Analytical Poster Presentations

Adhesion of Self-Assembled Amphiphiles onto ODS-modified Silica: A General, Reversible Platform for Functionalizing Surfaces

Alsaadi, Asem

  • Asem Alsaadi, Md. Shaiful Azam, Julianne M. Gibbs-Davis*
  • Organization: University of Alberta
  • Funding: UofA

Abstract: Reversible functional surfaces are of great interest to chemists since they provide means to recycle expensive substrates and a pathway to new materials like responsive materials. We have created a general, reversible platform for functionalizing surfaces using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of long alkyl chains consisting of octadecylsilane (ODS) on silica. Through simple interactions, like Van der Waal’s forces, we adhered a fluorescent amphiphile NBD-C18, composed of 4-nitrobenzoxdiazole (NBD) and octadecyl amine, onto our ODS surface (Scheme 1). Adhesion of NBD-C18 onto the ODS surface required a strict choice of solvent, DMSO, because in this solvent the NBD-C18 was suspended rather than dissolved. The dependency on DMSO as a solvent is a vital factor to understanding NBD-C18’s behavior on the ODS surface. It suggests self-assembly of NBD-C18 occurs before the formation of stable interactions with our ODS surface. In fact, self assembly of the NBD-C18 into micelles was evident in the atomic force microscopy (AFM) images taken after adhering the NBD-C18 to the ODS surface. Here we provide the technique of their selective adhesion and removal, characterized by various techniques like scanning fluorimetry, atomic force microscopy, and ellipsometry.

Development of Biocatalyst Based Microreactors for Lipid Transformations

Ayton, Karl

  • Karl Ayton, S. M. Mugo*
  • Organization: Grant McEwan University
  • Funding: Grant MacEwan University Research and Environmental Sciences Institute

Abstract:

Lipids are a diverse class of compounds; they play an important component in food, nutrition, personal care products, waxes etc. Different types of lipids have been associated as triggers for dietary diseases while others have been found to have beneficial dietary effects. Therefore it is important to be able to analyze and synthesize target lipid-based products.

We have developed a method for the analysis and synthesis of various lipids using biocatalytic microreactors, which involve the immobilization of an enzyme (i.e. lipase) on silica, polymer monoliths and microstructured platforms. The use of these high surface area microreactors allows for high throughput, and therefore high enzyme activity. Impressively, the developed microreactors can also be used repeatedly for several weeks without loss of enzyme activity.

As a proof of principle, results obtained from the microreactors on lipase-catalyzed esterification reactions will be discussed and the selected numerous applications of the generated products outlined. Preliminary data on ongoing research on biosynthesis of novel functional and structural lipids using the our microreactors will discussed

A Clothing Solution

Dawn, Andrew

  • Andrew Dawn, Chadron M. Friesen*
  • Organization: Trinity Western University
  • Funding: TWU

Abstract: There is an incredible amount of preventable textile waste in North America and the problem is being shipped to the third world. This research focuses on developing a method to chemically recycle these materials. The initial steps, presented here, are investigations into the solubility of cotton and polyester fibres. This work has achieved the dissolution of cotton and polyester in a variety of solvents. Concluding tests were also conducted to analyze the prospect of separating a cotton and polyester blend - of which a majority or textiles are.

Binding Studies Between Lantibiotics and Divalent Transition Metals Using Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis

Brittany Dever

  • Brittany Dever, Kingsley Donkor*
  • Organization: Thompson Rivers University
  • Funding: NSERC - URSA, TRU - CUEF

Abstract: Antibiotic resistance has become a problem in society and is largely due to the widespread use of antimicrobial agents in common household products. As a result, there is a need to find novel antibiotics that bacteria have not yet developed resistance to. Lantibiotics are antimicrobial peptides produced by Gram positive bacteria. Currently lantibiotics are used in the food industry and some may have therapeutic potential. Several studies have suggested that by complexing antibiotics with transition metals to form metalloantibiotics, antimicrobial activity can be enhanced. The enhancement of activity could be explained in terms of an increased interaction between the antibiotic and its target molecule on the cell. The possibility of interactions between lantibiotics and metals, which could result in enhanced antimicrobial activity, was determined using affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) to calculate binding constants. The strength of the binding constant could give insight into the type of interaction taking place between the lantibiotic and metal.

Detection of Uric Acid Using an Inexpensive Pencil Lead Electrode

Friend, Jeffrey

  • Jeffrey Friend, James Kariuki*
  • Organization: University of Alberta - Augustana Campus
  • Funding: UofA

Abstract: The voltammetric detection of uric acid was carried out using a simple graphite electrode constructed from a pencil lead. The analysis of uric acid is important because abnormal levels are associated with a variety of medical conditions. These conditions include gout and Lesch–Nyhan syndrome. The advantages of using voltammetric techniques in medical analysis is that they are reliable, accurate, and requires little to no sample preparation. Our results show that the pencil lead electrode can reliably detect levels of uric acid that would be found in a healthy human blood sample. In the experimental measurement, the uric acid was dissolved in a solution of a 0.100 M phosphate buffer with a pH of 7.4. The detection limit of the pencil lead electrode was 25 ppm, with a 6.7 percent error in analysis, which was comparable to the glassy carbon electrode. The data show that a cheap pencil electrode is sufficiently able to detect uric acid to support further work in the development of more accurate inexpensive surface modified graphite electrodes.

Transition Metals by Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis and the Method of Continuous Variation

Hayden, Natasha

  • Natasha Hayden, Kingsley Donkor*
  • Organization: Thompson Rivers University
  • Funding: NSERC, TRU - CUEF

Abstract: Antibiotic resistance is on the rise. Thus, it is paramount that alternatives to traditional antibiotics are explored for their potential in treating deadly disease. Lantibiotics are a new group of antimicrobial peptides that are promising due to their activity at nanomolar concentrations with little or no toxicity. Two type A lantibiotics, nisin and gallidermin, were investigated in this work. Interaction between these two lantibiotics and several transition metals was studied by determining the binding constant and binding stoichiometry between the lantibiotics and the transition metals. Binding constants were successfully determined using affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE). By the method of continuous variation, the binding stoichiometry was determined from data obtained using capillary electrophoresis and UV-visible spectrophotometry.

Capillary Electrophoresis Frontal Analysis of Interaction Between Lantibiotics and Cholesterol

Keller, Samantha

  • Samantha Keller, Kingsley Donkor*
  • Organization: Thompson Rivers University
  • Funding: NSERC, TRU

Abstract: Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a well-known analytical technique, but it can also be harnessed to study physical phenomena, such as the equilibrium and kinetics of binding between different molecules. Frontal Analysis (CE-FA) is a CE method used to investigate and characterize many biomolecular interactions, such as peptide-ligand complexes. It may be used to calculate binding constants between these molecules, and as an advantage over other methods, it can also determine their binding stoichiometry. In this study, CE-FA was used to investigate the binding interactions between cholesterol and duramycin, a type B lantibiotic. Lantibiotics are peptides containing lanthionine amino acids, and they are effective against many types of bacteria. By studying their interaction with cholesterol, a major component of the cell membrane, it will show whether cholesterol has a part to play in the binding of the lantibiotics to the bacterial cell membrane where they begin their antibiotic action. This study will provide the groundwork for more binding studies with different lantibiotics, and other important cell membrane components, to give more insight into the mechanism of action of this important new class of antibiotic peptides.

Tweaking the Backbone: Tuning DNA stability to generate catalytic properties

Lam, Jade

  • Jade Lam, R. Bogel, A. Tang, J. M. Gibbs-Davis*
  • Organization: University of Alberta
  • Funding: UofA, NSERC, Province of Alberta

Abstract: Biological systems can achieve very specific interactions due to their ability to recognize certain molecules. Molecular recognition of DNA can be used to bring together fragments of complementary sequences onto a larger DNA strand allowing the fragments to be linked together in a process called ligation. In natural DNA, one long strand can template the ligation of two fragments at which point the template and the newly formed long strand remain hybridized due to the high stability of the duplex. Our goal is to tweak the stability of this duplex to encourage separation so the template strand can be used in another ligation reaction. This tweaking involves inserting destabilizing groups into the DNA template that will decrease duplex stability. Using five different destabilizing groups in the template strand and an enzyme to ligate the DNA, this method has been successful in tuning DNA stability to generate catalytic turnover of up to 16 ligation reactions per template strand. This catalytic turnover can be used to amplify DNA sequences, which is especially important in DNA detection.

What makes the Kashmiri Tea Pink?

Lam, Jade

  • Chuen Wei Leong, M. Farooq Wahab, Charles A. Lucy*
  • Organization: University of Alberta
  • Funding: NSERC

Abstract:

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world after water. We are familiar with green and black tea and the fact that the addition of milk to black tea gives a brown colour. There is a special tea in South Asia (Kashmir) which is made in a unique way with the tea leaves. The addition of milk to Kashmiri tea results in a pleasing pink colour and aroma. This poster provides the first systematic investigation about the formation of the pink colour, isolation and preliminary characterization of the pigment.

Using imported Kashmiri tea, a thin layer chromatography method was developed for separating the pigments in the Kashmiri tea leaves. For comparison, we used locally available white and black teas which represent the fresh and completely fermented tea leaves respectively. The unique traditional recipe for Kashmiri pink tea was also standardized. The pigments from the teas were isolated and FTIR and elemental analyses were performed. We discovered that oxygen (air) is a necessary element to make the tea pink which is a visual example of antioxidant effect of Kashmiri tea.

Optimization of Extraction and Analysis of Glucosinolates Select Species within the Brassicaceae Family

Perkins, Megan

  • Megan Perkins, Sharon Brewer*, Bruno Cinel*, Kevin Usher*
  • Organization: Thompson Rivers University
  • Funding: TRU-CUEF, Agriculture Canada

Abstract:

Glucosinolates (GSL) are a group of secondary plant metabolites formed from glucose and amino acids. GSL can be found in the order Capparales and are common to the families Brassicaceae and Capparaceae more commonly known as the Mustard and Caper Families.

Isothiocyanate (ITC) is the breakdown product of the glucosinolate sinigrin; the breakdown occurs when a plant is wounded or masticated from either harvesting or herbivores. The enzymatic breakdown product serves as plants defense mechanism against pathogens and herbivores. Specific species of Brassicaceae are dead end hosts for climbing cutworm, meaning that if cutworms feed on it they do not reproduce and eventually die.

The goal of this research was to optimize methods for the continued and future development of climbing cutworm pest management strategies. Work has been focused on the development of an efficient and effective extraction method for GSL and ITC. It has also focused on optimizing analysis using reverse-phase HPLC, which will simultaneously analyze both of the desired compounds. The methods developed should be easily transferable and effective on other species within the Brassicaceae family as well.

Determining the Presence of a Kinetic Effect on Retention in Gas Chromatography

Whale, Curtis

  • Curtis Whale, Bryan Karolat*, James Harynuk*
  • Organization: University of Alberta
  • Funding: UofA, NSERC, AIF

Abstract: Gas chromatography is a widely used separation technique in analytical chemistry. Separations can be accomplished through the use of wall-coated open tubular chromatographic columns, where gas phase analytes partition in and out of a stationary phase coated on the column wall. The goal of this research was to investigate the presence of a possible kinetic effect that may have been influencing the estimation of thermodynamic parameters governing the behaviour of analytes subjected to this partitioning. Five columns having identical stationary phase and phase ratio, but differing in geometry were tested. A solution of non-polar alkanes and a solution of polar alcohols were separated on each of the columns. The retention times of each compound were fit to a three-parameter linear model that determined the enthalpy, entropy, and isobaric heat capacity of the partitioning between the mobile and stationary phases. No trend was seen in the data when the thermodynamic parameters from each column were compiled and compared side by side. The evidence was not sufficient enough to support the conclusion that a kinetic effect was influencing retention times in the columns. A significant source of uncertainty in thermodynamic parameters was hypothesised to be resulting from uncertainty in the phase ratio of each column.