Masters of Science / Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), which includes potentially fatal conditions such as meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia poses a threat in children aged <5 years, pneumonia being the leading cause of child mortality worldwide. Even though capsular polysaccharides are the main antigens involved in the immunity to encapsulated bacteria, it was found that in children in that age group, the immune system was unresponsive. Conjugate vaccines however induce immunologic memory and provide long-term protective immunity. Therefore the aim of this project was to develop novel conjugation strategies towards a pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and focuses mainly on the serotypes that are a burden to the African continent. The chemistry involved in developing a conjugate vaccine is of importance beacuse while some polysaccharides contain chemical grouping which can be conveniently utilized for conjugation, many medically important ones require derivatization before they can be coupled to protein. Derivatization of which can be achieved through various strategies, important to note is through hypervalent iodine oxidants. Two hypervalent iodine reagents, O-Methyl substituted-1-hydroxy-1,2-benziodoxol-3(1H)-one 1-oxide (Me-IBX)and modified 1-hydroxy-1,2-benziodoxol-3(1H)-one 1-oxide (mIBX)were successfully synthesized in preparation for the use in polysaccharide, polyribitol phosphate, (PRP) oxidation. The polysaccharide to be oxidised was first size reduced by microfluidisation to allow maximum oxidation. However, the extent to which oxidisation was achieved was not enough to conjugate the polysaccharide to the protein of preference, Bovine Serum Albumin, (BSA).

The thermal denaturation of proteins has been extensively studied using several methods including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A custom-built optical system was used to study thermal effects on protein as an alternative method to DSC measurements. It was used to investigate the thermal stability of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with a focus on comparisons with published DSC data. In the first study, the effect of protein concentration on the thermal denaturation (Td) of BSA was determined and validated using published DSC data for bovine serum albumin (BSA). The optical rotation (OR) and transmitted light (TL) signals indicating protein conformational changes and gel formation, respectively, were collected during the heating of BSA solutions at ~6��C/min from room temperature to ~85��C. The experiments were performed on 1, 2.5 and 5% (w/v) BSA in 0.01 M phosphate buffer at pH 7 and ionic strength (IS) 0.08. BSA���s Td values obtained from this investigation were consistent with published values and had low experimental variability (CV<2.5%). In agreement with some but not all published data, increasing BSA concentration did not affect its thermal stability. Protein gel formation, however, increased with protein concentration. In the second study, changes in the OR and TL signal of BSA in 0.01 M phosphate buffer at pH 6.1, 7 and 7.9 with IS maintained at 0.04, 0.08 and 0.16 were recorded during the heating of BSA solutions at ~6��C/min from room temperature to ~85��C. BSA showed a maximum and minimum thermostability at pH 7 and 7.9, respectively, consistent with published values determined by DSC. BSA formed opaque gel at pH 6.1 approaching the BSA���s pI values. Increasing IS level did not have a significant effect on BSA���s Td value but promoted gel formation. In the third study, the optical method was applied to investigate the heat stability of BSA as affected by low concentrations of sucrose, trehalose or sorbitol. BSA solutions (2.5% w/v) in the presence of 0 5% sucrose, trehalose and sorbitol were heated at ~6��C/min from ambient temperature to ~85��C. In contrast with published work on the thermal stability of BSA in the presence of higher sugar concentrations, this study showed that increasing sugar concentration did not enhance the thermal stability of this protein. Also, the ability to promote protein stability among sucrose, trehalose and sorbitol were not significantly different. The significance of these studies is that they demonstrate that the custom-built optical methods here developed can be used to study heat-induced protein denaturation and the effect of environmental conditions. Future studies will examine other proteins such as ��-lactoglobulin or ��-lacactalbumin. A further advantage of optical systems is their ability to conduct real-time measurements which could be used for food processing control. / Graduation date: 2007

Submitted by Sandra Pereira (srpereira@ufrrj.br) on 2017-06-06T12:34:21Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010 - Alessandra Medeiros Ribeiro .pdf: 4846590 bytes, checksum: 525d2754e1be01d1117fe6e9f3362d1f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-06T12:34:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010 - Alessandra Medeiros Ribeiro .pdf: 4846590 bytes, checksum: 525d2754e1be01d1117fe6e9f3362d1f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-19 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior, CAPES, Brasil. / Spectroscopic studies for several comercial flavonoids (flavone (FVA), alphanaphthoflavone (?-NAF), beta-naphthoflavone (?-NAF), thioflavone (TFA), S,Sdioxythioflavone (SDF), flavanone (FNA) and quercetin (QUE)), natural flavonoids (biflavonoids such as agatisflavone (ATF), 7?-O-methylagatisflavone (OMA), amentoflavone (AMF) and (DOF)) and thiochromanone (TCR) were performed in different solvents (acetonitrile (ACN), ethanol (ETOH), cyclohexane (CEX), dichloromethane (DCM) and milli-Q water (AD)). Irradiation of TFA, SDF and TCR in acetonitrile, employing the nanosecond laser flash photolysis, lead to the formation of their corresponding triplet excited state. Fluorescence emission spectroscopy studies showed that commercial and natural flavonoids and thiochromanone are not fluorescent. UV/visible spectroscopy studies for QUE, ATF, OMA, AMF and DOF, in the same previous solvents, revealed that for these flavonoids the ground-state absorption spectrum in polar solvents, such as water or PBS (pH=7.4), is completely different than the obtained in dichloromethane. This difference is more pronounced for ATF. For DOF the absorption spectrum in water shows remarkable variations when compared to that in PBS. The interaction between BSA and the flavonoids QUE, ATF, OMA, AMF and DOF in PBS solution, pH = 7.4, was studied by UV/visible spectroscopy, fluorescence emission spectroscopy, circular dicroism and molecular modelling. From these studies it was clearly demonstrated that the interaction observed was directly dependent on the flavonoid concentration and almost independent on temperature variation. The ground state absorption spectrum for BSA showed a hypsochromic effect on the absorption band around 208 nm, corresponding to the n?* transition of the BSA ?-helix structure, as a function of flavonoid concentration. Similar behavior was observed for the absorption at 280 nm, corresponding to the tryptophan absorption in BSA. The fluorescence emission spectrum for BSA in the presence of QUE, ATF, OMA, AMF and DOF, in PBS, at T = 22?C, 27?C, 32?C, 37?C and 42?C, shows a blue-shift on the protein emission as a function of flavonoid concentration. These results suggest that the BSA chromophore is in a more hydrophobic environment when compared with that sensed by the protein in the absence of the flavonoid. In this case, quenching of BSA fluorescence (tryptophan residues) was clearly observed with the high values obtained for the quenching rate constant kq (? 1013 to 1014 L/mol.s) indicating a static quenching process. The distance (r) observed for the tryptophan residues and the flavonoids was smaller than 7 nm, which indicates that there is a reasonable probability for a non-radiative energy transfer process between tryptophan and the flavonoids, based on the F?rster theory for energy transfer. Circular dicroism results at T = 25?C, 37?C and 42?C revealed a significant decrease on the ?-helix percentage for BSA at 208 nm and 222 nm, corresponding to the n?* transition for the secondary structure of BSA, as a function of flavonoid concentration. These effects can be attributed to the formation of a complex BSA/flavonoid which can induce conformational variations on the BSA structure. Molecular modelling indicates that the main regions for the interaction between flavonoids and ASB are located in hydrophobic cavities on the sub-domains IB and IIA, which contain tryptophan residues (Trp-158 and Trp-237). A large hydrophobic cavity containing the Trp-237 is present in the sub-domain IIA, which is responsible for the formation of the complex flavonoid-BSA through a strong interaction flavonoid-tryptophan. / Estudos espectrosc?picos para diversos flavon?ides comerciais (flavona (FVA), alfanaftoflavona (?-NAF), beta-naftoflavona (?-NAF), tioflavona (TFA), S,S-di?xidotioflavona (SDF), flavanona (FNA) e quercetina (QUE)), flavon?ides naturais (biflavon?ides como agatisflavona (ATF), 7?-O-metilagatisflavona (OMA), amentoflavona (AMF) e diidroochnaflavona (DOF)) e tiocromanona (TCR), foram realizados em diferentes solventes (acetonitrila (ACN), etanol (ETOH), cicloexano (CEX), diclorometano (DCM) e ?gua millliQ (AD)). A irradia??o de TFA, SDF e TCR, em acetonitrila, por fot?lise por pulso de laser de nanossegundo, levou ? forma??o de seus respectivos estados excitados triplete. Por espectroscopia de fluoresc?ncia, verificou-se que os flavon?ides comerciais e naturais, e a tiocromanona n?o apresentam emiss?o de fluoresc?ncia. Por espectroscopia de absor??o no ultravioleta/vis?vel (UV-Vis) para QUE, ATF, OMA, AMF e DOF, nestes solventes, percebeu-se que os espectros em presen?a de solventes polares, como AD, foram bem diferentes dos espectros em DCM, principalmente, para ATF, e os espectros em solu??o de tamp?o PBS (pH = 7,4) foram semelhantes aos em AD, exceto para DOF, apresentando mudan?as substanciais. A intera??o entre ASB e os flavon?ides (QUE, ATF, OMA, AMF e DOF) em solu??o tamponada (PBS, pH = 7,4) foi estudada por espectroscopia no ultravioleta/vis?vel, espectroscopia de emiss?o de fluoresc?ncia, dicro?smo circular e modelagem molecular sendo diretamente dependente da concentra??o adicionada de flavon?ides e muito pouco dependente com a varia??o da temperatura. No UV-Vis ocorreu deslocamento para o azul das bandas de absor??o pr?ximas a 208 nm (correspondente a ASB, referente ?s transi??es n?* da estrutura ?-h?lice da albumina) e 280 nm (correspondente ao triptofano da ASB), em fun??o do aumento de concentra??o dos flavon?ides. Na espectroscopia de fluoresc?ncia (T = 22?C, 27?C, 32?C, 37?C e 42?C) houve deslocamento para o azul na emiss?o da prote?na com o aumento da concentra??o dos flavon?ides, sugerindo que o crom?foro da ASB est? em um ambiente mais hidrof?bico em rela??o ?quele quando para ASB livre. Neste caso, observou-se supress?o da fluoresc?ncia de ASB (res?duos de triptofano), como consequ?ncia de um processo de supress?o est?tica como demonstrado pelos altos valores observados para kq (? 1013 a 1014 L/mol.s). A dist?ncia entre os res?duos de triptofano e os flavon?ides (r) foi menor que 7 nm, um indicativo da grande probabilidade de ocorrer transfer?ncia de energia entre ASB e flavon?ides, de acordo com a teoria de transfer?ncia de energia n?o-radiativa de F?rster (Teoria de F?rster). No dicro?smo circular (T = 25?C, 37?C e 42?C) foi verificada uma diminui??o do % de ?-h?lice da ASB em 208 nm e 222 nm (regi?es de transi??o n?* da estrutura secund?ria ?-h?lice da ASB no espectro de absor??o UV), devido ao aumento de concentra??o dos flavon?ides. Esses efeitos podem ser atribu?dos ? forma??o de um complexo flavon?ide-ASB que pode estar induzindo varia??es conformacionais na ASB. Por modelagem molecular, atrav?s do programa docking, percebeuse que as regi?es principais para a liga??o dos flavon?ides com os s?tios de liga??o da ASB est?o localizadas em cavidades hidrof?bicas nos subdom?nios IB e IIA (consistentes com os s?tios I e II) e os res?duos de triptofano (Trp-158 e Trp-237) de ASB est?o nesses subdom?nios, respectivamente. Existe uma grande cavidade hidrof?bica presente no subdom?nio IIA, onde os flavon?ides podem se ligar com o res?duo de triptofano Trp-237 (melhor s?tio de liga??o), formando o complexo flavon?ide-ASB.

Interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and thimerosal (TM), organic mercury compound, was investigated by spectroscopic methods. The results, by molecular fluorescence, show that the interaction takes place by static quenching with electrostatic forces spontaneously (ΔG = - 4.40 kJ mol-1 at 30°C). The binding constant (Kb) was 3.24 ± 0.01x103 L mol-1 (30°C) is considered a moderate interaction. Fluorescence in three dimensions revealed that TM causes structural involving the the polypeptide chain BSA changes in the polarity of the tryptophan and tyrosine residues confirmed by circular dichroism (CD) showed an increase in α-helix content after interaction with TM. In addition, the TM decreases the surface hydrophobicity of the protein. Bilirubin was used as a marker for the subdomain IB, confirming that TM interacts in this region of the protein. The study of the interaction mechanism proposed that TM is reacted with BSA through the free cysteine residue, forming the adduct BSA-HgEt release of thiosalicylic acid (ATS), which interacts with amino acids with side chain positive. Besides, it was seen that TM accelerates the protein fibrillation kinetics by 42%, with a possible indication of the toxicity of this compound in biological systems. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A interação entre albumina do soro bovino (BSA) e timerosal (TM), composto orgânico de mercúrio, foi investigada utilizando métodos espectroscópicos. Os resultados, por fluorescência molecular, evidenciam que a interação acontece por quenching estático através de forças eletrostáticas de forma espontânea (ΔG = - 4,40 kJ mol-1 a 30ºC). A constante de ligação (Kb) foi de 3,24 ± 0,01x103 L mol-1 (30ºC) sendo considerada uma interação moderada. A fluorescência em três dimensões revelou que TM causa mudanças estruturais envolvendo a cadeia polipeptídica da BSA assim como altera a polaridade dos resíduos de triptofano e tirosina, confirmada por dicroísmo circular (DC) que evidenciou aumento no conteúdo de α-hélice após interação com TM. Além disto, TM diminui a hidrofobicidade superficial da proteína. Bilirrubina foi utilizada como marcador para o subdomínio IB, confirmando que TM interage nesta região da proteína. O estudo do mecanismo de interação propôs que TM reage com BSA através do resíduo de cisteína livre, formando o aduto BSA-HgEt com liberação de ácido tiosalicílico (ATS), que interage com os aminoácidos com cadeia lateral positiva. Por fim, foi visto que TM acelera a cinética de fibrilação proteica em 42%, sendo um possível indício da toxicidade deste composto em sistemas biológicos.

Control and analysis of protein aggregation is an increasing challenge to biopharmaceutical research and development. Therefore it is important to understand the interactions, causes and analysis of particles in order to control protein aggregation to enable successful biopharmaceutical formulations. This work investigates the role of different non-ionic surfactants on protein conformational stability, as assessed by HSDSC, and on protein size stability as assessed by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), HIAC and MFI. BSA and IgG2 were used as model proteins. Thermal unfolding experiments indicated a very weak surfactant-immunoglobulin IgG2 interaction, compared to much stronger interactions for the BSA surfactant systems. The DLS results showed that BSA and IgG2 with different surfactants and concentration produced different levels of particle size growth. The heat treatment and aging of samples in the presence of Tween 20, Tween 80, Brij 35 and Pluronic F-68 surfactants led to an increase in the populations of larger particles for BSA samples, whereas IgG2 systems did not notably aggregate under storage conditions MFI was shown to be more sensitive than HIAC technique for measuring sub-visible particles in protein surfactant systems. Heat treatment and storage stress showed a significant effect on BSA and IgG2 protein sub-visible particle size stability. This work has demonstrated that both proteins with different Tween 20, Tween 80, Brij 35 and Pluronic F-68 concentrations, have different level of conformational and size stability. Also aging samples and heating stress bears the potential to generate particles, but this depends on surfactant type. Poor predictive correlations between the analytical methods were determined.

Submitted by Cássia Santos (cassia.bcufg@gmail.com) on 2017-07-25T13:32:13Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Junaine Vasques da Silva - 2002.pdf: 3727327 bytes, checksum: 4cb8c1db4d3fb95798779f39aae78673 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-07-26T12:05:00Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Junaine Vasques da Silva - 2002.pdf: 3727327 bytes, checksum: 4cb8c1db4d3fb95798779f39aae78673 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-26T12:05:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Junaine Vasques da Silva - 2002.pdf: 3727327 bytes, checksum: 4cb8c1db4d3fb95798779f39aae78673 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2002-12-19 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The main function of the most superficial layer of the epidermis, the Stratum Corneum (SC), is to provide a physical barrier that controls the transepidermal water loss as well as the permeation of another substances in both directions across the skin. The SC is formed by anabolically dead cells, the terminally differentiated corneocyte, and its function is essentially accomplished by forming a highly insoluble protein structure on the surface of the corneocytes, termed the cornified cell envelope, and by impeding water diffusion across the SC by mortaring the corneocytes together by layers of skin-specific lipids, essentially ceramide, cholesterol and fatty acid. In this work the cell envelope of the SC was spin labeled with a sulfhydryl-specific nitroxide reagent to investigate the water content effects upon the protein dynamics directly in the intact tissue. A two-state model for the nitroxide side chain described the coexistence of two spectral components in the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra. The so-called strongly immobilized component, S, is associated with the EPR signal of a motionally restricted nitroxide fraction having its N-O group hydrogen bonded to protein (rigid structure) while the weakly immobilized component, W, corresponds to the signal provided by the spin labels with higher mobility (~10 times greater) exposed to the aqueous environment. The relative populations between these two mobility states, S and W, are in thermodynamic equilibrium. The standard Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy changes for transferring the nitroxide side chain from the state contacting the solvent, W, to the one contacting protein, S, indicated that the reduction of the SC water content to below ~h 0.69, g H2O per g dry SC, stabilizes the protein interacting state, S. Upon decreasing the SC hydration level below ~h 0.69 the segmental motion of the polypeptide chains and the rotational motion of the spin-labeled side chain were also constrained. To test our methodology in a pure and very well known protein, we also studied the effects of two types of detergents on the bovine serum albumin (BSA). Both detergents, the anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the zwitterionic N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonium-1-propanesulfonate (HPS) increase the mobility of the protein backbone and of the nitroxide side chain. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that these detergents destabilize the protein favoring less compact conformations. This work can also be useful to improve the spectral analysis of site-directed spin labeling, especially for a more quantitative description in terms of thermodynamic parameters. / A camada mais superficial da epiderme, o Estrato Córneo (EC), tem como função principal a formação de uma barreira física que controla a perda de água do corpo bem como a permeação de outras substâncias em ambas as direções da pele. O EC é formado por células anabolicamente mortas, os corneócitos, os quais sofreram diferenciação celular terminal, e sua função é realizada formando uma estrutura de proteínas altamente insolúveis na superfície do corneócito, chamada de envelope celular, e também uma matriz lipídica, essencialmente ceramídios, colesterol e ácidos graxos, que dificultam a difusão da água. Neste trabalho, o EC foi marcado com marcadores de spin específicos para reagir com os grupos sulfidrilas das proteínas, para investigar os efeitos do conteúdo de água na dinâmica de proteínas diretamente no tecido intacto. Um modelo de dois estados para a cadeia lateral do nitróxido descreveu a coexistência de duas componentes espectrais de ressonância paramagnética eletrônica (RPE). A componente denominada fortemente imobilizada (S), surge de uma fração de marcadores com o átomo de oxigênio do nitróxido ligado à proteína (estrutura rígida) enquanto a componente fracamente imobilizada é gerada pelos marcadores com mobilidade mais alta (~10 vezes maior) e expostos ao ambiente aquoso. As populações relativas entre estes dois estados de mobilidade, S e W, estão em equilíbrio termodinâmico. Os parâmetros da termodinâmica: energia livre padrão de Gibbs, entalpia e entropia, envolvidos na transferência da cadeia lateral do nitróxido do estado W, contatando ao solvente, para o estado S, contatando a proteína, indicaram que a redução do conteúdo de água para abaixo de ~0.69g de H2O por g de EC seco, estabiliza o estado S (cadeia lateral do nitróxido dobrada sobre a cadeia principal da proteína). Ao diminuir o nível de hidratação para abaixo de ~ h 0.69 (g H2o/g EC seco) o movimento local da cadeia polipeptídica e o movimento rotacional da cadeia lateral do marcador de spin foram ambos reduzidos. Para testar nossa metodologia em uma proteína pura e bem conhecida, estudamos os efeitos de dois tipos de detergentes sobre a albumina do soro bovino (BSA). Ambos os detergentes, o aniônico dodecil sulfato de sódio (SDS) e o ziteriônico N-hexadecil-N,N-dimetil-3-amônio-1-propanosulfonato (HPS) aumentaram a mobilidade da cadeia principal da proteína e da cadeia lateral do nitróxido. Os parâmetros termodinâmicos indicaram que estes detergentes desestabilizam a proteína favorecendo conformações menos compactas. Os resultados do presente trabalho também podem contribuir para aprimorar a

Control and analysis of protein aggregation is an increasing challenge to biopharmaceutical research and development. Therefore it is important to understand the interactions, causes and analysis of particles in order to control protein aggregation to enable successful biopharmaceutical formulations. This work investigates the role of different non-ionic surfactants on protein conformational stability, as assessed by HSDSC, and on protein size stability as assessed by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), HIAC and MFI. BSA and IgG2 were used as model proteins. Thermal unfolding experiments indicated a very weak surfactant-immunoglobulin IgG2 interaction, compared to much stronger interactions for the BSA surfactant systems. The DLS results showed that BSA and IgG2 with different surfactants and concentration produced different levels of particle size growth. The heat treatment and aging of samples in the presence of Tween 20, Tween 80, Brij 35 and Pluronic F-68 surfactants led to an increase in the populations of larger particles for BSA samples, whereas IgG2 systems did not notably aggregate under storage conditions MFI was shown to be more sensitive than HIAC technique for measuring sub-visible particles in protein surfactant systems. Heat treatment and storage stress showed a significant effect on BSA and IgG2 protein sub-visible particle size stability. This work has demonstrated that both proteins with different Tween 20, Tween 80, Brij 35 and Pluronic F-68 concentrations, have different level of conformational and size stability. Also aging samples and heating stress bears the potential to generate particles, but this depends on surfactant type. Poor predictive correlations between the analytical methods were determined.

Carbon-based materials are poised to be an important class of 21st century materials, for bio-medical, bio-electronic, and bio-sensing applications. Diamond and polymers are two examples of carbon-based materials of high interest to the bio-materials community. Diamond, in its conductive form, can be used as an electrochemical bio-sensor, whilst its nanoparticle form is considered a non-inflammatory platform to deliver drugs or to grow neuronal cells. Polymers, especially when chemically modified, have been used extensively in biological environments, from anti-microbial use to drug delivery. The large-scale use of either material for biological use is limited by two factors: ease of chemical modification and the paucity of knowledge of their surface chemistry in aqueous media. This thesis addresses aspects of both these issues. The first study reported is an in situ study of the adsorption dynamics of an exemplar globular protein (bovine serum albumin, BSA) on nanodiamond using the relatively novel quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) technique. For the first time, QCM-D enabled the detailed study of protein dynamics (i.e. kinetics, viscoelastic properties, overlayer structure, etc.) onto nanodiamond thin films having various surface chemistry and roughness. The dynamics of protein adsorption is found to be sensitive to surface chemistry at all stages of adsorption, but it is only sensitive to surface roughness during initial adsorption phases. Our understanding of the nanodiamond-biology interface is enhanced by this study, and it suggests that QCM-D is useful for the study of the surface chemistry of nanoparticle forms of inorganic materials. A second study concerns a novel surface functionalization scheme, based on carbene and azo-coupling chemistry, which has been recently introduced as a practical, facile method for modifying the surfaces of polymers. Using modern surface characterization techniques, it is demonstrated that a chemical linker can be attached to polystyrene surfaces using carbene-based chemistry, and that further chemical functionality can be added to this chemical linker via an azo-coupling reaction. In situ studies of protein dynamics at these interfaces were conducted using QCM-D, thus enabling a link between specific protein behaviour and the polymer surface chemical termination chemistry to be made. A third area of study of investigates the use of diamond electrodes as a bio-sensor for dopamine under physiological conditions. For these conditions, ascorbic acid interferes with the dopamine oxidation signal, in ways that render the two signals irresolvable. Various modifications are used in attempts to reduce this interference, including: small and large cathodic treatments, grafting of electro-active polymers, addition of carbon nanotubes, and hydrogen plasma treatment. Those modifications leading to the hydrogen-termination of diamond are shown to work the best. Notably, hydrogen plasma treatment effects the complete electrochemical separation of dopamine and ascorbic acid at a diamond electrode. This is the first time this has been accomplished without adding non-diamond materials to the diamond electrode surface.