Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dale Boorman, Iestyn Pope, Francesco Masia, Wolfgang Langbein, Steve Hood, Paola Borri, Peter Watson
Summary: Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) allows high-resolution, chemically specific imaging of biological samples without the need for fluorescent labeling. By isotopically substituting hydrogen atoms with deuterium, chemical contrast can be increased. Using an unsupervised quantitative data analysis algorithm, CARS microscopy can retrieve Raman susceptibility spectra and concentration maps of specific chemical components.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fionna M. D. Samuels, Dominik G. Stich, Remi Bonnart, Gayle M. Volk, Nancy E. Levinger
Summary: Cryoprotectants allow cells to be frozen and preserved for years, but variations in cryoprotectant concentration within different cells and tissues may lead to different protective effects. Using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy can help directly observe the distribution of cryoprotectants within living cells.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xiaoming Su, Xinyu Liu, Yangcenzi Xie, Mingyang Chen, Hong Zhong, Ming Li
Summary: The widespread abuse of fentanyl has become a major global public health concern, leading to a drastic increase in overdose deaths. A recently developed freestanding surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) biosensor, called the FrEnSERS biosensor, has shown excellent capability in identifying and quantifying trace amounts of fentanyl in biofluids. This biosensor, composed of a reduced graphene oxide membrane decorated with hydrophobic Au nanostars, combines high SERS enhancement and analyte enrichment to achieve remarkable SERS performance. It has demonstrated sensitive and quantitative detection of fentanyl in serum and urine, with a wide dynamic range and low limits of detection. The FrEnSERS biosensor is a promising tool for forensic analysis and clinical diagnosis, providing a sensitive, cost-effective, and reliable method for rapid quantitative analysis of fentanyl in biofluids.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Optics
Elodie Lin, Michael Scherman, Rosa Santagata, Alexandre Bresson, Brigitte Attal-Tretout
Summary: We propose a multi-focus fs/ps-CARS scheme using a single birefringence crystal or birefringent stacks for spectroscopy on multiple points simultaneously in gas phase measurements and microscopy. This scheme demonstrates the performance of CARS spectroscopy for thermometry measurements in the vicinity of a flame and simultaneous acquisition of toluene spectra in a microscope setup. It also shows the capability of two-point and four-point hyperspectral imaging of PMMA microbeads in water, significantly increasing acquisition speed.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexander A. Karpenko, Vyacheslav S. Odintsov, Aleksandra A. Istomina
Summary: The study used PTFE micro- and nano-particles as reference particles to investigate the biological effects of plastic pollution, successfully identifying the particles in biological medium using the methods of atomic markers, polarization microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. This suggests that PTFE particles can be detected and identified in biological samples.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Antonio Ragusa, Valentina Notarstefano, Alessandro Svelato, Alessia Belloni, Giorgia Gioacchini, Christine Blondeel, Emma Zucchelli, Caterina De Luca, Sara D'Avino, Alessandra Gulotta, Oliana Carnevali, Elisabetta Giorgini
Summary: This study discovered the presence of microplastic contamination, which poses potential health risks. The analysis of breastmilk samples revealed the presence of microplastics with various shapes and compositions, indicating that human exposure to microplastics is inevitable.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Iestyn Pope, Francesco Masia, Kenneth Ewan, Ana Jimenez-Pascual, Trevor C. Dale, Florian A. Siebzehnrubl, Paola Borri, Wolfgang Langbein
Summary: Quantitative hyperspectral coherent Raman scattering microscopy combines imaging with spectroscopy to extract physically meaningful chemical components with sub-cellular resolution. This label-free method can discriminate different cellular sub-populations and has potential for non-invasive disease diagnostics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vincenzo Quinzi, Giulia Orilisi, Flavia Vitiello, Valentina Notarstefano, Giuseppe Marzo, Giovanna Orsini
Summary: This study evaluated the potential detachment of microplastics (MPs) from clear orthodontic aligners due to mechanical friction in artificial saliva. The results showed that all tested aligners contained MPs, with the highest number found in the Arc Angel brand and the lowest in Invisalign. This study highlights the release of MPs from clear aligners and raises concerns about its impact on human health.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Fangwei Yang, Jiaqi Mi, Fei Huang, Prompong Pienpinijtham, Yahui Guo, Yuliang Cheng, Weirong Yao, Yunfei Xie
Summary: The inhibitory effects of trans-cinnamaldehyde on Penicillium italicum, a common fungus in citrus, were investigated in this study. The antifungal mechanism of trans-cinnamaldehyde was explored by detecting fungal oxidative damage, mitochondria metabolism, and cell apoptosis. The results showed that trans-cinnamaldehyde disrupted the carboxylic acid cycle and caused oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death by damaging the integrity of mitochondrial membrane and leakage of cytochrome c.
FOOD SCIENCE AND HUMAN WELLNESS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuki Takei, Rie Hirai, Aya Fukuda, Shinichi Miyazaki, Rintaro Shimada, Yuko Okamatsu-Ogura, Masayuki Saito, Philippe Leproux, Koji Hisatake, Hideaki Kano
Summary: This study visualized the dynamic process of fatty acid uptake by brown adipocytes using an advanced CARS spectroscopic imaging system and deuterium labeling technique. The findings elucidated the specific metabolic activities of brown adipocytes, such as resistance to lipid saturation, showcasing the utility of the newly developed system. This discovery holds implications for research on obesity and related diseases.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aleksandra Borek-Dorosz, Anna Pieczara, Krzysztof Czamara, Marta Stojak, Ewelina Matuszyk, Katarzyna Majzner, Krzysztof Brzozowski, Arianna Bresci, Dario Polli, Malgorzata Baranska
Summary: In this study, the functionality of inflamed cells was verified by analyzing their ability to uptake and accumulate exogenous saturated fatty acids. The results showed that the uptake of fatty acids in inflamed cells is dependent on their concentration and type, providing a better understanding of endothelial cell inflammation and its impact on their fat buffering capacity. The microscopic methods used in the analysis showed complementarity in studying fatty acid uptake by endothelial cells from different perspectives.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Duanyang Xu, Sijing Liang, Lin Xu, Konstantinos N. Bourdakos, Peter Johnson, James Read, Jonathan H. V. Price, Sumeet Mahajan, David J. Richardson
Summary: The study showcases a continuous wave seeded synchronization-free optical parametric amplifier (OPA) with high performance in CARS, SHG, and two-photon fluorescence microscopy, making it a promising tool for biomedical imaging research. The OPA offers simplified setup and rapid tuning capabilities, enabling label-free multiphoton microscopy techniques for potential translation into a diagnostic tool in healthcare settings.
BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
(2021)
Article
Optics
Federico Vernuccio, Arianna Bresci, Benedetta Talone, Alejandro de la Cadena, Chiara Ceconello, Stefano Mantero, Cristina Sobacchi, Renzo Vanna, Giulio Cerullo, Dario Polli
Summary: We introduce a broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscope based on a 2-MHz repetition rate ytterbium laser. The system achieves high-energy femtosecond pulses and covers the whole fingerprint region with broadband red-shifted Stokes pulses. Our system demonstrates state-of-the-art acquisition speed and unprecedented sensitivity, and utilizes a convolutional neural network for spectral denoising and a post-processing pipeline to distinguish different chemical species.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Zhi Jin, Weili Cui, Jianfeng Ma, Qian Chen, Yuejin Fu
Summary: Confocal Raman microspectroscopy was used to observe the dissolution of hydroxycinnamates (HCMs) incorporated into lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) in energy crops Miscanthus sinensis cv. during NaOH treatment. The results showed that mild NaOH treatment led to a higher proportion of HCM depolymerization in highly lignified middle lamella areas compared to carbohydrate-abundant secondary walls. Raman imaging revealed that lignin depolymerization was more pronounced in the sclerenchyma fiber and parenchyma secondary wall with increasing treatment time, while the depolymerization of HCMs was closely related to lignin depolymerization. A better understanding of these processes is important for efficient breaking of LCC bonds in herbaceous biomass.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Josef Kucera, Ondrej Pes, Tomas Janovic, Ctirad Hofr, Lenka Kubinyiova, Jan Toth, Stepan Kana, Petr Taborsky
Summary: The research finds that deuterated water (D2O) can enhance the fluorescence signal in chemical and biological samples, improving the sensitivity and reliability of fluorescence detection methods.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Philipp Klein, Patrick Johe, Annika Wagner, Sascha Jung, Jonas Kuehlborn, Fabian Barthels, Stefan Tenzer, Ute Distler, Waldemar Waigel, Bernd Engels, Ute A. Hellmich, Till Opatz, Tanja Schirmeister
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sebastian Guenther, Patrick Y. A. Reinke, Yaiza Fernandez-Garcia, Julia Lieske, Thomas J. Lane, Helen M. Ginn, Faisal H. M. Koua, Christiane Ehrt, Wiebke Ewert, Dominik Oberthuer, Oleksandr Yefanov, Susanne Meier, Kristina Lorenzen, Boris Krichel, Janine-Denise Kopicki, Luca Gelisio, Wolfgang Brehm, Ilona Dunkel, Brandon Seychell, Henry Gieseler, Brenna Norton-Baker, Beatriz Escudero-Perez, Martin Domaracky, Sofiane Saouane, Alexandra Tolstikova, Thomas A. White, Anna Haenle, Michael Groessler, Holger Fleckenstein, Fabian Trost, Marina Galchenkova, Yaroslav Gevorkov, Chufeng Li, Salah Awel, Ariana Peck, Miriam Barthelmess, Frank Schluenzen, P. Lourdu Xavier, Nadine Werner, Hina Andaleeb, Najeeb Ullah, Sven Falke, Vasundara Srinivasan, Bruno Alves Franca, Martin Schwinzer, Hevila Brognaro, Cromarte Rogers, Diogo Melo, Joanna J. Zaitseva-Doyle, Juraj Knoska, Gisel E. Pena-Murillo, Aida Rahmani Mashhour, Vincent Hennicke, Pontus Fischer, Johanna Hakanpaa, Jan Meyer, Philip Gribbon, Bernhard Ellinger, Maria Kuzikov, Markus Wolf, Andrea R. Beccari, Gleb Bourenkov, David von Stetten, Guillaume Pompidor, Isabel Bento, Saravanan Panneerselvam, Ivars Karpics, Thomas R. Schneider, Maria Marta Garcia-Alai, Stephan Niebling, Christian Guenther, Christina Schmidt, Robin Schubert, Huijong Han, Juliane Boger, Diana C. F. Monteiro, Linlin Zhang, Xinyuanyuan Sun, Jonathan Pletzer-Zelgert, Jan Wollenhaupt, Christian G. Feiler, Manfred S. Weiss, Eike-Christian Schulz, Pedram Mehrabi, Katarina Karnicar, Aleksandra Usenik, Jure Loboda, Henning Tidow, Ashwin Chari, Rolf Hilgenfeld, Charlotte Uetrecht, Russell Cox, Andrea Zaliani, Tobias Beck, Matthias Rarey, Stephan Guenther, Dusan Turk, Winfried Hinrichs, Henry N. Chapman, Arwen R. Pearson, Christian Betzel, Alke Meents
Summary: The study identified 37 compounds that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 main protease through a high-throughput x-ray crystallographic screen of two repurposing drug libraries. Among these compounds, one peptidomimetic and six nonpeptidic compounds showed antiviral activity in cell-based viral reduction assays at nontoxic concentrations. The identification of two allosteric binding sites presents potential targets for drug development against SARS-CoV-2.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Javier Lizarrondo, David P. Klebl, Stephan Niebling, Marc Abella, Martin A. Schroer, Haydyn D. T. Mertens, Katharina Veith, Roland Thuenauer, Dmitri Svergun, Michal Skruzny, Frank Sobott, Stephen P. Muench, Maria M. Garcia-Alai
Summary: This study reveals the structure of a 16-mer complex formed by the endocytic coat adaptors Sla2 and Ent1 with the plasma membrane anchor PIP2 in yeast cells. Detailed mutagenesis analysis of the complex interfaces delineates the key interactions for complex formation and its biological relevance in cell growth. The study also shows that the ANTH and ENTH domains have evolved to rapidly assemble in the presence of PIP2, providing insights into clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephan Niebling, Osvaldo Burastero, Jerome Buergi, Christian Guenther, Lucas A. Defelipe, Simon Sander, Ellen Gattkowski, Raghavendra Anjanappa, Matthias Wilmanns, Sebastian Springer, Henning Tidow, Maria Garcia-Alai
Summary: The study evaluates binding affinity quantification based on thermal shifts, finding that results from isothermal analysis are more consistent with established biophysical techniques compared to apparent K(d)s obtained from melting temperatures. Additionally, a method to optionally fit the heat capacity change upon unfolding during isothermal analysis is described, along with the release of a web server for easy application of isothermal analysis to nDSF data.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Michael Bucher, Stephan Niebling, Yuhao Han, Dmitry Molodenskiy, Fatemeh Hassani Nia, Hans-Juergen Kreienkamp, Dmitri Svergun, Eunjoon Kim, Alla S. Kostyukova, Michael R. Kreutz, Marina Mikhaylova
Summary: Members of the SH3 and ankyrin repeat (SHANK) protein family are considered key scaffolds at glutamatergic synapses, with missense mutations in the canonical SHANK3 isoform potentially linked to ASD. This study demonstrates that ASD-associated point mutations in SHANK3 lead to changes in protein structure, resulting in altered synaptic targeting and protein turnover at synaptic sites in rat primary hippocampal neurons.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ramiro Lorenzo, Lucas A. Defelipe, Lucio Aliperti, Stephan Niebling, Tania F. Custodio, Christian Loew, Jennifer J. Schwarz, Kim Remans, Patricio O. Craig, Lisandro H. Otero, Sebastian Klinke, Maria Garcia-Alai, Ignacio E. Sanchez, Leonardo G. Alonso
Summary: Asparagine deamidation of the spike protein in SARS-CoV-2 can modulate viral infectivity and host immune response. Deamidation of the spike receptor-binding motif decreases the binding affinity to the human receptor, but may have positive implications for viral fitness. This study highlights the potential mechanism for molecular aging of the spike protein and its impact on virus infectivity and vaccine development.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hannah Maus, Fabian Barthels, Stefan Josef Hammerschmidt, Katja Kopp, Benedikt Millies, Andrea Gellert, Alessia Ruggieri, Tanja Schirmeister
Summary: In recent years, dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) have emerged as global health issues due to climate change and increasing globalization. New allosteric inhibitors have been developed with improved efficacy and selectivity against the two viruses, showing promising potential for antiviral therapy.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Osvaldo Burastero, Stephan Niebling, Lucas A. Defelipe, Christian Gunther, Angelica Struve, Maria M. Garcia Alai
Summary: The text discusses the importance of studying protein-ligand, protein-peptide, and protein-protein complexes in biological processes. Various technologies have been developed to probe interactions between biomolecules based on different signals such as fluorescence, heat, and scattering. Analysis and fitting of binding data are essential for quantifying binding affinities.
ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wiebke Ewert, Sebastian Guenther, Francesca Miglioli, Sven Falke, Patrick Y. A. Reinke, Stephan Niebling, Christian Guenther, Huijong Han, Vasundara Srinivasan, Hevila Brognaro, Julia Lieske, Kristina Lorenzen, Maria M. Garcia-Alai, Christian Betzel, Mauro Carcelli, Winfried Hinrichs, Dominga Rogolino, Alke Meents
Summary: Researchers studied the papain-like protease (PLpro) of SARS-CoV-2 and identified six compounds that bind to PLpro. These compounds interact with the substrate binding sites of PLpro and have the potential to be lead structures for antiviral drugs.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Janine-Denise Kopicki, Ankur Saikia, Stephan Niebling, Christian Guenther, Raghavendra Anjanappa, Maria Garcia-Alai, Sebastian Springer, Charlotte Uetrecht
Summary: The authors present a sensitive and rapid method to determine the binding strength of MHC class 1 peptide complexes using native mass spectrometry.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stephan Niebling, Katharina Veith, Benjamin Vollmer, Javier Lizarrondo, Osvaldo Burastero, Janina Schiller, Angelica Struve Garcia, Philipp Lewe, Carolin Seuring, Susanne Witt, Maria Garcia-Alai
Summary: This article discusses the importance of successful sample preparation in structural biology techniques, particularly focusing on membrane proteins which are important targets for drug design but challenging to work with. A quality control pipeline utilizing biophysical techniques is presented for assessing the integrity, purity, and oligomeric states of membrane proteins prior to cryo-EM grid preparation, aiming to ensure reproducible conditions for sample vitrification.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Vasundara Srinivasan, Hevila Brognaro, Prince R. Prabhu, Edmarcia Elisa de Souza, Sebastian Guenther, Patrick Y. A. Reinke, Thomas J. Lane, Helen Ginn, Huijong Han, Wiebke Ewert, Janina Sprenger, Faisal H. M. Koua, Sven Falke, Nadine Werner, Hina Andaleeb, Najeeb Ullah, Bruno Alves Franca, Mengying Wang, Angelica Luana C. Barra, Markus Perbandt, Martin Schwinzer, Christina Schmidt, Lea Brings, Kristina Lorenzen, Robin Schubert, Rafael Rahal Guaragna Machado, Erika Donizette Candido, Danielle Bruna Leal Oliveira, Edison Luiz Durigon, Stephan Niebling, Angelica Struve Garcia, Oleksandr Yefanov, Julia Lieske, Luca Gelisio, Martin Domaracky, Philipp Middendorf, Michael Groessler, Fabian Trost, Marina Galchenkova, Aida Rahmani Mashhour, Sofiane Saouane, Johanna Hakanpaeae, Markus Wolf, Maria Garcia Alai, Dusan Turk, Arwen R. Pearson, Henry N. Chapman, Winfried Hinrichs, Carsten Wrenger, Alke Meents, Christian Betzel
Summary: Three natural phenolic compounds have been found to bind to an allosteric site in SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease, displaying antiviral activity in vitro and showing potential as starting scaffolds for drug design. These compounds can prevent essential molecular interactions and reinstate the host's antiviral immune response that is down-regulated in COVID-19 infections.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fatemeh Hassani Nia, Daniel Woike, Isabel Bento, Stephan Niebling, Debora Tibbe, Kristina Schulz, Daniela Hirnet, Matilda Skiba, Hans-Hinrich Hoenck, Katharina Veith, Christian Guenther, Tasja Scholz, Tatjana Bierhals, Joenna Driemeyer, Renee Bend, Antonio Virgilio Failla, Christian Lohr, Maria Garcia Alai, Hans-Juergen Kreienkamp
Summary: This study investigates the impact of two mutations in the SHANK2 gene on neurodevelopment. The results show that these mutations disrupt the interactions of Shank2 with other proteins, leading to abnormal assembly of postsynaptic protein complexes into nanoclusters. This interference affects the positioning of neurons and synaptic transmission, ultimately impacting normal brain development in humans.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Amke Nimmrich, Matthijs R. Panman, Oskar Berntsson, Elisa Biasin, Stephan Niebling, Jonas Petersson, Maria Hoernke, Alexander Bjorling, Emil Gustavsson, Tim B. van Driel, Asmus O. Dohn, Mads Laursen, Diana B. Zederkof, Kensuke Tono, Tetsuo Katayama, Shigeki Owada, Martin M. Nielsen, Jan Davidsson, Jens Uhlig, Jochen S. Hub, Kristoffer Haldrup, Sebastian Westenhoff
Summary: In this study, the photodissociation of triiodide in four solvents was investigated using femtosecond time-resolved X-ray solution scattering. The results show the solvent-dependent structural evolution during bond cleavage, rearrangements, solvent-cage escape, and bond reformation.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tushar Raskar, Stephan Niebling, Juliette M. Devos, Briony A. Yorke, Michael Hartlein, Nils Huse, V. Trevor Forsyth, Tilo Seydel, Arwen R. Pearson
Summary: Incoherent neutron spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering were used to investigate the effect of ligand binding on the diffusion dynamics of Escherichia coli aspartate alpha-decarboxylase (ADC). The results showed that ligand binding affects both the internal diffusion dynamics and the size of higher order oligomers of ADC.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
