Showing papers by "Stefan Seeger published in 2013"

On-Surface Aggregation of α-Synuclein at Nanomolar Concentrations Results in Two Distinct Growth Mechanisms

Abstract: The aggregation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) is believed to be one of the key steps driving the pathology of Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. One of the present hypotheses is that the onset of such pathologies is related to the rise of α-Syn levels above a critical concentration at which toxic oligomers or mature fibrils are formed. In the present study, we find that α-Syn aggregation in vitro is a spontaneous process arising at bulk concentrations as low as 1 nM and below in the presence of both hydrophilic glass surfaces and cell membrane mimicking supported lipid bilayers (SLBs). Using three-dimensional supercritical angle fluorescence (3D-SAF) microscopy, we observed the process of α-Syn aggregation in situ. As soon as α-Syn monomers were exposed to the surface, they started to adsorb and aggregate along the surface plane without a prior lag phase. However, at a later stage of the aggregation process, a second type of aggregate was observed. In contrast to the first type, these a...

Silica/Silicone Nanofilament Hybrid Coatings with Almost Perfect Superhydrophobicity

Abstract: A facile method for the preparation of silica/silicone nanofilament hybrid coatings with almost perfect superhydrophobicity (contact angle=179.8° and sliding angle=1.3°) is presented. The coatings are obtained by dip-coating of silica nanoparticles, followed by chemical vapor deposition of silicone nanofilaments. Predominant growth of silicone nanofilaments onto aggregated silica nanoparticles generates a two-tier structure. The effect of silica nanoparticle size on the growth of silicone nanofilaments, along with their anti-wetting properties and transparency are investigated in detail. Surface roughness and anti-wetting properties can be simply regulated by controlling the size of silica nanoparticles.