An initial experiment for membrane deflection characterization using an optical profiler (Veeco Wyco) has been performed. Below are some of the images taken with the tool: (a image was taken at each 0.5 psi interval): Once we get a pressure regulator we will be able to generate numerical data of membrane strength/deflection down to 5.0…
Jamie and I met with Don Black with an electron microscopist that consults for NaturalNano. In efforts to test out our TEM window grids, he gave us halloysite nanotubes. These are naturally occuring and much larger than the carbon nanotubes we normally talk about. The samples were prepared in 0.5% Triton X-100 in water and…
This is a retrial of the previously outline negative adsorption assay. I was a little more careful with cuvettes this time around (there are very significant differences in the plastic cuvettes) and I spread out the same amount of solution over a larger area. If exposed to more surface, more protein should adsorb and leave…
During the past week I tried various methods of applying PDMS to nitrocellulose. Below is a table of what the PDMS array looks like on the NC before curing in the over, and after applying 1mg/mL BSA and staining with Ponceau S. When I painted the PDMS on, I used the thin side of the…
Just wanted to post an update on the creation of a counter flow system using the pncSi chips from wafer 619 (the wafer with the etched trenches for the insertion of capillary tubing). Over the past few weeks Henry and I have been able to produce a few functional counter flow systems using UV Ozone…
This week, I did a quick discoloration experiment based on Chris’s comment at lab meeting. He wondered if soaking the chips in water for a while would allow potential discoloration-causing contaminants to slowly leech out. I took 2 chips from wafer 622 and soaked them in ~ 300mL DIH20 overnight (with a couple of water…
Here’s some data from my electrophoretic trials with polymer membranes. On this chart, both PES and Cellulose fall on the same line. In my last post I said that PES membranes didn’t seem to pass water, although I found that I was just setting up air bubbles much easier in this system because of the…
In my last discoloration experiment, I tested buffers with different pKa’s (MES, HEPES, and Tris). I found that only 10 mM HEPES in HBSS caused discoloration, and furthermore, that the HBSS component of this solution was the culprit (post). Fortunately, HBSS is a rather simple solution; it only consists of KCl, NaCl, Glucose, KH2PO4, Na2HPO4…
If protein is adsorbing to a surface, it’s leaving the solution. We can indirectly measure how much protein is leaving the solution, and that may tell us something about how much these surfaces are adsorobing. For my first attempt, I used the Bradford Reagent to measure the concentration of the solution after protein has remained…
To further investigate the mechanism of discoloration, I prepared buffers at different pH’s and measured discoloration and pH over time. Buffers were: 0.1M MES, pH=pKa=6.1; 0.1M Tris-Base, pH=pKa=8.39; 0.1M Tris-HCl, pH=pKa=8.35; 10mM HEPES in 1X HBSS, pH 7.38, where HEPES pKa = 7.31. This was done in the incubator. Experiment 1: Experiment 2: pH vs….