A detailed study was done of the neomycin-B RNA aptamer for determining its selectivity and binding ability to both neomycin– and kanamycin-class aminoglycosides. A novel method to increase drug concentrations in cells for more efficiently killing is described. To test the method, a bacterial model system was adopted and several small RNA molecules interacting with aminoglycosides were cloned downstream of T7 RNA polymerase promoter in an expression vector. Then, the growth analysis of E. coli expressing aptamers was observed for 12-hour period. Our analysis indicated that aptamers helped to increase the intracellular concentration of aminoglycosides thereby increasing their efficacy.

We studied the effects on structural and magnetic phase transitions and the emergence of superconductivity in transition metal substituted BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2}. We grew four series of Ba(Fe{sub 1-x}TM{sub x}){sub 2}As{sub 2} (TM=Ru, Mn, Co+Cr and Co+Mn) and characterized them by crystallographic, magnetic and transport measurements. We also subjected Ba(Fe{sub 1-x}Cr{sub x}){sub 2}As{sub 2} and Ba(Fe{sub 1-x}Co{sub x}){sub 2}As{sub 2} to heat treatment to explore what changes might be induced.