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Metallomics : Integrated Biometal... Dec 2022X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) has become a widely used technique for imaging the concentration and distribution of metal ions in cells and tissues. Recent advances... (Review)
Review
X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) has become a widely used technique for imaging the concentration and distribution of metal ions in cells and tissues. Recent advances in synchrotron sources, optics, and detectors have improved the spatial resolution of the technique to <10 nm with attogram detection sensitivity. However, to make XFM most beneficial for bioimaging-especially at the nanoscale-the metal ion distribution must be visualized within the subcellular context of the cell. Over the years, a number of approaches have been taken to develop X-ray-sensitive tags that permit the visualization of specific organelles or proteins using XFM. In this review, we examine the types of X-ray fluorophore used, including nanomaterials and metal ions, and the approaches used to incorporate the metal into their target binding site via antibodies, genetically encoded metal-binding peptides, affinity labeling, or cell-specific peptides. We evaluate their advantages and disadvantages, review the scientific findings, and discuss the needs for future development.
Topics: X-Rays; Metals; Proteins; Ions; Microscopy, Fluorescence
PubMed: 36537552
DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfac093 -
Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry Oct 2022Mass spectrometry (MS) is a formidable analytical tool for the analysis of non-polar to polar compounds individually and/or from mixtures, providing information on the... (Review)
Review
Mass spectrometry (MS) is a formidable analytical tool for the analysis of non-polar to polar compounds individually and/or from mixtures, providing information on the molecular weights and chemical structures of the analytes. During the last more than one-decade, ambient ionization mass spectrometry (AIMS) has developed quickly, producing a wide range of platforms and proving scientific improvements in a variety of domains, from biological imaging to quick quality control. These methods have made it possible to detect target analytes in real time without sample preparation in an open environment, and they can be connected to any MS system with an atmospheric pressure interface. They also have the ability to analyze explosives, illicit drugs, disease diagnostics, drugs in biological samples, adulterants in food and agricultural products, reaction progress, and environmental monitoring. The development of novel ambient ionization techniques, such as probe electrospray ionization, paper spray ionization, and fiber spray ionization, employed even at picolitre to femtolitre solution levels to provide femtogram to attogram levels of the target analytes. The special characteristic of this ambient ion source, which has been extensively used, is the noninvasive property of PESI of examination of biological real samples. The results in the current review supports the idea that AIMS has emerged as a pioneer in MS-based approaches and that methods will continue to be developed along with improvements to existing ones in the near future.
PubMed: 36206159
DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2022.2124840 -
Communications Biology Oct 2022The analysis of trace amounts of proteins based on immunoassays and other methods is essential for the early diagnosis of various diseases such as cancer, dementia, and...
The analysis of trace amounts of proteins based on immunoassays and other methods is essential for the early diagnosis of various diseases such as cancer, dementia, and microbial infections. Here, we propose a light-induced acceleration of antigen-antibody reaction of attogram-level proteins at the solid-liquid interface by tuning the laser irradiation area comparable to the microscale confinement geometry for enhancing the collisional probability of target molecules and probe particles with optical force and fluidic pressure. This principle was applied to achieve a 10-fold higher sensitivity and ultrafast specific detection in comparison with conventional protein detection methods (a few hours) by omitting any pretreatment procedures; 47-750 ag of target proteins were detected in 300 nL of sample after 3 minutes of laser irradiation. Our findings can promote the development of proteomics and innovative platforms for high-throughput bio-analyses under the control of a variety of biochemical reactions.
Topics: Antigen-Antibody Reactions; Early Detection of Cancer; Immunoassay; Proteins
PubMed: 36203087
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03946-0 -
Microsystems & Nanoengineering 2022The use of nanoparticles has been growing in various industrial fields, and concerns about their effects on health and the environment have been increasing. Hence,...
The use of nanoparticles has been growing in various industrial fields, and concerns about their effects on health and the environment have been increasing. Hence, characterization techniques for nanoparticles are essential. Here, we present a silicon dioxide microfabricated suspended microchannel resonator (SMR) to measure the mass and concentration of nanoparticles in a liquid as they flow. We measured the mass detection limits of the device using laser Doppler vibrometry. This limit reached a minimum of 377 ag that correspond to a 34 nm diameter gold nanoparticle or a 243 nm diameter polystyrene particle, when sampled every 30 ms. We compared the fundamental limits of the measured data with an ideal noiseless measurement of the SMR. Finally, we measured the buoyant mass of gold nanoparticles in real-time as they flowed through the SMR.
PubMed: 36051745
DOI: 10.1038/s41378-022-00425-8 -
Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 2022Thrips cause considerable economic losses to a wide range of food, feed, and forest crops. They also transmit several plant viruses. Being cryptic, it is often difficult...
Thrips cause considerable economic losses to a wide range of food, feed, and forest crops. They also transmit several plant viruses. Being cryptic, it is often difficult to distinguish thrips species in crops and large consignments by conventional methods. Melon thrips ( Karny, Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an invasive insect pest of vegetables, legumes, and ornamentals besides being vector to several viruses. It poses a threat to domestic and international plant biosecurity and can invade and establish in new areas. Here, we report a polymerase spiral reaction (PSR)-based isothermal assay for rapid, sensitive, specific, low-cost, and on-site detection of . To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of PSR in the identification of any insect species. A primer pair designed based on 3'-polymorphism of mtCOIII region can specifically identify without any cross-reactivity with predominant thrips species. The assay uses crude lysate of a single thrips saving time and reagents involved in nucleic acid extraction. The presence of is visualized by the appearance of bright fluorescence under ultraviolet light or a change in reaction color thus avoiding gel electrophoresis steps. The entire process can be completed in 70 min on-site using only an ordinary water bath. The assay is sensitive to detecting as little as 50 attograms of template. The assay was validated with known thrips specimens and found to be efficient in diagnosing under natural conditions. The described method will be useful for non-expert personnel to detect an early infestation, accidental introduction to a new area, restrict the spread of diseases and formulate appropriate management strategies.
PubMed: 35586189
DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.853339 -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Apr 2022Ultrahigh sensitivity and selectivity are the ultimate goals of sensor development. For such purposes, we propose a sensing platform in which an optical...
Ultrahigh sensitivity and selectivity are the ultimate goals of sensor development. For such purposes, we propose a sensing platform in which an optical fiber-waveguide-fiber (OFWF) structure is integrated with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). The OFWF works as a highly efficient probe light launcher and signal light collector, and the MIP layer acts as a highly selective and sensitive sensing interface. In the MIP design, a high-molecular refractive index monomer (2-phenylphenoxyethyl acrylate) was copolymerized with a MIP functional monomer (acrylic acid). The resulting high-refractive index MIP layers could effectively extract the probe light from the waveguide and send it to the MIP sensing interface. Moreover, a highly elastic cross-linker (poly(ethylene glycol) 600 diacrylate) was employed to increase the MIP mesh size, which could effectively increase the penetrability of the analyte. Rhodamine B (Rh B) is widely used in the textile industry, and its contamination may lead to serious public health problems. As a proof of concept, the Rh B chromophore was used as a molecular template, and the thin MIP layer was cured on the waveguide surface by utilizing the evanescent wave of the 405 nm propagating light in the waveguide. The MIP-OFWF sensing platform afforded highly selective monitoring of the absorption spectra of the components in a mixture solution of Rh B and methyl blue. It also afforded an extremely low detection limit of approximately 6.5 × 10 g/mL, with an absolute mass of 20-30 ag.
PubMed: 35363485
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c02362 -
Physical Review Letters Mar 2022We propose a search for low mass dark matter particles through momentum recoils caused by their scattering from trapped, nanometer-scale objects. Our projections show...
We propose a search for low mass dark matter particles through momentum recoils caused by their scattering from trapped, nanometer-scale objects. Our projections show that even with a modest array of femtogram-mass sensors, parameter space beyond the reach of existing experiments can be explored. The case of smaller, attogram-mass sensors is also analyzed-where dark matter can coherently scatter from the entire sensor-enabling a large enhancement in the scattering cross-section relative to interactions with single nuclei. Large arrays of such sensors have the potential to investigate new parameter space down to dark matter masses as low as 10 keV. If recoils from dark matter are detected by such sensors, their inherent directional sensitivity would allow an unambiguous identification of a dark matter signal.
PubMed: 35333080
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.101301 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2021Engineered gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) find application in several fields related to human activities (, food and cosmetic industry or water purification) including...
Engineered gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) find application in several fields related to human activities (, food and cosmetic industry or water purification) including medicine, where they are employed for diagnosis, drug delivery and cancer therapy. As for any material/reagent for human use, the safety of AuNPs needs accurate evaluation. AuNPs are prone to contamination by bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), a potent elicitor of inflammatory responses in mammals. It is therefore important, when assessing AuNP immunosafety and immune-related effects, to discriminate between inflammatory effects intrinsic to the NPs from those caused by an undeliberate and undetected LPS contamination. Detection of LPS contamination in AuNP preparations poses different problems when using the current LPS detection assays, given the general interference of NPs, similar to other particulate agents, with the assay reagents and endpoints. This leads to time-consuming search for optimal assay conditions for every NP batch, with unpredictable results, and to the use in parallel of different assays, each with its weaknesses and unpredictability. Thus, the development of highly sensitive, quantitative and accurate assays able to detect of LPS on AuNPs is very important, in view of their medical applications. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a label-free, sensitive, chemical-specific, nondestructive and fast technique that can be used to directly obtain molecular fingerprint information and a quantitative analysis of LPS adsorbed on AuNPs. Within this study, we describe the use of SERS for the label-free identification and quantitative evaluation - down to few attograms - of the LPS adsorbed on the surface of 50 nm AuNPs. We thus propose SERS as an efficient tool to detect LPS on the AuNP surface, and as the basis for the development of a new sensitive and specific LPS-detection sensor based on the use of AuNPs and SERS.
Topics: Biosensing Techniques; Gold; Humans; Lipopolysaccharides; Metal Nanoparticles; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Surface Properties
PubMed: 34691081
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.758410 -
Science Advances Oct 2021Actinium-based therapies could revolutionize cancer medicine but remain tantalizing due to the difficulties in studying and limited knowledge of Ac chemistry. Current...
Actinium-based therapies could revolutionize cancer medicine but remain tantalizing due to the difficulties in studying and limited knowledge of Ac chemistry. Current efforts focus on small synthetic chelators, limiting radioisotope complexation and purification efficiencies. Here, we demonstrate a straightforward strategy to purify medically relevant radiometals, actinium(III) and yttrium(III), and probe their chemistry, using the recently discovered protein, lanmodulin. The stoichiometry, solution behavior, and formation constant of the Ac-lanmodulin complex and its Y/Y/La analogs were experimentally determined, representing the first actinium-protein and strongest actinide(III)-protein complex (sub-picomolar ) to be characterized. Lanmodulin’s unparalleled properties enable the facile purification recovery of radiometals, even in the presence of >10 equivalents of competing ions and at ultratrace levels: down to 2 femtograms Y and 40 attograms Ac. The lanmodulin-based approach charts a new course to study elusive isotopes and develop versatile chelating platforms for medical radiometals, both for high-value separations and potential in vivo applications.
PubMed: 34669462
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk0273 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2021In the present article, we developed a highly sensitive label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on NiFe-layered double hydroxides (LDH)/reduced graphene oxide...
In the present article, we developed a highly sensitive label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on NiFe-layered double hydroxides (LDH)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/gold nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrode for the determination of receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor (ROR)-1. In this electrochemical immunoassay platform, NiFe-LDH/rGO was used due to great electron mobility, high specific surface area and flexible structures, while Au nanoparticles were prepared and coated on the modified electrodes to improve the detection sensitivity and ROR1 antibody immobilizing (ROR1Ab). The modification procedure was approved by using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry based on the response of peak current to the step by step modifications. Under optimum conditions, the experimental results showed that the immunosensor revealed a sensitive response to ROR1 in the range of 0.01-1 pg mL, and with a lower limit of quantification of 10 attogram/mL (10 ag mL). Furthermore, the designed immunosensor was applied for the analysis of ROR1 in several serum samples of chronic lymphocytic leukemia suffering patients with acceptable results, and it also exhibited good selectivity, reproducibility and stability.
Topics: Biomarkers; Biosensing Techniques; Electrochemical Techniques; Female; Ferric Compounds; Gold; Graphite; Humans; Hydroxides; Immunoassay; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell; Limit of Detection; Male; Metal Nanoparticles; Nanocomposites; Nickel; Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptors; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 34290319
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94380-5