Staff

Abstract:
In neuroscience, the acquisition of neural signals from the brain cortex is crucial to analyze brain processes, detect neurological disorders, and offer therapeutic brain–computer interfaces. The design of neural interfaces conformable to the brain tissue is one of today’s major challenges since the insufficient biocompatibility of those systems provokes a fibrotic encapsulation response, leading to an inaccurate signal recording and tissue damage precluding long-term/permanent implants. The design and production of a novel soft neural biointerface made of polyacrylamide hydrogels loaded with plasmonic silver nanocubes are reported herein. Hydrogels are surrounded by a silicon-based template as a supporting element for guaranteeing an intimate neural-hydrogel contact while making possible stable recordings from specific sites in the brain cortex. The nanostructured hydrogels show superior electroconductivity while mimicking the mechanical characteristics of the brain tissue. Furthermore, in vitro biological tests performed by culturing neural progenitor cells demonstrate the biocompatibility of hydrogels along with neuronal differentiation. In vivo chronic neuroinflammation tests on a mouse model show no adverse immune response toward the nanostructured hydrogel-based neural interface. Additionally, electrocorticography acquisitions indicate that the proposed platform permits long-term efficient recordings of neural signals, revealing the suitability of the system as a chronic neural biointerface.

Keywords:
brain−machine interface,conductive hydrogels,nanostructured biomaterials,in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility,long-term neural recording

Abstract:
The four most popular water models in molecular dynamics were studied in large-scale simulations of Brownian motion of colloidal particles in optical tweezers and then compared with experimental measurements in the same time scale. We present the most direct comparison of col- loidal polystyrene particle diffusion in molecular dynamics simulations and experimental data on the same time scales in the ballistic regime. The four most popular water models, all of which take into account electrostatic interactions, are tested and compared based on yielded results and re- sources required. Three different conditions were simulated: a freely moving particle and one in a potential force field with two different strengths based on 1 pN/nm and 10 pN/nm. In all cases, the diameter of the colloidal particle was 50 nm. The acquired data were compared with experimental measurements performed using optical tweezers with position capture rates as high as 125 MHz. The experiments were performed in pure water on polystyrene particles with a 1 μm diameter in special microchannel cells.

Keywords:
Brownian motion,molecular dynamics,optical tweezers,ballistic regime

Abstract:
Intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) are widely used to fabricate biomaterials; their application in neural tissue engineering, however, is severely limited because of their hydrophobicity and insufficient mechanical properties. For these reasons, soft conductive polymer hydrogels (CPHs) are recently developed, resulting in a water-based system with tissue-like mechanical, biological, and electrical properties. The strategy of incorporating ICPs as a conductive component into CPHs is recently explored by synthesizing the hydrogel around ICP chains, thus forming a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN). In this work, a novel conductive semi-IPN hydrogel is designed and synthesized. The hybrid hydrogel is based on a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N-isopropylmethacrylamide) hydrogel where polythiophene is introduced as an ICP to provide the system with good electrical properties. The fabrication of the hybrid hydrogel in an aqueous medium is made possible by modifying and synthesizing the monomers of polythiophene to ensure water solubility. The morphological, chemical, thermal, electrical, electrochemical, and mechanical properties of semi-IPNs were fully investigated. Additionally, the biological response of neural progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells in contact with the conductive semi-IPN was evaluated in terms of neural differentiation and proliferation. Lastly, the potential of the hydrogel solution as a 3D printing ink was evaluated through the 3D laser printing method. The presented results revealed that the proposed 3D printable conductive semi-IPN system is a good candidate as a scaffold for neural tissue applications.

Abstract:
Multifunctional nanomaterials with the ability torespond to near-infrared (NIR) light stimulation are vital for thedevelopment of highly efficient biomedical nanoplatforms with apolytherapeutic approach. Inspired by the mesoglea structure ofjellyfish bells, a biomimetic multifunctional nanostructured pillowwith fast photothermal responsiveness for NIR light-controlled on-demand drug delivery is developed. We fabricate a nanoplatformwith several hierarchical levels designed to generate a series ofcontrolled, rapid, and reversible cascade-like structural changesupon NIR light irradiation. The mechanical contraction of thenanostructured platform, resulting from the increase of temper-ature to 42°C due to plasmonic hydrogel−light interaction, causesa rapid expulsion of water from the inner structure, passing through an electrospun membrane anchored onto the hydrogel core. Themutual effects of the rise in temperature and waterflow stimulate the release of molecules from the nanofibers. To expand thepotential applications of the biomimetic platform, the photothermal responsiveness to reach the typical temperature level forperforming photothermal therapy (PTT) is designed. The on-demand drug model penetration into pig tissue demonstrates theefficiency of the nanostructured platform in the rapid and controlled release of molecules, while the high biocompatibility confirmsthe pillow potential for biomedical applications based on the NIR light-driven multitherapy strategy.

Keywords:
bioinspired materials, NIR-light responsive nanomaterials, multifunctional platforms, electrospun nanofibers, plasmonic hydrogel, photothermal-based polytherapy, on-demand drug delivery

Abstract:
Highly efficient single-material organic solar cells (SMOCs) based on fullerene-grafted polythiophenes were fabricated by incorporating electrospun one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures obtained from polymer chain stretching. Poly(3-alkylthiophene) chains were chemically tailored in order to reduce the side effects of charge recombination which severely affected SMOC photovoltaic performance. This enabled us to synthesize a donor–acceptor conjugated copolymer with high solubility, molecular weight, regioregularity, and fullerene content. We investigated the correlations among the active layer hierarchical structure given by the inclusion of electrospun nanofibers and the solar cell photovoltaic properties. The results indicated that SMOC efficiency can be strongly increased by optimizing the supramolecular and nanoscale structure of the active layer, while achieving the highest reported efficiency value (PCE = 5.58%). The enhanced performance may be attributed to well-packed and properly oriented polymer chains. Overall, our work demonstrates that the active material structure optimization obtained by including electrospun nanofibers plays a pivotal role in the development of efficient SMOCs and suggests an interesting perspective for the improvement of copolymer-based photovoltaic device performance using an alternative pathway.

Abstract:
The recent progress in bioengineering has created great interest in the dynamics and manipulation of long, deformable macromolecules interacting with fluid flow. We report experimental data on the cross-flow migration, bending, and buckling of extremely deformable hydrogel nanofilaments conveyed by an oscillatory flow into a microchannel. The changes in migration velocity and filament orientation are related to the flow velocity and the filament's initial position, deformation, and length. The observed migration dynamics of hydrogel filaments qualitatively confirms the validity of the previously developed worm-like bead-chain hydrodynamic model. The experimental data collected may help to verify the role of hydrodynamic interactions in molecular simulations of long molecular chains dynamics.

Abstract:
While a significant progress has recently been made in therapy of many cancers, the cure for some high grade cancers, such as the astrocytic cancers, remains elusive. In the latter case, specificity and functionality of the brain tissue limit the options available to surgical and chemotherapeutic treatments. In view of the prospects of reversible blood-brain barrier opening, we have investigated the possibility of a transfection of malignant astrocyte cells with novel graphene oxide nanosheet (GONS) nanocarrier-supported molecular beacons (MB) encoded for the detection of a biomarker survivin (Sur). The behavior of GONS-supported SurMBs (GONS@SurMB) has been characterized using fluorescence spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, melting transients, resonance elastic light scattering, and cell viability testing. With the GONS@SurMB, we have achieved the limit of detection for tDNA at 37°C: LOD = 24 nM (S/N = 3). In tests with complementary targets and mismatched strands, the proposed fluorescent turn-on GONS@SurMB probes have shown a single-nucleotide polymorphism sensitivity. We have demonstrated the transfection of U-87 MG astrocyte cells with GONS@SurMB nanocarriers which release SurMB upon mRNA detection. The MTT tests indicate that the GONS carrier concentrations up to 133 μg/mL are not cytotoxic to astrocyte cells, although a cell assembly has been encountered at higher carrier concentrations. The GONS alone does not assemble appreciably up to 80 μg/mL. The proposed method can be used for the detection of Sur mRNA in malignant cells and the GONS@SurMB nanocarriers can also be considered as viable candidates for future gene therapy of brain cancers.

Keywords:
Survivin detection, Molecular beacon, Graphene oxide nanocarrier, Survivin mRNA, U-87 malignant glioma cells

Abstract:
In this article, we report on the production by electrospinning of P3HT/PEO, P3HT/PEO/GO, and P3HT/PEO/rGO nanofibers in which the filler is homogeneously dispersed and parallel oriented along the fibers axis. The effect of nanofillers' presence inside nanofibers and GO reduction was studied, in order to reveal the influence of the new hierarchical structure on the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. An in-depth characterization of the purity and regioregularity of the starting P3HT as well as the morphology and chemical structure of GO and rGO was carried out. The morphology of the electrospun nanofibers was examined by both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The fibrous nanocomposites are also characterized by differential scanning calorimetry to investigate their chemical structure and polymer chains arrangements. Finally, the electrical conductivity of the electrospun fibers and the elastic modulus of the single fibers are evaluated using a four-point probe method and atomic force microscopy nanoindentation, respectively. The electrospun materials crystallinity as well as the elastic modulus increase with the addition of the nanofillers while the electrical conductivity is positively influenced by the GO reduction.

Keywords:
electrospun composite nanofibers, poly(3-hexylthiophene), graphene oxide, electrical conductivity, mechanical properties

Abstract:
The role of mechanical properties is essential to understand molecular, biological materials, and nanostructures dynamics and interaction processes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is the most commonly used method of direct force evaluation, but due to its technical limitations this single probe technique is unable to detect forces with femtonewton resolution. In this paper we present the development of a combined atomic force microscopy and optical tweezers (AFM/OT) instrument. The focused laser beam, on which optical tweezers are based, provides us with the ability to manipulate small dielectric objects and to use it as a high spatial and temporal resolution displacement and force sensor in the same AFM scanning zone. We demonstrate the possibility to develop a combined instrument with high potential in nanomechanics, molecules manipulation and biological studies. AFM/OT equipment is described and characterized by studying the ability to trap dielectric objects and quantifying the detectable and applicable forces. Finally, optical tweezers calibration methods and instrument applications are given.

Keywords:
optical trap, nanomanipulation, nanomechanics, femtonewton forces

Abstract:
Albumin is rarely used for electrospinning because it does not form fibres in its native globular form. This paper presents a novel method for electrospinning human albumin from a solution containing pharmaceutical grade protein and 25% polyethylene oxide (PEO) used as the fibre-forming agent. After spontaneous cross-linking at body temperature, with no further chemicals added, the fibres become insoluble and the excess PEO can be washed out. Albumin deposited along the fibres retains its native characteristics, such as its non-adhesiveness to cells and its susceptibility for degradation by macrophages. To demonstrate this we evaluated the mechanical properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability of this novel product. After subcutaneous implantation in mice, albumin mats were completely resorbable within six days and elicited only a limited local inflammatory response. In vitro, the mats suppressed cell attachment and migration. As this product is inexpensive, produced from human pharmaceutical grade albumin without chemical modifications, retains its native protein properties and fulfils the specific requirements for anti-adhesive dressings, its clinical use can be expedited. We believe that it could specifically be used when treating paediatric patients with epidermolysis bullosa, in whom non-healing wounds occur after minor hand injuries which lead to rapid adhesions and devastating contractures.

Keywords:
albumin, nanofibers, wound dressing, biocompatibility, bioresorption

Abstract:
Recent biomedical hydrogels applications require the development of nanostructures with controlled diameter and adjustable mechanical properties. Here we present a technique for the production of flexible nanofilaments to be used as drug carriers or in microfluidics, with deformability and elasticity resembling those of long DNA chains. The fabrication method is based on the core-shell electrospinning technique with core solution polymerisation post electrospinning. Produced from the nanofibers highly deformable hydrogel nanofilaments are characterised by their Brownian motion and bending dynamics. The evaluated mechanical properties are compared with AFM nanoindentation tests.

Correction: Hydrogel Nanofilaments via Core-Shell Electrospinning, Nakielski P., Pawłowska S., Pierini F., Liwińska W., Hejduk P., Zembrzycki K., Zabost E., Kowalewski T.A., PLOS ONE, ISSN: 1932-6203, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133458, Vol.10, No.7, pp.e0133458-1-2, 2015

Keywords:
Gels, Nanomaterials, Atomic force microscopy, Polymerization, Bending, Mass diffusivity, Mechanical properties, Hydrodynamics

Abstract:
The presented work is devoted to a new simple method of determination of the energy storage rate (the ratio of the stored energy increment to the plastic work increment) that allows obtaining distribution of this quantity in the area of strain localization. The method is based on the simultaneous measurements of the temperature and displacement distributions on the specimen surface during a tensile deformation. The experimental procedure involves two complementary techniques: i.e. infrared thermography (IRT) and visible light imaging. It has been experimentally shown that during the evolution of plastic strain localization the energy storage rate in some areas of the deformed specimen drops to zero. It can be treated as the plastic instability criterion.

Keywords:
Infrared thermography, Energy storage rate distribution, Strain localization, Plastic instability criterion, Texture evolution

Abstract:
Drug delivery systems based on nanofibrous mats appear to be a promising healing practice for preventing brain neurodegeneration after surgery. One of the problems encountered during planning and constructing optimal delivery system based on nanofibrous mats is the estimation of parameters crucial for predicting drug release dynamics. This study describes our experimental setup allowing for spatial and temporary evaluation of drug release from nanofibrous polymers to obtain data necessary to validate appropriate numerical models. We applied laser light sheet method to illuminate released fluorescent drug analog and CCD camera for imaging selected cross-section of the investigated volume. Transparent hydrogel was used as a brain tissue phantom. The proposed setup allows for continuous observation of drug analog (fluorescent dye) diffusion for time span of several weeks. Images captured at selected time intervals were processed to determine concentration profiles and drug release kinetics. We used presented method to evaluate drug release from several polymers to validate numerical model used for optimizing nanofiber system for neuroprotective dressing.

Keywords:
neural therapy, brain phantom, drug delivery, laser light sheet, computational modeling, nanofibers

Abstract:
Materials containing suspended micro- or nanomaterials are used extensively in multiple fields of research and industry. In order to understand the behavior of nanomaterials suspended in a liquid, the knowledge of particle stability and mobility is fundamental. For this reason, it is necessary to know the nanoscale solid-solid interaction and the hydrodynamic properties of the particles. In the presented research we used a hybrid Atomic Force Microscope coupled with Optical Tweezers system to measure the femtonewton scale interaction forces acting between single particles and the walls of a microchannel at different separation distances and environmental conditions. We show an important improvement in a typical detection system that increases the signal to noise ratio for more accurate position detection at very low separation distances.

Keywords:
Optical Tweezers, Atomic Force Microscopy, particle-wall interaction, colloid stability

Abstract:
The current task of contemporary fluid mechanics evidently moves from modeling large scale turbulence to lower, molecular scale limit, where assumption of a continuous and deterministic description becomes questionable again. Once the scaling length of flow becomes comparable with structure dimensions, transport phenomena are strongly modulated by molecular interactions and its proper interpretation needs involvement of deeper physics. New experimental tools largely help in understanding transport phenomena at nanoscales. In the following review we give few examples of problems appealing for new theoretical and numerical models embracing continuous flow modeling with molecular scale phenomena.

Abstract:
The present work is devoted to experimental determination of the energy storage rate in the area of strain localization. The experimental procedure involves two complementary techniques: i.e. infrared thermography (IRT) and visible light imaging. The results of experiments have shown that during the evolution of plastic strain localization the energy storage rate in some areas of the deformed specimen drops to zero. To interpret the decrease of the energy storage rate in terms of micro-mechanisms, microstructural observations using electron back scattered diffraction (EBSC) were performed.

Keywords:
energy balance, strain localization, infrared thermography, texture evolution

Abstract:
In this preliminary work we introduce a new method for verification of the no-slip boundary condition on the liquid-solid interface, by analyzing variations in Brownian motion coefficients of colloidal nanoparticles as a function of distance from the wall. The experimental investigations are performed in a small channel using an epi-fluorescent microscope. For precise measurements close to the wall an evanescent wave illumination is used. The experimental data obtained for 300nm particles gave us evidence of relatively large (0.3μm) slip length. The experiments are supplemented by two-dimensional Molecular Dynamics simulations.

Abstract:
Gaining knowledge of the solid-solid interactions and hydrodynamic and mechanical properties is crucial for understanding the processes and dynamics of molecular interactions, biological and nano- structures and also to find their future applications. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a versatile technique for nanoscale imaging purposes and for quantify analysis of force at the nanonewton scale. Unfortunately, due to technical limitations and restrictions related to the mechanical properties of cantilevers, this technique cannot detect small forces on the femtonewton scale and analyse the stiffness of very soft materials such as biological tissues or hydrogels. AFM is also use to manipulate materials, however, AFM-based manipulation systems are slow and imprecise. To distinguish, Optical Tweezers (OT) are scientific instruments that can trap small particles and manipulate nano- and micro-materials with much higher precision. The AFM / OT hybrid system is a high-resolution imaging instrument with a lower force limit of detection. It is capable of non-invasively manipulating of nanomaterials, single molecules and living cells, measuring forces with femtonewton accuracy, detecting motion with nanometer (10-9 m) precision and to manipulate objects, but also to obtain images directly in the same sample. The combination of AFM with Optical Tweezers will provide significant advances in biophysical research and in the study of the mechanical properties of nanomaterials [1]. In our system we combine Optical Tweezers with commercial AFM to create an instrument capable of working in hybrid mode. It allows simultaneous manipulation of biological systems of greater complexity and the analysis of their properties. Performed by us, experiments showed that AFM/OT system is a unique technique for visualization of the analysed materials, trapping single micro-objects and measure the interactions (in the range of femtonewton) between single particles. The results obtained by AFM/OT confirm that this equipment is a very useful technique also for determination the mechanical properties of very soft materials (e.g. hydrogels) [2].

Abstract:
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an evolution of scanning tunnelling microscopy that immediately gained popularity thanks to its ability to analyse nanomaterials. Initially, AFM was developed for nanomaterials imaging purposes, however the development of new features made it the most commonly used tool for studying the biophysical properties of biological samples. On the other hand, atomic force microscopy has limited use for examining sub-piconewton forces. Few techniques have been developed to measure forces below the AFM limit of detection. Among them, optical tweezers (OT) stand out for their high resolution, flexibility, and because they make it possible to accurately manipulate biological samples and carry out biophysics experiments without side effects thanks to their non-invasive properties. The combination of AFM with other techniques in the last decades has significantly extended its capability. The improvement of the AFM force resolution by developing a hybrid double probe instrument based on the combination of AFM and OT has great potential in cell or molecular biology. [1] We outline principles of atomic force microscopy combined with optical tweezers (AFM/OT) developed by our team underlying the techniques applied during the design, building and instrument use stages. We describe the experimental procedure for calibration of the system and we prove the achievement of a higher resolution (force: 10 fN – spatial: 0.1 nm – temporal: 10 ns) than the stand alone AFM. We show the use of the hybrid equipment in a number of different biophysics experiments performed employing both AFM and OT probes. The presented studies include the demonstration of simultaneous high-precision nanomanipulation and imaging, the evaluation of single biomolecule mechanical properties and the single cell membrane activation and probing. Finally, we show the further potential applications of our AFM/OT.

Keywords:
AFM, Optical Tweezers

Keywords:
thermal fluctuations, lateral migration, flexible filaments

Keywords:
Atomic force microscopy/optical tweezers, Nanomanipulation, Single particles analysis, Interaction force measurement, DLVO theory

Keywords:
Hydrogel Nanofilaments, Bending Dynamics, Poiseuille Flow, Electrospinning

Abstract:
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is the most commonly used method of direct force evaluation, but due to its technical limitations this single probe technique is unable to detect forces with femtonewton resolution. We present the development of a combined atomic force microscopy and optical tweezers (AFM/OT) instrument. The optical tweezers system provides us the ability to manipulate small dielectric objects and to use it as a high spatial and temporal resolution displacement and force sensor in the same AFM scanning zone. We demonstrate the possibility to develop a combined instrument with high potential in nanomechanics, molecules manipulation and biologic al studies. The presented study is aimed to quantify the interaction forces between two single polystyrene particles in the femtonewton scale by using the developed AFM/OT equipment.

Keywords:
optical trap, nanomanipulation, femtonewtons

Abstract:
Mobility of hydrogel nanofilaments suspended in liquid is investigated to gain basic knowledge on hydrodynamic interactions biased by Brownian fluctuations. Typical for long macromolecules effects like spontaneous conformational changes and cross-flow migration are observed and evaluated. The collected experimental data can be used to validate assumptions present in numerical models describing intercellular transport of long biomolecules.

Keywords:
persistence length, macromolecules, electrospinning, DNA, Brownian motion

Abstract:
We propose a microscale experimental model in form of highly deformable nanofilaments, which permits for precise optical measurements and to evaluate hydrodynamic interactions (mobility). The conducted research includes determination of the mechanical properties of elastic hydrogel nanofilaments obtained by electrospinning that can serve as experimental benchmark to validate theoretical and numerical models describing dynamics of long biological molecules (e.g. proteins, DNA). Nanofilaments mechanical properties are determined by studying their dynamic bending. in shear flow and deformations due to the thermal fluctuations (Brownian motion). These results are compared with AFM nanoindentation measurements. Data obtained from this research project will be a base to crea te biocompatible nanoobjects that can become tools for the regeneration of tissue (e.g. neural tissue).

Keywords:
Biocompatible nanoobjects, highly deformable nanofilaments, regeneration of tissue

Abstract:
Controlled drug delivery systems are used to improve the conventional administration of drugs. One of the main challenges is to synthesize materials able to find a defined target and to release drugs in a controlled manner [1]. Several research tasks have been focused on developing ideal drug delivery systems made by hydrogel due to their unique properties [2]. The present study is based on the idea that soft and flexible nanomaterials can easily travel in crowed environments of body fluids and biological tissues. Modification of their mechanical properties obtained by changing of the cross-linker amount may give us the possibility to tune the material rigidity according to desired application. Here, we describe a novel method based on coaxial electrospinning for obtaining highly flexible hydrogel nanofilaments able to transport and release dedicated molecules. Two different types of hydrogels (poly(N,Nisopropyl acrylamide) and polyacrylamide) with three polymer/cross-linker ratios were produced and deeply studied. The nanofilaments morphology was characterized and the release of bovine serum albumin as a function of time was quantified. Mechanical properties of highly deformable hydrogel nanofilaments were evaluated by bending dynamics and Brownian motion observation techniques. The calculated mechanical properties were compared with data obtained by nanoindention. The results highlight the crucial role of morphology and stiffness on mobility of nanofilaments colloid systems. The information gained are fundamental to design nanoobjects with well-defined chemical and physical behaviour.

Keywords:
Nanofilaments, electrospinning, core-shell method, hydrogel

Abstract:
In this talk we would like to tackle general question of contemporary fluid dynamics, how far its assumption of a continuous, smooth medium remains useful when size and time scales start to approach molecular ones. The question is not trivial and seems to depend on several additional factors usually minored. For example, when full Navier-Stokes equations are replaced by their linear approximation we are loosing basic characteristics of convective motion, and still we use such approach. Once our fluid becomes granular matter with its own internal properties, proper interpretation of flow interactions with other molecular structures probably needs deeper physics. But still we try to convert such problem to the classical macro/micro scale description. Hence a general question arises, how small does a fluid have to be before it is not a fluid anymore?

Keywords:
microfluidics, nanofluids, Brownian motion, nanofilaments

Keywords:
Nanofilaments, hydrogel filaments, nanofibres, long nanoobjects deformability

Keywords:
nanofilaments, hydrogel, long molecules flexibility

Keywords:
electrospinning, flexible nanorods, Brownian motion

Keywords:
nanomanipulation, optical trap, optical tweezers

Keywords:
Nanoparticles, Brownian motion, hydrodynamic diameter

Keywords:
Nanoparticles, polystyrene beads, surface properties, atomic force microscopy, hydrodynamic properties