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Item Open Access Precision 3D‐printed cell scaffolds mimicking native tissue composition and mechanics(2020) Erben, Amelie; Hörning, Marcel; Hartmann, Bastian; Becke, Tanja; Eisler, Stephan A.; Southan, Alexander; Cranz, Séverine; Hayden, Oliver; Kneidinger, Nikolaus; Königshoff, Melanie; Lindner, Michael; Tovar, Günter E. M.; Burgstaller, Gerald; Clausen‐Schaumann, Hauke; Sudhop, Stefanie; Heymann, MichaelCellular dynamics are modeled by the 3D architecture and mechanics of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and vice versa. These bidirectional cell‐ECM interactions are the basis for all vital tissues, many of which have been investigated in 2D environments over the last decades. Experimental approaches to mimic in vivo cell niches in 3D with the highest biological conformity and resolution can enable new insights into these cell‐ECM interactions including proliferation, differentiation, migration, and invasion assays. Here, two‐photon stereolithography is adopted to print up to mm‐sized high‐precision 3D cell scaffolds at micrometer resolution with defined mechanical properties from protein‐based resins, such as bovine serum albumin or gelatin methacryloyl. By modifying the manufacturing process including two‐pass printing or post‐print crosslinking, high precision scaffolds with varying Young's moduli ranging from 7‐300 kPa are printed and quantified through atomic force microscopy. The impact of varying scaffold topographies on the dynamics of colonizing cells is observed using mouse myoblast cells and a 3D‐lung microtissue replica colonized with primary human lung fibroblast. This approach will allow for a systematic investigation of single‐cell and tissue dynamics in response to defined mechanical and bio‐molecular cues and is ultimately scalable to full organs.Item Open Access Nano-in-micro-particles consisting of PLGA nanoparticles embedded in chitosan microparticles via spray-drying enhances their uptake in the olfactory mucosa(2021) Spindler, Lena Marie; Feuerhake, Andreas; Ladel, Simone; Günday, Cemre; Flamm, Johannes; Günday-Türeli, Nazende; Türeli, Emre; Tovar, Günter E. M.; Schindowski, Katharina; Gruber-Traub, CarmenIntranasal delivery has gained prominence since 1990, when the olfactory mucosa was recognized as the window to the brain and the central nervous system (CNS); this has enabled the direct site specific targeting of neurological diseases for the first time. Intranasal delivery is a promising route because general limitations, such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are circumvented. In the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) or Alzheimer’s disease, for example, future treatment prospects include specialized particles as delivery vehicles. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles are well known as promising delivery systems, especially in the area of nose-to-brain (N2B) delivery. Chitosan is also broadly known as a functional additive due to its ability to open tight junctions. In this study, we produced PLGA nanoparticles of different sizes and revealed for the first time their size-time-dependent uptake mechanism into the lamina propria of porcine olfactory mucosa. The intracellular uptake was observed for 80 and 175 nm within only 5 min after application to the epithelium. After 15 min, even 520 nm particles were detected, associated with nuclei. Especially the presence of only 520 nm particles in neuronal fibers is remarkable, implying transcellular and intracellular transport via the olfactory or the trigeminal nerve to the brain and the CNS. Additionally, we developed successfully specialized Nano-in-Micro particles (NiMPs) for the first time via spray drying, consisting of PLGA nanoparticles embedded into chitosan microparticles, characterized by high encapsulation efficiencies up to 51%, reproducible and uniform size distribution, as well as smooth surface. Application of NiMPs accelerated the uptake compared to purely applied PLGA nanoparticles. NiMPs were spread over the whole transverse section of the olfactory mucosa within 15 min. Faster uptake is attributed to additional paracellular transport, which was examined via tight-junction-opening. Furthermore, a separate chitosan penetration gradient of ∼150 µm caused by dissociation from PLGA nanoparticles was observed within 15 min in the lamina propria, which was demonstrated to be proportional to an immunoreactivity gradient of CD14. Due to the beneficial properties of the utilized chitosan-derivative, regarding molecular weight (150-300 kDa), degree of deacetylation (80%), and particle size (0.1-10 µm) we concluded that M2-macrophages herein initiated an anti-inflammatory reaction, which seems to already take place within 15 min following chitosan particle application. In conclusion, we demonstrated the possibility for PLGA nanoparticles, as well as for chitosan NiMPs, to take all three prominent intranasal delivery pathways to the brain and the CNS; namely transcellular, intracellular via neuronal cells, and paracellular transport.Item Open Access Physical interactions strengthen chemical gelatin methacryloyl gels(2019) Rebers, Lisa; Granse, Tobias; Tovar, Günter E. M.; Southan, Alexander; Borchers, KirstenChemically cross-linkable gelatin methacryloyl (GM) derivatives are getting increasing attention regarding biomedical applications. Thus, thorough investigations are needed to achieve full understanding and control of the physico-chemical behavior of these promising biomaterials. We previously introduced gelatin methacryloyl acetyl (GMA) derivatives, which can be used to control physical network formation (solution viscosity, sol-gel transition) independently from chemical cross-linking by variation of the methacryloyl-to-acetyl ratio. It is known that temperature dependent physical network formation significantly influences the mechanical properties of chemically cross-linked GM hydrogels. We investigated the temperature sensitivity of GM derivatives with different degrees of modification (GM2, GM10), or similar degrees of modification but different methacryloyl contents (GM10, GM2A8). Rheological analysis showed that the low modified GM2 forms strong physical gels upon cooling while GM10 and GM2A8 form soft or no gels. Yet, compression testing revealed that all photo cross-linked GM(A) hydrogels were stronger if cooling was applied during hydrogel preparation. We suggest that the hydrophobic methacryloyl and acetyl residues disturb triple helix formation with increasing degree of modification, but additionally form hydrophobic structures, which facilitate chemical cross-linking.Item Open Access Patterns of autologous and nonautologous interactions between core nuclear egress complex (NEC) proteins of α-, β- and γ-herpesviruses(2020) Häge, Sigrun; Sonntag, Eric; Borst, Eva Maria; Tannig, Pierre; Seyler, Lisa; Bäuerle, Tobias; Bailer, Susanne M.; Lee, Chung-Pei; Müller, Regina; Wangen, Christina; Milbradt, Jens; Marschall, ManfredNuclear egress is a regulated process shared by α-, β- and γ-herpesviruses. The core nuclear egress complex (NEC) is composed of the membrane-anchored protein homologs of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) pUL50, murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) pM50, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BFRF1 or varicella zoster virus (VZV) Orf24, which interact with the autologous NEC partners pUL53, pM53, BFLF2 or Orf27, respectively. Their recruitment of additional proteins leads to the assembly of a multicomponent NEC, coordinately regulating viral nucleocytoplasmic capsid egress. Here, the functionality of VZV, HCMV, MCMV and EBV core NECs was investigated by coimmunoprecipitation and confocal imaging analyses. Furthermore, a recombinant MCMV, harboring a replacement of ORF M50 by UL50, was analyzed both in vitro and in vivo. In essence, core NEC interactions were strictly limited to autologous NEC pairs and only included one measurable nonautologous interaction between the homologs of HCMV and MCMV. A comparative analysis of MCMV-WT versus MCMV-UL50-infected murine fibroblasts revealed almost identical phenotypes on the levels of protein and genomic replication kinetics. In infected BALB/c mice, virus spread to lung and other organs was found comparable between these viruses, thus stating functional complementarity. In conclusion, our study underlines that herpesviral core NEC proteins are functionally conserved regarding complementarity of core NEC interactions, which were found either virus-specific or restricted within subfamilies.Item Open Access Fusionsforschung : eine Einführung(2020) Köhn-Seemann, AlfIn diesem Vortrag wird ein Überblick und eine Einleitung in das Gebiet der Fusionsforschung gegeben.Item Open Access Acid catalyzed cross‐linking of polyvinyl alcohol for humidifier membranes(2021) Michele, Andre; Paschkowski, Patrick; Hänel, Christopher; Tovar, Günter E. M.; Schiestel, Thomas; Southan, AlexanderPolyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a hydrophilic polymer well known for good film forming properties, high water vapor permeance JW, and low nitrogen permeance. However, depending on molar mass and temperature, PVA swells strongly in water until complete dissolution. This behavior affects the usability of PVA in aqueous environments and makes cross‐linking necessary if higher structural integrity is envisaged. In this work, PVA networks are formed by thermal cross‐linking in the presence of p‐toluenesulfonic acid (TSA) and investigated in a design of experiments approach. Experimental parameters are the cross‐linking period tc, temperature ϑ and the TSA mass fraction wTSA. Cross‐linking is found to proceed via ether bond formation at all reaction conditions. Degradation is promoted especially by a combination of high wTSA, tc and ϑ. Thermal stability of the networks after preparation is strongly improved by neutralizing residual TSA. Humidification membranes with a JW of 6423 ± 63.0 gas permeation units (GPU) are fabricated by coating PVA on polyvinyliden fluoride hollow fibers and cross‐linking with TSA. Summarizing, the present study contributes to a clearer insight into the cross‐linking of PVA in presence of TSA, the thermal stability of the resulting networks and the applicability as selective membrane layers for water vapor transfer.Item Open Access Herstellung, Charakterisierung und Weiterverarbeitung von Carbon Nanotube Dispersionen(2013) Moller, Björn P.; Hirth, Thomas (Prof. Dr. rer. nat)Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, das Dispergierverhalten von Carbon Nanotubes systematisch zu untersuchen, und die Einflussgrößen zur Herstellung optimierter sowohl wässriger als auch lösemittelbasierter Dispersionen zu bewerten. Aus diesen Dispersionen wurden dann sowohl reine CNT-Membranen als auch Polymer-Komposit-Membranen entwickelt und charakterisiert. Die vorliegende Arbeit gliedert sich in sechs Hauptkapitel. Nach einer Einführung, die die Moti-vation und Zielsetzung der Arbeit darlegt, werden in Kapitel 2 die zum Verständnis notwendigen theoretischen Grundlagen und in Kapitel 3 der aktuelle Stand der Wissenschaft dargestellt. Kapitel 4 beschreibt die in dieser Arbeit verwendeten Materialien und Methoden. Hierbei werden neben den unterschiedlichen Carbon Nanotubes und den physikalischen Prinzipien der ver-wendeten Messmethoden auch die einzelnen Verfahrenschritte zur Herstellung von CNT-Sheets sowie CNT-Polymer-Komposit Flachmembranen erläutert. Die in Kapitel 5 vorgestellten Ergebnisse gliedern sich in drei wesentliche Aspekte. Erstens die Herstellung von CNT-Dispersionen und die Bewertung der Einflussgrößen. Hierbei zeigt sich bei der Untersuchung unterschiedlicher Dispergiermethoden wie Hochdruckdispergierung, Ultra-Turrax oder Kugelmühle, dass nur die Ultraschalldispergierung in der Lage ist, die Kräfte aufzubringen, die für das Aufbrechen von CNT-Agglomeraten sowie zur homogene Verteilung isolierter Nanotubes notwendig sind. Beim Vergleich unterschiedlicher Lösemittel wurde die Dispergierfähigkeit in herkömmlichen Lösemitteln wie Ethanol, Aceton oder Dimethylformamid (DMF) mit weiteren Lösemitteln wie N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidon (NMP) und ionischen Flüssigkeiten verglichen. Es zeigt sich, dass neben NMP und NEP (N-Ethyl-2-pyrrolidon) auch Pyrrolidon und Pyridin gute CNT-Dispersionen ergeben. Grund hierfür ist möglicherweise die Ähnlichkeit der chemische Struktur der Stoffe. So weisen NEP, NMP und Pyrrolidon einen Ring aus vier Koh-lenstoff und einem Stickstoffatom auf, im Fall von Pyridin handelt es sich um einen Benzolring, bei dem ein Stickstoffatom ein Kohlenstoffatom subsituiert. Untersuchungen zum Einfluss der Oberflächenenergie konnten die in der Literatur postulierte These bestätigen, dass sich CNTs besser dispergieren lassen, je ähnlicher sich die Oberflä-chenenergien von CNT und Lösemittel sind. Eine Annäherung der Oberflächenenergie von CNTs an die Oberflächenenergie des Lösemittels wurde mittels Plasmamodifkation durchgeführt, und somit eine verbesserte Dispergierbarkeit erreicht. Als zweiter Aspekt wurde die Einsatzmöglichkeit von reinen CNT-Sheets (Bucky Papern) als Membran untersucht. Hierzu wurden drei Ansätze verfolgt: Schaltbare Membranen, Adsorpti-onsmembranen und heizbare Membranen. Während im Fall der Adsorptionsmembranen sowie der heizbaren Membranen die grundsätzliche Machbarkeit gezeigt werden konnte, muss der Einsatz von CNT-Sheets als schaltbare Membranen als nicht realisierbar angesehen werden. In keiner Messung konnte ein Einfluss eines elektrischen Feldes auf die Filtrationseigenschaften nachgewiesen werden. Der dritte Aspekt setzt den Schwerpunkt auf die Herstellung und Charakterisierung von CNT-Polymer-Kompositen für den Einsatz als Flachmembranen. Die Erkenntnisse der Dispergierversuche wurden genutzt, um aus optimierten CNT-Dispersionen Polymer-Komposite in Form von Polysulfon-Flachmembranen herzustellen. Optische Messungen zeigten, dass auch bei einer optimalen Vereinzelung und homogenen Verteilung von CNTs, ein Füllgrad von 1 Gew.-% ausreicht, um ein Absenken der Transmission von 80% auf 50% zu bewirken. Durch geeignete Wahl der Dispergierparameter konnte jedoch eine elektrische Leitfähigkeit von bis zu 1 S/m erreicht werden. Die hergestellten Membranen zeigen vielversprechende erste Ergebnisse, z.B. in ihren Seperationseigenschaften. Ein systematischer Zusammenhang zwischen Füllgrad und Membraneigenschaften, wie elektrischer Leitfähigkeit oder mittlerem Porendurchmesser, konnte jedoch noch nicht experimentell bestätigt werden. Kapitel 6 schließt diese Arbeit mit einer Zusammenfassung und einem Ausblick ab. Dank der durchgeführten Experimente sowie der gewonnenen Erkenntnisse und Schlussfolgerungen können in Zukunft optimierte CNT-Dispersionen aus unterschiedlichem MWCNT-Rohmaterial hergestellt werden. Es ist dadurch möglich, Polymer-Komposite herzustellen, die eine homogene Verteilung vereinzelter CNTs zeigen und somit bereits bei geringen Füllgraden signifikante Veränderungen in physikalischen Eigenschaften wie z.B. der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit aufweisen. Eine Optimierung sollte jedoch auf das Polymersystem angepasst werden. Die in dieser Arbeit gewonnenen Ergebnisse können genutzt werden, um den „bottleneck“ der schlechten Dispergierbarkeit von Carbon Nanotubes teilweise zu beseitigen. Dies ist ein wichtiger Schritt, um in Zukunft die Eigenschaften dieses außergewöhnlichen Materials in industriellem Maßstab nutzen zu können.Item Open Access Integrated process design and optimisation for the production of cellobiose lipids from Ustilago sp.(2024) Oraby, Amira; Rupp, Steffen (Prof. Dr.)Item Open Access Unravelling parameter interactions in calcium alginate/polyacrylamide double network hydrogels using a design of experiments approach for the optimization of mechanical properties(2024) Gorke, Oliver; Stuhlmüller, Marc; Tovar, Günter E. M.; Southan, AlexanderCalcium alginate/polyacrylamide double network hydrogels were reported to be exceptionally tough. However, literature reports so far varied the sample compositions mainly by one parameter at a time approaches, thus only drawing an incomplete picture of achievable material properties. In this contribution, sample compositions are varied according to a face-centered central composite experimental design taking into account the four parameters of alginate concentration cAlg, high/low molar mass alginate mixing ratio RP, acrylamide concentration cAAm, and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide concentration cMBA. Each sample composition is investigated in triplicate. Thus, 75 samples were investigated by tensile testing, and a detailed analysis of the significant parameters and parameter interactions influencing the mechanical properties is conducted. The data shows that two parameter interactions, involving all four tested parameters, have a large effect on the Young's modulus, the strength, the toughness and the strain at material failure. As a consequence, it becomes evident that the experimental procedure from previous studies did not always result in optimum sample compositions. The results allow optimization of the mechanical properties within the studied parameter space, and a new maximum value of the strength of 710 kPa is reported. The data also give rise to the assumption that other parameters and parameter interactions ignored also in this study may allow further tailoring of mechanical properties.Item Open Access The microalgae phaeodactylum tricornutum Is well suited as a food with positive effects on the intestinal microbiota and the generation of SCFA : results from a pre-clinical study(2022) Stiefvatter, Lena; Neumann, Ulrike; Rings, Andreas; Frick, Konstantin; Schmid-Staiger, Ulrike; Bischoff, Stephan C.Microalgae such as Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT) are a sustainable source of nutrients, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), fucoxanthin (Fx), and chrysolaminarin (Chrl), the concentrations of which can vary depending on the culture conditions. We generated three types of diets containing either an EPA- and Fx-rich (EPA/Fx) or Chrl-rich microalgae (with 5, 15, or 25% added to the diet) or an isocaloric control diet (CD). These diets were evaluated over 14 days in young C57BL/6J mice for safety and bioavailability, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and microbiome analysis. Both microalgae diets increased body weight gain dose-dependently compared to the CD. Microalgae-derived EPA was well absorbed, resulting in increased liver and fat tissue levels and a decrease in the n-6:n-3 ratio in liver tissue. Both microalgae diets increased the production of selected SCFA and decreased the Firmicutes/Bacteriodota ratio, whereas the Chrl-rich diet led to an increase in Akkermansia. Doses of up to 4621 mg Chrl, 920 mg EPA, and 231 mg Fx per kg body weight daily were tolerated without adverse effects. This pre-clinical study shows that PT is suitable for mouse feed, with positive effects on microbiota composition and SCFA production, suggesting beneficial effects on gut health.