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Generation of X-ray vortex beamsA collaboration between the McMorran lab and researchers at the Advanced Light Source at Berkeley National Lab demonstrated the use of nanoscale holograms to produce structured x-ray beams. These x-ray beams show promise for use as probes of magnetism and electronic properties in materials. -
Jamming Energy Landscape is Hierarchical and UltrametricThe Corwin lab has demonstrated that the structure of sandpiles is controlled by a fractally rough energy landscape. Each configuration of a sandpile is separated by infinitesimal energy barriers from a huge number of very similar configurations. This property leads to the novel mechanical behavior of sand piles and jammed systems in general. -
Emerging applications of carbon nanohoopsThis review from the Jasti group highlights a multitude of recent studies that exploit unique carbon nanohoop properties towards applications ranging from biological imaging to organic electronics. -
Intestinal mechanics amplify weak antibioticsTo explore how sublethal levels of antibiotics can affect gut microbes, the Parthasarathy and Guillemin Labs applied 3D microscopy to gut bacteria in live zebrafish. Antibiotic-induced changes in the spatial aggregation of bacteria, coupled to the mechanical activity of the intestine, led to large drops in microbial populations. The findings reveal a mechanism by which antibiotic environmental contamination can have much stronger effects than would be predicted by test-tube experiments. -
First example of reversible binding of reactive biomolecule hydroselenideA collaboration of the Johnson, Haley, and Pluth labs resulted in the first report of the reversible binding and detection of the highly reactive hydroselenide (HSe–) anion. The ability to sense HSe- is important because all forms of dietary selenium, an essential nutrient, are believed to be transformed into HSe- before further metabolism. The high reactivity of HSe-, however, makes it difficult to directly detect in biological systems. -
Turn-On Fluorescence of Small, Highly Strained Carbon NanohoopsThe optical properties of carbon nanohoops were precisely manipulated to change their photophysical properties, resulting in a new class of structures. Smaller nanohoops, which are more easily accessed, are now fluorescent and brighter. This is critical for exploiting this class of structures as new biological fluorophores, supramolecular sensors and novel optoelectronic materials. -
Disentangling signals in mass spectra of complex mixturesThis article describes the Prell Group's use of image and sound processing tools to simplify the interpretation of mass spectra for large molecules, including proteins and polymers. In "native" mass spectrometry, which aims to preserve and characterize high-order structure of biomolecules as they are transferred into the gas phase, signal due to attachment of sodium and other ions to the biomolecules can make the mass spectrum extremely difficult to interpret. The Prell Group's method circumvents this problem by treating the biomolecule signal like a singer performing in a noisy room, first detecting then filtering the signal out from the noisy background. -
Optimizing mass spectrometry for membrane protein complexesThe Prell Group at UO and Marty Group at the University of Arizona (lead authors) demonstrate that chemical additives added to aqueous buffers containing native-like membrane proteins embedded in lipoprotein "Nanodisc" membrane mimics can modulate the fate of these intricate complexes when transferred into a mass spectrometer. By choosing the right combination of chemical additive and instrumental settings, a remarkably flexible variety of target ions can be produce that enable researchers to study membrane protein complex stoichiometry, size and shape, and lipid binding. -
Imaging provides insights into the physical characteristics and spatial distributions of gut bacteriaDespite the importance of the gut microbiome to health and disease, little is known about these intestinal ecosystems are organized in time and space. Using three-dimensional microscopy of larval zebrafish, researchers in the Parthasarathy Lab were able to map the spatial distributions of several gut species, as well as the behaviors of individual bacteria. Surprisingly, they discovered a strong link between the two; the tendency of bacteria to aggregate is a very strong predictor of their location in the gut. This suggests the existence of general biophysical rules that can make sense of the gut microbiome. -
Conformationally flexible receptors bind disparate oxoanions with similar, high affinitiesThe Johnson and Haley collaborative lab designed three differentially adorned pyridylethynyl bis-urea hosts to host disparate oxoanion luggage selectively. However, solvent effects outweigh the predicted binding trends of the anions, leading to equally high affinities across all nine receptor-anion pairs in less polar solvents. -
A path-separated electron interferometer within a conventional scanning transmission electron microscope.From gravitational wave sensing, to fundamental quantum measurements, to imaging of transparent materials, interferometry has been used in as an investigative tool in many scientific fields. The McMorran Lab presents a path-separated electron interferometer that can potentially be applied to explore fundamental physics of nano-materials and as a phase contrast imaging technique. -
Selective Anion Receptors for Hydrogen SulfateThe Haley and Johnson collaborative team prepared two hosts that selectively bind the anion hydrogen sulfate, a contaminant often found in agricultural and industrial waste streams. The team showed that the hosts can capture/transport this anion from an aqueous source under liquid-liquid extraction conditions. -
Probing the role of cobalt oxy-hydroxide catalysts for solar water splittingThe interfacial charge transfer that takes place between the semiconductor-catalyst interface for solar water splitting has long been poorly understood. New insights require unique experimental approaches, like the potential sensing electrochemical atomic force microscope developed by the Boettcher lab. Using this tool, Cobalt oxyhydroxide was shown to charge to potentials necessary to drive water oxidation.
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An Improved Method for H2S Detection - Pluth Lab in JACSCompounds that become fluorescent when hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is detected in the body have become important for studying the biological significance of this rotten egg-smelling gas. Unfortunately, these compounds also use up the H2S that it detects, which may have a profound impact on the physiological processes that utilize this important molecule. Recently, the Pluth Lab has developed an innovative method for H2S detection that replenishes H2S, providing the first example of analyte replacement in a reaction-based fluorescent probe. -
Modulating Paratropicity Strength in Diareno-fused AntiaromaticsUnderstanding and controlling the electronic structure of molecules is crucial when designing and optimizing new organic materials. The findings of this study from the Haley lab can be used to predict the properties of, and thus rationally target, new diareno-fused antiaromatic molecules for use as organic semiconductors. -
Prell Group introduces Collidoscope, a New Tool for Computing Ion Collisional Cross Sections"Native" ion mobility-mass spectrometry is emerging as a powerful method for learning about the structure and dynamics of biomolecular complexes transferred gently from buffered solution into the gas phase. Nevertheless, comparing experimental results to model structures can be very challenging due to the high computational cost of accurately calculating the collisional cross section of an ion, which is a measurement of its shape and size. The Prell Group has recently published an article detailing a new, open-source computational tool ("Collidoscope") they developed to make this possible for extremely large complexes weighing a megaDalton or more. -
Modulation Doping in Metastable HeterostructuresControlling carrier concentration is critical in many device applications and both chemical substitution and modulation doping have been used in industry. For most inorganic materials, very low doping efficiencies are observed as site occupancies depend on both thermodynamic and kinetic factors. The Dave Johnson Group demonstrates that we can make kinetically controlled site-specific substitutions in a series of compounds. -
Molecular Nanohoop Quantum CorralsControllable modification of metal surface electronic structure is essential for developing applications involving interfacial electron transfer. The Nazin and Jasti Labs used scanning tunneling microscopy to study cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) on metal surfaces, finding unexpected "eye"-like electronic features in the center of individual hoop-shaped CPPs. These "eyes" are localized states formed by the confinement of surface electrons, with the CPPs acting as molecular electronic “corrals", suggesting an approach to robust, large-area modification of surface electronic structure. -
High-K Lanthanum Zirconium Oxide Thin Film Dielectrics from Aqueous Solution PrecursorsMetal oxide thin films are critical components in a number of microelectronic applications. These nanomaterials are typically made using vapor-phase methods, but solution-phase methods are an attractive cost-efficient and scalable alternative. The Page Group reports an aqueous route to lanthanum zirconium oxide thin films and demonstrates their viability as MIS device components. -
Light-Activated COS/H2S Donation from Photocaged ThiocarbamatesHydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important biomolecule, and responsive chemical tools for its delivery are needed. Here the Pluth lab utilizes the photo-cleavable o-nitrobenzyl group to unmask caged thiocarbamates and to access photo-activated H2S releasing molecules. These donors function by the initial release of carbonyl sulfide (COS), which is quickly hydrolyzed to H2S by carbonic anhydrase (CA). -
The viscosity of the gutThe fluid interior of the intestine serves as a medium for the diffusion of nutrients and other molecules, and an environment in which gut microbes must navigate. Characterizing the physical properties of this fluid in living animals has proven difficult, however. The Parthasarathy Lab has developed new techniques making use of micro- and nano-particles, driven by thermal energy or magnetic fields, imaged inside living larval zebrafish. -
Quick Excited State Dynamics Measurements using a Single-Shot Transient Absorption SpectrometerTransient absorption spectroscopy measures excited state dynamics, but is usually limited to static systems owing to long data collection times. In this paper, the Wong Lab presents a single-shot transient absorption spectrometer with a 45 ps pump-probe time range that lowers the data collection time to 8 s. This advance will enable the measurement of the excited state dynamics of systems that are not at structural equilibrium. -
Intestinal mechanics amplify weak antibioticsTo explore how sublethal levels of antibiotics can affect gut microbes, the Parthasarathy and Guillemin Labs applied 3D microscopy to gut bacteria in live zebrafish. Antibiotic-induced changes in the spatial aggregation of bacteria, coupled to the mechanical activity of the intestine, led to large drops in microbial populations. The findings reveal a mechanism by which antibiotic environmental contamination can have much stronger effects than would be predicted by test-tube experiments.
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First example of reversible binding of reactive biomolecule hydroselenideA collaboration of the Johnson, Haley, and Pluth labs resulted in the first report of the reversible binding and detection of the highly reactive hydroselenide (HSe–) anion. The ability to sense HSe- is important because all forms of dietary selenium, an essential nutrient, are believed to be transformed into HSe- before further metabolism. The high reactivity of HSe-, however, makes it difficult to directly detect in biological systems.
-
Turn-On Fluorescence of Small, Highly Strained Carbon NanohoopsThe optical properties of carbon nanohoops were precisely manipulated to change their photophysical properties, resulting in a new class of structures. Smaller nanohoops, which are more easily accessed, are now fluorescent and brighter. This is critical for exploiting this class of structures as new biological fluorophores, supramolecular sensors and novel optoelectronic materials.
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Disentangling signals in mass spectra of complex mixturesThis article describes the Prell Group's use of image and sound processing tools to simplify the interpretation of mass spectra for large molecules, including proteins and polymers. In "native" mass spectrometry, which aims to preserve and characterize high-order structure of biomolecules as they are transferred into the gas phase, signal due to attachment of sodium and other ions to the biomolecules can make the mass spectrum extremely difficult to interpret. The Prell Group's method circumvents this problem by treating the biomolecule signal like a singer performing in a noisy room, first detecting then filtering the signal out from the noisy background.
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Jamming Energy Landscape is Hierarchical and UltrametricThe Corwin lab has demonstrated that the structure of sandpiles is controlled by a fractally rough energy landscape. Each configuration of a sandpile is separated by infinitesimal energy barriers from a huge number of very similar configurations. This property leads to the novel mechanical behavior of sand piles and jammed systems in general.
An interdisciplinary institute of the University of Oregon
Founded in 1985 as a State Center of Excellence, the purpose of the Institute is to study the structure and properties of materials, to educate in the sciences of materials, and to serve Oregon as a resource in these sciences. Since 1985 the Institute has more than tripled the size of its research program, developed four new graduate programs in materials, and contributed to the State's prosperity through collaboration with more than 25 Oregon companies.
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