Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chi Chen, Yangyuanchen Liu, Ximin He, Hua Li, Yujie Chen, Ying Wei, Yusen Zhao, Yanfei Ma, Zhen Chen, Xu Zheng, Hezhou Liu
Summary: A novel multifunctional programmable artificial muscle was designed, combining the advantages of semicrystalline polymers and liquid crystal elastomers, showcasing remarkable performance and programmability. Through the combination of photoisomerization and photothermal conversion, the artificial muscle could rapidly achieve light-induced deformation and restoration, offering new possibilities for photoinduced actuation.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sanyukta Mayuri, Niki Sweta Jha, Shailendra Kumar Jha
Summary: We report here a gold nanorod-based optical sensing platform induced by curcumin for the detection of specific DNA targets. The platform shows high sensitivity and selectivity, making it suitable for DNA detection related to cancer cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dhanya Rajan, Ramar Rajamanikandan, Malaichamy Ilanchelian
Summary: The biophysical aspects of the interaction between human and bovine serum albumins (HSA and BSA) and gold nanorods (AuNRs) were investigated in this study. Changes in the structure and microenvironment of serum proteins were observed in the presence of AuNRs. The binding of AuNRs to HSA and BSA caused alterations in their structural characteristics as well as enhanced biological functions. In vitro cytotoxicity studies showed that protein adsorption affected the physicochemical properties of AuNRs and their subsequent biological activity.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ning Zhou, Yuxin Yang, Xin Guo, Jue Gong, Zhangxing Shi, Zongyin Yang, Hao Wu, Yixiao Gao, Ni Yao, Wei Fang, Pan Wang, Limin Tong
Summary: This study reports the direct observation of lasing in microfiber-coupled single plasmonic nanoparticles enabled by strong mode coupling. The results show that single-mode laser emission from the nanoparticles can be achieved at room temperature with low threshold and narrow linewidth.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Thabang Calvin Lebepe, Sundararajan Parani, Vuyelwa Ncapayi, Rodney Maluleke, Grace It Mwad Mbaz, Olufunto Tolulope Fanoro, Jose Rajendran Varghese, Atsuki Komiya, Tetsuya Kodama, Oluwatobi Samuel Oluwafemi
Summary: The study proposed a novel synergistic phototherapeutic agent combining photothermal and photodynamic therapy, showing promising dual therapeutic effects for cancer treatment. The water-soluble cationic porphyrin and gold nanorods anchored on graphene-oxide were synthesized to form a stable nanocomposite with high biocompatibility and efficiency.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Adewale Oladipo, Thabang Calvin Lebepe, Sundararajan Parani, Rodney Maluleke, Vuyelwa Ncapayi, Grace It Mwad Mbaz, Sandile Phinda Songca, Tetsuya Kodama, Oluwatobi Samuel Oluwafemi
Summary: A simple synthesis of highly biocompatible gelatin stabilized gold nanorods (gelatin@Au-NRs) was reported to address the issue of surfactant-induced cytotoxicity hindering the biological applications of Au-NRs. The gelatin@Au-NRs showed high stability in common biological media and improved heat production, resulting in outstanding cell viability against cancer cell lines. In vitro photothermal therapy study demonstrated that gelatin@Au-NRs effectively destroyed cancer cells.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuyu Chen, Yonglin He, Jingyu Wang, Mingde Li, Meng Yu, Rongkai Ye, Bijun Geng, Zhilin Yang, Xiaobing Zeng, Jianqiang Hu
Summary: The study successfully synthesized segmented Ag-Au-Ag heterojunction nanorods, with aspect ratios and heterojunction contents controlled by varying pressure values. The dynamics of Ag-Au-Ag HJNRs in the 1D direction were studied for the first time, revealing unique regularity tendencies.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shunping Han, Khuloud T. Al-Jamal
Summary: In this study, gold nanorods (AuNRs) were synthesized using the seed-mediated growth method, and a two-step purification method was applied to obtain high-purity AuNRs with redshifted longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance (LLSPR) peak in the biological transparency window. Furthermore, the surface of the AuNRs was modified to improve their biocompatibility.
PARTICLE & PARTICLE SYSTEMS CHARACTERIZATION
(2023)
Article
Optics
Jiayi Wu, Nanshou Wu, Peijun Tang, Jiayi Lin, Yi Lian, Zhilie Tang
Summary: In this Letter, a pulse photothermal optical coherence tomography (P-PTOCT) technique is proposed to solve the separation problem of photothermal phase and Doppler phase, which is difficult to solve in traditional PTOCT. This technique can obtain blood flow distribution, light absorption distribution, and concentration images simultaneously, providing a technical reference for potential clinical research on hemodynamics of cerebral ischemia.
Article
Spectroscopy
Jilan S. Ibrahim, Neamat Hanafi, Tarek A. El-Tayeb, Mahmoud A. Sliem
Summary: The structure, optical properties, and cytotoxic effects of polypyrrole-gold nanocomposites as photothermal nanoagents were studied. The surface coating of Au NRs enhanced the photothermal efficiency. The photothermal conversion efficiency was tested using a specific light source.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jared A. Wood, Yawei Liu, Asaph Widmer-Cooper
Summary: This paper investigates the assembly of nanorods and finds that the preferred pathway usually involves the formation of monolayer assemblies, even in cases of high initial phase density. The presence of depletion attraction can alter nucleation pathways.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Kavitha Illath, Moeto Nagai, Tuhin Subhra Santra
Summary: This study reports the synthesis of highly monodispersed dumbbell-shaped gold nanorods (Ds-Au NRs) in a droplet microfluidic device. By optimizing flow parameters and device geometry, the aspect ratio of Ds-Au NRs can be controlled. Compared to traditional batch reactors, the microfluidic synthesis method has shorter reaction times and higher monodispersity, with non-toxic properties and potential for biomedical applications.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ling Tong, Jun Yuan, Zhiwei Zhang, Jau Tang, Zhiwei Wang
Summary: This study presents a centred dark-field imaging approach based on ultrafast transmission electron microscopy to directly observe the picosecond-scale evolution of intrananoparticle vibration with high spatial resolution and detection sensitivity.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
N. A. V. N. E. E. T. Kaur, G. A. U. T. A. M. Das
Summary: The authors developed plasmonic structures of zinc and zinc oxide on the surface of a tapered optical fiber using optical tweezing. The effect of the tweezing conditions on the distribution of the zinc or zinc oxide on the tapered fiber surface was investigated.
OPTICAL MATERIALS EXPRESS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Isabela Barreto da Costa Januario Meireles, Marcelo Fernando Cipreste, Pedro Lana Gastelois, Waldemar Augusto de Almeida Macedo, Dawidson Assis Gomes, Edesia Martins Barros de Sousa
Summary: Gold nanoparticles, especially gold nanorods, are widely used in biomedical applications due to their unique optical properties. Silica-coated gold nanorods show good stability, morphology, and biocompatibility in photothermal therapy, making them a promising therapeutic agent.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Matthew Gibb, Ruiwen He, Alke Petri-Fink, Christie M. Sayes
Summary: Human lung tissue models can range from simple monolayer cultures to more advanced three-dimensional co-cultures to study the interactions of different types of aerosols. This review focuses on the functional and structural aspects of lung tissue and how it relates to the design of a model and the interfacial properties with the respiratory wall. The important aspects of lung model design, including scaffold choice, cell types, culture conditions, aerosol exposure methods, and endpoints are summarized, and the remaining challenges and future directions in this field are discussed.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daria Korejwo, Savvina Chortarea, Chrysovalanto Louka, Marija Buljan, Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Peter Wick, Tina Buerki-Thurnherr
Summary: Graphene and its derivatives have a wide range of potential applications in various fields, but it is important to understand their potential adverse effects on human health. This study used gene expression profiling to investigate the transcriptional responses and toxicity pathways induced by graphene oxide (GO) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) in human macrophages. The results showed that GO and GNP caused differential expression of a large number of genes, with some overlap between the two types. Further analysis revealed that GNP mainly activated genes involved in inflammatory and apoptotic pathways, while GO had limited inflammatory responses and also affected genes related to antigen processing and presentation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giovanni Spiaggia, Patricia Taladriz-Blanco, Stefan Hengsberger, Dedy Septiadi, Christoph Geers, Aaron Lee, Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Alke Petri-Fink
Summary: Commercial static cell culture substrates have limited representation of in vivo biomechanical cues due to their inability to change physical properties over time. Gold nanoparticles have been used as transducers to overcome this limitation. In this study, gold nanorods were embedded in an elastomeric matrix to fabricate biocompatible light-responsive substrates. The analysis of the nanocomposite films showed a homogeneous heat distribution and increased stiffness when irradiated with NIR light. These films were biocompatible and cells remained viable, exhibiting a greater proliferation rate and stronger focal adhesion clustering.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Aaron Lee, Natalia Gosnell, Daela Milinkovic, Patricia Taladriz-Blanco, Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Alke Petri-Fink
Summary: Localized delivery of siRNA using electrostatic interactions has been achieved by assembling siRNA with cationic polyelectrolytes to create particle-decorated surfaces, which allows for spatial control of cell responses at biomaterial interfaces. The results demonstrate that cells in contact with the particle-decorated surface can survive, internalize particles, and undergo gene silencing. This study highlights the engineering potential of particle-decorated surfaces for delivering therapeutic payloads and guiding cell responses at biointerfaces.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Manuela Estermann, Ricardo Coelho, Francis Jacob, Yen-Lin Huang, Ching-Yeu Liang, Ana Bela Faia-Torres, Dedy Septiadi, Barbara Drasler, Bedia Begum Karakocak, Irini Magdelina Dijkhoff, Alke Petri-Fink, Viola Heinzelmann-Schwarz, Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser
Summary: Reliable and predictive experimental models are urgently needed for studying the metastatic mechanisms of ovarian cancer cells in the omentum. The lack of certain omental cell types that influence cancer cell metastasis hinders the application of current tissue models. This study introduces a 3D multi-cellular human omentum tissue model that mimics the metastatic processes of ovarian cancer cells and allows the study of their interaction with endothelial cells and the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. This model may serve as a platform for future patient-specific investigations in personalized oncology.
Article
Toxicology
Polly McLean, William Mueller, Ilse Gosens, Flemming R. Cassee, Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Matthew Boyles, Lang Tran
Summary: Toxicity assessment is shifting towards new approach methodologies, such as high-throughput in vitro models and computational tools. This study aimed to link in vitro endpoints to in vivo events and key events associated with adverse outcomes to aid in the development of testing strategies. The results showed promising correlation between in vitro cytokine secretion and in vivo pulmonary inflammation, suggesting the potential of using this as a screening tool for early stage assessment of lung inflammation in product development.
PARTICLE AND FIBRE TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Eva Susnik, Sandor Balog, Patricia Taladriz-Blanco, Alke Petri-Fink, Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser
Summary: This study investigated the interaction between nanoparticles (NPs) and intestinal epithelial cells, and found that cholera toxin subunit B (CTxB) did not significantly affect the membrane structure of differentiated Caco-2 cells or stimulate NP uptake, but it did reduce NP uptake in macrophages. The presence of CTxB was found to influence the uptake of NPs differently in phagocytic and differentiated intestine cells.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Giulia Mirabello, Lukas Steinmetz, Christoph Geers, Barbara Rothen-Ruthishauser, Mathias Bonmarin, Alke Petri-Fink, Marco Lattuada
Summary: This work demonstrates the application of lock-in thermography (LIT) in quantifying the concentration of gold nanoparticles embedded in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films. The study used films with different concentrations and sizes of gold nanoparticles and quantitatively analyzed the concentration by measuring the amplitude of the thermal signal emitted by the nanoparticles. The results showed that LIT is a reliable and non-destructive method to quantify nanoparticle concentrations and can detect concentration gradients in samples.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jessica Caldwell, Alke Petri-Fink, Celine Loussert-Fonta, Gaelle Toullec, Niclas Heidelberg Lyndby, Beat Haenni, Patricia Taladriz-Blanco, Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser
Summary: Many researchers are studying the interaction between microplastics and marine fauna and working to monitor exposure pathways, concentrations, and their impacts. This study focuses on Cassiopea andromeda jellyfish, which live in (sub-)tropical coastal regions that are potentially contaminated by plastic waste. Fluorescent microplastics were detected using an optimized analytical protocol, and their interaction with the jellyfish was found to be influenced by the properties of the microplastics, such as density and hydrophobicity.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jessica Caldwell, Patricia Taladriz-Blanco, Laura Rodriguez-Lorenzo, Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Alke Petri-Fink
Summary: The presence of submicron- and nanoplastic particles has attracted increasing interest, but there are few analytical techniques capable of detecting these small plastic particles at low concentrations. This study investigates the potential of gold nanostar-based SERS substrates for the detection of submicron- and nanoplastic particles. The results demonstrate the promising potential of these substrates for nanoplastic detection, with variations in analytical performance depending on the properties of the plastics being studied.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO
(2023)
