Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Elizabeth Jane Eggleton
Summary: The global pandemic of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease has caused significant strain on health services due to the varying severity of symptoms in patients. Proper triaging through clinical assessment and imaging/laboratory investigations helps prevent overwhelming of health services. A succinct triaging pathway is proposed to assist health services in combating the pandemic effectively.
POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lungile Nomcebo Thwala, Sphumelele Colin Ndlovu, Kelvin Tafadzwa Mpofu, Masixole Yvonne Lugongolo, Patience Mthunzi-Kufa
Summary: The introduction of point-of-care testing (POCT) has revolutionized medical testing by allowing for simple tests to be conducted near the patient's care point, rather than being confined to a medical laboratory. Nanotechnology has played a crucial role in achieving this goal, by not only making the tests possible but also masking their complexity. Microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip technologies are highlighted as major drivers of point-of-care testing, particularly in infectious disease diagnosis. The benefits of point-of-care testing are significant, especially in developing countries where medical care is shifting towards prevention, early detection, and managing chronic conditions.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lucy Hocking, Jenny George, Eeva K. Broberg, Marc J. Struelens, Katrin C. Leitmeyer, Advait Deshpande, Sarah Parkinson, Joe Francombe, Katherine Morley, Helena de Carvalho Gomes
Summary: Although point of care testing (POCT) for infectious diseases is commonly available in all EU/EEA countries, its potential to support public health functions such as disease surveillance and reporting is underutilized. While POCT has the potential to improve clinical care by providing faster diagnoses and more appropriate use of antimicrobials, further research is needed to fully realize its benefits in wider public health functions.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Juan Garcia-Bernalt Diego, Pedro Fernandez-Soto, Sergio Marquez-Sanchez, Daniel Santos Santos, Begona Febrer-Sendra, Beatriz Crego-Vicente, Juan Luis Munoz-Bellido, Moncef Belhassen-Garcia, Juan M. Corchado Rodriguez, Antonio Muro
Summary: Nucleic acid amplification diagnostics, although sensitive and specific, lack speed, robustness, affordability, and user-friendliness. This study combines loop-mediated isothermal amplification technology with a handheld portable device (SMART-LAMP) to enable real-time nucleic acid amplification reactions through simple colorimetric measurements. The device is controlled by a dedicated smartphone app and can be used for diagnosing different infectious diseases, including Schistosomiasis, Strongyloidiasis, and COVID-19. The combination of long-term stabilized LAMP master mixes and the SMART-LAMP device improves point-of-care diagnosis of infectious diseases in low-resource settings, and can be easily adapted for diagnosing other infectious diseases.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Xin Wang, Xian-Zhe Hong, Yi-Wei Li, Ying Li, Jie Wang, Peng Chen, Bi-Feng Liu
Summary: This article summarizes the latest advances in microfluidics-based molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases, including on-chip nucleic acid processes, comparison of microfluidic platforms, application of digital assay in nucleic acid quantification, and market status of commercial molecular diagnostic devices. The article also proposes future directions for microfluidics-based infectious disease diagnosis.
MILITARY MEDICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Sandeep Kumar, Monika Nehra, Sakina Khurana, Neeraj Dilbaghi, Vanish Kumar, Ajeet Kaushik, Ki-Hyun Kim
Summary: Advancements in POC diagnostic systems have gained attention due to their rapid operation and affordable cost. Smart sensing components are being developed to meet patient care needs, while technologies like smartphone-based operation and paper-based sensing assays are making POC diagnostics more sensitive and informative.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NANOMEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Madeleine J. Rogers, Donald P. McManus, Stephen Muhi, Catherine A. Gordon
Summary: Parasitic neglected tropical diseases affect over one billion people worldwide, especially those in low-socioeconomic areas. The lack of infrastructure and sensitive, affordable diagnostic methods hinder disease management programs. Membrane technology offers a solution for simplifying sample storage and diagnostic procedures, although cost remains a barrier for accessibility in endemic regions. New, simple, rapid, accurate, and cost-effective immunological procedures and nucleic acid diagnostics protocols are necessary for progressing control efforts towards elimination of these diseases.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Alex van Belkum, Carina Almeida, Benjamin Bardiaux, Sarah V. Barrass, Sarah J. Butcher, Tugce Caykara, Sounak Chowdhury, Rucha Datar, Ian Eastwood, Adrian Goldman, Manisha Goyal, Lotta Happonen, Nadia Izadi-Pruneyre, Theis Jacobsen, Pirjo H. Johnson, Volkhard A. J. Kempf, Andreas Kiessling, Juan Leva Bueno, Anchal Malik, Johan Malmstrom, Ina Meuskens, Paul A. Milner, Michael Nilges, Nicole Pamme, Sally A. Peyman, Ligia R. Rodrigues, Pablo Rodriguez-Mateos, Maria G. Sande, Carla Joana Silva, Aleksandra Cecylia Stasiak, Thilo Stehle, Arno Thibau, Diana J. Vaca, Dirk Linke
Summary: Infectious diseases pose a significant health threat and require precise diagnostics and treatments. Adhesins, microbial molecules that interact with host cells, play an important role in infection and can enhance the specificity and sensitivity of diagnostic tests.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Tian Zhang, Shuai Guo, Fangzhou Li, Xinmiao Lan, Yaru Jia, Jinchao Zhang, Yuanyu Huang, Xing-Jie Liang
Summary: This review emphasizes the importance of timely and accurate assessment and diagnosis for various diseases, introduces the application of molecular imaging technology in disease diagnosis and treatment, and aims to promote the development of related technologies and fields.
ADVANCED DRUG DELIVERY REVIEWS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Xiao-Fei Chen, Xin Zhao, Zifeng Yang
Summary: This review explores the design strategies and advanced technologies of aptasensor-based diagnostics for infectious pathogens, including the use of different signal transducers, the employment of aptamers as recognition moieties, the construction of versatile biosensing platforms, innovative reporting mechanisms, and signal enhancement approaches. The discussion also highlights the application of advanced point-of-care testing (POCT) in addressing the urgent needs of COVID-19. Additionally, future perspectives of aptasensors for practical application are provided.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Shahila Parween, Amit Asthana, Pradip Nahar
Summary: In order to achieve accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare, there is a need for cost-effective, high-performance diagnostic methods in both developed and developing countries. Current technological developments have led to the growth of novel and rapid diagnostic tests, but most of these tests rely on visual detection and lack consistency. The increase in the use of image-based assays (IBA) and point-of-care diagnostics aims to address the need for consistent quantitative assays without the requirement for trained technicians. This review discusses the basic requirements for an image-based assay system for point-of-care diagnostics and explores the progress, challenges, and future improvements in this field.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Damon T. Burrow, Jacob T. Heggestad, David S. Kinnamon, Ashutosh Chilkoti
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for sensitive and reliable diagnostic tools. Point-of-care tests (POCTs) offer portable and efficient alternatives to traditional laboratory tests. However, there are still challenges in fully implementing POCTs for diseases like COVID-19, HIV, and malaria. Researchers have utilized advancements in colloid and interface science to develop various designs of POCTs for clinical applications. This review discusses recent advancements in lateral flow assays, paper-based POCTs, protein microarray assays, microbead flow assays, and nucleic acid amplification assays, as well as desirable features for future POCTs.
CURRENT OPINION IN COLLOID & INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Tanu Bhardwaj, Lakshmi Narashimhan Ramana, Tarun Kumar Sharma
Summary: Better diagnostics are crucial for the treatment and prevention of diseases. The current diagnostic technologies do not meet the World Health Organization's standards, highlighting the need for more accurate, sensitive, and rapid diagnostic technologies. Microfluidics-based biosensors are gaining interest in the diagnostics industry due to their size reduction, quick response time, and ability for parallel analysis.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Rachael Dixon, Eldhose Skaria, Wing Man Lau, Philip Manning, Mark A. Birch-Machin, S. Moein Moghimi, Keng Wooi Ng
Summary: Recent infectious disease outbreaks have emphasized the importance of rapid and accurate diagnosis for effective treatment and prevention of transmission. Point-of-care microneedle diagnostic devices offer a promising solution by providing minimally invasive, real-time diagnosis. Further development in this field holds significant potential for improving infectious disease diagnostics.
ACTA PHARMACEUTICA SINICA B
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Jane Y. Zhang, Andrew T. Bender, David S. Boyle, Paul K. Drain, Jonathan D. Posner
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of integrated nucleic acid tests, especially those that are fast, cost-effective, and accurate for use near patients. Regulatory processes from FDA and WHO have allowed more NAT systems to be developed and deployed in infectious disease detection, paving the way for future development and technology transfer.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jing Dai, Gavin J. Knott, Wen Fu, Tiffany W. Lin, Ariel L. Furst, R. David Britt, Matthew B. Francis
Summary: The artificial multiheme system based on cpTMV shows structural and functional similarity to natural multiheme cytochrome c proteins. The mutant Q101H creates a circular assembly of 17 protein-embedded hemes, providing further engineering opportunities for tuning the redox properties of cofactors and incorporating non-native components. Emulating electron transfer pathways in nature using a tunable artificial system can contribute to the development of photocatalytic materials and bioelectronics.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gang Fan, Pris Wasuwanich, Ariel L. Furst
Summary: Biomimetic catalysts, inspired by natural enzymes, possess superior characteristics such as high activity and aqueous solubility, but face challenges such as instability and limitations in predicting structure-function relationships that hinder their application outside the laboratory.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew R. Mahoney, Mohammad Moein Safaee, William M. Wuest, Ariel L. Furst
Summary: The importance of rapid development of vaccines and antivirals due to the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been highlighted, but the increased use of antibacterial products and treatments poses an underreported threat of antibiotic resistances emergence.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gang Fan, Pris Wasuwanich, Mariela R. Rodriguez-Otero, Ariel L. Furst
Summary: The research team has developed a self-assembling cellular coating to improve the viability and stability of the next-generation biotherapeutic Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, providing protection from harsh processing conditions and oxygen exposure. This advancement will increase the range of stably manufactured microbes, facilitating the development of emerging strains of interest by ensuring their postproduction viability.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marjon Zamani, Ariel L. Furst
Article
Electrochemistry
Marjon Zamani, Tatum Wilhelm, Ariel L. Furst
Summary: Therapeutic monitoring of neurotransmitters and psychiatric medications is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. However, the in-vivo monitoring of neurotransmitters and continuous physiological monitoring of psychiatrics are yet to be achieved. Electrochemical sensors have been developed for both in-vivo neurotransmitter monitoring and in-vitro detection of psychiatric medications. Further research is needed to achieve concurrent, continuous physiological monitoring of neurotransmitters and psychiatric medications, enabling a closed-loop feedback system for medication administration.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Thomas Mark Gill, Ariel L. Furst
Summary: The reduction of CO2 to fuels and valuable chemicals is of great significance for carbon recycling. The electrolyte components, including anions, cations, and solvent, have a strong impact on the catalyst surface. While there have been a lack of conclusive studies on the mechanistic impacts of these components, insights from enzymatic studies can be applied to better understand and control electrolyte interactions at the catalyst interface.
CURRENT OPINION IN ELECTROCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Amruta Karbelkar, Rachel Ahlmark, Xingcheng Zhou, Katherine Austin, Gang Fan, Victoria Y. Yang, Ariel Furst
Summary: Modification of electrodes with biomolecules is crucial for the development of bioelectrochemical systems. Traditional gold electrodes are easy to modify with thiolated biomolecules, but carbon screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) are becoming popular due to their low cost and availability. However, effectively modifying SPEs with biomolecules remains challenging. This study demonstrates a simple and versatile strategy to modify inexpensive carbon electrodes with a variety of biomolecules, enhancing their potential as bioelectrochemical systems.
BIOCONJUGATE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Barathkumar Baskaran, Thomas M. Gill, Ariel L. Furst
Summary: Monooxygenases are important enzymes that have been the focus of enzyme engineering because of their high activity and versatility. The traditional colorimetric method for monitoring their reactions has been popular, but we found the dye product to be unstable, preventing accurate measurement. By incorporating an extraction step and spectral deconvolution, we have improved the assay to enable quantification of enzyme activity and distinguish between regioisomeric products. This represents a significant advance in analytical methods and provides a low-cost alternative to chromatographic techniques.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Alec Agee, Thomas Mark Gill, Gordon Pace, Rachel Segalman, Ariel Furst
Summary: In this study, the electrochemical interaction between flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and a bio-inspired mixed conducting polymer (P3HT-Im(+)) was comprehensively characterized. It was found that the polymer with histidine-like imidazolium showed improved conductivity and charge storage, which may be related to the two-electron transfer on the bio-anode.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Marjon Zamani, Catherine M. M. Klapperich, Ariel L. L. Furst
Summary: Gold electrodes are commonly used as substrates for electrochemical biosensors due to their ease of functionalization with biomolecules. Traditional methods for fabricating gold electrodes are expensive and require specialized equipment, limiting their use in low-resource settings. Alternative fabrication methods, such as screen and inkjet printing, as well as physical fabrication with wire or gold leaf, have been developed to simplify and lower the cost of manufacturing gold electrodes. These methods have successfully functionalized the electrodes with biomolecules, demonstrating their suitability for biosensors. This review highlights recent advances in the fabrication, characterization, and functionalization of next-generation gold electrodes, with a focus on cost and complexity comparisons with traditional cleanroom fabrication. The potential of gold leaf electrodes in low-resource settings is also emphasized, as they offer advantages that make them broadly applicable beyond such settings.
Article
Electrochemistry
Trent A. Weiss, Gang Fan, Bertrand J. Neyhouse, Evan B. Moore, Ariel Furst, Fikile R. Brushett
Summary: Redox flow batteries (RFBs) face challenges due to complex failure modes, such as membrane crossover, leading to reduced capacity and cycling efficiency. Redox-active oligomers (RAOs) are proposed as a solution, but their impact on flow cell performance is not well understood. This study shows that oligomeric derivatives of TEMPO have lower diffusivities but maintain good charge transfer characteristics. The variations in mass transport rates lead to differences in flow cell polarization and cycling performance.
BATTERIES & SUPERCAPS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jonathan Cottet, Josephine O. Oshodi, Jesse Yebouet, Andrea Leang, Ariel L. Furst, Cullen R. Buie
Summary: Surface charge is a critical feature of microbes that affects their interactions with other cells and their environment. This study presents a cost-effective method for characterizing surface charge using commercial microfluidic chips and open-source workflows, eliminating the need for expensive equipment and specialized facilities. The method enables facile electrokinetic characterization of particles and cells and improves measurement reproducibility.
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Gang Fan, Jonathan Cottet, Mariela R. Rodriguez-Otero, Pris Wasuwanich, Ariel L. Furst
Summary: This review introduces the physicochemical properties and recent biological applications of metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) formed by the self-assembly of polyphenols and metal ions. It highlights the importance of MPNs in cancer theranostics and single-cell encapsulation and discusses their future utility in biomedical applications.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Pris Wasuwanich, Gang Fan, Benjamin Burke, Ariel L. Furst
Summary: The application of self-assembled metal-phenolic network (MPN) cellular coatings protects Bacillus subtilis from lyophilization stresses and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the role of each component in MPNs.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2022)