Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sangsik Kim, Anakaren Romero-Lozano, Dong Soo Hwang, Jeong-Yeol Yoon
Summary: Protamine, as a guanidinium-rich polymer, shows promise as a universal bioreceptor for rapid and handheld bacteria detection without the need for specific antibodies or primers. Using paper microfluidic chips and a smartphone fluorescence microscope, this method successfully detected various bacteria from environmental water samples in less than 10 minutes without extraction or enrichment steps.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Karim Kaci, Estefania Enebral-Romero, Emiliano Martinez-Perinan, Marina Garrido, Emilio M. Perez, David Lopez-Diego, Monica Luna, Guillermo Gonzalez-de-Rivera, Tania Garcia-Mendiola, Encarnacion Lorenzo
Summary: An advanced, cost-effective, and portable DNA biosensor capable of detecting multiple bacteria simultaneously has been developed. The device is compact, lightweight, and manufactured at a low cost. The results of this study confirm its reliability and superior performance.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wei Li, Xin Tang, Xing Han, Jiaqian Li, Ying Chu, Liqiu Wang
Summary: According to the hypothesis, a coating with fully crosslinked fluorinated silane by annealing can exhibit super-repellency to alcohols. The experiments demonstrate that the coating shows remarkable super-repellency to alcohols with different surface tensions, enabling loss-free manipulation of alcohol droplets, and the annealing procedure plays a key role in preparing alcohol-repellent coatings.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Can Huang, Yuqian Jiang, Yuwen Li, Han Zhang
Summary: Since its invention, droplet microfluidic technologies have been widely used for high-throughput chemical and biological functional screening applications, and have undergone significant improvement and study. Each droplet serves as an individual bioreactor, enabling the screening of millions of droplets individually based on specific requirements. This paper reviews the current methods for droplet detection and active sorting in microfluidic systems, providing an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each technology, and concludes with future development prospects.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ruizhi Ning, Jinhai Fan, Liang Kong, Xue Jiang, Yun Qian, Tao Du, Guangjian Zhang, Weiwei Wu
Summary: Droplet-based microfluidics allows for the generation of uniform microdroplets at a small scale and precise control, providing a powerful tool for rapid, sensitive, and high-throughput detection and analysis of bacteria. The advantages include isolation and manipulation of single cells, improved effective concentrations, elimination of heterogeneous population effects, and reduced contamination risks. It has great potential in biological medicine, microbiological engineering, and environmental ecology.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Taekeon Jung, Young-Ran Yun, Jaehyun Bae, Sung Yang
Summary: By integrating magnetic particle conjugation for bacteria concentration and separation, a new impedimetric bacteria-detection sensor has been developed for rapid and accurate detection of low bacteria concentrations in food samples.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Qiang Zhu, Haoyu Wang, Yueyan Cao, Yuguo Huang, Yuhan Hu, Yijun Zhou, Yifan Wei, Xi Li, Tingyun Hou, Yuting Wang, Panyin Shu, Feng Song, Ji Zhang
Summary: This study constructed a microfluidic water-in-oil droplet PCR system and analyzed the sensitivity, concordance, amplification efficiency of the droplet PCR, and influence factors. The droplet PCR showed high concordance with conventional bulk PCR and had high sensitivity, particularly in identifying minor contributors in mixed DNA samples. The study provides a basis for the wide application of droplet PCR in forensic science.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Tomas Pinheiro, Ana C. Marques, Patricia Carvalho, Rodrigo Martins, Elvira Fortunato
Summary: The article presents a signal transduction method based on gold nanoparticles for the development of paper-based multiplex colorimetric assay devices for diabetes control, showing the potential for multiparametric colorimetric measurement.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Kaitlynn R. Mitchell, Joule E. Esene, Adam T. Woolley
Summary: Microfluidic devices serve as a versatile and cost-effective platform for disease diagnostics and risk assessment by quantifying biomarkers simultaneously. Electrical and optical detection methods are commonly used to distinguish and quantify biomarkers, aiming for limits of detection below clinical sample levels. Promising future prospects include the use of inexpensive materials like paper-based microfluidic devices and portable detectors such as smartphones for point-of-care assays.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Sundar Hengoju, Oksana Shvydkiv, Miguel Tovar, Martin Roth, Miriam A. Rosenbaum
Summary: Droplet microfluidics using optical fiber as a light guiding medium has revolutionized analytical possibilities by providing a simpler, more flexible, lower-cost, and sensitive setup for the detection of various parameters. This technology has great potential in biochemistry and biotechnology research.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Claire Husser, Stephane Vuilleumier, Michael Ryckelynck
Summary: This paper introduces a RNA-based biosensor, FluorMango, which can specifically detect fluoride. The biosensor is composed of two RNA modules, one of which can change its structure to sense fluoride, while the other module emits fluorescence when bound to a fluorogen. The study illustrates the value and efficiency of this biosensor in directly monitoring defluorinase activity in bacterial cells.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Sangam Srikanth, Jaligam Murali Mohan, Sushil Raut, Satish Kumar Dubey, Idaku Ishii, Arshad Javed, Sanket Goel
Summary: In this study, a droplet based microfluidic electrochemical device was fabricated using inexpensive technique, which showed high throughput, low sample volumes, minimum cross contamination, lower energy demands, and shorter analysis times. The electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid was successfully implemented under specific conditions, such as lower flow rate and certain parameter settings.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Iene Rutten, Devin Daems, Karen Leirs, Jeroen Lammertyn
Summary: Evalution(TM) is a novel microfluidic platform that combines encoded microparticles and channel-based microfluidics to enable fast, sensitive, and simultaneous detection of multiple disease-related biomarkers.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Pengfei Zhang, Aniruddha M. Kaushik, Kathleen E. Mach, Kuangwen Hsieh, Joseph C. Liao, Tza-Huei Wang
Summary: This study presents an easy strategy for bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing, utilizing syringe filter-enabled methods for bacterial separation, enrichment, and buffer exchange from urine samples. Such techniques can significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of infectious disease diagnostics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yang Zhao, Christine M. O'Keefe, Kuangwen Hsieh, Leslie Cope, Sonali C. Joyce, Thomas R. Pisanic, James G. Herman, Tza-Huei Wang
Summary: There is a strong interest in developing liquid biopsy assays for detecting cancer-specific alterations in circulating tumor DNA obtained from noninvasive blood draws. This paper describes the development and validation of a multiplex digital methylation-specific PCR platform for the detection of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in liquid biopsy samples. The platform demonstrates high analytical sensitivity and superior clinical performance compared to traditional MSP assays.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hui Lu, Jinsong Fan, Guangliu Ran, Jiang Li, Lihua Wang, Ying Zhu, Jianlei Shen, Wenkai Zhang, Jing Chen, Chunhai Fan
Summary: This study reports the functionalization of bimetallic nanoclusters Au8Ag8(C(sic)CR)(16) with triarylborane, which enhances the Lewis acidity. The structure of the nanocluster with 16 boron receptor sites is confirmed, showing increased quenching efficiency towards fluoride. The quenching mechanism of Au8Ag8 to fluoride is demonstrated via enhanced non-radiation energy dissipation.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xingjie Hu, Yan Huang, Hong Zheng, Jiahui Liu, Mengmeng Liu, Mo Xie, Chunhai Fan, Nan Chen
Summary: Framework nucleic acids (FNAs) are a new type of DNA-based nanomaterials with potential applications in biosensing, bioimaging, and molecular delivery. Hierarchical DNA nanostructures composed of multiple FNAs increase drug delivery capacity and multifunctional modification. However, there are limited studies on the behavior and regulation of hierarchical FNAs in living cells, hindering their further applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cuiping Mao, Shuchen Wang, Jiankai Li, Zhuowei Feng, Tong Zhang, Rui Wang, Chunhai Fan, Xingyu Jiang
Summary: DNA, as a storage medium, offers high information density but requires specialized equipment and controlled environments. We introduce a DNA microlibrary encapsulated in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) within 10 minutes and extracted in 5 minutes using a microfluidic chip for automated and integrated DNA-based data storage. The DNA microlibrary@MOFs enhances the stability of data-encoded DNA against harsh environments and can be read out perfectly after accelerated aging, equivalent to 10-year storage under specific conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jia Ma, Daoxia Guo, Xiaoyuan Ji, Yanfeng Zhou, Chang Liu, Qian Li, Jiye Zhang, Chunhai Fan, Haiyun Song
Summary: It is found that hollow mesoporous CuS nanoparticles have the ability to inhibit GPX4. When these nanoparticles are loaded with an inhibitor of FSP1, they block two parallel redox systems and reinforce ICD through near-infrared irradiation. Furthermore, a hydrogel delivering CuS nanoparticles targeting cancer cells and SSO targeting immunosuppressive cells is fabricated, which enhances ICD and reinstates immune perception through lipid metabolic reprogramming, thereby triggering robust innate and adaptive immunity to restrain tumor growth, relapse, and metastasis. This study provides an immunometabolic therapy via orchestrated lipid modulation in the tumor milieu.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fei Ding, Shuangye Zhang, Qian Chen, Hao Feng, Zhilei Ge, Xiaolei Zuo, Chunhai Fan, Qian Li, Qiang Xia
Summary: Programmable nucleic acid nanotechnology allows the customization of synthetic nucleic acid nanodevices with unprecedented precision, showing potential for precise immunoengineering.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xinxin Jing, Yueyue Zhang, Min Li, Xiaolei Zuo, Chunhai Fan, Junhua Zheng
Summary: Synthesis of engineered colloidal nanoparticles with delicate surface characteristics contributes to multifunctional applications. Surface engineering methods, including grafting suitable molecules or macromolecules, have been developed to improve stability and enable programmable assembly of nanoparticles.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Meiyuan Qi, Wenhe Ma, Qin Xu, Fei Wang, Ping Song, Sisi Jia, Xiaolei Zuo, Mingqiang Li, Guangbao Yao, Chunhai Fan
Summary: Dynamic molecular interactions in chemical reaction networks lead to complex behaviors in living systems. Programming DNA molecular reactions at molecular and nanometer scales have been achieved, but achieving programmable autonomous behavior at submicron or larger scales remains challenging. This study presents a mechanism of meta-DNA strand displacement reactions (M-SDRs) mediated solely by meta-toehold (M-toehold) using versatile submicron building blocks of meta-DNA (M-DNA). M-SDR emulates the toehold binding and branch migration processes and shows potential for programming autonomous behavior at the cellular level.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kun Dai, Yang Xu, Yang Yang, Jianfeng Shen, Xiaoguo Liu, Xinyi Tu, Lu Yu, Xiaodong Qi, Jiang Li, Lihua Wang, Xiaolei Zuo, Yingbin Liu, Hao Yan, Chunhai Fan, Guangbao Yao
Summary: This study utilizes single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) origami as ligands for nucleic acid-sensing receptors, achieving improved stability, targeting, and immunogenicity prediction. The ssRNA self-folds into compact nanoparticles with defined shapes and exhibits resistance against degradation in cells. It can activate macrophages and neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment, leading to anti-tumoral immune response and tumor growth retardation in a mouse model. This ssRNA origami strategy provides a new solution for ligand design and biomedical applications of nucleic acid sensors.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yun Zhu, Xiewei Xiong, Mengyao Cao, Li Li, Chunhai Fan, Hao Pei
Summary: Freeze-thaw cycling is a simple and powerful method for high-speed DNA computing, achieving a 20-fold speed enhancement in strand displacement reactions. This acceleration is due to the use of eutectic ice phase as a medium, temporarily increasing the effective local concentration of molecules during each cycle. By leveraging this phenomenon, freeze-thaw cycling can achieve up to a remarkable 120-fold enhancement in reaction rates across various circuit sizes.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Yan Zhao, Shuting Cao, Yue Wang, Fan Li, Lixuan Lin, Linjie Guo, Fei Wang, Jie Chao, Xiaolei Zuo, Ying Zhu, Lihua Wang, Jiang Li, Chunhai Fan
Summary: The environments in living cells are highly heterogeneous and compartmentalized, posing a grand challenge for the deployment of theranostic agents with spatiotemporal precision. Despite rapid advancements in creating nanodevices responsive to various cues in cellular environments, it remains difficult to control their operations based on the temporal sequence of these cues.
NATURE MACHINE INTELLIGENCE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Longjiang Ding, Xiaoliang Chen, Wenhe Ma, Jiang Li, Xiaoguo Liu, Chunhai Fan, Guangbao Yao
Summary: How far we can push chemical self-assembly is one of the most important scientific questions of the century. Colloidal self-assembly is a bottom-up technique for the rational design of functional materials with desirable collective properties. The regioselective control over the formation of DNA bonds on the particle surface has enabled unprecedented complexity in colloidal self-assembly, thanks to the advances in surface chemistry and structural DNA nanotechnology. This review summarizes the recent advances in DNA-mediated regioselective surface encoding of colloids, with a focus on its introduction and its crucial role in the self-assembly of colloidal structures.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Longyi Zhu, Yiting Shen, Shengyuan Deng, Ying Wan, Jun Luo, Yan Su, Mingxu You, Chunhai Fan, Kewei Ren
Summary: Researchers have developed a synthetic DNA binder that can induce mitochondrial aggregation and fusion in living cells. This DNA binder has shown potential for repairing ROS-stressed neuron cells and can be further customized to achieve stimuli-triggered mitochondrial aggregation and fusion. The researchers believe that this new DNA regulator system can be a powerful tool for subcellular manipulation and precision therapy.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yao Luo, Min Yin, Chunlan Mu, Xingjie Hu, Hui Xie, Jingyi Li, Tingting Cao, Nan Chen, Ji Wu, Chunhai Fan
Summary: This study developed a nanocomplex, Pdot-siRNA, based on semiconductor polymer dots for effective gene knockdown in female germline stem cells (FGSCs). The high fluorescence brightness of Pdots was utilized for comprehensive investigation of their cellular uptake, intracellular trafficking, and exocytosis in FGSCs. Furthermore, Pdots demonstrated excellent biocompatibility and minimal disturbance to FGSCs differentiation. The intracellular Pdots could escape from lysosomes and undergo active exocytosis, making them ideal nanocarriers for bioactive cargos. Additionally, Pdot-siRNA could penetrate into 3D ovarian organoids derived from FGSCs and down-regulate the expression levels of target genes. This study sheds light on the manipulation and medical application of FGSCs and explores the interface between theranostic nanoparticles and FGSCs for the first time.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Yuan Luo, Zhen Cao, Yifan Liu, Rong Zhang, Shijia Yang, Ning Wang, Qingyuan Shi, Jie Li, Shurong Dong, Chunhai Fan, Jianlong Zhao
Summary: DNA has shown great potential as an alternative for digital information storage but is currently hindered by high material cost, time consumption for data reading/writing, and lack of an integrated system. Microfluidics has emerged as a promising solution because of its ability to handle and process micro-scale fluid samples in a highly integrated manner. This review discusses recent efforts and advancements in applying microfluidics to DNA data storage, highlighting its potential and future directions for integration and real-life applications.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Kaidi Wang, Jing Chen, Jay Martiniuk, Xiangyun Ma, Qifeng Li, Vivien Measday, Xiaonan Lu
Summary: Reliable typing of yeast strains is crucial for the alcoholic beverage industry, and this study proposes a method using Raman spectroscopy and CNN for species identification and strain discrimination of S. cerevisiae and S. uvarum. The results demonstrate high accuracy and fast speed, providing significant implications for improving the quality of fermented beverages and conducting high-throughput screening.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
