Biosensor

Hollow organs (e.g. heart) experience pressure-induced mechanical wall stress sensed by molecular mechano-biosensors, including mechanosensitive ion channels, to translate into intracellular signaling. For direct mechanistic studies, stretch devices to apply defined extensions to cells adhered to elastomeric membranes have stimulated mechanotransduction research. However, most engineered systems only exploit unilateral cellular stretch. In addition, it is often taken for granted that stretch applied by hardware translates 1:1 to the cell membrane...

Sheet-like layered double hydroxide nanoparticles (LDH NPs) have showed great potentials in biomedical applications such as nanocarriers for drug and gene delivery, biosensors and imaging agents. However, target delivery of drugs and genes using LDH NPs to the desired tumor sites is a major challenge in cancer therapy. The aim of this study is to develop a functional LDH-based nanocomposite for target delivery of siRNA to cancer cells. Mannose as a targeting moiety was firstly conjugated onto SiO2-coated LDH nanocomposite...

One may measure the kinetic rate constants associated with biochemical reactions using an optical biosensor: an instrument in which ligand molecules are convected through a flow cell over a surface to which receptors are immobilized. If there are multiple reactants, one is faced with the problem of fitting multiple kinetic rate constants to one signal, since data from all of the reacting species is lumped together. Even in the presence of ambiguous data, one may use a series of experiments to accurately determine the rate constants...

A hybrid-biosensor system that can simultaneously fulfill the immunoassay for protein markers (e.g., C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT)) and the enzyme assay for metabolic substances (e.g., lactate) in the same sepsis-based sample has been devised. Such a challenge was pursued through the installation of an enzyme-reaction zone on the signal pad of the typical immuno-strip for the rapid two-dimensional (2-D)-chromatography test. To minimize the mutual interference in the hybrid assays, a pre-determined membrane site was etched in a pattern and mounted with a biochemical-reaction pad, thereby allowing a loaded sample to enter and then stay in the pad for a colored-signal production over the course of an immunoassay...

Environmental pollution caused by sulfide compounds has become a major problem for public health. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore a sensitive, selective, and simple sulfide detection method for environmental monitoring and protection. Here, a novel microbial biosensor was developed using recombinant Escherichia coli BL21 (E. coli BL21) expressing sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR) for sulfide detection. As an important enzyme involved in the initial step of sulfide metabolism, SQR oxidizes sulfides to polysulfides and transfers electrons to the electron transport chain...

In this paper, we propose a novel and sensitive ratiometric analysis method that uses the fractional intensities of time-resolved fluorescence of genetically encoded fluorescent NADH/NAD(+) biosensors, Peredox, SoNar, and Frex. When the conformations of the biosensors change upon NADH/NAD(+) binding, the fractional intensities (α i τ i ) have opposite changing trends. Their ratios could be exploited to quantify NADH/NAD(+) levels with a larger dynamic range and higher resolution versus commonly used fluorescence intensity and lifetime methods...

In the present study, a nanoporous gold platform was applied for the amplified detection of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) by an electrochemical DNA biosensor. Ferrocene as a redox reporter was covalently attached to the DNA probe and its electrochemical signal was recorded as the biosensor response. For real samples, DNA was firstly extracted from blood of patients and then amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 5cycles. Sensitivity of this biosensor was enhanced by using nanoporous gold electrode, therefore this sensor can discriminate the genome of HBV in real sample with low PCR cycles...

A simple and low cost detection of l-cysteine is essential in the fields of biosensors and medical diagnosis. In this study, we have developed a simple electrospinning, followed by calcination process to prepare FeCo nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanofibers (FeCo-CNFs) as an efficient peroxidase-like mimic for the detection of l-cysteine. FeCo nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed within CNFs, and their diameters are highly influenced by the calcination temperature. The calcination temperature also influences the peroxidase-like catalytic activity, and the maximum activity is achieved at a calcination temperature of 550 °C...

A novel catechol (CA) biosensor was developed by embedding tyrosinase (Tyr) onto in situ electrochemical reduction graphene (EGR) on choline-functionalized gold nanoparticle (AuNPs-Ch) film. The results of UV-Vis spectra indicated that Tyr retained its original structure in the film, and an electrochemical investigation of the biosensor showed a pair of well-defined, quasi-reversible redox peaks with Epa = -0.0744 V and Epc = -0.114 V (vs. SCE) in 0.1 M, pH 7.0 sodium phosphate-buffered saline at a scan rate of 100 mV/s...

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 ) is one of the most commonly found mycotoxins in food commodities, particularly cereals, oilseeds, spices and tree nuts. In the past decade, aptamers have come into limelight and emerged as a new biosensing element replacing antibodies in various detection formats. Herein we report a faster, more sensitive, high throughput method for the detection of AFB1 using AFB1 -specific aptamers. The assay format was based on a competitive reaction of the fluorescent tagged aptamer specific to AFB1 with the aflatoxin conjugate...

In this work, we develop a novel methodology for designing electrochemical biosensors with both current and potential signal outputs for simultaneous determination of two important species in the live systems. By designing a new molecule, Hemin-aminoferrocene (Hemin-Fc), we create a single electrochemical biosensor for simultaneous quantification of O2 and pH in brain upon ischemia and in tumor during cancer starvation therapy. The reduction peak current of Hemin group increases with rising concentrations of O2 from 1...

Label-free biosensors are increasingly employed in drug discovery. Cell-based biosensors provide valuable insights into the biological consequences of exposing cells and tissues to chemical agents and the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with these effects. Optical biosensors based on the detection of dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) and impedance biosensors using cellular dielectric spectroscopy (CDS) capture changes of the cytoskeleton of living cells in real time. Because signal transduction correlates with changes in cell morphology, DMR and CDS biosensors are exquisitely suited for recording integrated cell responses in an unbiased, yet pathway-specific manner without the use of labels that may interfere with cell function...

Encapsulating a large amount of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) active molecules into one nanoparticle for single target recognition can greatly improve the sensitivity of ECL assay. This work used luminescent conjugated polymer as a carrier to synthesize Ru(bpy)32+ doped polymer dots (RuPdots). The RuPdots with an average size of 20 nm and encapsulation of about 1354 Ru(bpy)32+ showed greatly enhanced ECL emission. Using tripropylamine as a co-reactant, the resonance energy transfer from the excited polymer dots to the encapsulated Ru(bpy)32+ was demonstrated, which led to 15...

Combined theoretical and experimental analysis of serotonin by quantum chemical density functional calculations and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, respectively, is presented in this work to better understand phenomena related to this neurotransmitter's detection and monitoring at very low concentrations specific to physiological levels. In addition to the successful ultrasensitive analyte detection on silver nanoparticles for concentrations as low as 10(-11) molar, the relatively good agreement between the simulated and experimentally determined results indicates the presence of all serotonin molecular forms, such as neutral, ionic, and those oxidized through redox reactions...

Elastin-Like Polypeptides (ELPs) reversibly phase separate in response to changes in temperature, pressure, concentration, pH, and ionic species. While powerful triggers, biological microenvironments present a multitude of more specific biological cues, such as antibodies, cytokines, and cell-surface receptors. To develop better biosensors and bioresponsive drug carriers, rational strategies are required to sense and respond to these target proteins. We recently reported that non-covalent association of two ELP fusion proteins to a 'chemical inducer of dimerization' small molecule (1...

Enzymatic bioelectrocatalysis is being increasingly exploited to better understand oxidoreductase enzymes, to develop minimalistic yet specific biosensor platforms, and to develop alternative energy conversion devices and bioelectrosynthetic devices for the production of energy and/or important chemical commodities. In some cases, these enzymes are able to electronically communicate with an appropriately designed electrode surface without the requirement of an electron mediator to shuttle electrons between the enzyme and electrode...

There are many techniques for the detection of molecules. But detection of molecules through solid-state nanopore in a solution is one of the promising, high-throughput, and low-cost technology used these days. In the present investigation, a solid-state nanopore platform was fabricated for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which is not only a label free product but also a significant participant in the redox reaction. We have successfully fabricated silicon nitride (Si3N4) nanopores with diameters of ~50 nm by using a focused Ga ion beam, the inner surface of the nanopore has been modified with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by employing carbodiimide coupling chemistry...

Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of sleeping sickness (Human African Trypanosomiasis, HAT), contains a kinetoplast with the mitochondrial DNA (kDNA), comprising of >70% AT base pairs. This has prompted studies of drugs interacting with AT-rich DNA, such as the N-phenylbenzamide bis(2-aminoimidazoline) derivatives 1 [4-((4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)amino)-N-(4-((4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)amino)phenyl)benzamide dihydrochloride] and 2 [N-(3-chloro-4-((4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)amino)phenyl)-4-((4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)amino)benzamide] as potential drugs for HAT...

The majority of malignant tumors originate from epithelial cells, and many of them are characterized by an overexpression of claudins (Cldns) and their mislocalization out of tight junctions. We utilized the C-terminal claudin-binding domain of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (cCPE), with its high affinity to specific members of the claudin family, as the targeting unit for a claudin-sensitive cancer biosensor. To overcome the poor sensitivity of conventional relaxivity-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, we utilized the superior sensitivity of xenon Hyper-CEST biosensors...

The range of ATP concentrations that can be measured with a fluorescent reagentless biosensor for ATP has been increased by modulating its affinity for this analyte. The ATP biosensor is an adduct of two tetramethylrhodamines with MatB from Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Mutations were introduced into the binding site to modify ATP binding affinity, while aiming to maintain the concomitant fluorescence signal. Using this signal, the effect of mutations in different parts of the binding site was measured. This mutational analysis revealed three variants in particular, each with a single mutation in the phosphate-binding loop, which had potentially beneficial changes in ATP binding properties but preserving a fluorescence change of ~3-fold on ATP binding...