In the process of biodiesel production, glycerol is produced as a byproduct in bulk amounts. The amount of glycerol supplied is larger than its demand thus stockpiling and acting as waste. As a solution, glycerol which is a highly functionalized molecule must be converted to value-added products. Several catalytic routes were thoroughly investigated including, hydrogenolysis, dehydration, pyrolysis, transesterification, etherification, carboxylation and electro-oxidation. All of these routes produce products of high economic interests. However, electro-oxidation seems to be the most promising as it runs under milder conditions and the selectivity may be easily tuned by varying the applied potential and the catalyst type. In addition, the electrical energy required may be provided by renewable energy sources. Some of the value-added products that may be produced by electrooxidation listed from highest economic value to lowest are glyceraldehyde, dihydroxyacetone, lactate, glycerate, tartronate (C₃ products) > mesooxalate, glycolate, oxalate (C₂ products) > and formate (C₁ products). Noble metals (Pt, Pd and Au) are considered to be the best for alcohol electrooxidation reactions as they present high electrocatalytic activity and selectivity. To date, research is focused on enhancing the activity and selectivity of noble metals by changing the nanoparticles morphology and adding adatoms/promoters/supports. On the other hand, these metals are non-abundant and expensive which limits their actual use in the industry. For this reason, non-noble metals (Ni and Co) have gained interest as potential alternatives. Particularly, nickel has proved to have significant activity, high durability and anti-poisoning capability for GEOR. A few studies presented enhancement in catalytic performance by varying the nanoparticles structure and adjusting the surface with a bimetallic promoter. However, there is still so much space for further research to enhance the catalytic performance and selectivity of Ni-based materials. In this thesis, carbon supported bimetallic NiₓBi₁₀₀₋ₓ [x= 100, 95, 90, 80, and 50 at.%] and Ni₉₅Bi₅/C mixed with small amounts of metal oxides (CeO₂, SnO₂ and Sb₂O₃:SnO₂) were studied for GEOR application. All catalysts were synthesized by facile sodium borohydride reduction method which can be easily scaled up. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) techniques were implemented to gather physical characterizations of the as-synthesized bimetallic NiBi/C catalyst. Different electrochemical tests such as; cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry and chronoamperometry were conducted using a conventional three electrode electrochemical cell and a potentiostat to get insight on the electrochemical performance of all catalysts. Finally, quantitative product analysis was generated by running continuous glycerol electrolysis experiments in a 25 cm2 cell accompanied by HPLC analysis. The nanoparticles size of Ni₉₅Bi₅/C was ≥6nm as determined by TEM images. Results indicated that tuning the nanoparticles size has an impact on both activity and selectivity of bimetallic carbon supported NiBi catalyst. For instance, the NiBi/C (≥6nm NP size) synthesized herein had 40% higher selectivity to C₃ products compared to NiBi/C (≤3nm NP size) reported in literature. Additionally, the selectivity of Ni-based catalysts to C₃ products were largely enhanced by developing bimetallic carbon supported NiBi catalysts of different Ni:Bi atomic ratios and adding metal oxides (CeO₂, SnO₂ and Sb₂O₃.SnO₂) to NiBi/C catalysts. Results indicate that addition of metal oxides greatly enhanced selectivity to C₃ products in the following order; Ni₉₅Bi₅/C-ATO (100%)> Ni/C-ATO (99.17%)> Ni₉₅Bi₅/C-ceria (98.05%)> Ni/C-ceria (78.29%)> Ni₉₅Bi₅/C (41.43%)> Ni/C (34.57%). However, the activity of Ni₉₅Bi₅/C-X [X=CeO₂, SnO₂, and Sb₂O₃:SnO₂] was lower than that of Ni₉₅Bi₅/C and Ni/C which was explained by the strong metal support interactions between metal oxides and nickel.

A micromechanical analysis of the representative volume element (RVE) of a unidirectional flax/jute fiber reinforced epoxy composite is performed using finite element analysis (FEA). To do so, first effective mechanical properties of flax fiber and jute fiber are evaluated numerically and then used in evaluating the effective properties of ax/jute/epoxy hybrid composite. Mechanics of Structure Genome (MSG), a new homogenization tool developed in Purdue University, is used to calculate the homogenized effective properties. Numerical results are compared with analytical solution based on rule of mixture, Halpin-Tsai as well as Tsai-Hahn equations. The effect of the volume fraction of the two different fibers is studied. Mechanical performance of hybrid composite is compared with the mechanical performance of single fiber composites. Synergistic effect due to hybridization is studied using analytical method given in literature, finite element method based MSG and Classical Lamination Theory (CLT). It is found that, when Poisson ratio is taken into consideration, elastic modulus shows synergy due to hybridization. Finally, impact properties of ax/jute/epoxy hybrid composite material are studied using Charpy impact testing.

Polymer composites are used in a varying extent and are challenging the use of traditional materials due to the push towards sustainable development. They have replaced steels and aluminum alloys in applications. Polymer composites are used in load-bearing and semi-load bearing applications in automotive, transport and aerospace industry due to their good characteristics. Polymer poses beneficial characteristics such as chemical stability, corrosion resistance, attractive strength-to-weight ratio, and be processed with ease. However, many polymers are highly flammable, making them a fire hazard. The fact that polymer composite is highly flammable, they need to undergo fire safety treatment that are sustainable towards the environment and humans. In this study biochar and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) were added in different combinations to epoxy resin. The purpose was to evaluate the synergistic effects that biochar and APP has on epoxy composite and how it will affect the fire- and mechanical properties. Additionally, developing a composite that retains a high compressive strength while increasing its thermal stability. Lastly, evaluate if the best performing composite could be recommended for load/semi-load‑bearing applications along with being sustainable towards the environment and humans. This thesis was conducted through literature study and laboratory work where three different tests were done such as cone calorimeter (CC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and compressive test. The CC and TGA test were done to analyze the synergistic effect APP and biochar had on epoxy composites fire properties, but also determine which composition obtained the best fire properties. The compressive test was done to analyze the synergistic effect APP and biochar had on the epoxy composites mechanical properties. From the CC- and TGA tests it was observed that biochar and APP individually improved the fire properties of the epoxy where a decrease in peak heat release rate per unit area (PHRRPUA) and a decrease in mass loss was obtained. Additionally, it was noticed that the addition of only APP had a greater impact in improving the fire properties compared to only biochar. However, a combination of 15 wt.% biochar and 20 wt.% APP improved the fire properties the most. The compression tests indicated that biochar reduced the compressive strength drastically compared to the neat epoxy, since the biochar-based samples exhibited a porous structure. The addition of only APP in the epoxy showed a minimal reduction in compressive strength compared to neat epoxy. In conclusion, biochar and APP were improving the fire properties of epoxy composite whereas the compressive strength decreased. Overall, by an addition of only APP to the epoxy, the fire properties were enhanced where the compressive strength was conserved compared to neat epoxy. Since the composition with only APP performed the best overall, this composition can thereby be recommended for development in load/semi-load-bearing applications.

Resource-efficient technologies are essential for economically viable biodiesel production. This work focuses on conversion of microalgal lipids and vegetable oils into fatty acid alkyl esters or biodiesel. Transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO) and extractive-transesterification of wet microalgal biomass were investigated using microwave and ultrasound irradiations through several process parametric evaluation studies to elucidate the effects of different alcohols and catalyst types (homogeneous and heterogeneous), reaction time, and reaction temperatures. First, a brief overview of process steps involved in microalgal biodiesel production and associated energy consumption and research needs were discussed. Next, energy analysis of microalgal biocrude production via extractive-transesterification under microwave and ultrasound irradiations (individually) was performed. Then, the synergistic effect of microwave and ultrasound irradiations on extractive-transesterification of microalgal lipids was evaluated through a process optimization study using response surface methodology to determine the best process conditions. For this study, a maximum biocrude conversion of 51.2% was obtained when 20 g of algal paste was treated with 30 mL methanol, 1 wt.% catalyst, 7 min reaction time, and 140 W for MW and US (280 W total). Further, biocrude yield kinetics study revealed that the activation energy for this reaction was around 17, 298 J mol-1 K-1. A series of experimental studies were conducted to understand the roles and effects of various process related conditions including the power output and power density of microwave and ultrasound irradiations in biodiesel production. The two non-conventional heating techniques were compared for their process intensification effects. Ultrasound was applied either in continuous or pulse mode. Pulse sonication was found to be more suitable for simple transesterification reaction of WCO with a 98% biodiesel yield in 2.5 min (9:1 methanol to oil ratio, 1.25% catalyst, and 150 W power output) over 82% yield for continuous sonication under the same conditions. Followed by this, a detailed study was conducted to determine optimum pulse (ON and OFF time) sonication conditions. A 99% conversion yield was obtained for a pulse ON-OFF combination of 7s-2s. Additionally, the effect of different alcohols (ethanol, methanol, and ethanol-methanol mixtures) using pulse sonication was evaluated.

no / Candidiasis is one of the most frequent opportunistic infections in individuals with severe immunosupression and further development of resistance against the available antifungal drugs has created an alarming situation. This requires intensive drug discovery to develop new, more effective, affordable and accessible antifungal agents possessing novel modes of action. Albizia anthelmintica, which is ethno medically used to treat vaginal candidiasis in the Morogoro and coastal regions of Tanzania, on activity guided fractionation and subsequent purification resulted in the isolation and characterization of an isomer of methyl cyclitol (1) and six echinocystic acid saponins (2–7). Saponins 6 and 7 are new and being reported for the first time from nature. Among all the isolated compounds, 3-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl (1[RIGHTWARDS ARROW]2)][α-L-arabinopyranosyl (1[RIGHTWARDS ARROW]6)]-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl echinocystic acid (4), 3-O-[α-L-arabinopyranosyl (1[RIGHTWARDS ARROW]2)] [α-L-arabinopyranosyl (1[RIGHTWARDS ARROW]6)]-2-amino-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl echinocystic acid (6) and 3-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl (1[RIGHTWARDS ARROW]3)] [α-L-arabinopyranosyl (1[RIGHTWARDS ARROW]2)] [α-L-arabinopyranosyl (1[RIGHTWARDS ARROW]6)]-2-amino-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl echinocystic acid (7) and their combinations were active against the various strains of C. albicans with MICs ranging from 12.5 to 125 μg/ml.

Policy-makers, project planners and development organisations are becoming convinced that the failure of the new socio-ecologically sensitive strategies co-opted by 'professional' forestry could be better addressed by indigenous forestry. They believe that indigenous forestry might assist with the development of successful forestry projects that are ecologically sustainable and socio-politically equitable. In order, however, to learn from indigenous forestry systems, the acculturation of foresters in the vernacular culture of the forest users appears to be an essential process for understanding and intervening in a local forest management complex. Acculturation entails not only more attention to the immaterial cultural realm, but an understanding of multiple resource stewardship, local ways of knowing and perceiving, local forest values and 'practices of care'. While acknowledging the significance of the politics of knowledge and political ecology this study examines resource stewardship from an alternative neglected angle that of knowledge sustainability and synergistic bridging. It will examine in general modes of knowing and bridging between 'formal' and indigenous forestry knowledge, and in particular the identification of forest value paradigms that are evidently exemplars of bio-cultural sustainability. The main outcomes of this study include the cognitive mapping of forest values among 'Tibetan minority nationalities' in Eastern Kham, their spatial distribution and the coincidence of changes in forest values with cultural or biophysical phenomena. Conceptually this study relies heavily on knowledge-system, hypertext, and paradigm theory and a critique of the narratives of John Locke. The former provide a platform to compare and contrast alternative knowledge systems and a means of synergistic bridging between them and the latter encapsulates a trajectory of western knowledge often known as modernity. The quantitative methods employed in this study included text analysis for forest value identification, multidimensional scaling for the cognitive mapping of forest values, spatial analysis and kriging for forest value distribution, and boundary or wombling analysis for changes in forest values and their coincidence with cultural or biophysical phenomena. The latter four methods are groundbreaking in that they have never been used to study forest values before. The study concludes that there is compelling evidence suggesting homogeneity in forest values with up to 5 geospatial paradigms and up to 12 cognitive paradigms. The findings, especially close correlation between forest values and ethnolinguistics, provide a potential template for foresters to develop multiple models of natural resource or biodiversity stewardship based on local forest values. In terms of the wider application, indigenous knowledge cannot seemingly be sustained if it is integrated with or into western knowledge systems due to the lack of conceptual frameworks for cross-cultural epistemological or psychological integration. Coalescing under the rubric of post-modernism, however, we do find a number of complimentary trajectories, which seemingly provide space for knowledge equity, sustainability and bridging. These trajectories include hypertext theory, paradigm theory, abductive logic, adaptive management, ecospiritual paradigms, and post-modern forestry paradigms. These trajectories and findings offer planners globally a means for synergistic bridging between local and non-local knowledge systems on the road to sustainable forestry and biodiversity stewardship.

Os ramnolipídeos (RL) são biossurfatantes que apresentam características de grande interesse para a indústria de alimentos, tais como alta biodegradabilidade, baixa toxicidade e propriedades emulsionantes. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a atividade antimicrobiana do ramnolipídeo comercial (RL-Com - Jeneil Co.) e do ramnolipídeo produzido e purificado no Laboratório de Biotecnologia Microbiana (RL-LBM) sobre culturas de Listeria monocytogenes, através da determinação da concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) utilizando o método de microdiluição em caldo. Os valores de CIM dos RLs variaram entre 78,1 μg mL-1 e 2500 μg mL-1 sendo que a CIM predominante foi de 2500 μg mL-1. Dentre as 32 L. monocytogenes testadas 68,7% foram sensíveis ao RL-LBM e 90,6% sensíveis ao RL-Com. O efeito do ramnolipídeo sobre L. monocytogenes mostrou-se predominantemente bacteriostático. O RL aumentou a permeabilidade celular de L. monocytogenes, contudo este efeito não foi relacionado à sua atividade antimicrobiana. A interação entre os antimicrobianos RL-Com e nisina foi avaliada sobre dois isolados de L. monocytogenes com sensibilidades diferentes ao RL, o L17 menos sensível, com CIM de 2500 μg mL-1, e o L12 mais sensível, com CIM de 156,2 μg mL-1. O índice CIF obtido para os isolados foi de 0,078 e 0,18 , para L17 e L12 respectivamente, caracterizando o efeito sinérgico da combinação entre RL e nisina. As curvas de sobrevivência dos isolados L12 e L17 mostraram que a interação entre a nisina e o RL foi bactericida em concentrações menores que as obtidas individualmente para cada antimicrobiano. Para a L12 a combinação de 78,1 μg mL-1 de RL e 160 UI mL-1 de nisina reduziu completamente a população em 30 min de tratamento, e para a L17 a combinação de 156,2 μg mL-1 de RL e 320 UI mL-1 de nisina foi bactericida após 2 h. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho demonstraram que o ramnolipídeo possui potencial como agente de controle de L. monocytogenes assim como efeito sinérgico quando combinado à nisina. / The rhamnolipids (RL) are biodegradable biosurfactants which have low toxicity and surface activity properties that can be useful for food processing industries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes with two rhamnolipids products: the rhamnolipid from P. aeruginosa LBI that was produced and purified in the Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory (RLMBL) and a commercial product (RL-Com - Jeneil Co.). Susceptibility tests were performed by the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) using the micro-broth dilution technique. The MIC values varied from 78.1 μg mL-1 to 2500 μg mL-1 and the 2500 μg mL-1 concentration was the predominant value . Among the 32 tested cultures, 68.7% were susceptible to RL-MBL and 90.6% to RL-Com. Results showed that the rhamnolipid activity was primarily bacteriostatic. The RL increases the membrane permeability of L. monocytogenes, however this effect was not directly related to its antimicrobial activity. The combined effect of nisin and RL-Com was evaluated against two wild-type isolates of L. monocytogenes, L12 more sensitive (MIC 156.2 μg mL-1) and L17 less sensitive (2500 μg mL-1). The FIC index for the isolates were 0.18 and 0.078 for L12 and L17 respectively, indicating a particular synergistic effect. The survival curve of isolates L12 and L17 showed that the combination between nisin and RL was bactericidal at lower concentration than for the individual antimicrobials. For L12 isolate 78.1 μg mL-1 of RL and 160 UI mL-1 of nisin eliminated the population after 30 min of incubation. The combination of 156.2 μg mL-1 of RL and 320 UI mL-1 of nisin reduced completely L17 population after 2 h of incubation. This work demonstrated the potential antimicrobial activity of rhamnolipids against L. monocytogenes, as well as the synergistic effect of this biosurfactant with nisin.

Os ramnolipídeos (RL) são biossurfatantes que apresentam características de grande interesse para a indústria de alimentos, tais como alta biodegradabilidade, baixa toxicidade e propriedades emulsionantes. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a atividade antimicrobiana do ramnolipídeo comercial (RL-Com - Jeneil Co.) e do ramnolipídeo produzido e purificado no Laboratório de Biotecnologia Microbiana (RL-LBM) sobre culturas de Listeria monocytogenes, através da determinação da concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) utilizando o método de microdiluição em caldo. Os valores de CIM dos RLs variaram entre 78,1 μg mL-1 e 2500 μg mL-1 sendo que a CIM predominante foi de 2500 μg mL-1. Dentre as 32 L. monocytogenes testadas 68,7% foram sensíveis ao RL-LBM e 90,6% sensíveis ao RL-Com. O efeito do ramnolipídeo sobre L. monocytogenes mostrou-se predominantemente bacteriostático. O RL aumentou a permeabilidade celular de L. monocytogenes, contudo este efeito não foi relacionado à sua atividade antimicrobiana. A interação entre os antimicrobianos RL-Com e nisina foi avaliada sobre dois isolados de L. monocytogenes com sensibilidades diferentes ao RL, o L17 menos sensível, com CIM de 2500 μg mL-1, e o L12 mais sensível, com CIM de 156,2 μg mL-1. O índice CIF obtido para os isolados foi de 0,078 e 0,18 , para L17 e L12 respectivamente, caracterizando o efeito sinérgico da combinação entre RL e nisina. As curvas de sobrevivência dos isolados L12 e L17 mostraram que a interação entre a nisina e o RL foi bactericida em concentrações menores que as obtidas individualmente para cada antimicrobiano. Para a L12 a combinação de 78,1 μg mL-1 de RL e 160 UI mL-1 de nisina reduziu completamente a população em 30 min de tratamento, e para a L17 a combinação de 156,2 μg mL-1 de RL e 320 UI mL-1 de nisina foi bactericida após 2 h. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho demonstraram que o ramnolipídeo possui potencial como agente de controle de L. monocytogenes assim como efeito sinérgico quando combinado à nisina. / The rhamnolipids (RL) are biodegradable biosurfactants which have low toxicity and surface activity properties that can be useful for food processing industries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes with two rhamnolipids products: the rhamnolipid from P. aeruginosa LBI that was produced and purified in the Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory (RLMBL) and a commercial product (RL-Com - Jeneil Co.). Susceptibility tests were performed by the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) using the micro-broth dilution technique. The MIC values varied from 78.1 μg mL-1 to 2500 μg mL-1 and the 2500 μg mL-1 concentration was the predominant value . Among the 32 tested cultures, 68.7% were susceptible to RL-MBL and 90.6% to RL-Com. Results showed that the rhamnolipid activity was primarily bacteriostatic. The RL increases the membrane permeability of L. monocytogenes, however this effect was not directly related to its antimicrobial activity. The combined effect of nisin and RL-Com was evaluated against two wild-type isolates of L. monocytogenes, L12 more sensitive (MIC 156.2 μg mL-1) and L17 less sensitive (2500 μg mL-1). The FIC index for the isolates were 0.18 and 0.078 for L12 and L17 respectively, indicating a particular synergistic effect. The survival curve of isolates L12 and L17 showed that the combination between nisin and RL was bactericidal at lower concentration than for the individual antimicrobials. For L12 isolate 78.1 μg mL-1 of RL and 160 UI mL-1 of nisin eliminated the population after 30 min of incubation. The combination of 156.2 μg mL-1 of RL and 320 UI mL-1 of nisin reduced completely L17 population after 2 h of incubation. This work demonstrated the potential antimicrobial activity of rhamnolipids against L. monocytogenes, as well as the synergistic effect of this biosurfactant with nisin.

Les nanoparticules bimétalliques supportées sont des catalyseurs particulièrement attractifs en raison d’une activité et d’une stabilité accrues par rapport à leurs homologues monométalliques. Dans cette thèse des solides à base d'or ont été étudiés en tant que catalyseurs de l'oxydation sélective du glucose en absence de base. Il a été mis en évidence que la variation du ratio molaire entre l’or et le second métal (Pd, Pt, or Cu) a un impact différent sur les performances catalytiques en fonction de la nature du second métal, du support et de la méthode de préparation. Les séries Au-Pd supportés sur TiO2 et préparés par la méthode de sol-immobilisation et Au-Cu supportés sur TiO2 et préparés par la méthode de précipitation-réduction ont montré un effet synergique important, en particulier lorsque le rapport entre les deux métaux était de 1. Ces catalyseurs convertissent sélectivement le glucose en acide gluconique et leur activité a été trouvée supérieure à celle des contreparties monométalliques. L'analyse XPS a démontré que les espèces Au+δ, Pd+2 et CuOH jouent alors un rôle important dans la réaction étudiée en absence de base. Le bismuth en tant que second métal n'a montré aucun effet bénéfique, au contraire du palladium et du cuivre. Les catalyseurs à base d’Au et de Pt supportés sur ZrO2 se sont avérés quant à eux très stables lorsque la teneur en or était inférieure à 0,3% en masse. La nature du support a un impact très important sur le mécanisme de la réaction conduite en absence base sur des catalyseurs à base d’or. La raison réside dans les interactions que ce support développe avec la phase bimétallique favorisant ainsi la formation des espèces actives / The supported bimetallic nanoparticles are particularly attractive catalysts due to the increased activity and stability over their monometallic counterparts. In this thesis, gold-based solids have been studied as catalysts for the selective base-free oxidation of glucose. It has been demonstrated that the variation of the molar ratio between gold and the second metal (Pd, Pt, or Cu) has a different impact on the catalytic performances depending on the nature of the second metal, the support and the method of preparation. TiO2 supported Au-Pd series prepared by the sol-immobilization method and Au-Cu series prepared by the precipitation-reduction method showed a significant synergistic effect, particularly when the ratio of the two metals was 1. Under the reaction conditions used (T = 60 °C or 80 °C, P = 5 bar air, t = 5 h), these catalysts selectivity to gluconic acid and their activity was found to be greater than that of monometallic counterparts, especially when the catalyst is supported on TiO2. XPS analysis showed that the Au+δ, Pd+2 and CuOH species played an important role in the base-free reaction. Bismuth as the second metal showed no beneficial effect, unlike palladium and copper. The Au-Pt catalysts supported on ZrO2 proved to be still active when the gold content was less than 0.3 wt.%. Ultimately, the nature of the support has a very important impact on the mechanism of the base-free reaction conducted on gold-based catalysts (formation of H2O2 in situ). The reason lies in the interactions of the support with the bimetallic phase thus favoring the formation of the active species

Platelets are crucial for prevention of blood loss after vessel injury. Platelet adhesion to disrupted vessel walls is mediated by receptors such as the GPIb-IX-V complex that binds von Willebrand factor and the collagen-binding integrin α2β1. Also cross-linking of platelets, mediated by αIIbβ3 that binds to fibrinogen, results in platelet aggregation that further contributes to hemostasis. Platelets are also important pathophysiologically because of their role in thrombus formation following atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Pharmacological treatments aimed to prevent such events include use of platelet inhibitors such as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and clopidogrel. Despite the presence of several different platelet function assays, no one has so far been considered useful for clinical evaluation of the effect of anti-platelet treatment. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate possible applications in experimental as well as in clinical research for a platelet adhesion assay performed during static conditions. In principle, platelets in plasma are allowed to attach to protein coated microplates. Adhered platelets are then detected by induction of an enzymatic reaction followed by spectrophotometric measurements of the developed product. Our results show that the platelet adhesion assay is able to detect experimentally induced activation as well as inhibition of platelets. The assay also seems useful for investigation of synergistically induced platelet activation, especially when the coated surface consists of albumin. This is exemplified by the combination of lysophosphatidic acid and adrenaline, which induced a synergistically increased platelet adhesion to albumin that was dependent on αIIbβ3-receptors and on the secretion of ADP. Furthermore, secretion of ADP as well as TXA2 seems to contribute to several adhesive reactions investigated with this assay. The dependence on secretion, together with results showing that adhesion to collagen and fibrinogen is dependent on α2β1- and αIIbβ3-receptors respectively, indicate that the adhesive interactions occurring in the assay is in accordance with the general knowledge about platelet function. Regarding clinical applications, we found that platelet adhesion was increased for patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) compared to controls. This is in line with the in vivo function of ET-platelets since a common complication for ET-patients is thrombosis. Furthermore, the assay was able to detect effects of treatment with clopidogrel in patients with unstable angina. To some extent it also measured the effects of ASA-treatment. In conclusion, our results suggest that the assay is suitable for experimental research and that further studies should be performed aimed at developing the assay into a clinically useful device.