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Krings W, Gorb SN. Particle binding capacity of snail saliva. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:185101. [PMID: 37955324 DOI: 10.1063/5.0176668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastropods forage with their radula, a thin chitinous membrane with embedded teeth, which scratch across the substrate to lose food particles. During this interaction, the risk of loosening particles is obvious without having a specialized mechanism holding them on the tooth surface. As mucus secretions are essential in molluscan life cycles and the locomotion and attachment gels are known to have an instant high adhesion, we have hypothesized that the saliva could support particle retention during feeding. As adhesion of snail saliva was not studied before, we present here an experimental setup to test its particle-binding capacity using a large land snail (Lissachatina fulica, Stylommatophora, Heterobranchia). This experiment was also applied to the gels produced by the snail foot for comparison and can be potentially applied to various fluids present at a small volume in the future. We found, that the saliva has high particle retention capacity that is comparable to the foot glue of the snail. To gain some insight into the properties of the saliva, we additionally studied it in the scanning electron microscope, estimated its viscosity in a de-wetting experiment, and investigated its elemental composition using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy reveling higher contents of Ca, Zn and other potential cross-linkers similar to those found in the glue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wencke Krings
- Department of Cariology, Endodontology and Periodontology, Universität Leipzig, Liebigstraße 12, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Electron Microscopy, Institute of Cell and Systems Biology of Animals, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Mammalogy and Palaeoanthropology, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Stanislav N Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
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Rongpipi S, Barnes WJ, Siemianowski O, Del Mundo JT, Wang C, Freychet G, Zhernenkov M, Anderson CT, Gomez EW, Gomez ED. Measuring calcium content in plants using NEXAFS spectroscopy. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1212126. [PMID: 37662163 PMCID: PMC10468975 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1212126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Calcium is important for the growth and development of plants. It serves crucial functions in cell wall and cell membrane structure and serves as a secondary messenger in signaling pathways relevant to nutrient and immunity responses. Thus, measuring calcium levels in plants is important for studies of plant biology and for technology development in food, agriculture, energy, and forest industries. Often, calcium in plants has been measured through techniques such as atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and electrophysiology. These techniques, however, require large sample sizes, chemical extraction of samples or have limited spatial resolution. Here, we used near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy at the calcium L- and K-edges to measure the calcium to carbon mass ratio with spatial resolution in plant samples without requiring chemical extraction or large sample sizes. We demonstrate that the integrated absorbance at the calcium L-edge and the edge jump in the fluorescence yield at the calcium K-edge can be used to quantify the calcium content as the calcium mass fraction, and validate this approach with onion epidermal peels and ICP-MS. We also used NEXAFS to estimate the calcium mass ratio in hypocotyls of a model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, which has a cell wall composition that is similar to that of onion epidermal peels. These results show that NEXAFS spectroscopy performed at the calcium edge provides an approach to quantify calcium levels within plants, which is crucial for understanding plant physiology and advancing plant-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sintu Rongpipi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - William J. Barnes
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Oskar Siemianowski
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Joshua T. Del Mundo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Cheng Wang
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Guillaume Freychet
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, United States
| | - Mikhail Zhernenkov
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, United States
| | - Charles T. Anderson
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Esther W. Gomez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Enrique D. Gomez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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Melrose J. High Performance Marine and Terrestrial Bioadhesives and the Biomedical Applications They Have Inspired. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27248982. [PMID: 36558114 PMCID: PMC9783952 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This study has reviewed the naturally occurring bioadhesives produced in marine and freshwater aqueous environments and in the mucinous exudates of some terrestrial animals which have remarkable properties providing adhesion under difficult environmental conditions. These bioadhesives have inspired the development of medical bioadhesives with impressive properties that provide an effective alternative to suturing surgical wounds improving closure and healing of wounds in technically demanding tissues such as the heart, lung and soft tissues like the brain and intestinal mucosa. The Gecko has developed a dry-adhesive system of exceptional performance and has inspired the development of new generation re-usable tapes applicable to many medical procedures. The silk of spider webs has been equally inspiring to structural engineers and materials scientists and has revealed innovative properties which have led to new generation technologies in photonics, phononics and micro-electronics in the development of wearable biosensors. Man made products designed to emulate the performance of these natural bioadhesive molecules are improving wound closure and healing of problematic lesions such as diabetic foot ulcers which are notoriously painful and have also found application in many other areas in biomedicine. Armed with information on the mechanistic properties of these impressive biomolecules major advances are expected in biomedicine, micro-electronics, photonics, materials science, artificial intelligence and robotics technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Melrose
- Raymond Purves Bone and Joint Research Laboratory, Kolling Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia;
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, Northern Campus, The University of Sydney, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
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Shokri M, Dalili F, Kharaziha M, Baghaban Eslaminejad M, Ahmadi Tafti H. Strong and bioactive bioinspired biomaterials, next generation of bone adhesives. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 305:102706. [PMID: 35623113 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The bone adhesive is a clinical requirement for complicated bone fractures always articulated by surgeons. Applying glue is a quick and easy way to fix broken bones. Adhesives, unlike conventional fixation methods such as wires and sutures, improve healing conditions and reduce postoperative pain by creating a complete connection at the fractured joint. Despite many efforts in the field of bone adhesives, the creation of a successful adhesive with robust adhesion and appropriate bioactivity for the treatment of bone fractures is still in its infancy. Because of the resemblance of the body's humid environment to the underwater environment, in the latest decades, researchers have pursued inspiration from nature to develop strong bioactive adhesives for bone tissue. The aim of this review article is to discuss the recent state of the art in bone adhesives with a specific focus on biomimetic adhesives, their action mechanisms, and upcoming perspective. Firstly, the adhesive biomaterials with specific affinity to bone tissue are introduced and their rational design is studied. Consequently, various types of synthetic and natural bioadhesives for bone tissue are comprehensively overviewed. Then, bioinspired-adhesives are described, highlighting relevant structures and examples of biomimetic adhesives mainly made of DOPA and the complex coacervates inspired by proteins secreted in mussel and sandcastle worms, respectively. Finally, this article overviews the challenges of the current bioadhesives and the future research for the improvement of the properties of biomimetic adhesives for use as bone adhesives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahshid Shokri
- Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran
| | - Faezeh Dalili
- School of Metallurgy & Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahshid Kharaziha
- Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran.
| | - Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Sciences Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Hossein Ahmadi Tafti
- Tehran Heart Hospital Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Safety Bubbles: A Review of the Proposed Functions of Froth Nesting among Anuran Amphibians. ECOLOGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/ecologies2010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The adults of several anuran amphibian species deposit their eggs externally in mucus secretions that are purposely aerated to produce a froth nest. This type of clutch structure has evolved independently several times in this group and has been proposed to serve a variety and often simultaneous adaptive functions associated with protecting offspring from sub-optimal conditions during embryogenesis and later stages after hatching has occurred. These functions range from buffering offspring from sub-optimal temperatures and desiccation, to defending against predation and improving oxygenation. This versatility has likely helped facilitate the reduced reliance of egg development on water and thus the penetration of anurans into environments where permanent aquatic systems are not always available. In this paper, I review the hypothesised functions of the anuran froth nest as a mucus-based solution to the environmental challenges offspring face during development, with consideration of the functions of froth nest breakdown and communal froth nesting, as well.
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Engstrom AM, Faase RA, Marquart GW, Baio JE, Mackiewicz MR, Harper SL. Size-Dependent Interactions of Lipid-Coated Gold Nanoparticles: Developing a Better Mechanistic Understanding Through Model Cell Membranes and in vivo Toxicity. Int J Nanomedicine 2020; 15:4091-4104. [PMID: 32606666 PMCID: PMC7295544 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s249622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Humans are intentionally exposed to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) where they are used in variety of biomedical applications as imaging and drug delivery agents as well as diagnostic and therapeutic agents currently in clinic and in a variety of upcoming clinical trials. Consequently, it is critical that we gain a better understanding of how physiochemical properties such as size, shape, and surface chemistry drive cellular uptake and AuNP toxicity in vivo. Understanding and being able to manipulate these physiochemical properties will allow for the production of safer and more efficacious use of AuNPs in biomedical applications. Methods and Materials Here, AuNPs of three sizes, 5 nm, 10 nm, and 20 nm, were coated with a lipid bilayer composed of sodium oleate, hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine, and hexanethiol. To understand how the physical features of AuNPs influence uptake through cellular membranes, sum frequency generation (SFG) was utilized to assess the interactions of the AuNPs with a biomimetic lipid monolayer composed of a deuterated phospholipid 1.2-dipalmitoyl-d62-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (dDPPC). Results and Discussion SFG measurements showed that 5 nm and 10 nm AuNPs are able to phase into the lipid monolayer with very little energetic cost, whereas, the 20 nm AuNPs warped the membrane conforming it to the curvature of hybrid lipid-coated AuNPs. Toxicity of the AuNPs were assessed in vivo to determine how AuNP curvature and uptake influence cell health. In contrast, in vivo toxicity tested in embryonic zebrafish showed rapid toxicity of the 5 nm AuNPs, with significant 24 hpf mortality occurring at concentrations ≥20 mg/L, whereas the 10 nm and 20 nm AuNPs showed no significant mortality throughout the five-day experiment. Conclusion By combining information from membrane models using SFG spectroscopy with in vivo toxicity studies, a better mechanistic understanding of how nanoparticles (NPs) interact with membranes is developed to understand how the physiochemical features of AuNPs drive nanoparticle-membrane interactions, cellular uptake, and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arek M Engstrom
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Ryan A Faase
- School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Grant W Marquart
- Department of Chemistry, Portland State University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Joe E Baio
- School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | | | - Stacey L Harper
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.,School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.,Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, Corvallis, OR, United States
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Hosseinpour S, Roeters SJ, Bonn M, Peukert W, Woutersen S, Weidner T. Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Peptides and Proteins from Vibrational Sum-Frequency Generation Spectroscopy. Chem Rev 2020; 120:3420-3465. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saman Hosseinpour
- Institute of Particle Technology (LFG), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Mischa Bonn
- Molecular Spectroscopy Department, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Peukert
- Institute of Particle Technology (LFG), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sander Woutersen
- Van’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, 1098 EP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias Weidner
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Baio JE, Jaye C, Sullivan E, Rasmussen MH, Fischer DA, Gorb S, Weidner T. NEXAFS imaging to characterize the physio-chemical composition of cuticle from African Flower Scarab Eudicella gralli. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4758. [PMID: 31628305 PMCID: PMC6802387 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12616-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The outermost surface of insect cuticle is a high-performance interface that provides wear protection, hydration, camouflage and sensing. The complex and inhomogeneous structure of insect cuticle imposes stringent requirements on approaches to elucidate its molecular structure and surface chemistry. Therefore, a molecular understanding and possible mimicry of the surface of insect cuticle has been a challenge. Conventional optical and electron microscopies as well as biochemical techniques provide information about morphology and chemistry but lack surface specificity. We here show that a near edge X-ray absorption fine structure microscope at the National Synchrotron Light Source can probe the surface chemistry of the curved and inhomogeneous cuticle of the African flower scarab. The analysis shows the distribution of organic and inorganic surface species while also hinting at the presence of aragonite at the dorsal protrusion region of the Eudicella gralli head, in line with its biological function. Biology serves as inspiration in materials development; this requires improved understanding of the surface chemistry responsible for processes which are being mimicked. Here, the authors report on the use of near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) imaging to analyze the surface chemistry of insect cuticle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe E Baio
- School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Cherno Jaye
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel A Fischer
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Stanislav Gorb
- Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tobias Weidner
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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Langowski JKA, Singla S, Nyarko A, Schipper H, van den Berg FT, Kaur S, Astley HC, Gussekloo SWS, Dhinojwala A, van Leeuwen JL. Comparative and functional analysis of the digital mucus glands and secretions of tree frogs. Front Zool 2019; 16:19. [PMID: 31210775 PMCID: PMC6563374 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0315-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mucus and mucus glands are important features of the amphibian cutis. In tree frogs, the mucus glands and their secretions are crucial components of the adhesive digital pads of these animals. Despite a variety of hypothesised functions of these components in tree frog attachment, the functional morphology of the digital mucus glands and the chemistry of the digital mucus are barely known. Here, we use an interdisciplinary comparative approach to analyse these components, and discuss their roles in tree frog attachment. Results Using synchrotron micro-computer-tomography, we discovered in the arboreal frog Hyla cinerea that the ventral digital mucus glands differ in their morphology from regular anuran mucus glands and form a subdermal gland cluster. We show the presence of this gland cluster also in several other—not exclusively arboreal—anuran families. Using cryo-histochemistry as well as infrared and sum frequency generation spectroscopy on the mucus of two arboreal (H. cinerea and Osteopilus septentrionalis) and of two terrestrial, non-climbing frog species (Pyxicephalus adspersus and Ceratophrys cranwelli), we find neutral and acidic polysaccharides, and indications for proteinaceous and lipid-like mucus components. The mucus chemistry varies only little between dorsal and ventral digital mucus in H. cinerea, ventral digital and abdominal mucus in H. cinerea and O. septentrionalis, and between the ventral abdominal mucus of all four studied species. Conclusions The presence of a digital mucus gland cluster in various anuran families, as well as the absence of differences in the mucus chemistry between arboreal and non-arboreal frog species indicate an adaptation towards generic functional requirements as well as to attachment-related requirements. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of the role of glands and their secretions in tree frog attachment and in bioadhesion in general, as well as the evolution of anurans. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12983-019-0315-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian K A Langowski
- 1Experimental Zoology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, Wageningen, 6708 WD The Netherlands
| | - Saranshu Singla
- 2Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, 170 University Ave, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909 USA
| | - Alex Nyarko
- 2Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, 170 University Ave, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909 USA
| | - Henk Schipper
- 1Experimental Zoology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, Wageningen, 6708 WD The Netherlands
| | - Frank T van den Berg
- 1Experimental Zoology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, Wageningen, 6708 WD The Netherlands
| | - Sukhmanjot Kaur
- 2Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, 170 University Ave, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909 USA
| | - Henry C Astley
- 3Biomimicry Research & Innovation Center, Departments of Biology and Polymer Science, The University of Akron, 235 Carroll St., Akron, Ohio 44325-3908 USA
| | - Sander W S Gussekloo
- 1Experimental Zoology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, Wageningen, 6708 WD The Netherlands
| | - Ali Dhinojwala
- 2Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, 170 University Ave, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909 USA
| | - Johan L van Leeuwen
- 1Experimental Zoology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, Wageningen, 6708 WD The Netherlands
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Harrer R. Tesafilm auf der Zunge? Mechanochemie beim Beutefang des Froschs. CHEM UNSERER ZEIT 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ciuz.201980050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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