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Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in... Nov 2022Luciferin is one of Nature's most widespread luminophores, and enzymes that catalyze luciferin luminescence are the basis of successful commercial "glow" assays for gene...
Luciferin is one of Nature's most widespread luminophores, and enzymes that catalyze luciferin luminescence are the basis of successful commercial "glow" assays for gene expression and metabolic ATP formation. Herein we report an electrochemical method to promote firefly's luciferin luminescence in the absence of its natural biocatalyst-luciferase. We have gained experimental and computational insights on the mechanism of the enzyme-free luciferin electrochemiluminescence, demonstrated its spectral tuning from green to red by means of electrolyte engineering, proven that the colour change does not require, as still debated, a keto/enol isomerization of the light emitter, and gained evidence of the electrostatic-assisted stabilization of the charge-transfer excited state by double layer electric fields. Luciferin's electrochemiluminescence, as well as the in situ generation of fluorescent oxyluciferin, are applied towards an optical measurement of diffusion coefficients.
Topics: Luciferins; Luciferases; Firefly Luciferin; Luminescence; Catalysis; Luminescent Measurements
PubMed: 36169114
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202209670 -
ACS Nano Oct 2019We report a sensitive and versatile biosensing approach, LUCID (luminescence compact diagnostics), for quantitative molecular and cellular analyses. LUCID uses...
We report a sensitive and versatile biosensing approach, LUCID (luminescence compact diagnostics), for quantitative molecular and cellular analyses. LUCID uses upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as luminescent reporters in mutually exclusive photoexcitation and read-out sequences implemented on a smartphone. The strategy improves imaging signal-to-noise ratios, eliminating interference from excitation sources and minimizing autofluorescence, and thus enables filterless imaging. Here we developed a miniaturized detection system and optimized UCNPs for the system and biological applications. Nanoparticle luminescence lifetime was extended by controlling particle structure and composition. When tested with a range of biological targets, LUCID achieved high detection sensitivity (0.5 pM for protein and 0.1 pM for nucleic acids), differentiated bacterial samples, and allowed profiling of cells. In proof-of-concept clinical use, LUCID demonstrated effective screening of cancer cells in cervical brushing specimens, identifying patients at high risk for malignancy. These results suggest that LUCID could serve as a broadly applicable and inexpensive diagnostic platform.
Topics: Biosensing Techniques; Global Health; Humans; Luminescence; Nanoparticles; Point-of-Care Systems
PubMed: 31461265
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b05634 -
Nanotheranostics 2022Biomedical luminescence imaging in the near-infrared (NIR, 700-1700 nm) region has shown great potential in visualizing biological processes and pathological conditions... (Review)
Review
Biomedical luminescence imaging in the near-infrared (NIR, 700-1700 nm) region has shown great potential in visualizing biological processes and pathological conditions at cellular and animal levels, owing to the reduced tissue absorption and scattering compared to light in the visible (400-700 nm) region. To overcome the background interference and signal attenuation during intensity-based luminescence imaging, lifetime imaging has demonstrated a reliable imaging modality complementary to intensity measurement. Several selective or environment-responsive probes have been successfully developed for luminescence lifetime imaging and multiplex detection. This review summarizes recent advances in the application of luminescence lifetime imaging at cellular and animal levels in NIR-I and NIR-II regions. Finally, the challenges and further directions of luminescence lifetime imaging are also discussed.
Topics: Animals; Diagnostic Imaging; Luminescence
PubMed: 34976583
DOI: 10.7150/ntno.63124 -
Biosensors Feb 2023Over the past two decades, lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been fascinating scientists due to their ability to offer unprecedented prospects to... (Review)
Review
Over the past two decades, lanthanide-based upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been fascinating scientists due to their ability to offer unprecedented prospects to upconvert tissue-penetrating near-infrared light into color-tailorable optical illumination inside biological matter. In particular, luminescent behavior UCNPs have been widely utilized for background-free biorecognition and biosensing. Currently, a paramount challenge exists on how to maximize NIR light harvesting and upconversion efficiencies for achieving faster response and better sensitivity without damaging the biological tissue upon laser assisted photoactivation. In this review, we offer the reader an overview of the recent updates about exciting achievements and challenges in the development of plasmon-modulated upconversion nanoformulations for biosensing application.
Topics: Nanoparticles; Biosensing Techniques; Lanthanoid Series Elements; Luminescence
PubMed: 36979518
DOI: 10.3390/bios13030306 -
ACS Nano Aug 2023Light has profoundly impacted modern medicine and healthcare, with numerous luminescent agents and imaging techniques currently being used to assess health and treat... (Review)
Review
Light has profoundly impacted modern medicine and healthcare, with numerous luminescent agents and imaging techniques currently being used to assess health and treat diseases. As an emerging concept in luminescence, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has shown great potential in biological applications due to its advantages in terms of brightness, biocompatibility, photostability, and positive correlation with concentration. This review provides a comprehensive summary of AIE luminogens applied in imaging of biological structure and dynamic physiological processes, disease diagnosis and treatment, and detection and monitoring of specific analytes, followed by representative works. Discussions on critical issues and perspectives on future directions are also included. This review aims to stimulate the interest of researchers from different fields, including chemistry, biology, materials science, medicine, etc., thus promoting the development of AIE in the fields of life and health.
Topics: Fluorescent Dyes; Luminescent Agents; Luminescence; Diagnostic Imaging; Delivery of Health Care
PubMed: 37486125
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c03925 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2023The luminescent and photophysical properties of the etioporphyrin-I complex with indium(III) chloride, InCl-EtioP-I were experimentally studied at room and liquid...
The luminescent and photophysical properties of the etioporphyrin-I complex with indium(III) chloride, InCl-EtioP-I were experimentally studied at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures in pure and mixed toluene solutions. At 77 K, in a 1:2 mixture of toluene with diethyl ether, the quantum yield of phosphorescence reaches 10.2%, while the duration of phosphorescence is 17 ms. At these conditions, the ratio of phosphorescence-to-fluorescence integral intensities is equal to 26.1, which is the highest for complexes of this type. At 298 K, the quantum yield of the singlet oxygen generation is maximal in pure toluene (81%). Quantum-chemical calculations of absorption and fluorescence spectra at temperatures of 77 K and 298 K qualitatively coincide with the experimental data. The InCl-EtioP-I compound will further be used as a photoresponsive material in thin-film optoelectronic devices.
Topics: Luminescence; Etioporphyrins; Chlorides; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Toluene
PubMed: 37894849
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015168 -
Biosensors Dec 2022The quantitative detection of critical biomolecules and in particular low-abundance biomarkers in biofluids is crucial for early-stage diagnosis and management but... (Review)
Review
The quantitative detection of critical biomolecules and in particular low-abundance biomarkers in biofluids is crucial for early-stage diagnosis and management but remains a challenge largely owing to the insufficient sensitivity of existing ensemble-sensing methods. The single-particle imaging technique has emerged as an important tool to analyze ultralow-abundance biomolecules by engineering and exploiting the distinct physical and chemical property of individual luminescent particles. In this review, we focus and survey the latest advances in single-particle optical imaging (OSPI) for ultrasensitive bioanalysis pertaining to basic biological studies and clinical applications. We first introduce state-of-the-art OSPI techniques, including fluorescence, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, electrochemiluminescence, and dark-field scattering, with emphasis on the contributions of various metal and nonmetal nano-labels to the improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio. During the discussion of individual techniques, we also highlight their applications in spatial-temporal measurement of key biomarkers such as proteins, nucleic acids and extracellular vesicles with single-entity sensitivity. To that end, we discuss the current challenges and prospective trends of single-particle optical-imaging-based bioanalysis.
Topics: Prospective Studies; Proteins; Nucleic Acids; Optical Imaging; Luminescence
PubMed: 36551072
DOI: 10.3390/bios12121105 -
Biosensors Feb 2023Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based luminescent chemosensors combine the advantages of the highly specific molecular recognition of the imprinting sites and the... (Review)
Review
Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based luminescent chemosensors combine the advantages of the highly specific molecular recognition of the imprinting sites and the high sensitivity with the luminescence detection. These advantages have drawn great attention during the past two decades. Luminescent molecularly imprinted polymers (luminescent MIPs) towards different targeted analytes are constructed with different strategies, such as the incorporation of luminescent functional monomers, physical entrapment, covalent attachment of luminescent signaling elements on the MIPs, and surface-imprinting polymerization on the luminescent nanomaterials. In this review, we will discuss the design strategies and sensing approaches of luminescent MIP-based chemosensors, as well as their selected applications in biosensing, bioimaging, food safety, and clinical diagnosis. The limitations and prospects for the future development of MIP-based luminescent chemosensors will also be discussed.
Topics: Molecularly Imprinted Polymers; Molecular Imprinting; Luminescence; Polymers; Nanostructures
PubMed: 36832061
DOI: 10.3390/bios13020295 -
Biosensors Apr 2023Bioluminescence (BL) and chemiluminescence (CL) are interesting and intriguing phenomena that involve the emission of visible light as a consequence of chemical... (Review)
Review
Bioluminescence (BL) and chemiluminescence (CL) are interesting and intriguing phenomena that involve the emission of visible light as a consequence of chemical reactions. The mechanistic basis of BL and CL has been investigated in detail since the 1960s, when the synthesis of several models of cyclic peroxides enabled mechanistic studies on the CL transformations, which led to the formulation of general chemiexcitation mechanisms operating in BL and CL. This review describes these general chemiexcitation mechanisms-the unimolecular decomposition of cyclic peroxides and peroxide decomposition catalyzed by electron/charge transfer from an external (intermolecular) or an internal (intramolecular) electron donor-and discusses recent insights from experimental and theoretical investigation. Additionally, some recent representative examples of chemiluminescence assays are given.
Topics: Luminescence; Electron Transport; Luminescent Measurements; Peroxides
PubMed: 37185527
DOI: 10.3390/bios13040452 -
Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery Jan 2023Luminescence-based technologies, specifically bioluminescence and chemiluminescence, are powerful tools with extensive use in drug discovery. Production of light during... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Luminescence-based technologies, specifically bioluminescence and chemiluminescence, are powerful tools with extensive use in drug discovery. Production of light during chemiluminescence and bioluminescence, unlike fluorescence, doesn't require an excitation light source, resulting in high signal-to-noise ratio, less background interference, and no issues from phototoxicity and photobleaching. These characteristics of luminescence technologies offer unique advantages for experimental designs, allowing for greater flexibility to target a wide range of proteins and biological processes for drug discovery at different stages.
AREAS COVERED
This review provides a basic overview of luciferase-based technologies and details recent advances and use cases of luciferase and luciferin variations and their applicability in the drug discovery toolset. The authors expand upon specific applications of luciferase technologies, including chemiluminescent and bioluminescent-based microscopy. Finally, the authors lay out forward-looking statements on the field of luminescence and how it may shape the translational scientists' work moving forward.
EXPERT OPINION
The demand for improved luciferase and luciferin pairs correlates strongly with efforts to improve the sensitivity and robustness of high-throughput assays. As luminescent reporter systems improve, so will the expansion of use cases for luminescence-based technologies in early-stage drug discovery. With the synthesis of novel, non-enzymatic chemiluminescence-based probes, which previously were restrained to only basic research applications, they may now be readily implemented in drug discovery campaigns.
Topics: Humans; Luminescence; Luciferases; Technology; Drug Discovery
PubMed: 36562206
DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2160441