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Computational Design of Nanostructural Color for Additive Manufacturing
Full text linkAdditive manufacturing has recently seen drastic improvements in resolution, making it now possible to fabricate features at scales of hundreds or even dozens of nanometers, which previously required very expensive lithographic methods.
As a result, additive manufacturing now seems poised for optical applications, including those relevant to computer graphics, such as material design, as well as display and imaging applications.
In this work, we explore the use of additive manufacturing for generating structural colors, where the structures are designed using a fabrication-aware optimization process.
This requires a combination of full-wave simulation, a feasible parameterization of the design space, and a tailored optimization procedure.
Many of these components should be re-usable for the design of other optical structures at this scale.
We show initial results of material samples fabricated based on our designs.
While these suffer from the prototype character of state-of-the-art fabrication hardware, we believe they clearly demonstrate the potential of additive nanofabrication for structural colors and other graphics applications
Computational Design of Nanostructural Color for Additive Manufacturing
Full text linkAdditive manufacturing has recently seen drastic improvements in resolution, making it now possible to fabricate features at scales of hundreds or even dozens of nanometers, which previously required very expensive lithographic methods.
As a result, additive manufacturing now seems poised for optical applications, including those relevant to computer graphics, such as material design, as well as display and imaging applications.
In this work, we explore the use of additive manufacturing for generating structural colors, where the structures are designed using a fabrication-aware optimization process.
This requires a combination of full-wave simulation, a feasible parameterization of the design space, and a tailored optimization procedure.
Many of these components should be re-usable for the design of other optical structures at this scale.
We show initial results of material samples fabricated based on our designs.
While these suffer from the prototype character of state-of-the-art fabrication hardware, we believe they clearly demonstrate the potential of additive nanofabrication for structural colors and other graphics applications
Drag enhancement and drag reduction in viscoelastic flow
Full text linkCreeping flow of polymeric fluid without inertia exhibits elastic instabilities and elastic
turbulence accompanied by drag enhancement due to elastic stress produced by flow-stretched
polymers. However, in inertia-dominated flow at high Re and low fluid elasticity
El, a reduction in turbulent frictional drag is caused by an intricate competition between
inertial and elastic stresses. Here we explore the effect of inertia on the stability of
viscoelastic flow in a broad range of control parameters El and (Re, Wi). We present
the stability diagram of observed flow regimes in Wi-Re coordinates and find that the
instabilities’ onsets show an unexpectedly nonmonotonic dependence on El. Further, three
distinct regions in the diagram are identified based on El. Strikingly, for high-elasticity
fluids we discover a complete relaminarization of flow at Reynolds number in the range
of 1 to 10, different from a well-known turbulent drag reduction. These counterintuitive
effects may be explained by a finite polymer extensibility and a suppression of vorticity at
high Wi. Our results call for further theoretical and numerical development to uncover the
role of inertial effect on elastic turbulence in a viscoelastic flow
Transcriptional regulation of macrophage migration in the Drosophila melanogaster embryo
No full textImmune cells migrating to the sites of infection navigate through diverse tissue architectures and switch their migratory mechanisms upon demand. However, little is known about systemic regulators that could allow the acquisition of these mechanisms.
We performed a genetic screen in Drosophila melanogaster to identify regulators of germband invasion by embryonic macrophages into the confined space between the ectoderm and mesoderm. We have found that bZIP circadian transcription factors (TFs) Kayak (dFos) and Vrille (dNFIL3) have opposite effects on macrophage germband infiltration: Kayak facilitated and Vrille inhibited it. These TFs are enriched in the macrophages during migration and genetically interact to control it. Kayak sets a less coordinated mode of migration of the macrophage group and increases the probability and length of Levy walks. Intriguingly, the motility of kayak mutant macrophages was also strongly affected during initial germband invasion but not along another less confined route. Inhibiting Rho1 signaling within the tail ectoderm partially rescued the Kayak mutant phenotype, strongly suggesting that migrating macrophages have to overcome a barrier imposed by the stiffness of the ectoderm. Also, Kayak appeared to be important for the maintenance of the round cell shape and the rear edge translocation of the macrophages invading the germband. Complementary to this, the cortical actin cytoskeleton of Kayak- deficient macrophages was strongly affected. RNA sequencing revealed the filamin Cheerio and tetraspanin TM4SF to be downstream of Kayak. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and immunostaining revealed that the formin Diaphanous is another downstream target of Kayak. Immunostaining revealed that the formin Diaphanous is another downstream target of Kayak. Indeed, Cheerio, TM4SF and Diaphanous are required within macrophages for germband invasion, and expression of constitutively active Diaphanous in macrophages was able to rescue the kayak mutant phenotype. Moreover, Cher and Diaphanous are also reduced in the macrophages overexpressing Vrille.
We hypothesize that Kayak, through its targets, increases actin polymerization and cortical tension in macrophages and thus allows extra force generation necessary for macrophage dissemination and migration through confined stiff tissues, while Vrille counterbalances it
Identification and characterizationof novel Auxin-Cytokinin cross-talk components
No full textThe whole life cycle of plants as well as their responses to environmental stimuli is governed by a complex network of hormonal regulations. A number of studies have demonstrated an essential role of both auxin and cytokinin in the regulation of many aspects of plant growth and development including embryogenesis, postembryonic organogenic processes such as root, and shoot branching, root and shoot apical meristem activity and phyllotaxis. Over the last decades essential knowledge on the key molecular factors and pathways that spatio-temporally define auxin and cytokinin activities in the plant body has accumulated. However, how both hormonal pathways are interconnected by a complex network of interactions and feedback circuits that determines the final outcome of the individual hormone actions is still largely unknown. Root system architecture establishment and in particular formation of lateral organs is prime example of developmental process at whose regulation both auxin and cytokinin pathways converge. To dissect convergence points and pathways that tightly balance auxin - cytokinin antagonistic activities that determine the root branching pattern transcriptome profiling was applied. Genome wide expression analyses of the xylem pole pericycle, a tissue giving rise to lateral roots, led to identification of genes that are highly responsive to combinatorial auxin and cytokinin treatments and play an essential function in the auxin-cytokinin regulated root branching.
SYNERGISTIC AUXIN CYTOKININ 1 (SYAC1) gene, which encodes for a protein of unknown function, was detected among the top candidate genes of which expression was synergistically up-regulated by simultaneous hormonal treatment. Plants with modulated SYAC1 activity exhibit severe defects in the root system establishment and attenuate developmental responses to both auxin and cytokinin. To explore the biological function of the SYAC1, we employed different strategies including expression pattern analysis, subcellular localization and phenotypic analyses of the syac1 loss-of-function and gain-of-function transgenic lines along with the identification of the SYAC1 interaction partners. Detailed functional characterization revealed that SYAC1 acts as a developmentally specific regulator of the secretory pathway to control deposition of cell wall components and thereby rapidly fine tune elongation growth
Shaping 3D root system architecture
No full textPlants are sessile organisms rooted in one place. The soil resources that plants require are often distributed in a highly heterogeneous pattern. To aid foraging, plants have evolved roots whose growth and development are highly responsive to soil signals. As a result, 3D root architecture is shaped by myriad environmental signals to ensure resource capture is optimised and unfavourable environments are avoided. The first signals sensed by newly germinating seeds — gravity and light — direct root growth into the soil to aid seedling establishment. Heterogeneous soil resources, such as water, nitrogen and phosphate, also act as signals that shape 3D root growth to optimise uptake. Root architecture is also modified through biotic interactions that include soil fungi and neighbouring plants. This developmental plasticity results in a ‘custom-made’ 3D root system that is best adapted to forage for resources in each soil environment that a plant colonises
Optical and optogenetic control of proliferation and survival
No full textThe aim of this thesis was the development of new strategies for optical and optogenetic control of proliferative and pro-survival signaling, and characterizing them from the molecular mechanism up to cellular effects. These new light-based methods have unique features, such as red light as an activator, or the avoidance of gene delivery, which enable to overcome current limitations, such as light delivery to target tissues and feasibility as therapeutic approach. A special focus was placed on implementing these new light-based approaches in pancreatic β-cells, as β-cells are the key players in diabetes and especially their loss in number negatively affects disease progression. Currently no treatment options are available to compensate the lack of functional β-cells in diabetic patients.
In a first approach, red-light-activated growth factor receptors, in particular receptor tyrosine kinases were engineered and characterized. Receptor activation with light allows spatio-temporal control compared to ligand-based activation, and especially red light exhibits deeper tissue penetration than other wavelengths of the visible spectrum. Red-light-activated receptor tyrosine kinases robustly activated major growth factor related signaling pathways with a high temporal resolution. Moreover, the remote activation of the proliferative MAPK/Erk pathway by red-light-activated receptor tyrosine kinases in a pancreatic β-cell line was also achieved, through one centimeter thick mouse tissue. Although red- light-activated receptor tyrosine kinases are particularly attractive for applications in animal models due to the deep tissue penetration of red light, a drawback, especially with regard to translation into humans, is the requirement of gene therapy.
In a second approach an endogenous light-sensitive mechanism was identified and its potential to promote proliferative and pro-survival signals was explored, towards light-based tissue regeneration without the need for gene transfer. Blue-green light illumination was found to be sufficient for the activation of proliferation and survival promoting signaling pathways in primary pancreatic murine and human islets. Blue-green light also led to an increase in proliferation of primary islet cells, an effect which was shown to be mostly β- cell specific in human islets. Moreover, it was demonstrated that this approach of pancreatic β-cell expansion did not have any negative effect on the β-cell function, in particular on their insulin secretion capacity. In contrast, a trend for enhanced insulin secretion under high glucose conditions after illumination was detected. In order to unravel the detailed characteristics of this endogenous light-sensitive mechanism, the precise light requirements were determined. In addition, the expression of light-sensing proteins, OPN3 and rhodopsin, was detected. The observed effects were found to be independent of handling effects such as temperature differences and cytochrome c oxidase dependent ATP increase, but they were found to be enhanced through the knockout of OPN3. The exact mechanism of how islets cells sense light and the identity of the photoreceptor remains unknown.
Summarized two new light-based systems with unique features were established that enable the activation of proliferative and pro-survival signaling pathways. While red-light-activated receptor tyrosine kinases open a new avenue for optogenetics research, by allowing non-invasive control of signaling in vivo, the identified endogenous light-sensitive mechanism has the potential to be the basis of a gene therapy-free therapeutical approach for light-based β-cell expansion
WRKY23 is a component of the transcriptional network mediating auxin feedback on PIN polarity
Full text linkAuxin is unique among plant hormones due to its directional transport that is mediated by the polarly distributed PIN auxin transporters at the plasma membrane. The canalization hypothesis proposes that the auxin feedback on its polar flow is a crucial, plant-specific mechanism mediating multiple self-organizing developmental processes. Here, we used the auxin effect on the PIN polar localization in Arabidopsis thaliana roots as a proxy for the auxin feedback on the PIN polarity during canalization. We performed microarray experiments to find regulators of this process that act downstream of auxin. We identified genes that were transcriptionally regulated by auxin in an AXR3/IAA17- and ARF7/ARF19-dependent manner. Besides the known components of the PIN polarity, such as PID and PIP5K kinases, a number of potential new regulators were detected, among which the WRKY23 transcription factor, which was characterized in more detail. Gain- and loss-of-function mutants confirmed a role for WRKY23 in mediating the auxin effect on the PIN polarity. Accordingly, processes requiring auxin-mediated PIN polarity rearrangements, such as vascular tissue development during leaf venation, showed a higher WRKY23 expression and required the WRKY23 activity. Our results provide initial insights into the auxin transcriptional network acting upstream of PIN polarization and, potentially, canalization-mediated plant development
Autoregulation of mazEF expression underlies growth heterogeneity in bacterial populations
Full text linkThe MazF toxin sequence-specifically cleaves single-stranded RNA upon various stressful conditions, and it is activated as a part of the mazEF toxin-antitoxin module in Escherichia coli. Although autoregulation of mazEF expression through the MazE antitoxin-dependent transcriptional repression has been biochemically characterized, less is known about post-transcriptional autoregulation, as well as how both of these autoregulatory features affect growth of single cells during conditions that promote MazF production. Here, we demonstrate post-transcriptional autoregulation of mazF expression dynamics by MazF cleaving its own transcript. Single-cell analyses of bacterial populations during ectopic MazF production indicated that two-level autoregulation of mazEF expression influences cell-to-cell growth rate heterogeneity. The increase in growth rate heterogeneity is governed by the MazE antitoxin, and tuned by the MazF-dependent mazF mRNA cleavage. Also, both autoregulatory features grant rapid exit from the stress caused by mazF overexpression. Time-lapse microscopy revealed that MazF-mediated cleavage of mazF mRNA leads to increased temporal variability in length of individual cells during ectopic mazF overexpression, as explained by a stochastic model indicating that mazEF mRNA cleavage underlies temporal fluctuations in MazF levels during stress
State of the Art on Stylized Fabrication
Full text linkDigital fabrication devices are powerful tools for creating tangible reproductions of 3D digital models. Most
available printing technologies aim at producing an accurate copy of a tridimensional shape. However, fabrication technologies can also be used to create a stylistic representation of a digital shape. We refer to this class of methods as “stylized fabrication methods.” These methods abstract geometric and physical features of a given shape to create an unconventional representation,
to produce an optical illusion, or to devise a particular interaction with the fabricated model. In this state-of-the-art report, we classify and overview this broad and emerging class of approaches and also propose possible directions for future research