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A novel particulate delivery vehicle based on the degradable biopolymer dextran was used to safely transport genetic material across cell membranes. The biocompatibility and its unique tunability differentiate this new carrier system from previous particle systems, showing high potential for the treatment of several disease models in RNA interference related applications.

Hydrophilically substituted diterpenes of the structural class of serrulatanes have attracted attention as novel antibacterial compounds. Two highly active serrulatanes convert into orange products upon separation from the plant resin extract, and this oxidative instability may be related to the mechanism of antibacterial action.

Multivalent and monovalent vaccine candidates were synthesized with the help of an azide alkyne cycloaddition (click) reaction and their ability to self-assemble under aqueous conditions was examined. The LCP conjugates possessing two different epitopes, in contrast to monoepitopic constructs, formed potentially more immunogenic small nanoparticles (5–15 nm) presumably owing to a suitable hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance of the molecules.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have gained great interest in the biomedical field due to their biocompatibility and unique magnetic properties. In this work, a green method using the supercritical antisolvent system was successfully employed to produce encapsulated SPIONs of diameters less than 200 nm with an encapsulation efficiency of 70 %.

The one-step conversion of benzopyranones to the heptacyclic spiroacetal core of cynandione B using methylmagnesium bromide has been achieved. The process involves a tandem Grignard addition/aldol/spiroacetal forming reaction sequence. X-ray crystal structure analysis has established the relative configuration in these novel heterocyclic products.

Mesoporous chromia films deposited onto 300–400-nm gap ITO junction electrodes reveal both mobile and trapped surface charges during oxidation.

We describe a simple, efficient, and green method for the synthesis of perimidine derivatives from various ketones and naphthalene-1,8-diamine using bis(oxalato)boric acid (HBOB) as a catalyst. The methodology provides an easily handled and recyclable catalyst for this type of reaction as an alternative platform to the conventional acid-catalyzed thermal processes.