Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jinzhong Cai, Huang Yishun, Weiyun Zhang
Summary: A novel method for detecting coliform bacteria using a simple technology has been developed, enabling rapid and accurate detection of coliform bacteria in various food and water samples.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Balasubramani Ramprakash, Aran Incharoensakdi
Summary: The study investigated the conversion of garden wastes into hydrogen using different pretreatment and hydrolysis methods, finding that the optimal conditions for maximum hydrogen production were 2% sulfuric acid and 2% Viscozyme L. The fermentation by Escherichia coli of hydrolyzate from combined acid and enzyme treatment resulted in a 2.7-fold increase in hydrogen production compared to untreated garden wastes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nishal M. Egodawaththa, Amy L. Knight, Jingxuan Ma, D. Andrew Knight, Eric Guisbert, Nasri Nesnas
Summary: Silver nanoparticles conjugated with organic ligands have been successfully synthesized and demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity and antibacterial capabilities against E. coli. The synthesis of functionalized silver nanoparticles is critical for the further development of silver-nanoconjugated antibacterial agents.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yunxue Guo, Jianzhong Lin, Xiaoxue Wang
Summary: The text discusses the common complication of phage contamination in the fermentation and pharmaceutical industries, and introduces a quick and reliable detection method through motility-based assay for possible temperate phage contamination. Compared to traditional methods and genomic sequencing-based methods, this approach has a shorter duration and a simplified procedure.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Lingyan Zheng, Yi Wen, Wen Ren, Hong Duan, Jianhan Lin, Joseph Irudayaraj
Summary: A visual method for rapid detection and quantification of Escherichia coli using spectral angle mapping and dark-field microscopy was developed. The method showed high sensitivity with a linear detection range of 6.1 x 101 to 6.1 x 106 CFU/mL in milk samples and a detection limit of ~61 CFU/mL. The method can be utilized as an effective tool to detect Escherichia coli in food samples and monitor pathogens in complex samples.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marion Lherbette, Christophe Regeard, Christian Marliere, Eric Raspaud
Summary: The stability and reactivity of solid metal or mineral surfaces in contact with bacteria are crucial for biocorrosion protection and understanding bacteria-solid environmental interactions. By working with iron nanolayers in the form of nanosheets, researchers found that iron dissolution induced rapid bacterial motions in sediments, demonstrating bacteria's remarkable ability to transform their solid environments.
ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yohei Nakamura, Kaede Okita, Daisuke Kudo, Dao Nguyen Duy Phuong, Yoshihito Iwamoto, Yoshie Yoshioka, Wataru Ariyoshi, Ryota Yamasaki
Summary: Magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles, especially the smaller NM80, have demonstrated a significant bactericidal effect against Escherichia coli, including both exponential cells and persister cells. The bactericidal activity is attributed to physical cell damage, observed through scanning electron microscopy. This makes NM80 a promising antibacterial agent.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Gaozhe Cai, Wenshuai Wu, Shilun Feng, Yuanjie Liu
Summary: An enzyme assay based method in a microfluidic slipchip was proposed for the rapid and label-free detection of E. coli. The method allows for E. coli detection within 5 hours with a low concentration of 8 CFU per chamber, showing great potential in on-site E. coli detection. The steps involve culture, lysis, and enzymatic reaction conducted in a microfluidic slipchip, tailored for fluorescence detection using a commercial plate reader.
Article
Microbiology
Angela Sun, Jo-Ann L. Stanton, Peter L. Bergquist, Anwar Sunna
Summary: A universal workflow using filtration and enzyme-based methods has been established to accurately quantify leading pathogens in tap water samples, with the potential to scale up. This method allows for rapid and sensitive quantification with qPCR, bypassing traditional culture-based methods. The workflow shows high quantification efficiencies and offers a rapid, portable, and cost-effective solution for water monitoring.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiang Xiao, En-Jing He, Xue-Rong Lu, Li-Jun Wu, Yang-Yang Fan, Han-Qing Yu
Summary: The study shows that silver nanoparticles possess strong antibacterial ability, leading to the majority of bacteria entering a viable but non-culturable state. Environmental factors such as Cl- and illumination can affect the solubility of nanoparticles and thereby impact the survival state of bacteria.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Silvia Manconi, Alessandro Cuoco, Julien Lesgourgues
Summary: Scientists have used synchrotron polarization for the first time to constrain the annihilation of dark matter. They found that synchrotron polarization is generally more constraining than synchrotron intensity, independent of uncertainties in electron and positron propagation models or the Galactic magnetic field. The bounds obtained in this study compete with cosmic microwave background limits, particularly in the case of leptophilic dark matter.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Homa MohammadiPeyhani, Jasmin Hafner, Anastasia Sveshnikova, Victor Viterbo, Vassily Hatzimanikatis
Summary: Metabolic dark matter refers to unknown metabolic processes that hinder our comprehensive understanding of metabolism and impede the development of biosynthetic cell factories and naturally derived pharmaceuticals. Utilizing computational solutions, this study successfully mapped known and unknown metabolic processes into a biochemical database containing 1.5 million biological compounds, predicting over 5 million reactions. The resulting ATLASx platform provides researchers with a powerful online tool for predicting and analyzing biochemical pathways.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew C. Hunt, Bastian Voegeli, Ahmed O. Hassan, Laura Guerrero, Weston Kightlinger, Danielle J. Yoesep, Antje Krueger, Madison DeWinter, Michael S. Diamond, Ashty S. Karim, Michael C. Jewett
Summary: The authors developed a workflow using cell-free protein synthesis to express and evaluate hundreds of antibody fragments in less than 24 hours. They applied this workflow to evaluate antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 and identified potent neutralizing antibody candidates. This cell-free workflow is expected to accelerate antibody discovery for future pandemics and various applications.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Abdullah A. Alarfaj, Abdurahman Hajinur Hirad, Balasubramani Ravindran, Shilpa Perumal Narasimhamoorthi
Summary: This study successfully synthesized stable copper oxide nanoparticles using Aegle marmelos leaf extract and investigated their structural and antibacterial potential. The synthesized nanoparticles showed excellent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri, and complete plasmid DNA fragmentation was observed at higher concentration. Furthermore, in silico analysis confirmed the binding and interaction of active molecules in Aegle marmelos leaf extract with the BAM A transmembrane protein, suggesting their potential as drug candidates.
JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Jiasheng Yuan, Jiayin Shen, Mingyu Chen, Zhichao Lou, Shuye Zhang, Zhigang Song, Weiwei Li, Xin Zhou
Summary: In this study, a strategy for accurate virus quantification in real samples was proposed using a dark-field microscope and artificial intelligence assistance. By using two different colored nanoparticle probes and AI algorithm screening, the target virus can be quickly and accurately detected.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
H. Xu, J. Shen, C. -T. Yang, B. Thierry, Y. Zhu, C. B. Mao, X. Zhou
Summary: An ultrasensitive naked-eye counting strategy was developed for quantifying AIV using phage-GNP probes, with a sensitivity down to 50 PFU/mL and potential application for pathogenic viruses like SARS-CoV-2.
MATERIALS TODAY ADVANCES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Kameshpandian Paramasivam, Yuanzhao Shen, Jiasheng Yuan, Ibtesam Waheed, Chuanbin Mao, Xin Zhou
Summary: This review provides an overview of the recent advances in phage-based probes for ultra-sensitive detection of various bio-species. It discusses the assembly of phages with metal nanoparticles to form an organic-inorganic hybrid probe and its unique plasmon resonance effect for visual detection. The review also highlights the editing technologies of phage genomes and discusses the potential scenarios for clinical application of phage-probe-based detection methods.
Article
Biophysics
Jiasheng Yuan, Jiayin Shen, Mingyu Chen, Zhichao Lou, Shuye Zhang, Zhigang Song, Weiwei Li, Xin Zhou
Summary: In this study, a strategy for accurate virus quantification in real samples was proposed using a dark-field microscope and artificial intelligence assistance. By using two different colored nanoparticle probes and AI algorithm screening, the target virus can be quickly and accurately detected.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yaofang Xi, Cui Du, Ping Li, Xin Zhou, Chen Zhou, Shengyang Yang
Summary: This study combines photothermal conversion and photocatalysis properties into the same material, successfully preparing Ag3PO4@CW membrane with excellent photothermal conversion efficiency. The membrane has the ability to efficiently remove pollutants and formaldehyde, providing a new pathway for efficiently using clean energy to solve the shortage of freshwater.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Qianru Zhang, Jason William Grunberger, Nitish Khurana, Xin Zhou, Xianyu Xu, Hamidreza Ghandehari, Fenglei Chen
Summary: This study verifies the role of SNP-induced autophagy in regulating apoptosis in Leydig cells and demonstrates that autophagy alleviates SNP-induced cell apoptosis by modulating caspase 8 levels. Accumulation of SNPs in the testes leads to histological changes and a reduction in Leydig cell populations.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ping Li, Wenjie Ma, Jiayin Shen, Xin Zhou
Summary: A new temperate phage vB_KpnP_ZX1 was isolated, which showed efficient capsule degradation activity through its encoded depolymerase Dep_ZX1. In vitro experiments demonstrated that purified Dep_ZX1 was effective in preventing biofilm formation, degrading formed biofilms, and increasing the susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics. Animal experiments also showed that Dep_ZX1 protected infected mice from death. Therefore, Dep_ZX1 is a promising anti-virulence agent for K57-type Klebsiella pneumoniae infection or biofilm diseases.
Article
Fisheries
Yanan Bai, Le He, Mengling Sun, Xin Zhou, Zhiqiang Xu
Summary: We developed a GNP-labeled dark-field counting method for the detection of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in shrimp. The method utilizes the light scattering characteristics of gold nanoparticles under a dark-field microscope, allowing for visual counting of WSSV by the naked eye. The sensitivity of the method was found to be 32 copies/μL in pure and real tissue samples, and the detection time was less than 30 minutes, meeting the requirements for rapid and ultra-sensitive detection of WSSV clinic samples.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yue Tian, Cui Du, Shanghai Yong, Xin Zhou, Chen Zhou, Shengyang Yang
Summary: In this study, a 3D cylinder evaporator with superior evaporation rate and excellent water treatment efficiency was developed through a unique 3D structural design. The evaporator shows high evaporation rate and photothermal conversion efficiency under sunlight, and exhibits remarkable desalination ability and wastewater purification efficiency. This research has significant practical applications.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ye Liao, E. Yifeng, Xin Zhou, Gaihua He
Summary: The study presents a porous carbon material embedded with tunable quantum dots for highlighted microwave absorbing material. The material is prepared using DC arc plasma technology and consists of a heterogeneous core-shell composite of transition metal oxide MnO and magnetic Fe embedded in a carbon matrix. The incorporation of magnetic iron improves the magnetic response ability, while nanoscale MnO aids in dipole polarization and relaxation, as well as adjusting the catalytic effect of the magnetic iron. The integration between metal and semiconductor promotes charge-transfer and transportation, leading to enhanced microwave absorption due to the Mott-Schottky effect. The heterostructure formed by MnO, Fe, and carbon results in a large amount of magnetic moments, enhancing the magnetic loss capability. The material exhibits excellent microwave absorption properties and tunable frequency.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jinxiu Hou, Yi Xu, Shasha Sun, Xiaoli Zhong, Chih-Tsung Yang, Xin Zhou
Summary: Label-free SPR is rarely used for biomarker detection in real samples due to its low sensitivity. Here, a phage-based SPR (P-SPR) strategy for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in undiluted serums is reported. The proposed P-SPR method demonstrated ultrasensitive detection of CEA within 10 min, with a detection limit of 0.83 fM. The strategy also allows for cross-validation of SPR results through naked-eye counting of the plaques generated by the P-SPR probes, enabling a reliable dual detection system. The P-SPR scheme shows excellent sensing performance for the detection of real samples at concentrations lower than the LOD of ELISA.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ping Li, Shanghai Yong, Xin Zhou, Jiayin Shen
Summary: The study focuses on the interaction between temperate phages and bacteria, emphasizing the importance of understanding their role in human diseases. A new temperate Escherichia coli phage, vB_EcoP_ZX5, was isolated and characterized, providing insights into its integration and transmission mechanism in E. coli. The study highlights the crucial role of repressor proteins in controlling the lytic-lysogenic cycle of the phage.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xuejia Qian, Yuanzhao Shen, Jiasheng Yuan, Chih-Tsung Yang, Xin Zhou
Summary: In this study, a method combining gold nanorod probes and dark field microscopy was proposed for rapid and quantitative detection of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. The method showed strong specificity, good repeatability, and low detection limit, making it applicable for rapid on-site detection of pathogens.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yueqiu Lin, Shanghai Yong, Cole R. Scholtz, Cui Du, Shasha Sun, Jay D. Steinkruger, Xin Zhou, Chen Zhou, Shengyang Yang
Summary: This study investigated the influence of surface chemistry on the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of dual-ligand luminescent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in vivo. We synthesized and characterized four types of dual-ligand AuNPs and found that variation of one of the surface ligands had a significant impact on the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution, including lung, digestive organs, and blood circulation time.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuanzhao Shen, Jingyu Wang, Yuting Li, Chih-Tsung Yang, Xin Zhou
Summary: Malignant tumor is a major cause of human death. Recently, genetically engineered bacteriophages have been used as probes for detecting highly expressed antigens in tumor cells and as anti-tumor agents. Moreover, phages can be chemically modified and assembled with nanoparticles to expand their applications in biological detection and tumor therapy. This review summarizes the studies on genetically engineered and chemically modified phages in the diagnosis and targeting therapy of tumors, discusses their advantages and limitations, and proposes suitable application scenarios.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Tingting Liu, Ningwei Zhao, Mingze Shi, Yuanzhao Shen, Chuanbin Mao, Xin Zhou
Summary: In this study, a new M13 phage-based oncolytic virus was constructed and shown to target and kill tumor cells in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The engineered M13 phage may be further modified to inhibit the growth of tumor cells, providing a promising option for targeted oncolytic therapy.
ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS
(2022)