer-lipid blends. The invention further relates to a method for forming the tubular and vesicular self-assembled architectures. The invention provides a composition comprising a lipid and an amphiphilic block copolymer, wherein the amphiphilic block copolymer is capable of undergoing self-assembly to form an architecture of a first geometry, wherein the composition undergoes self-assembly to form a bilayer architecture enclosing a volume of a second geometry, wherein the second geometry is different from that of the first geometry.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical cylinder of a corneal prosthesis comprising: a) an optical cylinder comprising a solid polymer, and b) a plurality of nanoparticles forming a substantially uniform layer on a circumference of the solid polymer surface of the optical cylinder. Also disclosed are methods of surface treatment of optical cylinders of corneal prostheses, and corneal prostheses thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to self-assembled architectures formed from polymer-lipid blends, and in particular, to tubular and vesicular self-assembled architectures formed from polymer-lipid blends. The invention further relates to a method for forming the tubular and vesicular self-assembled architectures. The invention provides a composition comprising a lipid and an amphiphilic block copolymer, wherein the amphiphilic block copolymer is capable of undergoing self-assembly to form an architecture of a first geometry, wherein the composition undergoes self-assembly to form a bilayer architecture enclosing a volume of a second geometry, wherein the second geometry is different from that of the first geometry.

Abstract: A method for determining the presence of a compound in a liquid solution, by admixing the liquid solution with a plurality of nanoparticles; providing conditions effective to cause aggregation of the nanoparticles in the liquid solution in the absence of said compound in the liquid solution; and observing a detectable signal reflecting the amount of aggregation of nanoparticles in the liquid solution, wherein the presence of the compound in the liquid solution results in a detectable signal reflecting a reduced amount of aggregation of nanoparticles in the liquid solution, in comparison to the amount of aggregation of nanoparticles obtained in the liquid solution in the absence of the compound therein. A nanoparticle, a composition, a kit and a for multi-well plate for use in the method are also disclosed. In some embodiments the association is cation-, anion and/or PH induced e.g. by using helix-loop-helix polypeptides as first and second molecules attached to the nanoparticles.

Abstract: Novel peptide having a sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 1, SEQ. ID. No. 2 and/or SEQ. ID. No. 3 are disclosed and also polypeptide scaffold consisting of a four helix bundle formed of two dimerized helix-loop-helix motifs, said helix-loop-helix motifs having sequences according to SEQ. ID. No. 1, SEQ. ID. No. 2 and/or SEQ. ID. No. 3 which may comprise a fluorescent probe at the side chain of Lys15 and a ligand with affinity for a target molecule at the side chain of Lys8 or Lys34. Also disclosed are polypeptide scaffolds for use in biosensing applications with or without the polypeptide scaffold anchored to a solid surface.

Abstract: Novel peptide having a sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 1, SEQ. ID. No. 2 and/or SEQ. ID. No. 3 are disclosed and also polypeptide scaffold consisting of a four helix bundle formed of two dimerized helix-loop-helix motifs, said helix-loop-helix motifs having sequences according to SEQ. ID. No. 1, SEQ. ID. No. 2 and/or SEQ. ID. No. 3 which may comprise a fluorescent probe at the side chain of Lys15 and a ligand with affinity for a target molecule at the side chain of Lys8 or Lys34. Also disclosed are polypeptide scaffolds for use in biosensing applications with or without the polypeptide scaffold anchored to a solid surface.

Abstract: A coated metal surface on a solid support, wherein the coating consists of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of oligo(ethylene glycol)-terminated amide group-containing alkyl thiols firmly attached to the metal surface via the thiol-end and low molecular weight antigens bound via an amide-group to the SAM-forming OEG molecule, wherein the alkyl portion has 1-20 methylene groups, wherein the oligo(ethylene glycol) portion has 1-15 ethylene oxy units, and wherein the antigens, such as explosives and narcotics, are optionally reversibly bound to antibodies specific for the antigens, is disclosed. The coated metal surface on a solid support may be used in a method of detecting analyte antigens as part of an analysis device, such as a Piezoelectric Crystal Microbalance device or a Surface Plasmon Resonance biosensor, for detection in an aqueous solution of an analyte antigen with higher affinity to an antibody than the antigen of the coating by monitoring the displacement of the antibody from the coating.

Abstract: A coated metal surface on a solid support, wherein the coating consists of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of oligo(ethylene glycol)-terminated amide group-containing alkyl thiols firmly attached to the metal surface via the thiol-end and low molecular weight antigens bound via an amide-group to the SAM-forming OEG molecule, wherein the alkyl portion has 1-20 methylene groups, wherein the oligo(ethylene glycol) portion has 1-15 ethylene oxy units, and wherein the antigens, such as explosives and narcotics, are optionally reversibly bound to antibodies specific for the antigens, is disclosed. The coated metal surface on a solid support may be used in a method of detecting analyte antigens as part of an analysis device, such as a Piezoelectric Crystal Microbalance device or a Surface Plasmon Resonance biosensor, for detection in an aqueous solution of an analyte antigen with higher affinity to an antibody than the antigen of the coating by monitoring the displacement of the antibody from the coating.

Abstract: Novel peptide having a sequence according to SEQ. ID. No. 1, SEQ. ID. No. 2 and/or SEQ. ID. No. 3 are disclosed and also polypeptide scaffold consisting of a four helix bundle formed of two dimerized helix-loop-helix motifs, said helix-loop-helix motifs having sequences according to SEQ. ID. No. 1, SEQ. ID. No. 2 and/or SEQ. ID. No. 3 which may comprise a fluorescent probe at the side chain of Lys15 and a ligand with affinity for a target molecule at the side chain of Lys8 or Lys34. Also disclosed are polypeptide scaffolds for use in biosensing applications with or without the polypeptide scaffold anchored to a solid surface.