Compositions are disclosed herein comprising a graft copolymer that comprises: (i) a backbone comprising dextran that has been modified with about 1%-25% alpha-1,2 branches, and (ii) one or more alpha-1,3-glucan side chains comprising at least about 50% alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages. Further disclosed are reactions for producing such graft copolymers, as well as their use in derivatives, films and various other applications.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a hierarchically porous polymer and a hierarchically porous polymer prepared thereby. The method comprises the steps of: (a) polymerizing an external oil phase of a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) consisting aqueous droplets to produce a cross-linked block copolymer; (b) obtaining a macroporous polymer with interconnected macropores by removing the aqueous droplets; and (c) treating the obtained porous polymer with a base, thereby obtaining a hierarchically porous polymer having three-dimensional mesopores formed in the macroporous walls. According to the method, the macropore size and mesopore size of the hierarchically porous polymer can all be controlled. The hierarchically porous polymer prepared by the method can easily separate polymers having different sizes, and thus is highly useful in the polymer separation field.

Therapeutic compositions and/or formulations are provided, comprising: at least one cross-linked protein matrix, wherein the at least one cross-linked protein matrix comprises at least one protein residue and at least one saccharide-containing residue, and methods of producing the same. The cross-linked protein matrix may be derived from cross-linking a full length or substantially full length protein, such as tropoelastin, elastin, albumin, collagen, collagen monomers, immunoglobulins, insulin, and/or derivatives or combinations thereof, with a saccharide containing cross-linking agent, such as a polysaccharide cross-linking agent derived from, for example, hyaluronic acid or a cellulose derivative. The therapeutic compositions may be administered topically or by injection. The present disclosure also provides methods, systems, and/or kits for the preparation and/or formulation of the compositions disclosed herein.

Disclosed herein is method for conjugating a metal chelating agent to a functionalized dextran by reacting a chelator with an aminated dextran backbone, where the chelator comprises a one, and only one, derivatized carboxylic acid group to form a chelator-dextran complex. In certain aspects, the dextran-chelator complex is substantially free of intra- or intermolecular crosslinking. In certain aspects, the functionalized dextran is an amine dextran, an alkynyl dextran, or a thiol dextran. In exemplary implementations, the functionalized dextran is an amine dextran. In further embodiments, one and only one carboxylic acid group on the chelating agent is derivatized as a N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester.

The invention relates to a method for producing thermoplastic starch, in which a mixture comprising starch and a polyol, preferably selected from the group comprising polyethylene glycol, monosaccharides, sugar alcohols such as glycerol, sorbitol, erythritol, xylitol or mannitol and mixtures thereof, in a quantity of between 10 and 25 wt. % of the mixture, and an epoxide selected from the group comprising epoxidised plant oils such as soybean oil, linseed oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil and mixtures thereof, in a quantity of between 0.1 and 6, preferably between 2.5 and 3.5 wt. % of the mixture, is extruded, the mixture also containing an acid, preferably a carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, malic acid or tartaric acid, in a quantity of between 0 and 1, preferably between 0.1 and 0.5 wt. % of the mixture. The invention also relates to such a produced thermoplastic starch, to a compound produced by means of the thermoplastic starch, and to a film produced from such a compound.

The present invention provides novel compositions and methods for producing protein-polysaccharide conjugates in aqueous solutions. Also provided are methods for limiting the Maillard reaction to the very initial stage, the formation of the Schiff base. Provided are methods to obtain a simple product of Schiff base with white color, and compositions obtained using the methods of the present invention.

Compositions are disclosed herein comprising one or more crosslinked dextrans or crosslinked dextran-poly alpha-1,3-glucan graft copolymers. Further disclosed are processes for preparing such crosslinked materials, as well as their use in absorption applications.

Described are methods for the assembly of monolayer, bilayer, or multi-layer structures composed of homogenous rod-like molecules and particles. Included are methods for tuning physical properties of the mono- or multi-layered structures by changing ionic conditions and the size or concentration of polymer used for self-assembly.

A method for the synthesis of alkyl ω-carboxy(hydroxyethyl) polysaccharides is described. The method includes methylating or ethylating a polysaccharide or providing a methylated or ethylated polysaccharide, hydroxyethylating the methylated or ethylated polysaccharide, and oxidizing the hydroxyethylated polysaccharide to form the ω-carboxy(hydroxyethyl) polysaccharide. A method for the synthesis of oxidized polysaccharides is also described. The method includes hydroxypropylating a polysaccharide and oxidizing the hydroxypropylated polysaccharides. A method for the production of a solid capable of forming a hydrogel is also described. The method includes combining a first solution comprising an oxidized oligo(hydroxypropyl) polysaccharide bearing one or more ketone groups with a second solution comprising an amine substituted polysaccharide to form a third solution, and removing solvent from the third solution to form the solid, or adding an additional solvent to the third solution to precipitate the solid. Novel polysaccharides and hydrogels prepared according to these methods are also described.

Compositions are disclosed herein comprising dextran that comprises (i) 87-93 wt % glucose linked at positions 1 and 6; (ii) 0.1-1.2 wt % glucose linked at positions 1 and 3; (iii) 0.1-0.7 wt % glucose linked at positions 1 and 4; (iv) 7.7-8.6 wt % glucose linked at positions 1, 3 and 6; and (v) about 0.4-1.7 wt % glucose linked at (a) positions 1, 2 and 6, or (b) positions 1, 4 and 6. Aqueous forms of this composition have enhanced viscosity profiles. Further disclosed are methods of using compositions comprising dextran, such as increasing the viscosity of an aqueous composition. Enzymatic reactions for producing dextran are also disclosed.