Abstract: The invention relates to a material consisting of an aqueous dispersion of PEG-coated nanoparticles of maghemite. The process for preparing said material consists in polymerizing ethylene oxide in the presence of nanoparticles of maghemite in an aqueous dispersion. The polymerization is initiated using reactive groups which are capable of initiating the polymerization of ethylene oxide without the addition of a catalyst, and which are attached to the nanoparticles of maghemite by means of a coupling agent comprising an alkoxysilyl group and one or more of said reactive groups. Applications: contrast agent for MRI.

Abstract: The dimerization of HIV RNA is a key step in the virus replication cycle. Based on RNA DIS crystal structures, a novel kind of compounds, dimeric or not, based on neamine was designed and synthesized. Biological studies showed that such compounds bind and interfere with the targeted RNA sequence, opening a new anti-HIV approach. The crystal structures and bio-chemical experiments showed that the DIS of HIV-1 genomic RNA is a target for new anti-HIV drugs and that those drugs could be derived from aminoglycosides. The results revealed that binding of aminoglycosides to the DIS is specific regarding both the aminoglycoside family and the RNA subtype.

Abstract: The invention relates to a material consisting of an aqueous dispersion of PEG-coated nanoparticles of maghemite. The process for preparing said material consists in polymerizing ethylene oxide in the presence of nanoparticles of maghemite in an aqueous dispersion. The polymerization is initiated using reactive groups which are capable of initiating the polymerization of ethylene oxide without the addition of a catalyst, and which are attached to the nanoparticles of maghemite by means of a coupling agent comprising an alkoxysilyl group and one or more of said reactive groups. Applications: contrast agent for MRI.

Abstract: A protein crystal having the processivity clamp factor of DNA polymerase that is the ? subunit of DNA polymerase III of Escherichia coli and a peptide of about 3 to about 30 amino acids, in particular of about 16 amino acids. The peptide includes all or part of the processivity clamp factor binding sequence of a processivity clamp factor interacting protein, such as prokaryotic Pol I, Pol II, Pol III, Pol IV, Pol V, MutS, ligase I, ? subunit of DNA polymerase, UmuD or UmuD?, or eukaryotic pol ?, pol ?, pol ?, pol ?, pol ?.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a protein crystal comprising the processivity clamp factor of DNA polymerase and a peptide of about 3 to about 30 amino acids, in particular of about 16 amino acids, said peptide comprising all or part of the processivity clamp factor binding sequence of a processivity clamp factor interacting protein, such as prokaryotic Pol I, Pol II, Pol III, Pol IV, Pol V, MutS, ligase I, ? subunit of DNA polymerase, UmuD or UmuD?, or eukaryotic pol ?, pol ?, pol ?, pol ?, pol ?.