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Nature Communications May 2015Simultaneously measuring multiple eigenmode frequencies of nanomechanical resonators can determine the position and mass of surface-adsorbed proteins, and could...
Simultaneously measuring multiple eigenmode frequencies of nanomechanical resonators can determine the position and mass of surface-adsorbed proteins, and could ultimately reveal the mass tomography of nanoscale analytes. However, existing measurement techniques are slow (<1 Hz bandwidth), limiting throughput and preventing use with resonators generating fast transient signals. Here we develop a general platform for independently and simultaneously oscillating multiple modes of mechanical resonators, enabling frequency measurements that can precisely track fast transient signals within a user-defined bandwidth that exceeds 500 Hz. We use this enhanced bandwidth to resolve signals from multiple nanoparticles flowing simultaneously through a suspended nanochannel resonator and show that four resonant modes are sufficient for determining their individual position and mass with an accuracy near 150 nm and 40 attograms throughout their 150-ms transit. We envision that our method can be readily extended to other systems to increase bandwidth, number of modes, or number of resonators.
PubMed: 25963304
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8070 -
Biosensors & Bioelectronics Jun 2016Rapid, ultrasensitive diagnostic/triaging kits for early detection of malarial parasites are critical for prevention of malarial epidemic, especially in developing and...
A highly sensitive self assembled monolayer modified copper doped zinc oxide nanofiber interface for detection of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein-2: Targeted towards rapid, early diagnosis of malaria.
Rapid, ultrasensitive diagnostic/triaging kits for early detection of malarial parasites are critical for prevention of malarial epidemic, especially in developing and tropical countries. Unlike traditional microscopic diagnosis, these kits rely on the detection of antigens specific to malarial parasites. One such antigen which is routinely used in these diagnostic kits is Histidine-rich protein-2; a protein synthesized and released into the blood stream by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. In this paper, we demonstrate an ultrasensitive nanobiosensor detection platform for Histidine-rich protein-2 having a limit of detection of attogram/ml. This nanobiosensor platform comprises of Mercaptopropylphosphonic acid functionalized copper doped zinc oxide nanofibers synthesized by electrospinning technique. Ultrasensitivity of attogram/ml can be attributed to the complimentary effects of Mercaptopropylphosphonic acid and copper doping in zinc oxide. Mercaptopropylphosphonic acid enhances the functional groups required for immobilizing antibody. Copper doping in zinc oxide not only increases the conductivity of the nanofibers but also pre-concentrates the target analyte onto the Mercaptopropylphosphonic acid treated nanofiber surface due to inherent electric field generated at the copper/zinc oxide heterojunction interface. The impedimetric detection response of copper-doped zinc oxide nanofiber modified electrode shows excellent sensitivity (28.5 kΩ/(gm/ml)/cm(2)) in the detection ranges of 10 ag/ml-10 µg/ml, and a detection limit of 6 attogram/ml. In addition, the proposed biosensor is highly selective to targeted HRP2 protein with a relative standard deviation of 1.9% in the presence of various interference of nonspecific molecules. To the best of our knowledge, this biosensor shows the lowest detection limit of malarial parasites reported in the literature spanning different nanomaterials and different detection mechanisms. Since the nanobiosensor platform is based on immunoassay technique, with a little modification, it can be extended for developing point-of-care diagnostic devices for several biomarkers of importance.
Topics: Antigens, Protozoan; Biosensing Techniques; Copper; Early Diagnosis; Humans; Malaria, Falciparum; Nanofibers; Plasmodium falciparum; Protozoan Proteins; Zinc Oxide
PubMed: 26803412
DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2016.01.036 -
Analytical Chemistry Oct 2023Owing to the exceedingly small mass involved, complete elemental characterization of single nanoparticles demands a highly precise control of signal background and noise...
Owing to the exceedingly small mass involved, complete elemental characterization of single nanoparticles demands a highly precise control of signal background and noise sources. LIBS has demonstrated remarkable merits for this task, providing a unique tool for the multielemental analysis of particles on the attogram-picogram mass scale. Despite this outstanding sensitivity, the air plasma acting as a heat source for particle dissociation and excitation is a meddling agent, often limiting the acquisition of an accurate sample signature. Although thermal effects associated with ultrashort laser pulses are known to be reduced when compared to the widely used nanosecond pulse duration regime, attempts to improve nanoinspection performance using ultrafast excitation have remained largely unexplored. Herein, picosecond laser pulses are used as a plasma excitation source for the elemental characterization of single nanoparticles isolated within optical traps in air at atmospheric pressure. Results for picosecond excitation of copper particles lead to a mass detection limit of 27 attogram, equivalent to single particles 18 nm in diameter. Temporally and wavelength-resolved plasma imaging reveals unique traits in the mechanism of atomic excitation in the picosecond regime, leading to a deeper understanding of the interactions occurring in single nanoparticle spectroscopy.
PubMed: 37729543
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01376 -
Journal of Microbiological Methods Jul 2020Paper-based nucleic acid testing techniques are increasingly in demand. Hence, we have developed a simple and cheap paper fluidic device to detect multiple gene targets...
Paper-based nucleic acid testing techniques are increasingly in demand. Hence, we have developed a simple and cheap paper fluidic device to detect multiple gene targets in Leptospira. Fluidic channels of the penta-clover device are drawn using a correction pen on Whatman filter paper 1. The fluid blocks the pores of the paper, avoiding leakage and ensuring the equal flow of sample to the reaction pads. The target genes are amplified by performing Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) with dry reaction components. Thecolor change of leuco crystal violetallows real-time monitoring of a positive amplification. The difference in color intensity is captured with a smartphone and analyzed using image processing software. The device amplifies the target within 15 min, detects the pathogen at a concentration as low as 50 attogram μL, detects Leptospira in blood samples without prior treatment and differentiates the Leptospira species even after 21 days of storage at room temperature.
Topics: Humans; Leptospira; Leptospirosis; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; Paper; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 32473300
DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2020.105962 -
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Feb 2015An enzyme-linked immuno-mass spectrometric assay (ELIMSA) with the specific detection probe streptavidin conjugated to alkaline phosphatase catalyzed the production of...
An enzyme-linked immuno-mass spectrometric assay (ELIMSA) with the specific detection probe streptavidin conjugated to alkaline phosphatase catalyzed the production of adenosine from the substrate adenosine monophosphate (AMP) for sensitive quantification of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) by mass spectrometry. Adenosine ionized efficiently and was measured to the femtomole range by dilution and direct analysis with micro-liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization, and mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). The LC-ESI-MS assay for adenosine production was shown to be linear and accurate using internal (13)C(15)N adenosine isotope dilution, internal (13)C(15)N adenosine one-point calibration, and external adenosine standard curves with close agreement. The detection limits of LC-ESI-MS for alkaline phosphatase-streptavidin (AP-SA, ∼190,000 Da) was tested by injecting 0.1 μl of a 1 pg/ml solution, i.e., 100 attograms or 526 yoctomole (5.26E-22) of the alkaline-phosphatase labeled probe on column (about 315 AP-SA molecules). The ELIMSA for PSA was linear and showed strong signals across the picogram per milliliter range and could robustly detect PSA from all of the prostatectomy patients and all of the female plasma samples that ranged as low as 70 pg/ml with strong signals well separated from the background and well within the limit of quantification of the AP-SA probe. The results of the ELIMSA assay for PSA are normal and homogenous when independently replicated with a fresh standard over multiple days, and intra and inter diem assay variation was less than 10 % of the mean. In a blind comparison, ELIMSA showed excellent agreement with, but was more sensitive than, the present gold standard commercial fluorescent ELISA, or ECL-based detection, of PSA from normal and prostatectomy samples, respectively.
Topics: Adenosine Monophosphate; Alkaline Phosphatase; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Kallikreins; Male; Prostate-Specific Antigen; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Streptavidin; Substrate Specificity
PubMed: 25519722
DOI: 10.1007/s00216-014-8323-5 -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Dec 2018Thin-film probes have been developed for the reversible detection and separation of picric acid (PA) with extreme sensitivity in aqueous media. The free radical...
Thin-film probes have been developed for the reversible detection and separation of picric acid (PA) with extreme sensitivity in aqueous media. The free radical copolymerization of dimethylacrylamide (DMA), benzophenone acrylamide (BPAM), and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) with a feed ratio of 95:1:4 yielded [p(DMA- co-BPAM- co-GMA)] (P1). P1 was transformed to the final polymeric probe, P2, by a subsequent ring-opening reaction between N-(pyren-1-yl-methyl)propan-1-amine (Py-PA) with the epoxide unit of P1. P2 exhibited rapid and selective sensing properties toward PA in aqueous media via turn-off fluorescence emission. The detection sensitivity was tuned precisely by varying the pH of the solution. After the immobilization of P2 on a quartz slide by spin-coating, followed by exposure to UV light, the resulting film exhibited an attogram-level detection limit toward PA. The photoinduced electron transfer together with an energy-transfer process between PA and the pyrene units of P2 were maximized by the strong π-π stacking of pyrene units of P2, which, in turn, induced rapid exciton energy diffusion. Furthermore, the separation of PA from the mixture of the various nitroaromatic compounds by the P2 film was achieved. Whereas the detection process of PA was reversible and repeatable over multiple cycles, the P2 film could be recycled.
PubMed: 30398831
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b15369 -
Electroanalysis Sep 2020A sensitive detection of extremely toxic phenylpyrazole insecticide, 'Fipronil' is presented. Currently, the advancement of approaches for the detection of insecticides...
A sensitive detection of extremely toxic phenylpyrazole insecticide, 'Fipronil' is presented. Currently, the advancement of approaches for the detection of insecticides at low concentrations with less time is important for environmental safety assurance. Considering this fact, an effort has been made to develop an electrospun CoZnO nanofiber (NF) based label-free electrochemical system for the detection of fipronil. The CoZnO NF were characterized using different techniques including field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman Spectroscopy. Based on the experimental results, the proposed platform displayed a linear response for fipronil in the attogram/mL range despite the multiple interfering agents. The sensitivity of the device was found to be 3.99 Kῼ (g/ml) cm. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were calculated and found to be 112 ag mL and 340 ag mL respectively. Further, this proposed sensor will be implemented in the fields for the rapid and proficient detection of the real samples.
PubMed: 33456276
DOI: 10.1002/elan.202000051 -
Biological Trace Element Research Nov 2015Several biomarkers have been used to evaluate selenium (Se) status in livestock. However, there is no report on the potential usefulness of the Se indices of platelets... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Several biomarkers have been used to evaluate selenium (Se) status in livestock. However, there is no report on the potential usefulness of the Se indices of platelets in diagnosis of Se deficiency in large animals. In the current study, Se concentration and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in platelets of 38 healthy and 142 Se-deficient ewes were assessed, and their correlation with plasma Se concentration, plasma GPx activity, whole blood Se concentration, and erythrocyte GPx activity was determined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimal cutoff values of Se concentration and GPx activity of the platelets and to summarize the diagnostic performance of these biomarkers. In Se-deficient ewes, consistent with other indices, Se concentration and GPx activity in platelets were significantly lower than those of the healthy ewes. There was a positive significant correlation between Se concentration and GPx activity in platelets with plasma Se concentration, whole blood Se concentration, and erythrocyte GPx activity. Based on the ROC curve analysis, the best cutoff value to predict inadequate plasma selenium concentration was ≤0.0055 attogram/platelet for the platelet Se concentration, with a sensitivity of 100.0 %, specificity of 92.4 %, and AUC of 0.94. For platelet GPx activity, the cutoff value was ≤203.6 U/g protein with a sensitivity of 97.4 %, specificity of 77.7 %, and AUC of 0.90. The results of this study suggested that the platelet Se concentration and GPx activity can be considered a reliable and valid intermediate-term surrogate parameter in assessment of dietary Se intake in sheep.
Topics: Animals; Biomarkers; Blood Platelets; Erythrocytes; Female; Glutathione Peroxidase; Humans; Nutritional Status; Selenium; Sheep
PubMed: 25900578
DOI: 10.1007/s12011-015-0332-5 -
Talanta Feb 2024Inorganic gunshot residue (IGSR) has certain environmental and occupational interferent-particle sources known to display similar morphologies and elemental compositions...
Inorganic gunshot residue (IGSR) has certain environmental and occupational interferent-particle sources known to display similar morphologies and elemental compositions to IGSR. These interferences can make detecting and identifying IGSR particles difficult, especially when IGSR particle number concentrations are low. Here, single-particle inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (spICP-TOFMS) is used to explore the particle types measured from IGSR and three important interferent-particle sources: brake pads, fireworks, and mineral sunscreen. spICP-TOFMS offers results in as little as 2 min per sample. With spICP-TOFMS, the mass of most elements, down to the 10s of attograms, can be detected and quantified in individual particles with diameters from 10s to 100s of nm. At this size range, almost all interferent sources produce particles with elemental compositions that overlap with ASTM-defined particle compositions used for identifying leaded and lead-free IGSR. We establish probabilities for detecting IGSR-like particles from interference sources through the analysis of thousands of particles from each interference. Based on this analysis, robust sample-specific 'characteristic' particle types can be used to classify leaded and unleaded IGSR particles, even in the presence of interferent particles. Of the interference sources studied, particles from brake pads and fireworks are most similar to leaded IGSR; however, IGSR particles could be unequivocally classified based on detection of lead and antimony. Particles from mineral sunscreen are most similar to those from lead-free IGSR; however, lead-free IGSR particles exhibit a unique titanium-zinc-copper elemental fingerprint that is not detected in mineral sunscreen particles. Within mixtures of interference particles and IGSR, IGSR is accurately identified with limited false positives, even when the number of interference particles is over 200-times greater than that of IGSR. Our results suggest that spICP-TOFMS is a useful approach for rapid and accurate IGSR identification even in samples with high concentrations of interferent background particles.
PubMed: 37918252
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125368 -
Analytical Chemistry Aug 2015The first use of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect trace organic and/or inorganic species in ambient atmospheric aerosol particles is presented. This...
The first use of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect trace organic and/or inorganic species in ambient atmospheric aerosol particles is presented. This new analytical method provides direct, spectroscopic detection of species present at attogram to femtogram levels in individual submicrometer atmospheric particles. An array of spectral features resulting from organic functional groups in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) material were observed in individual particles impacted on silver nanoparticle-coated substrates. The results demonstrate the complexity of organic and inorganic species in SOA formed by oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) at the single particle level. While SOA composition is frequently assumed to be homogeneous between and within individual particles, substantial particle-to-particle variability in SOA composition and changes on scales <1 μm were observed. The observations obtained with this new method demonstrate the power of SERS to probe difficult to detect inter- and intraparticle variability in ambient SOA particles.
Topics: Aerosols; Chemistry Techniques, Analytical; Metal Nanoparticles; Particle Size; Silver; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Volatile Organic Compounds
PubMed: 26176648
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b01507