A Chiral-Nanoassemblies-Enabled Strategy for Simultaneously Profiling Surface Glycoprotein and MicroRNA in Living Cells

Upconversion-based chiral nanoprobe for highly selective dual-mode sensing and bioimaging of hydrogen sulfide in vitro and in vivo

Chiral assemblies have become one of the most active research areas due to their versatility, playing an increasingly important role in bio-detection, imaging and therapy. In this work, chiral UCNPs/CuxOS@ZIF nanoprobes are prepared by encapsulating upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and CuxOS nanoparticles (NPs) into zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). The novel excited-state energy distribution-modulated upconversion nanostructure (NaYbF4@NaYF4: Yb, Er) is selected as the fluorescence source and energy donor for highly efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). CuxOS NP is employed as chiral source and energy acceptor to quench upconversion luminescence (UCL) and provide circular dichroism (CD) signal. Utilizing the natural adsorption and sorting advantages of ZIF-8, the designed nanoprobe can isolate the influence of other common disruptors, thus achieve ultra-sensitive and highly selective UCL/CD dual-mode quantification of H2S in aqueous solution and in living cells. Notably, the nanoprobe is also capable of in vivo intra-tumoral H2S tracking. Our work highlights the multifunctional properties of chiral nanocomposites in sensing and opens a new vision and idea for the preparation and application of chiral nanomaterials in biomedical and biological analysis.

Recent advances in living cell nucleic acid probes based on nanomaterials for early cancer diagnosis

The early diagnosis of cancer is vital for effective treatment and improved prognosis. Tumor biomarkers, which can be used for the early diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation of cancer, have emerged as a topic of intense research interest in recent years. Nucleic acid, as a type of tumor biomarker, contains vital genetic information, which is of great significance for the occurrence and development of cancer. Currently, living cell nucleic acid probes, which enable the in situ imaging and dynamic monitoring of nucleic acids, have become a rapidly developing field. This review focuses on living cell nucleic acid probes that can be used for the early diagnosis of tumors. We describe the fundamental design of the probe in terms of three units and focus on the roles of different nanomaterials in probe delivery.

Molecular beacon decorated silver nanowires for quantitative miRNA detection by a SERS approach

Advantages of biosensors based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) rely on improved sensitivity and specificity, and suited reproducibility in detecting a target molecule that is localized in close proximity to a SERS-active surface. Herein, a comprehensive study on the realization of a SERS biosensor designed for detecting miRNA-183, a miRNA biomarker that is specific for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is presented. The used strategy exploits a signal-off mechanism by means of a labelled molecular beacon (MB) as the oligonucleotide biorecognition element immobilized on a 2D SERS substrate, based on spot-on silver nanowires (AgNWs) and a multi-well low volume cell. The MB was properly designed by following a dedicated protocol to recognize the chosen miRNA. A limit of detection down to femtomolar concentration (3 × 10-16 M) was achieved and the specificity of the biosensor was proved. Furthermore, the possibility to regenerate the sensing system through a simple procedure is shown: with regeneration by using HCl 1 mM, two detection cycles were performed with a good recovery of the initial MB signal (83%) and a reproducible signal after hybridization.

Chiral probes for biosensing

Chiral inorganic nanomaterials have emerged as a highly promising area of research in nanoscience due to their exceptional light-matter interaction and vast potential applications in chiral sensing, asymmetric catalysis, enantiomer separation, and negative-index materials. We present an overview of the latest advances in chiral inorganic nanomaterials including chiral individual nanoparticles, chiral assemblies, and chiral film-based sensors over the past ten years. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and future perspectives for developing chiral nanomaterials in biosensing applications.

Chiral inorganic nanomaterials for biological applications

Chiral nanomaterials in biology play indispensable roles in maintaining numerous physiological processes, such as signaling, site-specific catalysis, transport, protection, and synthesis. Like natural chiral nanomaterials, chiral inorganic nanomaterials can also be established with similar size, charge, surface properties, and morphology. However, chiral inorganic nanomaterials usually exhibit extraordinary properties that are different from those of organic materials, such as high g-factor values, broad distribution range, and symmetrical mirror configurations. Because of these unique characteristics, there is great potential for application in the fields of biosensing, drug delivery, early diagnosis, bio-imaging, and disease therapy. Related research is summarized and discussed in this review to showcase the bio-functions and bio-applications of chiral inorganic nanomaterials, including the construction methods, classification and properties, and biological applications of chiral inorganic nanomaterials. Moreover, the deficiencies in existing studies are noted, and future development is prospected. This review will provide helpful guidance for constructing chiral inorganic nanomaterials with specific bio-functions for problem solving in living systems.

Gold-Nanoparticle-Based Chiral Plasmonic Nanostructures and Their Biomedical Applications

As chiral antennas, plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) can enhance chiral responses of chiral materials by forming hybrid structures and improving their own chirality preference as well. Chirality-dependent properties of plasmonic NPs broaden application potentials of chiral nanostructures in the biomedical field. Herein, we review the wet-chemical synthesis and self-assembly fabrication of gold-NP-based chiral nanostructures. Discrete chiral NPs are mainly obtained via the seed-mediated growth of achiral gold NPs under the guide of chiral molecules during growth. Irradiation with chiral light during growth is demonstrated to be a promising method for chirality control. Chiral assemblies are fabricated via the bottom-up assembly of achiral gold NPs using chiral linkers or guided by chiral templates, which exhibit large chiroplasmonic activities. In describing recent advances, emphasis is placed on the design and synthesis of chiral nanostructures with the tuning and amplification of plasmonic circular dichroism responses. In addition, the review discusses the most recent or even emerging trends in biomedical fields from biosensing and imaging to disease diagnosis and therapy.

Chirality at nanoscale for bioscience

In the rapidly expanding fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology, there is considerable interest in chiral nanomaterials, which are endowed with unusually strong circular dichroism. In this review, we summarize the principles of organization underlying chiral nanomaterials and generalize the recent advances in the main strategies used to fabricate these nanoparticles for bioscience applications. The creation of chirality from nanoscale building blocks has been investigated both experimentally and theoretically, and the tunability of chirality using external fields, such as light and magnetic fields, has allowed the optical activity of these materials to be controlled and their properties understood. Therefore, the specific recognition and potential applications of chiral materials in bioscience are discussed. The effects of the chirality of nanostructures on biological systems have been exploited to sense and cut molecules, for therapeutic applications, and so on. In the final part of this review, we examine the future perspectives for chiral nanomaterials in bioscience and the challenges posed by them.

Shedding Light on DNA-Based Nanoprobes for Live-Cell MicroRNA Imaging

DNA-based nanoprobes integrated with various imaging signals have been employed for fabricating versatile biosensor platforms for the study of intracellular biological process and biomarker detection. The nanoprobes developments also provide opportunities for endogenous microRNA (miRNA) in situ analysis. In this review, the authors are primarily interested in various DNA-based nanoprobes for miRNA biosensors and declare strategies to reveal how to customize the desired nanoplatforms. Initially, various delivery vehicles for nanoprobe architectures transmembrane transport are delineated, and their biosecurity and ability for resisting the complex cellular environment are evaluated. Then, the novel strategies for designing DNA sequences as target miRNA specific recognition and signal amplification modules for miRNA detection are presented. Afterward, recent advances in imaging technologies to accurately respond and produce significant signal output are summarized. Finally, the challenges and future directions in the field are discussed.

Biological applications of chiral inorganic nanomaterials

Chirality is common in nature and plays the essential role in maintaining physiological process. Chiral inorganic nanomaterials with intense optical activity have attracted more attention due to amazing properties in recent years. Over the past decades, many efforts have been paid to the preparation and chirality origin of chiral nanomaterials; furthermore, emerging biological applications have been investigated widely. This review mainly summarizes recent advances in chiral nanomaterials. The top-down and bottom-up preparation methods and chirality origin of chiral nanomaterials are introduced; besides, the biological applications, such as sensing, therapy, and catalysis, will be introduced comprehensively. Finally, we also provide a perspective on the biomedical applications of chiral nanomaterials.

Raman, Infrared and Brillouin Spectroscopies of Biofluids for Medical Diagnostics and for Detection of Biomarkers

This review surveys Infrared, Raman/SERS and Brillouin spectroscopies for medical diagnostics and detection of biomarkers in biofluids, that include urine, blood, saliva and other biofluids. These optical sensing techniques are non-contact, noninvasive and relatively rapid, accurate, label-free and affordable. However, those techniques still have to overcome some challenges to be widely adopted in routine clinical diagnostics. This review summarizes and provides insights on recent advancements in research within the field of vibrational spectroscopy for medical diagnostics and its use in detection of many health conditions such as kidney injury, cancers, cardiovascular and infectious diseases. The six comprehensive tables in the review and four tables in supplementary information summarize a few dozen experimental papers in terms of such analytical parameters as limit of detection, range, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, and other figures of merits. Critical comparison between SERS and FTIR methods of analysis reveals that on average the reported sensitivity for biomarkers in biofluids for SERS vs FTIR is about 103 to 105 times higher, since LOD SERS are lower than LOD FTIR by about this factor. High sensitivity gives SERS an edge in detection of many biomarkers present in biofluids at low concentration (nM and sub nM), which can be particularly advantageous for example in early diagnostics of cancer or viral infections.HighlightsRaman, Infrared spectroscopies use low volume of biofluidic samples, little sample preparation, fast time of analysis and relatively inexpensive instrumentation.Applications of SERS may be a bit more complicated than applications of FTIR (e.g., limited shelf life for nanoparticles and substrates, etc.), but this can be generously compensated by much higher (by several order of magnitude) sensitivity in comparison to FTIR.High sensitivity makes SERS a noninvasive analytical method of choice for detection, quantification and diagnostics of many health conditions, metabolites, and drugs, particularly in diagnostics of cancer, including diagnostics of its early stages.FTIR, particularly ATR-FTIR can be a method of choice for efficient sensing of many biomarkers, present in urine, blood and other biofluids at sufficiently high concentrations (mM and even a few µM)Brillouin scattering spectroscopy detecting visco-elastic properties of probed liquid medium, may also find application in clinical analysis of some biofluids, such as cerebrospinal fluid and urine.

Chiral nanomaterials for biosensing, bioimaging, and disease therapies

Chiral plasmonic nanomaterials for biosensing, bioimaging and disease therapy.

Ratiometric FRET Encoded Hierarchical ZrMOF @ Au Cluster for Ultrasensitive Quantifying MicroRNA In Vivo

Here, Zirconium metal-organic frameworks @ gold (ZrMOF @ Au) cluster architectures have been fabricated and then functionalized with two fluorescent dyes (Quasar [QS] and Cyanine5.5 [Cy5.5]) through deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization, to form a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) encoded ZrMOF  @  Au-QS/Cy5.5 complex. In the presence of the target intracellular microRNA (miR)-21, the fluorescence of Cy5.5 at 705 nm (F₇₀₅ ) decreases and the fluorescence of QS at 665 nm (F₆₆₅ ) increases when Cy5.5 is released from the surface of ZrMOF  @  Au-QS/Cy5.5. The change in the fluorescence ratio (F₇₀₅ /F₆₆₅ ) shows an outstanding linear range of 0.006-67.9 amol/ng_RNA , and the limit of detection is 4.51 zmol/ng_RNA in living cells. The high ratio loading of nucleic acid on surface of ZrMOF @ Au cluster and two fluorescence encoded signal enables better sensitivity and reliability. Zeptomolar sensitivity and good linearity against target affords distinct imaging-based monitoring of the cancer marker miR-21 both in living cells and in vivo. At the same time, the architecture displays remarkable photothermal conversion efficiency (53.7%) and gives rise to outstanding therapy ability in vivo. This strategy offers new avenues for the intelligent quantification of miRNAs for simultaneous diagnoses and treatments of early-stage cancers.

Application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy as a diagnostic system for the highly sensitive monitoring of the evolution of subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced complications

A novel SERS biosensor to detect the development of SAH and its induced complications from cerebrospinal fluid is reported.

DNA nanolantern-mediated catalytic hairpin assembly nanoamplifiers for simultaneous detection of multiple microRNAs

Simultaneous detection of multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) with high sensitivity can give accurate and reliable information for clinical applications. By uniformly anchoring hairpin probes on the surface of DNA nanolantern, a three-dimensional DNA nanostructure contains abundant and adjustable modification sites, highly integrated DNA nanoprobes were designed and developed as catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA)-based signal amplifiers for enzyme-free signal amplification detection of target miRNAs. The nanolantern-based CHA (NLC) amplifiers, which were facilely prepared via a simple "one-pot" annealing method, showed enhanced biostability, improved cell internalization efficiency, accelerated CHA reaction kinetics, and increased signal amplification capability compared to the single-stranded DNA hairpin probes used in traditional CHA reaction. By co-assembling multiple hairpin probes on a DNA nanolantern surface, as-prepared NLC amplifiers were demonstrated to work well for highly sensitive and specific imaging, expression level fluctuation analysis of two miRNAs in living cells, and miRNAs-guided tumor imaging in living mice. The proposed DNA nanolantern-based nanoamplifier strategy might provide a feasible way to promote the cellular and in vivo applications of nucleic acid probes.

A colorimetric and SERS dual-readout sensor for sensitive detection of tyrosinase activity based on 4-mercaptophenyl boronic acid modified AuNPs

Tyrosinase (TYR) is as a well-known polyphenol oxidase and important biomarker of melanocytic lesions. Thus, developing powerful methods to determine TYR activity is of great value in the early diagnosis of skin disease. Direct surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of biomolecules is usually affected by non-specific interference and complicate structure of the analytes. It is a challenge to develop Raman-active molecules with specific recognition to analytes in complex media. Here, we report a novel colorimetric and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) dual-readout assay for the determination of TYR using commercially available and economical 4-mercaptophenyl boronic acid (4-MPBA) as a Raman-active and recognition molecule. 4-MPBA provides a unique interactive boronic acid group to the diol group of TYR substrate and exhibits good SERS signal. Also, the introduction of magnetic beads could promptly improve the anti-interference ability of dual-mode sensor. The TYR-incubated tyramine-modified magnetic beads could obviously change the concentration of 4-MPBA-AuNPs in the presence of O₂ and ascorbic acid, where the ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) absorption and SERS intensity were directly related to the concentration of TYR added. The dual-mode sensor had a rapid response to TYR within 1 min under optimized conditions and had high selectivity for TYR with a limit of detection at 0.001 U/mL. In addition, the dual-mode strategy showed promising prospects in the determination of TYR activity in serum samples and could be used to screen TYR inhibitors.

Broad-spectrum nanoparticles against bacteriophage infections

Viral infections caused by bacteriophages, i.e., viruses that kill bacteria are one of the most dangerous and common threats for bacteria-based bioreactors. More than 70% of biotechnology companies have admitted to encountering this problem. Despite phage infections being such a dangerous and widespread risk, there are no effective methods to avoid them to date. Herein, we present a novel technology based on nanoparticles that irreversibly deactivates bacteriophages and is safe for bacteria. Our method allows for the unsupervised protection of bacterial processes in the biotechnology industry. Gold nanoparticles coated with a mixture of negatively charged 11-mercapto 1-undecanesulfonic acid (MUS) and hydrophobic 1-octanethiol (OT) ligands are effective at deactivating various types of Escherichia coli-selective phages: T1, T4, and T7. The nanoparticles can lower the titer of phages up to 2 and 5 logs in 6 and 24 h at 50 °C, respectively. A comparative analysis of nanoparticles with different ligand shells illustrates the importance of the combination of negatively charged and hydrophobic ligands that is the key to achieving a good inhibitory concentration (EC50 ≤ 1 μg mL-1) for all tested phages. We show that the nanoparticles are harmless for the commonly used bacteria in industry Escherichia coli and are effective under conditions simulating the environment of bioreactors.

Zeptomole Imaging of Cytosolic MicroRNA Cancer Biomarkers with A Light-Controlled Nanoantenna

Detecting and quantifying intracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) are a critical step in resolving a cancer diagnostic and resolving the ensemble of gene products that orchestrate the living state of cells. However, the nanoprobe for detecting low abundance miRNAs in cell cytosol is restricted by either the "one-to-one" signal-trigger model or difficulty for cytosol delivery. To address these challenges, we designed a light-harvesting nanoantenna-based nanoprobe, which directs excitation energy to a single molecule to sensitively detect cytosolic miRNA. With light irradiation, the light-harvesting nanoantenna effectively disrupted lysosomal structures by generation of reactive oxygen species, substantially achieved cytosol delivery. The nanoantenna containing > 4000 donor dyes can efficiently transfer excitation energy to one or two acceptors with 99% efficiency, leading to unprecedented signal amplification and biosensing sensitivity. The designed nanoantenna can quantify cytosolic miR-210 at zeptomolar level. The fluorescence lifetime of the donor exhibited good relationship with miR-210 concentration in the range of 0.032 to 2.97 amol/ngRNA. The zeptomole sensitivity of nanoantenna provides accurate bioimaging of miR-210 both in multiple cell lines and in vivo assay, which creates a pathway for the creation of miRNA toolbox for quantitative epigenetics and personalized medicine.

Multicolor Covalent Organic Framework-DNA Nanoprobe for Fluorescence Imaging of Biomarkers with Different Locations in Living Cells

Precisely detecting biomarkers in living systems holds tremendous promise for disease diagnosis and monitoring. Herein, we developed a covalent organic framework (COF)-based tricolor fluorescent nanoprobe for simultaneously imaging biomarkers with different spatial locations in living cells. Briefly, a TAMRA-labeled survivin mRNA antisense nucleotide and a Cy5-labeled transmembrane glycoprotein mucin 1 (MUC1) aptamer were adsorbed on a nanoscale fluorescent COF. To enhance the interactions between COF nanoparticles (NPs) and nucleic acid molecules, a freezing method was employed for improving the nucleic acid loading density and ensuring detection performance. The fluorescence signals of dyes on DNAs were first quenched by the COF NPs. Internalization and distribution of the nanoprobes can be real-time visualized by the autofluorescence of COF NPs. In living cells, recognition between MUC1 with MUC1 aptamers causes fluorescence signal recovery of Cy5, while hybridization between survivin mRNA and its antisense DNA induces the signal recovery of TAMRA. Therefore, this COF-based multicolor nanoprobe could be employed for visualizing MUC1 on the cell membrane and survivin mRNA in the cytoplasm. Cancer cell-specific diagnostic imaging and monitoring of the process of cancer cell exosomes infecting normal cells using the nanoprobe were achieved. This work not only offers a versatile nanoprobe for bioanalysis but also provides new insights for developing novel COF-based nanoprobes.

Dual-Modal FexCuySe and Upconversion Nanoparticle Assemblies for Intracellular MicroRNA-21 Detection

In situ quantification and imaging of low-level intracellular microRNAs (miRs) are important areas in biosensor research. Herein, DNA-driven Fe_xCu_ySe@upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) core@satellite nanostructures were developed to probe microRNA-21 (miR-21). Fe_xCu_ySe@UCNP probes displayed dual signals: upconversion luminescence (UCL) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the presence of miR-21, the luminescence signal was restored and the T₂ value was significantly increased because of dissociation of UCNPs from the assemblies. There was a good linear relationship between the dual signals and the expression levels of miR-21 in the range of 0.035-31.824 amol/ng_RNA. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.0058 amol/ng_RNA for the luminescence intensity and 0.0182 amol/ng_RNA for the MRI signal. This method opens a new avenue for intracellular miR-21 detection with high sensitivity and specificity.

Shining light on chiral inorganic nanomaterials for biological issues

The rapid development of chiral inorganic nanostructures has greatly expanded from intrinsically chiral nanoparticles to more sophisticated assemblies made by organics, metals, semiconductors, and their hybrids. Among them, lots of studies concerning on hybrid complex of chiral molecules with achiral nanoparticles (NPs) and superstructures with chiral configurations were accordingly conducted due to the great advances such as highly enhanced biocompatibility with low cytotoxicity and enhanced penetration and retention capability, programmable surface functionality with engineerable building blocks, and more importantly tunable chirality in a controlled manner, leading to revolutionary designs of new biomaterials for synergistic cancer therapy, control of enantiomeric enzymatic reactions, integration of metabolism and pathology via bio-to nano or structural chirality. Herein, in this review our objective is to emphasize current research state and clinical applications of chiral nanomaterials in biological systems with special attentions to chiral metal- or semiconductor-based nanostructures in terms of the basic synthesis, related circular dichroism effects at optical frequencies, mechanisms of induced optical chirality and their performances in biomedical applications such as phototherapy, bio-imaging, neurodegenerative diseases, gene editing, cellular activity and sensing of biomarkers so as to provide insights into this fascinating field for peer researchers.

Improved Reactive Oxygen Species Generation by Chiral Co3 O4 Supraparticles under Electromagnetic Fields

One of the most common methods to treat thromboembolism is the use of thrombolytic drugs to activate fibrinolytic protease. The aim of this treatment was to initiate the lysis of fibrin; however, there are many side-effects associated with this form of treatment. Herein, we fabricated chiral Co₃ O₄ supraparticles (SPs) with a g-factor of up to 0.02 at 550 nm and paramagnetic performance applied in the treatment of thromboembolism under an electromagnetic field (MF). In vitro experiments showed that d-SPs degraded blood clot within 8 hours under MF. Compared to l-SPs, d-SPs exhibited much stronger thrombolytic ability and effectively enhanced the survival rate of thrombosis model mice more than 70 % in the 25 d of observation. The results of mechanism study showed that under MF, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by d-SPs were 1.5 times higher than that of l-SPs, which might be attributed to the chiral-induced spin selectivity effects.

Effect of gene mutation of plants on their mechano-sensibility: the mutant of EXO70H4 influences the buckling of Arabidopsis trichomes

With the development of molecular biology, more and more mutants of plants have been constructed, where gene mutants have been found to influence not only the biological processes but also biophysical behaviors of plant cells. Trichomes are an important appendage, which has been found to act as an active mechanosensory switch transducing mechanical signals into physiology changes, where the mechanical property of trichomes is vital for such functions. Up to now, over 40 different genes have been found with the function of regulating trichome cell morphogenesis; however, the effect of gene mutants on trichome mechanosensory function remains elusive. In this study, we found that EXO70H4, one of the most up-regulated genes in the mature trichome, not only affects the thickness of the trichome cell wall but also the mechanical property (i.e., the Young's modulus) of trichomes. Finite element method simulation results show that the buckling instability and stress concentration (e.g., exerted by insects) cannot occur on the base of the mutant exo70H4 trichome, which might further interrupt the mechanical signal transduction from branches to the base of trichomes. These results indicated that the mutant exo70H4 trichome might lack the ability to act as an active mechanosensory switch against chewing insect herbivores. Our findings provide new information about the effect of gene mutation (like crop mutants) on the mechano-sensibility and capability to resist the agricultural pests or lodging, which could be of great significance to the development of agriculture.

Highly Sensitive Colorimetric/Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Immunoassay Relying on a Metallic Core-Shell Au/Au Nanostar with Clenbuterol as a Target Analyte

Lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) has emerged as an effective technique in the field of food safety and environmental monitoring. However, sensitive and quantitative detection is still challenging for LFIAs in complex environments. In this work, a dual-model colorimetric/SERS lateral flow immunoassay for ultrasensitive determination of clenbuterol was constructed based on a metallic core-shell Au/Au nanostar acting as a multifunction tag. Raman reporter molecules are located between the core (AuNP) and shell (Au nanostar) to form a sandwich structure, which contributes to eliminate the environmental interference and improve the detection stability. In addition, the Au/Au nanostar provides a much higher Raman enhancement due to the presence of sharp tips and larger surface roughness in comparison with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Thus, on the basis of the antibody-antigen interaction, the dual-model immunoassay can produce strong colorimetric and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) signals for highly sensitive detection of the target analyte, clenbuterol. Under optimal conditions, clenbuterol could be detected by the colorimetric model with a visual detection limit of 5 ng/mL. Meanwhile, the SERS signal of the Au/Au nanostar was accumulated on the test line for the SERS model detection with a quantitative detection limit as low as 0.05 ng/mL, which is at least 200-fold lower than that of the traditional AuNPs-based immunoassay. Furthermore, recovery rates of the proposed method in food samples were 86-110%. This dual-model immunoassay provides an effective tool for antibiotic residues analysis and demonstrates a broad potential for future applications in food safety monitoring.

Recent progress of SERS optical nanosensors for miRNA analysis

This review focuses on emerging applications of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) optical nanosensors for miRNA analysis, in which the key enhancement factors of the SERS signal, i.e. SERS-active substrates, SERS nanoprobes and nano-assembly strategy, are emphasized. This article includes many nanomaterials for miRNA analysis by the SERS technique. We summarize these reported nanomaterials mainly according to their function in the miRNA assay biosensor. We also briefly summarize the research progress of these nanomaterials in SERS detection of intracellular miRNA. Finally, we discussed the prospect and limitations of SERS nanosensors for analyzing miRNA.

Ultrasensitive plasmon enhanced Raman scattering detection of nucleolin using nanochannels of 3D hybrid plasmonic metamaterial

Detection of cancer biomarker is of great significance in cancer diagnostics. In this work, we propose an ultrasensitive and in situ method for plasmon enhanced Raman scattering (PERS) detection of nucleolin (NCL) using a 3D hybrid plasmonic metamaterial (PM). In this aptasensor, thiolated complementary DNA (cDNA) immobilized on PM can hybridize with Rox-labeled NCL-binding aptamer (AS1411-Rox) to form a rigid double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). When NCL passes through the PM nanochannels under a transmembrane voltage bias, it interacts with AS1411-Rox to form G-quadruplexes (G4-AS1411-Rox), resulting in the release of AS1411-Rox from the nanochannels surface and the decrease in PERS signal of the reporter Rox. This change in PERS signals can be recorded in situ without the interference of external environment. With the help of the enrichment function of nanochannel, the present method is able to achieve fast NCL detection within 10 min with a detection limit as low as 71 pM. Furthermore, our method shows excellent specificity, reversibility, uniformity (relative standard deviation of ~6.86%) and reproducibility (~6.65%), providing a new platform for reliable cancer auxiliary diagnosis and drug screening.

Chiral Graphene Hybrid Materials: Structures, Properties, and Chiral Applications

Chirality has become an important research subject. The research areas associated with chirality are under substantial development. Meanwhile, graphene is a rapidly growing star material and has hard-wired into diverse disciplines. Rational combination of graphene and chirality undoubtedly creates unprecedented functional materials and may also lead to great findings. This hypothesis has been clearly justified by the sizable number of studies. Unfortunately, there has not been any previous review paper summarizing the scattered studies and advancements on this topic so far. This overview paper attempts to review the progress made in chiral materials developed from graphene and their derivatives, with the hope of providing a systemic knowledge about the construction of chiral graphenes and chiral applications thereof. Recently emerging directions, existing challenges, and future perspectives are also presented. It is hoped this paper will arouse more interest and promote further faster progress in these significant research areas.

Individual Plasmonic Nanoprobes for Biosensing and Bioimaging: Recent Advances and Perspectives

With the advent of nanofabrication techniques, plasmonic nanoparticles (PNPs) have been widely applied in various research fields ranging from photocatalysis to chemical and bio-sensing. PNPs efficiently convert chemical or physical stimuli in their local environment into optical signals. PNPs also have excellent properties, including good biocompatibility, large surfaces for the attachment of biomolecules, tunable optical properties, strong and stable scattering light, and good conductivity. Thus, single optical biosensors with plasmonic properties enable a broad range of uses of optical imaging techniques in biological sensing and imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution. This work provides a comprehensive overview on the optical properties of single PNPs, the description of five types of commonly used optical imaging techniques, including surface plasmon resonance (SPR) microscopy, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique, differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, total internal reflection scattering (TIRS) microscopy, and dark-field microscopy (DFM) technique, with an emphasis on their single plasmonic nanoprobes and mechanisms for applications in biological imaging and sensing, as well as the challenges and future trends of these fields.

DNA Nanomachines for Identifying Cancer Biomarkers in Body Fluids and Cells

Identifying molecular biomarkers promises to significantly improve the accuracy in cancer diagnosis at its early stage. DNA nanomachines, which are designable and switchable nanostructures made of DNA, show broad potential to detect tumor biomarkers with noninvasive, inexpensive, highly sensitive, and highly specific advantages. This Feature summarizes the recent DNA nanomachine-based platforms for the early detection of cancer biomarkers, both from body fluids and in cells.

Nucleic Acids Analysis

Nucleic acids are natural biopolymers of nucleotides that store, encode, transmit and express genetic information, which play central roles in diverse cellular events and diseases in living things. The analysis of nucleic acids and nucleic acids-based analysis have been widely applied in biological studies, clinical diagnosis, environmental analysis, food safety and forensic analysis. During the past decades, the field of nucleic acids analysis has been rapidly advancing with many technological breakthroughs. In this review, we focus on the methods developed for analyzing nucleic acids, nucleic acids-based analysis, device for nucleic acids analysis, and applications of nucleic acids analysis. The representative strategies for the development of new nucleic acids analysis in this field are summarized, and key advantages and possible limitations are discussed. Finally, a brief perspective on existing challenges and further research development is provided.

Cooperative Metal Ion-Mediated Adsorption of Spherical Nucleic Acids with a Large Hysteresis

Spherical nucleic acids (SNA) refer to nanoparticles attached with a high density of oligonuleotides. Linear and spherical nucleic acids have many differences such as hybridization affinity, melting transition, and cellular uptake. In this work, these two types of DNA of the same sequence were compared for adsorption on polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles and graphene oxide (GO). We focused on the effect of metal ions including Na⁺, Ca²⁺, and Zn²⁺ since metal ions are indispensible for DNA adsorption on PDA and GO. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of various sizes were used to prepare the SNAs. For both PDA and GO, a normal binding curve of one metal ion was obtained for adsorbing the linear DNA, while the spherical DNAs larger than 5 nm showed a sigmoidal binding curve requiring multiple metal ions. Urea and EDTA were used to probe DNA adsorption affinity, where the spherical DNA showed stronger adsorption in general. In the presence of 300 mM Na⁺, 4 M urea or 4 mM EDTA failed to desorb the 13 nm spherical DNA. The spherical DNA showed a very large hysteresis of metal-dependent adsorption. This study demonstrates another unique property of SNA compared to linear DNA, revealing interesting orientation and packing of DNA on AuNPs, which has deepened our understanding of DNA interface chemistry.

Core-Shell Multifunctional Nanomaterial-Based All-in-One Nanoplatform for Simultaneous Multilayer Imaging of Dual Types of Tumor Biomarkers and Photothermal Therapy

Versatile all-in-one nanoplatforms that inherently possess both diagnostic imaging and therapeutic capabilities are highly desirable for efficient tumor diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we have developed a novel core-shell multifunctional nanomaterial-based all-in-one nanoplatform composed of gold nanobipyramids@polydopamine (Au NBPs@PDA) and gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) for simultaneous in situ multilayer imaging of dual types of tumor biomarkers (using a single-wavelength excitation) with different intracellular spatial distributions and fluorescence-guided photothermal therapy. The competitive combination between target transmembrane glycoprotein mucin1 (MUC1) and its aptamer caused Au NCs (620 nm) labeled with MUC1 aptamer to detach from the surface of Au NBPs@PDA, turning on the red fluorescence. Meanwhile, the hybridization between microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) and its complementary single-stranded DNA triggered the green fluorescence of Au NCs (515 nm). Based on this, simultaneous in situ multilayer imaging of dual types of tumor biomarkers with different intracellular spatial distributions was achieved. In addition, the potential of Au NBPs@PDA/Au NCs was also confirmed by simultaneous multilayer in situ imaging within not only three cell lines (MCF-7, HepG2, and L02 cells) with different expression levels of MUC1 and miRNA-21 but also cancer cells treated with different inhibitors. Moreover, the remarkable photothermal properties of Au NBPs@PDA resulted in the more efficient killing of cancer cells, demonstrating the great promise of the all-in-one nanoplatform for accurate diagnosis and tumor therapy.

Target-induced molecular-switch on triple-helix DNA-functionalized carbon nanotubes for simultaneous visual detection of nucleic acids and proteins

We report an easy and efficient approach based on a target-induced molecular-switch on triple-helix DNA (THD)-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for the simultaneous visual detection of nucleic acids and proteins with a lateral flow nucleic acid biosensor. The assay had the capability to detect a minimum of 25 pM target DNA and 0.25 nM thrombin simultaneously within 20 min.

Engineering of chiral nanomaterials for biomimetic catalysis

Chiral nanomaterial-based biomimetic catalysts can trigger a similar biological effect to natural catalysts and exhibit high performance in biological applications. Especially, their active center similarity and substrate selectivity promoted their superior biocatalytic activity. Here, modification of critical elements, such as size, morphology, nanocrystal facets, chiral surface and active sites, for controlling the catalytic efficiency of individual chiral nanoparticles (NPs) and chiral nanoassemblies has been demonstrated, which had a synergistic effect on overcoming the defects of pre-existing nanocatalysts. Noticeably, application of external forces (light or magnetism) has resulted in obvious enhancement in biocatalytic efficiency. Chiral nanomaterials served as preferable biomimetic nanocatalysts due to their special structural configuration and chemical constitution advantages. Furthermore, the current challenges and future research directions of the preparation of high-performance bioinspired chiral nanomaterials for biological applications are discussed.

Chiral nanomaterial-based biomimetic catalysts can trigger a similar biological effect to natural catalysts and exhibit high performance in biological applications.

Artificial Chiral Probes and Bioapplications

The development of artificial chiral architectures, especially chiral inorganic nanostructures, has greatly promoted research into chirality in nanoscience. The nanoscale chirality of artificial chiral nanostructures offers many new application opportunities, including chiral catalysis, asymmetric synthesis, chiral biosensing, and others that may not be allowed by natural chiral molecules. Herein, the progress achieved during the past decade in chirality-associated biological applications (biosensing, biolabeling, and bioimaging) combined with individual chiral nanostructures (such as chiral semiconductor nanoparticles and chiral metal nanoparticles) or chiral assemblies is discussed.

DNA-Based Plasmonic Heterogeneous Nanostructures: Building, Optical Responses, and Bioapplications

The integration of multiple functional nanoparticles into a specific architecture allows the precise manipulation of light for coherent electron oscillations. Plasmonic metals-based heterogeneous nanostructures are fabricated by using DNA as templates. This comprehensive review provides an overview of the controllable synthesis and self-assembly of heterogeneous nanostructures, and analyzes the effects of structural parameters on the regulation of optical responses. The potential applications and challenges of heterogeneous nanostructures in the fields of biosensors and bioanalysis, in vivo monitoring, and phototheranostics are discussed.

Plasmonic Modulation of the Upconversion Luminescence Based on Gold Nanorods for Designing a New Strategy of Sensing MicroRNAs

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have potential applications in biosensing and bioimaging. However, the UCNPs-based sensors constructed by luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) always suffer from low quenching efficiency, hindering their application. Therefore, exploring a new strategy to resolve this issue is highly desirable. Herein, a strategy based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of gold nanorods (AuNRs) is presented. The luminescence of UCNPs was modulated by adjusting the SiO₂ thickness of AuNRs@SiO₂ and the structure of UCNPs; an enhancement factor of ≈50 times was obtained. Based on the results of the SPR effect of AuNRs, we designed two kinds of potential upconversion microRNA sensors using microRNA-21 as a model to resolve the problem of the lower quenching efficiency resulting from a dye as a quencher. Studies revealed that the proposed strategy could be successfully used to construct upconversion microRNA sensors for avoiding the limitation of the low quenching efficiency. The sensitivity was ≈10 000 times higher than that of the upconversion sensor using dyes as quenchers. Importantly, the assay of microRNA-21 was successfully achieved using this sensor in human serum samples and human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) lysates. It provides a new method for designing upconversion microRNA sensors and may have potential for use in biosensing and bioimaging.

An accurate and ultrasensitive SERS sensor with Au-Se interface for bioimaging and in situ quantitation

We propose a stable and highly sensitive Au-Se SERS nanoprobe for bioimaging and in situ quantitation, which aims to break through the limitations of traditional Au-S SERS nanoprobes, such as interference from biothiols and unsatisfactory SERS efficiency.

Aptamer-Braked Multi-hairpin Cascade Circuits for Logic-Controlled Label-Free In Situ Bioimaging

As a common hairpin-based amplification strategy, catalytic-hairpin assembly (CHA) has been widely used to construct various DNA circuits for biosensing and imaging. However, the hairpin substrates can potentially react without catalysts and result in circuit leakage, which may be quite severe in a CHA reaction consisting of three or four hairpins due to the formation of stable three-/four-way junction product. To circumvent this problem, here we introduce a well-designed ATP aptamer as a DNA brake into a four-hairpin cascade circuit, where the triggering toehold is blocked by the aptamer brake and thus the circuit leakage decreases dramatically. Such an aptamer-braked DNA circuit is then employed to build an AND logic gate in response to multiple external stimuli in acidic cell membrane microenvironments. Induced by a bimolecular i-motif that binds thioflavin T (ThT), the dimerization of a four-way junction in situ assembled on the cell surface is accomplished, enabling the logic-controlled cell membrane imaging in a label-free manner. Our design would be applicable to other hairpin-based amplification strategies and may find more applications in the construction of multiresponsive DNA cascade circuits in complex living systems.

DNA-Driven Two-Layer Core-Satellite Gold Nanostructures for Ultrasensitive MicroRNA Detection in Living Cells

It is a significant challenge to achieve controllable self-assembly of superstructures for biological applications in living cells. Here, a two-layer core-satellite assembly is driven by a Y-DNA, which is designed with three nucleotide chains that hybridized through complementary sequences. The two-layer core-satellite nanostructure (C₃₀ S₅ S₁₀ NS) is constructed using 30 nm gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) as the core, 5 nm Au NPs as the first satellite layer, and 10 nm Au NPs as the second satellite layer, resulting in a very strong circular dichroism (CD) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering. After optimization, the yield is up to 85%, and produces a g-factor of 0.16 × 10^-2 . The hybridization of the target microRNA (miRNA) with the molecular probe causes a significant drop in the CD and Raman signals, and this phenomenon is used to detect the miRNA in living cells. The CD signal has a good linear range of 0.011-20.94 amol ng_RNA^-1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0051 amol ng_RNA^-1 , while Raman signal with the range of 0.052-34.98 amol ng_RNA^-1 and an LOD of 2.81 × 10^-2 amol ng_RNA^-1 . This innovative dual-signal method can be used to quantify biomolecules in living cells, opening the way for ultrasensitive, highly accurate, and reliable diagnoses of clinical diseases.

Effect of structure: A new insight into nanoparticle assemblies from inanimate to animate

Nanoparticle (NP) assemblies are among the foremost achievements of nanoscience and nanotechnology because their interparticle interactions overcome the weaknesses displayed by individual NPs. However, previous studies have considered NP assemblies as inanimate, which had led to their dynamic properties being overlooked. Animate properties, i.e., those mimicking biological properties, endow NP ensembles with unique and unexpected functionalities for practical applications. In this critical review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the properties of NP assemblies, particularly their animate properties. Key examples are used to illustrate critical concepts, and special emphasis is placed on animate property-dependent applications. Last, we discuss the barriers to further advances in this field.