1
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Bao P, Phillips K, Raval R. Membrane Proteins in Action Monitored by pH-Responsive Liquid Crystal Biosensors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:31843-31850. [PMID: 38841859 PMCID: PMC11194810 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c06614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Liquid crystal (LC) biosensors have received significant attention for their potential applications for point-of-care devices due to their sensitivity, low cost, and easy read-out. They have been employed to detect a wide range of important biological molecules. However, detecting the function of membrane proteins has been extremely challenging due to the difficulty of integrating membrane proteins, lipid membranes, and LCs into one system. In this study, we addressed this challenge by monitoring the proton-pumping function of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) using a pH-sensitive LC thin film biosensor. To achieve this, we deposited purple membranes (PMs) containing a 2D crystal form of bRs onto an LC-aqueous interface. Under light, the PM patches changed the local pH at the LC-aqueous interface, causing a color change in the LC thin film that is observable through a polarizing microscope with crossed polarizers. These findings open up new opportunities to study the biofunctions of membrane proteins and their induced local environmental changes in a solution using LC biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Bao
- Open Innovation
Hub for Antimicrobial
Surfaces, Surface Science Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, U.K.
| | - Kyle Phillips
- Open Innovation
Hub for Antimicrobial
Surfaces, Surface Science Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, U.K.
| | - Rasmita Raval
- Open Innovation
Hub for Antimicrobial
Surfaces, Surface Science Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, U.K.
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2
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Bezrukov A, Galeeva A, Krupin A, Galyametdinov Y. Molecular Orientation Behavior of Lyotropic Liquid Crystal-Carbon Dot Hybrids in Microfluidic Confinement. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5520. [PMID: 38791556 PMCID: PMC11122583 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Lyotropic liquid crystals represent an important class of anisotropic colloid systems. Their integration with optically active nanoparticles can provide us with responsive luminescent media that offer new fundamental and applied solutions for biomedicine. This paper analyzes the molecular-level behavior of such composites represented by tetraethylene glycol monododecyl ether and nanoscale carbon dots in microfluidic channels. Microfluidic confinement allows for simultaneously applying multiple factors, such as flow dynamics, wall effects, and temperature, for the precise control of the molecular arrangement in such composites and their resulting optical properties. The microfluidic behavior of composites was characterized by a set of analytical and modeling tools such as polarized and fluorescent microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and fluorescent spectroscopy, as well as image processing in Matlab. The composites were shown to form tunable anisotropic intermolecular structures in microchannels with several levels of molecular ordering. A predominant lamellar structure of the composites was found to undergo additional ordering with respect to the microchannel axis and walls. Such an alignment was controlled by applying shear and temperature factors to the microfluidic environment. The revealed molecular behavior of the composite may contribute to the synthesis of hybrid organized media capable of polarized luminescence for on-chip diagnostics and biomimetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Bezrukov
- Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Kazan National Research Technological University, 68 Karl Marx Str., 420015 Kazan, Russia; (A.G.); (A.K.); (Y.G.)
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3
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Pani I, Sil S, Kaur R, Devi M, Pal SK. Dynamic Microparticle Assembly at the Interface of Chemoresponsive Liquid Crystal Droplets. Anal Chem 2024; 96:3780-3786. [PMID: 38407028 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The confinement of liquid crystals (LCs) in spherical microdroplets results in exotic internal configurations and topological defects in response to physical and chemical stimuli. Recent exploration into the placement of colloids on the surface of LC microdroplets has led to the design of a new class of functional materials with patterned surface properties. It is established that the placement of a colloid on a LC droplet surface can pin the topological defect at the interface, thereby restricting changes in the LC configuration. Herein, we build upon the handful of reports published to provide a fundamental understanding of the colloid positioning in response to external stimuli. Using polystyrene (PS) colloids, we explored the dynamics of particle self-assembly in response to an interfacial enzymatic breakdown of poly-l-lysine by trypsin. We found that for a significant population of droplets, the positioning of the colloid is unaffected by the changes in the internal ordering of LC. Inspired by the new observations, we delved deeper to understand the role of interfacial stabilizers in modulating the preferential alignment of LC and the placement of colloidal microparticles. We also demonstrated that for a certain population of droplets, the positioning of the colloids remains unperturbed in response to multistep reversible adsorption of interfacial amphiphiles. Our findings reveal interesting possibilities of correlating the stimuli-responsive switching of internal configurations of LC with colloid placement on the particle-decorated LC droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ipsita Pani
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Soma Sil
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Rajwant Kaur
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Manisha Devi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Santanu Kumar Pal
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
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4
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Naveenkumar PM, Maheshwari H, Gundabala V, Mann S, Sharma KP. Patterning of Protein-Sequestered Liquid-Crystal Droplets Using Acoustic Wave Trapping. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:871-881. [PMID: 38131278 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Development of spatially organized structures and understanding their role in controlling kinetics of multistep chemical reactions are essential for the successful design of efficient systems and devices. While studies that showcase different types of methodologies for the spatial organization of various colloidal systems are known, design and development of well-defined hierarchical assemblies of liquid-crystal (LC) droplets and subsequent demonstration of biological reactions using such assemblies still remain elusive. Here, we show reversible and reconfigurable one-dimensional (1D) assemblies of protein-bioconjugate-sequestered monodisperse LC droplets by combining microfluidics with noninvasive acoustic wave trapping technology. Tunable spatial geometries and lattice dimensions can be achieved in an aqueous medium comprising ≈19 or 62 μm LC droplets. Different assemblies of a mixed population of larger and smaller droplets sequestered with glucose oxidase (GOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), respectively, exhibit spatially localized enzyme kinetics with higher initial rates of reaction compared with GOx/HRP cascades implemented in the absence of an acoustic field. This can be attributed to the direct substrate transfer/channeling between the two complementary enzymes in close proximity. Therefore, our study provides an initial step toward the fabrication of LC-based devices for biosensing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Harsha Maheshwari
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Venkat Gundabala
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Stephen Mann
- Centre for Organized Matter Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, BS8 1TS Bristol, U.K
| | - Kamendra P Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
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5
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Concellón A. Liquid Crystal Emulsions: A Versatile Platform for Photonics, Sensing, and Active Matter. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023:e202308857. [PMID: 37694542 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202308857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of liquid crystals (LCs) is a fascinating method for controlling the organization of discrete molecules into nanostructured functional materials. Although LCs are traditionally processed in thin films, their confinement within micrometre-sized droplets has recently revealed new properties and functions, paving the way for next-generation soft responsive materials. These recent findings have unlocked a wealth of unprecedented applications in photonics (e.g. reflectors, lasing materials), sensing (e.g. biomolecule and pathogen detection), soft robotics (e.g. micropumps, artificial muscles), and beyond. This Minireview focuses on recent developments in LC emulsion designs and highlights a variety of novel potential applications. Perspectives on the opportunities and new directions for implementing LC emulsions in future innovative technologies are also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Concellón
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, C/Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain
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6
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Bezrukov A, Galyametdinov Y. Tuning Molecular Orientation Responses of Microfluidic Liquid Crystal Dispersions to Colloid and Polymer Flows. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13555. [PMID: 37686359 PMCID: PMC10488184 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
An important approach to molecular diagnostics is integrating organized substances that provide complex molecular level responses to introduced chemical and biological agents with conditions that optimize and distinguish such responses. In this respect, liquid crystal dispersions are attractive components of molecular diagnostic tools. This paper analyzes a colloid system, containing a nematic liquid crystal as a dispersed phase, and aqueous surfactant and polymer solutions as the continuous phases. We applied a microfluidic approach for tuning orientation of liquid crystal molecules in picoliter droplets immobilized on microchannel walls. Introduction of surfactant to the aqueous phase was found to proportionally increase the order parameter of liquid crystal molecules in microdroplets. Infusion of polymer solutions into surfactant-mediated microfluidic liquid crystal dispersions increased the order parameter at much lower surfactant concentrations, while further infusion of surfactant solutions randomized the orientation of liquid crystal molecules. These effects were correlated with the adsorption of surfactant molecules on surfaces of microdroplets, stabilizing the effect of a polymer matrix on bound surfactant ions and the formation of insoluble polymer-colloid aggregates, respectively. The revealed molecular behavior of liquid crystal dispersions may contribute to optimized synthesis of responsive liquid crystal dispersions for in-flow molecular diagnostics of polymers and colloids, and the development of functional laboratory-on-chip prototypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Bezrukov
- Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Kazan National Research Technological University, 68 Karl Marx Str., Kazan 420015, Russia;
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7
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Aery S, Parry A, Araiza-Calahorra A, Evans SD, Gleeson HF, Dan A, Sarkar A. Ultra-stable liquid crystal droplets coated by sustainable plant-based materials for optical sensing of chemical and biological analytes. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. C 2023; 11:5831-5845. [PMID: 37153011 PMCID: PMC10158717 DOI: 10.1039/d3tc00598d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we demonstrate for the first time the synthesis of ultra-stable, spherical, nematic liquid crystal (LC) droplets of narrow size polydispersity coated by sustainable, biodegradable, plant-based materials that trigger a typical bipolar-to-radial configurational transition in dynamic response to chemical and biological analytes. Specifically, a highly soluble polymer, potato protein (PoP) and a physically-crosslinked potato protein microgel (PoPM) of ∼100 nm in diameter, prepared from the PoP, a byproduct of the starch industry, were compared for their ability to coat LC droplets. Although both PoP and PoPM were capable of reducing the interfacial tension between water and n-tetradecane <30 mN m-1, PoPM-coated LC droplets showed better stability than the PoP-coated droplets via a Pickering-like mechanism. Strikingly, the Pickering LC droplets outperformed PoP-stabilized droplets in terms of dynamic response with 5× lower detection limit to model chemical analytes (sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS) due to the difference in SDS-binding features between the protein and the microgel. To eliminate the effect of size polydispersity on the response, monodisperse Pickering LC droplets of diameter ∼16 μm were additionally obtained using microfluidics, which mirrored the response to chemical as well as biological analytes, i.e., primary bile acid, an important biomarker of liver diseases. We demonstrate that these eco-friendly microgels used for creating monodisperse, ultra-stable, LC complex colloids are powerful templates for fabricating next generation, sustainable optical sensors for early diagnosis in clinical settings and other sensing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shikha Aery
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University Chandigarh 160014 India
- Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Adele Parry
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Andrea Araiza-Calahorra
- Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Abhijit Dan
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University Chandigarh 160014 India
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, Simhat Haringhata West Bengal 741249 India
| | - Anwesha Sarkar
- Food Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds LS2 9JT UK
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8
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Honaker LW, Schaap J, Kenbeek D, Miltenburg E, Deshpande S. Heads or tails: investigating the effects of amphiphile features on the distortion of chiral nematic liquid crystal droplets. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. C 2023; 11:4867-4875. [PMID: 37033204 PMCID: PMC10077502 DOI: 10.1039/d2tc05390j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal-based sensing has fast become a growing field, harnessing the sensitivity of liquid crystals to their surroundings to provide information about the analytes present, including surface-active amphiphiles such as biological lipids. Amphiphiles can impart ordering to a liquid crystal and, in the case of chiral nematic liquid crystals (CLCs), distort the helical texture. The cause and degree to which this distortion occurs is not fully clear. In this work, the effects of different amphiphiles on the final colour textures as well as the pitch of chiral nematic liquid crystals are investigated. We find that the tails of amphiphiles and their orientation play a more important role in determining the final distortions of the liquid crystal by the direct interactions they have with the host, whereas the headgroups do not play a significant role in affecting these distortions. Our findings may find implications in designing CLC-based biosensors, where the tails will likely have more impact on the CLC response, while the headgroups will remain available for further functionalization without having significant effects on the signal readout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence W Honaker
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands +31 (0)317 480 419
| | - Jorik Schaap
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands +31 (0)317 480 419
| | - Dennis Kenbeek
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands +31 (0)317 480 419
| | - Ernst Miltenburg
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands +31 (0)317 480 419
| | - Siddharth Deshpande
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands +31 (0)317 480 419
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9
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Ramou E, Palma SICJ, Roque ACA. A room temperature 9CB‐based chemical sensor. NANO SELECT 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/nano.202200153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Efthymia Ramou
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit Department of Chemistry School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
| | - Susana I. C. J. Palma
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit Department of Chemistry School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
| | - Ana Cecília A. Roque
- UCIBIO – Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit Department of Chemistry School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB – Institute for Health and Bioeconomy School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon Caparica Portugal
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10
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Lin L, Li W, Wang X, Xie Y, Li Y, Wu Z. Functional Liquid Crystal Core/Hydrogel Shell Microcapsules for Monitoring Live Cells in a 3D Microenvironment. Anal Chem 2023; 95:2750-2756. [PMID: 36599406 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c03762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture, even as a simple microspheroid model, can be used to recapitulate the native biological microenvironment of cells. Examining the biochemical characteristics of cells in multicellular hydrogel microspheroids using microsensors is usually limited to monitoring the medium around the microspheroids. Here, functional liquid crystal (LC) core/hydrogel shell microcapsules loaded with cells were prepared using droplet microfluidic technology for monitoring live cells in a 3D microenvironment. These microcapsules have a distinctive core/shell structure; cells can be cultured in the hydrogel shell of this 3D model. The functional LC core responds to the acidic microenvironment of cells, showing an axial-to-bipolar transfiguration. 3D cell culture and visual monitoring of the cell microenvironment can be simultaneously achieved in a single microcapsule. Therefore, this novel method may enable a standard approach for monitoring multiple ions or molecules in a 3D model of the cell microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Lin
- Department of Bioengineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Weiwei Li
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaorui Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Yaoshuang Xie
- Department of Bioengineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Yuxuan Li
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zengnan Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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11
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Pani I, Sil S, Pal SK. Liquid Crystal Biosensors: A New Therapeutic Window to Point-of-Care Diagnostics. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:909-917. [PMID: 36634050 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
After revolutionizing the field of electro-optic displays, liquid crystals (LCs) are emerging as functional soft materials with wide-ranging biomedical implications. Integrating smart sensor designs with label-free imaging presents exciting opportunities in diagnostics. In this Perspective, we present an elegant collage of the key findings that demonstrate the utility of LC biosensors in diagnosing a disease or infection in clinical samples, cellular microenvironments, or bodily fluids. We emphasize the currently prevalent diagnostic techniques and the advances made using LCs in achieving greater sensitivity, a simplified strategy, multiplexed detection, and so on. We collate the landmark contributions in translational research in LC-based diagnostics. We believe that developing LC-based biosensors presents a new therapeutic window in point-of-care diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ipsita Pani
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Soma Sil
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Santanu Kumar Pal
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
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12
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Lüddecke T, Paas A, Harris RJ, Talmann L, Kirchhoff KN, Billion A, Hardes K, Steinbrink A, Gerlach D, Fry BG, Vilcinskas A. Venom biotechnology: casting light on nature's deadliest weapons using synthetic biology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1166601. [PMID: 37207126 PMCID: PMC10188951 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1166601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Venoms are complex chemical arsenals that have evolved independently many times in the animal kingdom. Venoms have attracted the interest of researchers because they are an important innovation that has contributed greatly to the evolutionary success of many animals, and their medical relevance offers significant potential for drug discovery. During the last decade, venom research has been revolutionized by the application of systems biology, giving rise to a novel field known as venomics. More recently, biotechnology has also made an increasing impact in this field. Its methods provide the means to disentangle and study venom systems across all levels of biological organization and, given their tremendous impact on the life sciences, these pivotal tools greatly facilitate the coherent understanding of venom system organization, development, biochemistry, and therapeutic activity. Even so, we lack a comprehensive overview of major advances achieved by applying biotechnology to venom systems. This review therefore considers the methods, insights, and potential future developments of biotechnological applications in the field of venom research. We follow the levels of biological organization and structure, starting with the methods used to study the genomic blueprint and genetic machinery of venoms, followed gene products and their functional phenotypes. We argue that biotechnology can answer some of the most urgent questions in venom research, particularly when multiple approaches are combined together, and with other venomics technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- *Correspondence: Tim Lüddecke,
| | - Anne Paas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Richard J. Harris
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences (IMB), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lea Talmann
- Syngenta Crop Protection, Stein, Switzerland
| | - Kim N. Kirchhoff
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - André Billion
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research “ASCRIBE”, Giessen, Germany
| | - Antje Steinbrink
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Doreen Gerlach
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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13
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Kumari A, Singh H, Dhawan S, Bhardwaj SK, Haridas V, Sinha A. Liquid crystal droplet design by using pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymer additives. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:7838-7849. [PMID: 36200443 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00953f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal (LC) droplets are promising candidates for sensing applications due to their high sensitivity to surface anchoring changes, resulting in readily detectable optical effects. Herein, we have designed and synthesized amino acid-based bottlebrush polymers and investigated their impact on LC director configurations in the droplets. The pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymers with an aromatic (phenyl) and aliphatic appendages are synthesized using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) samples are prepared by employing pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymers and 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) LC via solvent-induced phase separation (SIPS) technique. Due to π-π stacking, the phenyl group favours radial configuration, whereas the repulsion between 5CB and aliphatic groups induces molecular alignment leading to bipolar droplet arrangement. The impact of various pendant groups attached to the polymer on the prepared PDLC sample's surface characteristics and free energy components is illustrated. The sensing capability of 5CB dispersed in pseudopeptidic bottlebrush polymers for various pH solutions is investigated using polarizing optical microscopy (POM). The PDLC samples are moderately permeable to water and sensitive to different pH solutions. The results demonstrate a simplified and straightforward approach for preparing LC-based biosensors and chemical sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha Kumari
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Hanuman Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Sameer Dhawan
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Surya Kant Bhardwaj
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - V Haridas
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Aloka Sinha
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
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14
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Lu S, Hu Q, Yu L. Construction of a liquid Crystal-based Sensing Platform for the Sensitive Detection of Catalase in Human Serum. Microchem J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2022.107705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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15
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Liquid Crystal Droplet-Based Biosensors: Promising for Point-of-Care Testing. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12090758. [PMID: 36140143 PMCID: PMC9496589 DOI: 10.3390/bios12090758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of biosensing platforms has been impressively accelerated by advancements in liquid crystal (LC) technology. High response rate, easy operation, and good stability of the LC droplet-based biosensors are all benefits of the long-range order of LC molecules. Bioprobes emerged when LC droplets were combined with biotechnology, and these bioprobes are used extensively for disease diagnosis, food safety, and environmental monitoring. The LC droplet biosensors have high sensitivity and excellent selectivity, making them an attractive tool for the label-free, economical, and real-time detection of different targets. Portable devices work well as the accessory kits for LC droplet-based biosensors to make them easier to use by anyone for on-site monitoring of targets. Herein, we offer a review of the latest developments in the design of LC droplet-based biosensors for qualitative target monitoring and quantitative target analysis.
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Honaker L, Chen C, Dautzenberg FM, Brugman S, Deshpande S. Designing Biological Microsensors with Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystal Droplets. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:37316-37329. [PMID: 35969154 PMCID: PMC9412956 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c06923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Biosensing using liquid crystals has a tremendous potential by coupling the high degree of sensitivity of their alignment to their surroundings with clear optical feedback. Many existing set-ups use birefringence of nematic liquid crystals, which severely limits straightforward and frugal implementation into a sensing platform due to the sophisticated optical set-ups required. In this work, we instead utilize chiral nematic liquid crystal microdroplets, which show strongly reflected structural color, as sensing platforms for surface active agents. We systematically quantify the optical response of closely related biological amphiphiles and find unique optical signatures for each species. We detect signatures across a wide range of concentrations (from micromolar to millimolar), with fast response times (from seconds to minutes). The striking optical response is a function of the adsorption of surfactants in a nonhomogeneous manner and the topology of the chiral nematic liquid crystal orientation at the interface requiring a scattering, multidomain structure. We show that the surface interactions, in particular, the surface packing density, to be a function of both headgroup and tail and thus unique to each surfactant species. We show lab-on-a-chip capability of our method by drying droplets in high-density two-dimensional arrays and simply hydrating the chip to detect dissolved analytes. Finally, we show proof-of-principle in vivo biosensing in the healthy as well as inflamed intestinal tracts of live zebrafish larvae, demonstrating CLC droplets show a clear optical response specifically when exposed to the gut environment rich in amphiphiles. Our unique approach shows clear potential in developing on-site detection platforms and detecting biological amphiphiles in living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence
W. Honaker
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen
University & Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Chang Chen
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen
University & Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Floris M.H. Dautzenberg
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen
University & Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
| | - Sylvia Brugman
- Host-Microbe
Interactomics, Wageningen University &
Research, Wageningen 6708 WD, The Netherlands
| | - Siddharth Deshpande
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen
University & Research, Wageningen 6708 WE, The Netherlands
- . Phone: +31 (0)317 480
419
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Wang H, Xu T, Fu Y, Wang Z, Leeson MS, Jiang J, Liu T. Liquid Crystal Biosensors: Principles, Structure and Applications. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12080639. [PMID: 36005035 PMCID: PMC9406233 DOI: 10.3390/bios12080639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs) have been widely used as sensitive elements to construct LC biosensors based on the principle that specific bonding events between biomolecules can affect the orientation of LC molecules. On the basis of the sensing interface of LC molecules, LC biosensors can be classified into three types: LC–solid interface sensing platforms, LC–aqueous interface sensing platforms, and LC–droplet interface sensing platforms. In addition, as a signal amplification method, the combination of LCs and whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical microcavities can provide higher detection sensitivity due to the extremely high quality factor and the small mode volume of the WGM optical microcavity, which enhances the interaction between the light field and biotargets. In this review, we present an overview of the basic principles, the structure, and the applications of LC biosensors. We discuss the important properties of LC and the principle of LC biosensors. The different geometries of LCs in the biosensing systems as well as their applications in the biological detection are then described. The fabrication and the application of the LC-based WGM microcavity optofluidic sensor in the biological detection are also introduced. Finally, challenges and potential research opportunities in the development of LC-based biosensors are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Wang
- School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Tianhua Xu
- School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
- Correspondence: (T.X.); (J.J.)
| | - Yaoxin Fu
- School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Ziyihui Wang
- School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Mark S. Leeson
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Junfeng Jiang
- School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Correspondence: (T.X.); (J.J.)
| | - Tiegen Liu
- School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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Borbora A, Manna U. Design of a Super-Liquid Crystal-Phobic Coating for Immobilizing Liquid Crystal μ-Droplets─Without Affecting Their Sensitivity. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:9221-9228. [PMID: 35767825 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The aqueous interface of nematic liquid crystal (LC) that undergoes a triggered change in ordering transition of mesogens under an appropriate stimulus has emerged as an important tool for various relevant applications. Further, the confinement of LC into a micrometer dimension appeared to be a facile approach for improving their relevant features and performance. However, the optical characterization of ordering transition in a single micrometer-sized, bare, and free-floating LC droplet in the aqueous phase is an extremely challenging task due to unavoidable Brownian motion, which limits its scope for practical applications. Here, we exploited the 1,4-conjugate addition reaction to report a multilayer coating of a reactive nanocomplex that displayed an extreme repellence to beaded LC droplets with tailored adhesive force through the association of adequate orthogonal chemical modifications with glucamine and selected alkyl acrylates. Further, a spatially selective underwater adhesive super-LC-phobic pattern on a hydrophobic background was developed for immobilizing bare and micrometer-sized LC droplets from their aqueous dispersion without having any arbitrary spillage of the aqueous medium. The settled micrometer-sized LC droplets remained efficient for the triggered change in ordering transition from bipolar (having boojum defects at poles) to radial (with a single defect in the center) configuration. Eventually, a simple and fundamentally distinct chemical strategy of immobilizing a soft and functional material by associating bio-inspired wettability allowed to demonstrate the repetitive triggered LC ordering transition in a single and bare LC droplet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angana Borbora
- Bio-Inspired Polymeric Materials Lab, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Kamrup, Assam 781039, India
| | - Uttam Manna
- Bio-Inspired Polymeric Materials Lab, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Kamrup, Assam 781039, India
- Centre for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Kamrup, Assam 781039, India
- Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Science & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Kamrup, Assam 781039, India
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Guo JK, Gao Y, Ling J, Yuan Y, Wang X, Song JK. Laser processing of microdroplet structure of liquid crystal in 3D. OPTICS EXPRESS 2022; 30:26018-26026. [PMID: 36236800 DOI: 10.1364/oe.459332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Processing of mesoscale structures of soft matter and liquid is of great importance in both science and engineering. In this work, we introduce the concept of laser-assisted micromachining to this field and inject a certain number of microdroplets into a preselected location on the surface of a liquid crystal drop through laser irradiation. The impact of laser energy on the triggered injection is discussed. The sequentially injected microdroplets are spontaneously captured by the defect ring in the host drop and transported along this defect track as micro-cargos. By precisely manipulating the laser beam, the tailored injection of droplets is achieved, and the injected droplets self-assemble into one necklace ring within the host drop. The result provides a bottom-up approach for the in-situ and three-dimensional microfabrication of droplet structure of soft matter using a laser beam, which may be applicable in the development of optical and photonic devices.
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Paterson DA, Du X, Bao P, Parry AA, Peyman SA, Sandoe JAT, Evans SD, Luo D, Bushby RJ, Jones JC, Gleeson HF. Chiral nematic liquid crystal droplets as a basis for sensor systems. MOLECULAR SYSTEMS DESIGN & ENGINEERING 2022; 7:607-621. [PMID: 36876150 PMCID: PMC9972830 DOI: 10.1039/d1me00189b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
For a series of phospholipid coated calamitic nematic liquid crystal droplets (5CB, 6CB, 7CB, E7 and MLC7023) of diameter ∼18 μm, the addition of chiral dopant leaves the sign of surface anchoring unchanged. Herein we report that for these chiral nematic droplets an analyte induced transition from a Frank-Pryce structure (with planar anchoring) to a nested-cup structure (with perpendicular anchoring) is accompanied by changes in the intensity of reflected light. We propose this system as both a general scheme for understanding director fields in chiral nematic liquid crystal droplets with perpendicular anchoring and as an ideal candidate to be utilised as the basis for developing cheap, single use LC-based sensor devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Paterson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Xiaoxue Du
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen 518055 China
| | - Peng Bao
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Adele A Parry
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Sally A Peyman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | | | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen 518055 China
| | | | - J Cliff Jones
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK
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Metabolite-based biosensors for natural product discovery and overproduction. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 75:102699. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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22
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Chiral Liquid Crystal Microdroplets for Sensing Phospholipid Amphiphiles. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12050313. [PMID: 35624614 PMCID: PMC9139120 DOI: 10.3390/bios12050313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Designing simple, sensitive, fast, and inexpensive readout devices to detect biological molecules and biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis and treatments. Here, we have studied the interaction of the chiral liquid crystal (CLC) and biomolecules at the liquid crystal (LC)-droplet interface. CLC droplets with high and low chirality were prepared using a microfluidic device. We explored the reconfiguration of the CLC molecules confined in droplets in the presence of 1,2-diauroyl-sn-glycero3-phosphatidylcholine (DLPC) phospholipid. Cross-polarized optical microscopy and spectrometry techniques were employed to monitor the effect of droplet size and DLPC concentration on the structural reorganization of the CLC molecules. Our results showed that in the presence of DLPC, the chiral LC droplets transition from planar to homeotropic ordering through a multistage molecular reorientation. However, this reconfiguration process in the low-chirality droplets happened three times faster than in high-chirality ones. Applying spectrometry and image analysis, we found that the change in the chiral droplets’ Bragg reflection can be correlated with the CLC–DLPC interactions.
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Yang D, Zhu L, Lin X, Zhu J, Qian Y, Liu W, Chen J, Zhou C, He J. Therapeutic Effects of Synthetic Triblock Amphiphilic Short Antimicrobial Peptides on Human Lung Adenocarcinoma. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14050929. [PMID: 35631515 PMCID: PMC9143638 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14050929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Because of their unique properties, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a potential reservoir of novel anticancer therapeutic agents. However, only a few AMPs can kill tumors with high efficiency, and obtaining inexpensive anticancer AMPs with strong activity is still a challenge. In our previous work, a series of original short amphiphilic triblock AMP (KnFmKn) analogues were developed which were demonstrated to exert excellent effects on bacterial infection, both in vitro and in vivo. Herein, the overall objectives were to assess the potent tumoricidal capacities of these analogues against human lung cancer cell line A549 and the underlying mechanism. The results of the CCK-8 assay revealed that the precise modification of the peptides’ primary sequences could modulate their tumoricidal potency. In the tumoricidal progress, positive charge and hydrophobicity were the key driving forces. Among these peptides, K4F6K4 displayed the most remarkable tumoricidal activity. Furthermore, the excellent anticancer capacity of K4F6K4 was proven by the live/dead cell staining, colony formation assay, and tumor growth observations on xenografted mice, which indicated that K4F6K4 might be a promising drug candidate for lung cancer, with no significant adverse effects in vitro or in vivo. In addition, the cell apoptosis assay using flow cytometry, the morphology observations using the optical microscope, confocal microscopy using CellMask™ Deep Red staining, and scanning electron microscope suggested that membrane disruption was the primary mechanism of its antitumor action. Through analyzing the structure–activity relationship, it was found that the amount of positive charge required for KnFmKn to exert its optimal tumoricidal effect was more than that needed for the antimicrobial activity, while the optimal proportion of hydrophobicity was less. Our findings suggest that further analysis of the structure–activity relationship of AMPs’ primary sequence variations will be beneficial. Hopefully, this work can provide guiding principles in designing peptide-based therapeutics for lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danjing Yang
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Liang Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Xiangyu Lin
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Jiaming Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Yusheng Qian
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China;
| | - Wenhui Liu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Chuncai Zhou
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China;
- Correspondence: (C.Z.); (J.H.)
| | - Jing He
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
- Correspondence: (C.Z.); (J.H.)
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Piñeres-Quiñones OH, Lynn DM, Acevedo-Vélez C. Environmentally Responsive Emulsions of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals with Exceptional Long-Term Stability and Enhanced Sensitivity to Aqueous Amphiphiles. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:957-967. [PMID: 35001623 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We report colloidally stable emulsions of thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs) that can detect the presence of amphiphilic analytes in aqueous environments. Our approach makes use of a Pickering stabilization strategy consisting of surfactant-nanoparticle complexes (SiO2/CnTAB, n = 8, 12, 16) that adsorb to aqueous/LC droplet interfaces. This strategy can stabilize LC emulsions against coalescence for at least 3 months. These stabilized LC emulsions also retain the ability to respond to the presence of model anionic, cationic, and nonionic amphiphiles (e.g., SDS, C12TAB, C12E4) in aqueous solutions by undergoing "bipolar-to-radial" changes in LC droplet configurations that can be readily observed and quantified using polarized light microscopy. Our results reveal these ordering transitions to depend upon the length of the hydrocarbon tail of the CnTAB surfactant used to form the stabilizing complexes. In general, increasing CnTAB surfactant tail length leads to droplets that respond at lower analyte concentrations, demonstrating that this Pickering stabilization strategy can be used to tune the sensitivities of the stabilized LC droplets. Finally, we demonstrate that these colloidally stable LC droplets can report the presence of rhamnolipid, a biosurfactant produced by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Overall, our results demonstrate that this Pickering stabilization strategy provides a useful tool for the design of LC droplet-based sensors with substantially improved colloidal stability and new strategies to tune their sensitivities. These advances could increase the potential practical utility of these responsive soft materials as platforms for the detection and reporting of chemical and biological analytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar H Piñeres-Quiñones
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Call Box 9000, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681-9000, United States
| | - David M Lynn
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Claribel Acevedo-Vélez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Call Box 9000, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681-9000, United States
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Pal SK, Pani I, Nailwal Y, Dutta S. Tailoring Liquid Crystals as Vehicles for Encapsulation and Enzyme-Triggered Release. J Mater Chem B 2022; 10:3032-3038. [DOI: 10.1039/d2tb00098a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Nanoscale assemblies of amphiphiles have been vividly explored in pharmaceutical formulations as drug nanocarriers. Aqueous interfaces of liquid crystals (LCs) are known to direct the self-assembly of a range of...
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Abstract
Smart soft materials are envisioned to be the building blocks of the next generation of advanced devices and digitally augmented technologies. In this context, liquid crystals (LCs) owing to their responsive and adaptive attributes could serve as promising smart soft materials. LCs played a critical role in revolutionizing the information display industry in the 20th century. However, in the turn of the 21st century, numerous beyond-display applications of LCs have been demonstrated, which elegantly exploit their controllable stimuli-responsive and adaptive characteristics. For these applications, new LC materials have been rationally designed and developed. In this Review, we present the recent developments in light driven chiral LCs, i.e., cholesteric and blue phases, LC based smart windows that control the entrance of heat and light from outdoor to the interior of buildings and built environments depending on the weather conditions, LC elastomers for bioinspired, biological, and actuator applications, LC based biosensors for detection of proteins, nucleic acids, and viruses, LC based porous membranes for the separation of ions, molecules, and microbes, living LCs, and LCs under macro- and nanoscopic confinement. The Review concludes with a summary and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for LCs as smart soft materials. This Review is anticipated to stimulate eclectic ideas toward the implementation of the nature's delicate phase of matter in future generations of smart and augmented devices and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hari Krishna Bisoyi
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
| | - Quan Li
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States.,Institute of Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Jiangsu Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
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Khan M, Liu S, Qi L, Ma C, Munir S, Yu L, Hu Q. Liquid crystal-based sensors for the detection of biomarkers at the aqueous/LC interface. Trends Analyt Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2021.116434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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28
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Applications of Microfluidics in Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors. BIOSENSORS-BASEL 2021; 11:bios11100385. [PMID: 34677341 PMCID: PMC8534167 DOI: 10.3390/bios11100385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs) with stimuli-responsive configuration transition and optical anisotropic properties have attracted enormous interest in the development of simple and label-free biosensors. The combination of microfluidics and the LCs offers great advantages over traditional LC-based biosensors including small sample consumption, fast analysis and low cost. Moreover, microfluidic techniques provide a promising tool to fabricate uniform and reproducible LC-based sensing platforms. In this review, we emphasize the recent development of microfluidics in the fabrication and integration of LC-based biosensors, including LC planar sensing platforms and LC droplets. Fabrication and integration of LC-based planar platforms with microfluidics for biosensing applications are first introduced. The generation and entrapment of monodisperse LC droplets with different microfluidic structures, as well as their applications in the detection of chemical and biological species, are then summarized. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of the development of LC-based microfluidic biosensors are proposed. This review will promote the understanding of microfluidic techniques in LC-based biosensors and facilitate the development of LC-based microfluidic biosensing devices with high performance.
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Ramou E, Rebordão G, Palma SICJ, Roque ACA. Stable and Oriented Liquid Crystal Droplets Stabilized by Imidazolium Ionic Liquids. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26196044. [PMID: 34641588 PMCID: PMC8512111 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26196044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid crystals represent a fascinating intermediate state of matter, with dynamic yet organized molecular features and untapped opportunities in sensing. Several works report the use of liquid crystal droplets formed by microfluidics and stabilized by surfactants such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). In this work, we explore, for the first time, the potential of surface-active ionic liquids of the imidazolium family as surfactants to generate in high yield, stable and oriented liquid crystal droplets. Our results show that [C12MIM][Cl], in particular, yields stable, uniform and monodisperse droplets (diameter 74 ± 6 µm; PDI = 8%) with the liquid crystal in a radial configuration, even when compared with the standard SDS surfactant. These findings reveal an additional application for ionic liquids in the field of soft matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efthymia Ramou
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; (E.R.); (G.R.); (S.I.C.J.P.)
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Guilherme Rebordão
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; (E.R.); (G.R.); (S.I.C.J.P.)
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Susana I. C. J. Palma
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; (E.R.); (G.R.); (S.I.C.J.P.)
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Ana C. A. Roque
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal; (E.R.); (G.R.); (S.I.C.J.P.)
- UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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Liquid crystal-based biosensors as lab-on-chip tools: Promising for future on-site detection test kits. Trends Analyt Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2021.116325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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31
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A stokes polarimetric light microscopy view of liquid crystal droplets. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16329. [PMID: 34381082 PMCID: PMC8358033 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95674-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The optical characteristics of materials, such as their magnetooptical effects, birefringence, optical activities, linear and circular dichroism, are probed via the polarisation states of light transmitted through or reflected from the specimens. As such, the measurements of the polarisation states play an important role in many research disciplines. Experimentally, Stokes parameters provide a full description of the polarisation states of light. We report the implementation of a dual- photoelastic modulator based polarimeter in a light microscope, enabling the determination of Stokes parameters at each pixel. As a case study, polarimetric images of liquid crystal droplets of different internal structures are obtained, showing their distinct polarisation characteristics. We demonstrate that the prototype Stokes polarimetric microscope allows the quantitative determination of the polarisation characteristics of light at the object plane and enables the access of the information of full polarisation states as compared to a conventional cross polariser microscope. This work shows that Stokes polarimetric microscopy may find potential applications in a wide range of research fields.
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Abou-Saleh RH, Armistead FJ, Batchelor DVB, Johnson BRG, Peyman SA, Evans SD. Horizon: Microfluidic platform for the production of therapeutic microbubbles and nanobubbles. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:074105. [PMID: 34340422 DOI: 10.1063/5.0040213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microbubbles (MBs) have a multitude of applications including as contrast agents in ultrasound imaging and as therapeutic drug delivery vehicles, with further scope for combining their diagnostic and therapeutic properties (known as theranostics). MBs used clinically are commonly made by mechanical agitation or sonication methods, which offer little control over population size and dispersity. Furthermore, clinically used MBs are yet to be used therapeutically and further research is needed to develop these theranostic agents. In this paper, we present our MB production instrument "Horizon," which is a robust, portable, and user-friendly instrument, integrating the key components for producing MBs using microfluidic flow-focusing devices. In addition, we present the system design and specifications of Horizon and the optimized protocols that have so far been used to produce MBs with specific properties. These include MBs with tailored size and low dispersity (monodisperse); MBs with a diameter of ∼2 μm, which are more disperse but also produced in higher concentration; nanobubbles with diameters of 100-600 nm; and therapeutic MBs with drug payloads for targeted delivery. Multiplexed chips were able to improve production rates up to 16-fold while maintaining production stability. This work shows that Horizon is a versatile instrument with potential for mass production and use across many research facilities, which could begin to bridge the gap between therapeutic MB research and clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radwa H Abou-Saleh
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Fern J Armistead
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Damien V B Batchelor
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin R G Johnson
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Sally A Peyman
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen D Evans
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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Wang J, Pinkse PWH, Segerink LI, Eijkel JCT. Bottom-Up Assembled Photonic Crystals for Structure-Enabled Label-Free Sensing. ACS NANO 2021; 15:9299-9327. [PMID: 34028246 PMCID: PMC8291770 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c02495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Photonic crystals (PhCs) display photonic stop bands (PSBs) and at the edges of these PSBs transport light with reduced velocity, enabling the PhCs to confine and manipulate incident light with enhanced light-matter interaction. Intense research has been devoted to leveraging the optical properties of PhCs for the development of optical sensors for bioassays, diagnosis, and environmental monitoring. These applications have furthermore benefited from the inherently large surface area of PhCs, giving rise to high analyte adsorption and the wide range of options for structural variations of the PhCs leading to enhanced light-matter interaction. Here, we focus on bottom-up assembled PhCs and review the significant advances that have been made in their use as label-free sensors. We describe their potential for point-of-care devices and in the review include their structural design, constituent materials, fabrication strategy, and sensing working principles. We thereby classify them according to five sensing principles: sensing of refractive index variations, sensing by lattice spacing variations, enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and configuration transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- BIOS
Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical
Medical Centre & Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Pepijn W. H. Pinkse
- Complex
Photonic Systems Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Loes I. Segerink
- BIOS
Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical
Medical Centre & Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Jan C. T. Eijkel
- BIOS
Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical
Medical Centre & Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
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34
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Chang JJ, Huang JW, Lin CF, Liu SW, Chen CH. Enhancing the signal contrast ratio and stability of liquid crystal-based sensors by using fine grids made by photolithography of photoresists. Analyst 2021; 146:3834-3840. [PMID: 33913955 DOI: 10.1039/d1an00332a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We prepared fine grid patterns on a glass substrate through photolithography of photoresists; we filled photoresist grids with liquid crystals (LCs) to construct LC-based sensors. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the photoresist grids were flat, smooth, and 3.0-8.0 μm thick. In contrast to conventional LC-based sensors, in which LCs are filled in metal grids placed on glass substrates, our results proved that LC-based sensors constructed using photoresist grids exhibited a larger signal contrast ratio, better signal stability in aqueous solutions and lower limit of detection for mercuric ions. All these characteristics enhanced the performance of the LC-based sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Jung Chang
- Department of Chemistry, Tamkang University, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan. and Department of Electronic Engineering and Organic Electronics Research Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan.
| | - Jhih-Wei Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Tamkang University, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan.
| | - Chun-Feng Lin
- Department of Electronic Engineering and Organic Electronics Research Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan.
| | - Shun-Wei Liu
- Department of Electronic Engineering and Organic Electronics Research Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Hsin Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Tamkang University, New Taipei City 25137, Taiwan.
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35
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Pani I, K M FN, Sharma M, Pal SK. Probing Nanoscale Lipid-Protein Interactions at the Interface of Liquid Crystal Droplets. NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:4546-4553. [PMID: 34048245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c05139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous interfaces of liquid crystals (LCs) are widely explored in the design of functional interfaces to recapitulate the key aspects of biomolecular interactions in cellular milieu. Herein, using aqueous LC dispersions, we explore the interactions between mitochondrial cardiolipin and membrane-associated cytochrome c which play a pivotal role in the apoptotic signaling cascade. Conventional techniques used to decipher LC ordering at the droplet interface fail to give information about the interactions at a molecular level. Besides, owing to the complexity of LC systems and multiple determinants driving the LC reorientation, accurate analysis of the underlying mechanism responsible for the LC ordering transition remains challenging. Using a combination of atomistic simulations and microscopic and spectroscopic readouts, for the first time, we unveil the lipid-protein interactions that drive the reorientation at the LC droplet interface. The insights from our work are fundamental to the design of these interfaces for a spectrum of interfacial applications.
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36
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Gong C, Qiao Z, Yuan Z, Huang S, Wang W, Wu PC, Chen Y. Topological Encoded Vector Beams for Monitoring Amyloid-Lipid Interactions in Microcavity. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:2100096. [PMID: 34194941 PMCID: PMC8224421 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202100096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Lasers are the pillars of modern photonics and sensing. Recent advances in microlasers have demonstrated its extraordinary lasing characteristics suitable for biosensing. However, most lasers utilized lasing spectrum as a detection signal, which can hardly detect or characterize nanoscale structural changes in microcavity. Here the concept of amplified structured light-molecule interactions is introduced to monitor tiny bio-structural changes in a microcavity. Biomimetic liquid crystal droplets with self-assembled lipid monolayers are sandwiched in a Fabry-Pérot cavity, where subtle protein-lipid membrane interactions trigger the topological transformation of output vector beams. By exploiting Amyloid β (Aβ)-lipid membrane interactions as a proof-of-concept, it is demonstrated that vector laser beams can be viewed as a topology of complex laser modes and polarization states. The concept of topological-encoded laser barcodes is therefore developed to reveal dynamic changes of laser modes and Aβ-lipid interactions with different Aβ assembly structures. The findings demonstrate that the topology of vector beams represents significant features of intracavity nano-structural dynamics resulted from structured light-molecule interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyang Gong
- School of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Zhen Qiao
- School of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Zhiyi Yuan
- School of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
| | - Shih‐Hsiu Huang
- Department of PhotonicsNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainan70101Taiwan
| | - Wenjie Wang
- Key Lab of Advanced Transducers and Intelligent Control System of Ministry of EducationTaiyuan University of TechnologyTaiyuan030024P. R. China
| | - Pin Chieh Wu
- Department of PhotonicsNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainan70101Taiwan
| | - Yu‐Cheng Chen
- School of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringNanyang Technological University50 Nanyang AvenueSingapore639798Singapore
- School of Chemical and Biomedical EngineeringNanyang Technological University62 Nanyang DriveSingapore637459Singapore
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37
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Wang Z, Xu T, Noel A, Chen YC, Liu T. Applications of liquid crystals in biosensing. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:4675-4702. [PMID: 33978639 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm02088e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystals (LCs), as a promising branch of highly-sensitive, quick-response, and low-cost materials, are widely applied to the detection of weak external stimuli and have attracted significant attention. Over the past decade, many research groups have been devoted to developing LC-based biosensors due to their self-assembly potential and functional diversity. In this paper, recent investigations on the design and application of LC-based biosensors are reviewed, based on the phenomenon that the orientation of LCs can be directly influenced by the interactions between biomolecules and LC molecules. The sensing principle of LC-based biosensors, as well as their signal detection by probing interfacial interactions, is described to convert, amplify, and quantify the information from targets into optical and electrical parameters. Furthermore, commonly-used LC biosensing targets are introduced, including glucose, proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, cells, microorganisms, ions, and other micromolecules that are critical to human health. Due to their self-assembly potential, chemical diversity, and high sensitivity, it has been reported that tunable stimuli-responsive LC biosensors show bright perspectives and high superiorities in biological applications. Finally, challenges and future prospects are discussed for the fabrication and application of LC biosensors to both enhance their performance and to realize their promise in the biosensing industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyihui Wang
- School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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38
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Wu W, Wang W, Qi L, Wang Q, Yu L, Lin JM, Hu Q. Screening of Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitors by Liquid Crystal-Based Assay Assisted with Enzyme Catalysis-Induced Aptamer Release. Anal Chem 2021; 93:6151-6157. [PMID: 33826305 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c05456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Small-molecule drugs play an important role in the treatment of various diseases. The screening of enzyme inhibitors is one of the most important means in developing therapeutic drugs. Herein, we demonstrate a liquid crystal (LC)-based screening assay assisted with enzyme catalysis-induced aptamer release for screening xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitors. The oxidation of xanthine by XOD prevents the specific binding of xanthine and its aptamer, which induces a bright image of LCs. However, when XOD is inhibited, xanthine specifically binds to the aptamer. Correspondingly, LCs display a dark image. Three compounds are identified as potent XOD inhibitors by screening a small library of triazole derivatives using this method. Molecular docking verifies the occupation of the active site by the inhibitor, which also exhibits excellent biocompatibility to HEK293 cells and HeLa cells. This strategy takes advantages of the unique aptamer-target binding, specific enzymatic reaction, and simple LC-based screening assay, which allows high-throughput and label-free screening of inhibitors with high sensitivity and remarkable accuracy. Overall, this study provides a competent and promising approach to facilitate the screening of enzyme inhibitors using the LC-based assay assisted with the enzyme catalysis-induced aptamer release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenli Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250014, China
| | - Weiguo Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, P. R. China
| | - Lubin Qi
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Quanbo Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250014, China
| | - Li Yu
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Jin-Ming Lin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qiongzheng Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250014, China
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39
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Bao P, Paterson DA, Peyman SA, Jones JC, Sandoe JAT, Gleeson HF, Evans SD, Bushby RJ. Production of giant unilamellar vesicles and encapsulation of lyotropic nematic liquid crystals. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:2234-2241. [PMID: 33469638 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01684e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
We describe a modified microfluidic method for making Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) via water/octanol-lipid/water double emulsion droplets. At a high enough lipid concentration we show that the de-wetting of the octanol from these droplets occurs spontaneously (off-chip) without the need to use shear to aid the de-wetting process. The resultant mixture of octanol droplets and GUVs can be separated by making use of the buoyancy of the octanol. A simpler microfluidic device and pump system can be employed and, because of the higher flow-rates and much higher rate of formation of the double emulsion droplets (∼1500 s-1 compared to up to ∼75 s-1), it is easier to make larger numbers of GUVs and larger volumes of solution. Because of the potential for using GUVs that incorporate lyotropic nematic liquid crystals in biosensors we have used this method to make GUVs that incorporate the nematic phases of sunset yellow and disodium chromoglycate. However, the phase behaviour of these lyotropic liquid crystals is quite sensitive to concentration and we found that there is an unexpected spread in the concentration of the contents of the GUVs obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Bao
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Daniel A Paterson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK and School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sally A Peyman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK and Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - J Cliff Jones
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jonathan A T Sandoe
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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40
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Czekalska MA, Jacobs AMJ, Toprakcioglu Z, Kong L, Baumann KN, Gang H, Zubaite G, Ye R, Mu B, Levin A, Huck WTS, Knowles TPJ. One-Step Generation of Multisomes from Lipid-Stabilized Double Emulsions. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:6739-6747. [PMID: 33522221 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c16019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Multisomes are multicompartmental structures formed by a lipid-stabilized network of aqueous droplets, which are contained by an outer oil phase. These biomimetic structures are emerging as a versatile platform for soft matter and synthetic biology applications. While several methods for producing multisomes have been described, including microfluidic techniques, approaches for generating biocompatible, monodisperse multisomes in a reproducible manner remain challenging to implement due to low throughput and complex device fabrication. Here, we report on a robust method for the dynamically controlled generation of multisomes with controllable sizes and high monodispersity from lipid-based double emulsions. The described microfluidic approach entails the use of three different phases forming a water/oil/water (W/O/W) double emulsion stabilized by lipid layers. We employ a gradient of glycerol concentration between the inner core and outer phase to drive the directed osmosis, allowing the swelling of lamellar lipid layers resulting in the formation of small aqueous daughter droplets at the interface of the inner aqueous core. By adding increasing concentrations of glycerol to the outer aqueous phase and subsequently varying the osmotic gradient, we show that key structural parameters, including the size of the internal droplets, can be specifically controlled. Finally, we show that this approach can be used to generate multisomes encapsulating small-molecule cargo, with potential applications in synthetic biology, drug delivery, and as carriers for active materials in the food and cosmetics industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena A Czekalska
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, Warsaw 01-224, Poland
| | - Anne M J Jacobs
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Zenon Toprakcioglu
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lingling Kong
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and Applied Chemistry Institute, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Kevin N Baumann
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Hongze Gang
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and Applied Chemistry Institute, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Greta Zubaite
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ruqiang Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and Applied Chemistry Institute, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Bozhong Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and Applied Chemistry Institute, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Aviad Levin
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Wilhelm T S Huck
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, CB2 0HE Cambridge, United Kingdom
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41
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Textures of Nematic Liquid Crystal Cylindric-Section Droplets Confined by Chemically Patterned Surfaces. CRYSTALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst11010065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The director fields adopted by nematic liquid crystals (LCs) that are confined by the surface to form long, thin droplets are investigated using polarising optical microscopy. Samples are produced by de-wetting of the LC on a surface patterned with alternating high-surface energy and low-surface energy stripes of 10–30 μm width. The droplets obtained are expected to adopt a profile which is that of a longitudinal section of a cylinder and, as this suggests, the director fields observed are variants in the case where the LC is constrained in a cylindrical capillary or fibre. Hence, when there is normal anchoring at the air interface, the textures observed are related to the well-known escaped radial texture (for the nematic LC mixture E7) or plane polar texture (for the LC mixture MLC6609). More surprising is the observation that the nematic LC mixture MLC7023, which is anchored in a planar or tilted manner at the air interface, also gives what appears to be an escaped radial director field. As an exploration of the possibility of using these systems in creating sensors, the effects of adding a chiral dopant and of adding water to the substrates are also investigated.
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42
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Puentes PR, Henao MC, Torres CE, Gómez SC, Gómez LA, Burgos JC, Arbeláez P, Osma JF, Muñoz-Camargo C, Reyes LH, Cruz JC. Design, Screening, and Testing of Non-Rational Peptide Libraries with Antimicrobial Activity: In Silico and Experimental Approaches. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:E854. [PMID: 33265897 PMCID: PMC7759991 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9120854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the challenges of modern biotechnology is to find new routes to mitigate the resistance to conventional antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an alternative type of biomolecules, naturally present in a wide variety of organisms, with the capacity to overcome the current microorganism resistance threat. Here, we reviewed our recent efforts to develop a new library of non-rationally produced AMPs that relies on bacterial genome inherent diversity and compared it with rationally designed libraries. Our approach is based on a four-stage workflow process that incorporates the interplay of recent developments in four major emerging technologies: artificial intelligence, molecular dynamics, surface-display in microorganisms, and microfluidics. Implementing this framework is challenging because to obtain reliable results, the in silico algorithms to search for candidate AMPs need to overcome issues of the state-of-the-art approaches that limit the possibilities for multi-space data distribution analyses in extremely large databases. We expect to tackle this challenge by using a recently developed classification algorithm based on deep learning models that rely on convolutional layers and gated recurrent units. This will be complemented by carefully tailored molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate specific interactions with lipid bilayers. Candidate AMPs will be recombinantly-expressed on the surface of microorganisms for further screening via different droplet-based microfluidic-based strategies to identify AMPs with the desired lytic abilities. We believe that the proposed approach opens opportunities for searching and screening bioactive peptides for other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Ruiz Puentes
- Center for Research and Formation in Artificial Intelligence, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia; (P.R.P.); (P.A.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia; (C.E.T.); (S.C.G.); (L.A.G.); (C.M.-C.)
| | - María C. Henao
- Grupo de Diseño de Productos y Procesos, Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia;
| | - Carlos E. Torres
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia; (C.E.T.); (S.C.G.); (L.A.G.); (C.M.-C.)
| | - Saúl C. Gómez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia; (C.E.T.); (S.C.G.); (L.A.G.); (C.M.-C.)
| | - Laura A. Gómez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia; (C.E.T.); (S.C.G.); (L.A.G.); (C.M.-C.)
| | - Juan C. Burgos
- Chemical Engineering Program, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena 130015, Colombia;
| | - Pablo Arbeláez
- Center for Research and Formation in Artificial Intelligence, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia; (P.R.P.); (P.A.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia; (C.E.T.); (S.C.G.); (L.A.G.); (C.M.-C.)
| | - Johann F. Osma
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia;
| | - Carolina Muñoz-Camargo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia; (C.E.T.); (S.C.G.); (L.A.G.); (C.M.-C.)
| | - Luis H. Reyes
- Grupo de Diseño de Productos y Procesos, Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia;
| | - Juan C. Cruz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota DC 111711, Colombia; (C.E.T.); (S.C.G.); (L.A.G.); (C.M.-C.)
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
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Solodkov NV, Saxena A, Jones JC. Electrically Driven Rotation and Nonreciprocal Motion of Microparticles in Nematic Liquid Crystals. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2003352. [PMID: 32893438 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202003352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dispersion of microparticles in nematic liquid crystals offers a novel means for controlling both their orientation and position through the combination of topology and external stimuli. Here, cuboidal and triangular prism shaped microparticles in parallel plate capacitor cells filled with a nematic liquid crystal are studied. Experimental observations are compared with numerical simulations to show that the optimal orientation of the particles is determined by their aspect rations, the relative separation gap of their containers and the applied voltage. It is observed that in systems that allow unrestricted particle rotation, the long axes of the particles are able to fully align themselves with the external electric field. However, when particle rotation is geometrically restricted, it is found that increasing the voltage past a critical value causes the short axis of the particle to realign with the electric field due to anchoring breaking. It is shown that symmetry of the particles then plays a key role in their dynamics following the removal of the electric field, allowing the triangular prisms to travel perpendicular to the applied electric field, whereas only rotation is possible for the cuboidal particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita V Solodkov
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Antariksh Saxena
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - J Cliff Jones
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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44
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Chen Z, Chen B, He M, Hu B. Droplet-Splitting Microchip Online Coupled with Time-Resolved ICPMS for Analysis of Released Fe and Pt in Single Cells Treated with FePt Nanoparticles. Anal Chem 2020; 92:12208-12215. [PMID: 32786455 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The intracellular release of Fe/Pt ions from FePt nanoparticles (NPs) in single cells is highly critical to elucidate the potential cytotoxicity or potential cell protection mechanism of FePt NPs. For the first time, the quantitative analysis of Fe/Pt released from FePt-Cys NPs in single cells was achieved by a droplet-splitting microchip coupled online to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection. The droplet-splitting chip integrates droplet generation, cell lysis, and droplet-splitting units. The quantification of released Fe/Pt was achieved via measuring standard Fe/Pt ionic solutions. For the determination of total Fe/Pt in single cells, the same microchip with different operation modes (total-mode) was used, and the quantification of total Fe/Pt was achieved with FePt NPs as the standard. The developed method with two analysis modes was applied to study the decomposition behavior of FePt-Cys NPs in single cells, and the results indicated that the percentages of the cells absorbing/decomposing FePt-Cys NPs increased with the incubation time. Almost all cells absorbed FePt-Cys NPs after 6 h, while only about 60% cells decomposed FePt-Cys NPs after 6 h and almost all cells decomposed FePt-Cys NPs after 18 h. Besides, the released Fe content was lower than its endogenous content in cells and the release rate of Pt was higher than that of Fe, providing a possibility that the released Pt may contribute more to cytotoxicity. The developed system enabled fractionation of Fe/Pt in single cells treated with FePt NPs with high accuracy, easy operation, and high throughput and showed a great potential for elemental speciation at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenna Chen
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Beibei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Man He
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Bin Hu
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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45
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Han X, Han D, Zeng J, Deng J, Hu N, Yang J. Fabrication and performance of monodisperse liquid crystal droplet-based microchips for the on-chip detection of bile acids. Microchem J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2020.105057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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46
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Paterson DA, Bao P, Abou-Saleh RH, Peyman SA, Jones JC, Sandoe JAT, Evans SD, Gleeson HF, Bushby RJ. Control of Director Fields in Phospholipid-Coated Liquid Crystal Droplets. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:6436-6446. [PMID: 32392071 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c00651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In liquid crystal (LC) droplets, small changes in surface anchoring energy can produce large changes in the director field which result in readily detectable optical effects. This makes them attractive for use as biosensors. Coating LC droplets with a phospholipid monolayer provides a bridge between the hydrophobic world of LCs and the water-based world of biology and makes it possible to incorporate naturally occurring biosensor systems. However, phospholipids promote strong perpendicular (homeotropic) anchoring that can inhibit switching of the director field. We show that the tendency for phospholipid layers to promote perpendicular anchoring can be suppressed by using synthetic phospholipids in which the acyl chains are terminated with bulky tert-butyl or ferrocenyl groups; the larger these end-group(s), the less likely the system is to be perpendicular/radial. Additionally, the droplet director field is found to be dependent on the nature of the LC, particularly its intrinsic surface properties, but not (apparently) on the sign of the dielectric anisotropy, the proximity to the melting/isotropic phase transition, the surface tension (in air), or the values of the Frank elastic constants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Paterson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Peng Bao
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Radwa H Abou-Saleh
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Sally A Peyman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - J Cliff Jones
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Jonathan A T Sandoe
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Helen F Gleeson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
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47
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Esteves C, Ramou E, Porteira ARP, Barbosa AJM, Roque ACA. Seeing the Unseen: The Role of Liquid Crystals in Gas-Sensing Technologies. ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS 2020; 8:1902117. [PMID: 32612901 PMCID: PMC7329384 DOI: 10.1002/adom.201902117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Fast, real-time detection of gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is an emerging research field relevant to most aspects of modern society, from households to health facilities, industrial units, and military environments. Sensor features such as high sensitivity, selectivity, fast response, and low energy consumption are essential. Liquid crystal (LC)-based sensors fulfill these requirements due to their chemical diversity, inherent self-assembly potential, and reversible molecular order, resulting in tunable stimuliresponsive soft materials. Sensing platforms utilizing thermotropic uniaxial systems-nematic and smectic-that exploit not only interfacial phenomena, but also changes in the LC bulk, are demonstrated. Special focus is given to the different interaction mechanisms and tuned selectivity toward gas and VOC analytes. Furthermore, the different experimental methods used to transduce the presence of chemical analytes into macroscopic signals are discussed and detailed examples are provided. Future perspectives and trends in the field, in particular the opportunities for LC-based advanced materials in artificial olfaction, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Esteves
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade Nova de Lisboa Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
| | - Efthymia Ramou
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade Nova de Lisboa Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
| | - Ana Raquel Pina Porteira
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade Nova de Lisboa Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
| | - Arménio Jorge Moura Barbosa
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade Nova de Lisboa Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
| | - Ana Cecília Afonso Roque
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Química Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade Nova de Lisboa Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
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48
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Qi L, Liu S, Jiang Y, Lin JM, Yu L, Hu Q. Simultaneous Detection of Multiple Tumor Markers in Blood by Functional Liquid Crystal Sensors Assisted with Target-Induced Dissociation of Aptamer. Anal Chem 2020; 92:3867-3873. [PMID: 32069024 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b05317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Multiplex detection of tumor markers in blood with high specificity and high sensitivity is critical to cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Herein, we demonstrate a strategy for simultaneous detection of multiple tumor markers in blood by functional liquid crystal (LC) sensors assisted with target-induced dissociation (TID) of an aptamer for the first time. Magnetic beads (MBs) coated with an aptamer (apt1) are employed to specifically capture target proteins in blood. After incubation of the obtained protein-coated MBs with duplexes of another aptamer (apt2) and signal DNA, sandwich complexes of apt1/protein/apt2 are formed on the MBs due to specific recognition of target proteins by apt2, which induces release of signal DNA into the aqueous solution. Subsequently, signal DNA is specifically recognized by highly sensitive DNA-laden LC sensors. Using this strategy, a 3D printed optical cell was employed to enable simultaneous detection of multiple tumor markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and prostate specific antigen (PSA) with high specificity and high sensitivity. Overall, this effective and low-cost multiplex approach takes advantage of the easy separation of MBs, high specificity of aptamer-based recognition, and high sensitivity of functional LC sensors. Plus, it offers a performance that is competitive to that of commercial ELISA kits without potential interference from hemolysis, which makes it very promising in multiplex detection of tumor markers in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubin Qi
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Shuya Liu
- Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Yifei Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Jin-Ming Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Li Yu
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Qiongzheng Hu
- Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Jinan 250014, China
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