Regular molecular nano-dot patterns for RW-data storage in the optical near field.

In this contribution further steps to realize our concept of optical data storage in molecular nano-dots as storage bits are reported. A preparation method has been developed successfully to achieve regular nano-dot patterns of high density. This is considered a breakthrough because regularity is prerequisite for the use of nano-dots in storage media. Optical imaging of dot patterns and individual writing/reading access is realized by confocal and near-field optical microscopy (fluorescence detection mode). Examples for regular patterns at different dot densities are shown. Perspectives towards terabit per square inch density are outlined.

Nano-optical reversible switching of organic photochromes.

Photochromic fulgides are UHV-deposited in ultrathin films exhibiting intrinsic nanostructures. The two isomeric states (C and E) are detected in absorption via scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). The optical image contrast measured in SNOM corresponds to the nanostructure topography observed in atomic force microscopy. Nano-optical reversible switching of individual nanostructures is demonstrated and possible applications to rewritable optical recording on the nanoscale are discussed.

Removal of endoproteinases from biological fluids by "sandwich affinity chromatography" with alpha 2-macroglobulin bound to zinc chelate-Sepharose.

A new method for removing nearly all active endoproteinases from fluids called "sandwich affinity chromatography" is described. It is based on strong chelate binding of alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) and its proteinase complexes to Zn2+-bis-carboxymethylamino-Sepharose (Zn chelate-Sepharose) and its ability to complex most active endoproteinases. The preferred performance minimizing unspecific protein adsorption is binding first alpha 2M to Zn chelate-Sepharose and then adsorbing the proteinase to the alpha 2M-Zn chelate-Sepharose using elevated salt concentrations. A suitable standard buffer, in which most proteases and alpha 2M are active and the protease-alpha 2M complex remains bound to Zn chelate-Sepharose, is 0.02 mol/liter sodium phosphate, pH 6.5, containing 0.15 mol/liter NaCl. As an example, the reaction of trypsin with alpha 2M-Zn chelate-Sepharose was studied. After saturating Zn chelate-Sepharose first with alpha 2M and then with trypsin under standard conditions, the bound alpha 2M equals the bound trypsin activity (measured with Chromozym TRY). The specific binding capacity of alpha 2M-Zn chelate-Sepharose for proteases was determined in this way to be 30-40 U trypsin, i.e., 0.40-0.54 mg/ml of gel. The balance and the fact that the bound trypsin is inaccessible to soybean trypsin inhibitor indicate that at these conditions no unspecific trypsin binding occurs. Chymotrypsin, thermolysin, elastase, bromelain, ficin, and papain are also bound at standard conditions but not exoproteases like carboxypeptidases A and Y. Advantages of the sandwich affinity chromatography are the simple loading procedure by adsorption, the high capacity of the gel material, and the possibility to reuse the Zn chelate-Sepharose after eluting reacted alpha 2M and reloading with new alpha 2M.

Antithrombin BM from human plasma: an antithrombin binding moderately to heparin.

A human antithrombin was purified app. 60 fold from Cohn fraction IV, to give a single band of about 70.000 molecular weight in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Compared to the similar antithrombin III, this glycoprotein binds only moderately to porcine heparin (hence its name Antithrombin BM), thus requiring higher heparin concentration for full thrombin inhibitor function, and lower ionic strength for elution from a heparin sepharose column. In these respects it resembles "heparin cofactor A", which is, however, characterized by a substantially larger molecular weight. From AT III, AT BM further differs in its absolute dependency on the presence of heparin(oids) for antithrombin activity, in its more pronounced inhibitory specificity largely restricted to thrombin, and in the absence of substantial immunological crossreaction with antibody to AT III. Based on comparative measurements of antithrombin activity in the presence of different amounts of heparin, up to 40% of the antithrombin activity present in human blood may be attributed to AT BM. The in vivo role of this new inhibitor remains to be elucidated.