published_or_final_version / abstract / Microbiology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

In this study we synthesized poly(tyrosine) (PTyr) through living ring-opening polymerization of £\-amino acid-N-carboxyanhydride and then blended with poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (P4VP) homopolymer in N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and methanol solutions to control the miscibility behavior and the secondary structures of poly(tyrosine). Infrared spectrum analysis suggests that the mixture of PTyr/P4VP possesses strong hydrogen-bonding interaction between the hydroxyl group of PTyr and the pyridine group of P4VP. DSC analyses indicate that these PTyr/P4VP complexes from methanol solution always have higher glass transition temperatures than the corresponding PTyr/P4VP miscible blends obtained from DMF solution. We proposed that the polymer chain behavior of PTyr/P4VP blend from DMF solution is the separated random coil and thus the PTyr chain possesses the random coil secondary structure after solvent evaporation. However, by increasing the hydrogen bonding for PTyr/P4VP complex from methanol solution, inter-polymer complex aggregate is proposed and the corresponding chain behavior enhances the intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction of PTyr with P4VP that results in the £]-sheet conformation based on Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR), solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction analyses.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2009. / Principal faculty advisor: Kristi L. Kiick, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2008. / Principal faculty advisor: Jeffery L. Twiss, Dept. of Biological Sciences. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Delaware, 2008. / Principal faculty advisor: Darrin J. Pochan, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.C.S.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 78-84). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

No description available.

The aim of this study was to initiate a structural analysis of the capsid polypeptides from several serotypes of bluetongue virus in order to provide insight into the relatedness and possible origins of the different serotypes. Tryptic peptide mapping of ¹²⁵I-labelled group antigen by ion exchange chromatography was used to assess the structural relatedness of seven BTV serotypes from Southern Africa, North America and Australia. Each serotype had several tyrosine containing tryptic peptides which were unique, but approximately 35% of the peptides analyzed were found to be highly conserved between all 7 serotypes. BTV-20 appeared to be closely related to BTV-B and these two serotypes with BTV-4 and BTV-17 appeared to form a closely knit central cluster. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in