A Sensitive Nanoporous Gold-Based Electrochemical DNA Biosensor forEscherichia coliDetection

A fluorescent biosensor based on carbon quantum dots and single-stranded DNA for the detection of Escherichia coli

To detect E. coli in food, a simple fluorescent biosensor based on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) was developed. The carbon quantum dots were synthesized using a superhydrothermal method with carrot juice as a carbon source. The fluorescence intensity of the CQDs was decreased by induced ssDNA attachment. In the presence of E. coli, ssDNA preferentially binds to E. coli through hydrogen bonding and its fluorescence is greater than that in the absence of E. coli. The results showed that the linear range of the sensor was 1 × 102-1 × 108 CFU mL-1 with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9870. The detection limit for E. coli was 60 CFU mL-1.

Preparation, Modification, Characterization, and Biosensing Application of Nanoporous Gold Using Electrochemical Techniques

Nanoporous gold (np-Au), because of its high surface area-to-volume ratio, excellent conductivity, chemical inertness, physical stability, biocompatibility, easily tunable pores, and plasmonic properties, has attracted much interested in the field of nanotechnology. It has promising applications in the fields of catalysis, bio/chemical sensing, drug delivery, biomolecules separation and purification, fuel cell development, surface-chemistry-driven actuation, and supercapacitor design. Many chemical and electrochemical procedures are known for the preparation of np-Au. Recently, researchers are focusing on easier and controlled ways to tune the pores and ligaments size of np-Au for its use in different applications. Electrochemical methods have good control over fine-tuning pore and ligament sizes. The np-Au electrodes that are prepared using electrochemical techniques are robust and are easier to handle for their use in electrochemical biosensing. Here, we review different electrochemical strategies for the preparation, post-modification, and characterization of np-Au along with the synergistic use of both electrochemistry and np-Au for applications in biosensing.

DNA sensors to assess the effect of VKORC1 and CYP2C9 gene polymorphisms on warfarin dose requirement in Chinese patients with atrial fibrillation

The optimal dose of warfarin depends on polymorphisms in the VKORC1 (the vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit (1) and CYP2C9 (cytochrome P450 2C9) genes. To minimize the risk of adverse reactions, warfarin dosages should be adjusted according to results from rapid and simple monitoring methods. However, there are few pharmacogenetic-guided warfarin dosing algorithms that are based on large cohorts from the Chinese population, especially patients with atrial fibrillation. This study aimed to validate a pharmacogenetic-guided warfarin dosing algorithm based on results from a new rapid electrochemical detection method used in a multicenter study. Three SNPs (CYP2C9 *2, *3 and VKORC1 c.-1639G > A) were genotyped by electrochemical detection using a sandwich-type format that included a 3' short thiol capture probe and a 5' ferrocene-labeled signal probe. A total of 1285 samples from four clinical hospitals were evaluated. Concordance rates between the results from the electrochemical DNA biosensor and the sequencing test were 99.8%. The results for gene distribution showed that most Chinese patients had higher warfarin susceptibility because mutant-type and heterozygotes were present in the majority of subjects (99.4%) at locus c.-1639G > A. When the International Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Consortium algorithm was used to estimate therapeutic dosages for 362 patients with AF and the values were compared with their actual dosages, the results revealed that 56.9% were similar to actual dosages (within the 20% range). A novel electrochemical detection method of CYP2C9 *2, *3and VKORC1 c.-1639G > A alleles was evaluated. The warfarin dosing algorithm based on data gathered from a large patient cohort can facilitate the reasonable and effective use of warfarin in Chinese patients with AF.

Mechanisms of Reduced Astrocyte Surface Coverage in Cortical Neuron-Glia Co-cultures on Nanoporous Gold Surfaces

Nanoporous gold (np-Au) is a promising multifunctional material for neural electrodes. We have previously shown that np-Au nanotopography reduces astrocyte surface coverage (linked to undesirable gliosis) while maintaining high neuronal coverage in a cortical primary neuron-glia co-culture model as long as two weeks in vitro. Here, we investigate the potential influence of secreted soluble factors from cells grown on np-Au on the cell type-specific surface coverage of cells grown on conventional tissue culture plastic and test the hypothesis that secretion of factors is responsible for inhibiting astrocyte coverage on np-Au. In order to assess whether factors secreted from cells grown on np-Au surfaces reduced surface coverage by astrocytes, we seeded fresh primary rat neuron-glia co-cultures on conventional polystyrene culture dishes, but maintained the cells in conditioned media from co-cultures grown on np-Au surfaces. After one week in vitro, a preferential reduction in astrocyte surface coverage was not observed, suggesting that soluble factors are not playing a role. In contrast, four hours after cell seeding there were a significant number of non-adhered, yet still viable, cells for the cultures on np-Au surfaces. We hypothesize that the non-adherent cells are mainly astrocytes, because: (i) there was no difference in neuronal cell coverage between np-Au and pl-Au for long culture durations and (ii) neurons are post-mitotic and not expected to increase in number upon attaching to the surface. Overall, the results suggest that the np-Au topography leads to preferential neuronal attachment shortly after cell seeding and limits astrocyte-specific np-Au surface coverage at longer culture durations.

Utilizing dynamic laser speckle to probe nanoscale morphology evolution in nanoporous gold thin films

This paper demonstrates the use of dynamic laser speckle autocorrelation spectroscopy in conjunction with the photothermal treatment of nanoporous gold (np-Au) thin films to probe nanoscale morphology changes during the photothermal treatment. Utilizing this spectroscopy method, backscattered speckle from the incident laser is tracked during photothermal treatment and both the characteristic feature size and annealing time of the film are determined. These results demonstrate that this method can successfully be used to monitor laser-based surface modification processes without the use of ex-situ characterization.

Engineering on-chip nanoporous gold material libraries via precision photothermal treatment

Libraries of nanostructured materials on a single chip are a promising platform for high throughput and combinatorial studies of structure-property relationships in the fields of physics and biology. Nanoporous gold (np-Au), produced by an alloy corrosion process, is a nanostructured material specifically suited for such studies because of its self-similar thermally induced coarsening behavior. However, traditional heat application techniques for the modification of np-Au are bulk processes that cannot be used to generate a library of different pore sizes on a single chip. Here, laser micro-processing offers an attractive solution to this problem by providing a means to apply energy with high spatial and temporal resolution. In the present study we use finite element multiphysics simulations to predict the effects of laser mode (continuous-wave vs. pulsed) and thermal conductivity of the supporting substrate on the local np-Au film temperatures during photothermal annealing. Based on these results we discuss the mechanisms by which the np-Au network is coarsened. Thermal transport simulations predict that continuous-wave mode laser irradiation of np-Au thin films on a silicon substrate supports the widest range of morphologies that can be created through photothermal annealing of np-Au. Using the guidance provided by simulations, we successfully fabricate an on-chip material library consisting of 81 np-Au samples of 9 different morphologies for use in the parallel study of structure-property relationships.

Nanoporous gold as a neural interface coating: effects of topography, surface chemistry, and feature size

Designing neural interfaces that maintain close physical coupling of neurons to an electrode surface remains a major challenge for both implantable and in vitro neural recording electrode arrays. Typically, low-impedance nanostructured electrode coatings rely on chemical cues from pharmaceuticals or surface-immobilized peptides to suppress glial scar tissue formation over the electrode surface (astrogliosis), which is an obstacle to reliable neuron-electrode coupling. Nanoporous gold (np-Au), produced by an alloy corrosion process, is a promising candidate to reduce astrogliosis solely through topography by taking advantage of its tunable length scale. In the present in vitro study on np-Au's interaction with cortical neuron-glia co-cultures, we demonstrate that the nanostructure of np-Au achieves close physical coupling of neurons by maintaining a high neuron-to-astrocyte surface coverage ratio. Atomic layer deposition-based surface modification was employed to decouple the effect of morphology from surface chemistry. Additionally, length scale effects were systematically studied by controlling the characteristic feature size of np-Au through variations in the dealloying conditions. Our results show that np-Au nanotopography, not surface chemistry, reduces astrocyte surface coverage while maintaining high neuronal coverage and may enhance neuron-electrode coupling through nanostructure-mediated suppression of scar tissue formation.

Electrochemical detection of a pathogenic Escherichia coli specific DNA sequence based on a graphene oxide–chitosan composite decorated with nickel ferrite nanoparticles

An electrochemical genosensor has been fabricated forEscherichia coliO157:H7 detection using a graphene oxide–nickel ferrite–chitosan nanocomposite electrophoretically deposited on an ITO coated glass substrate.

Porous Gold Films-A Short Review on Recent Progress

Porous gold films have attracted increasing interest over the last ten years due to the unique properties of high specific surface area and electrical conductivity combined with chemical stability and ability to alter the surface chemistry. Several methods have been developed to synthesize porous gold films such as de-alloying, templating, electrochemical, and self-assembling. These porous gold films are used in diverse fields, for example, as electrochemical and Raman sensors or for chemical catalysis. Here, we provide a short review on the progress of porous gold films over the past ten years, including the synthesis and applications of such films.

Nanostructured rough gold electrodes as platforms to enhance the sensitivity of electrochemical genosensors

An electrochemical DNA genosensor constructed by using rough gold as electrode support is reported in this work. The electrode surface nanopatterning was accomplished by repetitive square-wave perturbing potential (RSWPP). A synthetic 25-mer DNA capture probe, modified at the 5' end with a hexaalkylthiol, able to hybridize with a specific sequence of lacZ gene from the Enterobacteriaceae bacterial family was assembled to the rough gold surface. A 25 bases synthetic sequence fully complementary to the thiolated DNA capture probe and a 326 bases fragment of lacZ containing a fully matched sequence with the capture probe, which was amplified by a specific asymmetric polymerase chain reaction (aPCR), were employed as target sequences. The hybridization event was electrochemically monitored by using two different indicators, hexaammineruthenium (III) chloride showing an electrostatic DNA binding mode, and pentaamineruthenium-[3-(2-phenanthren-9-yl-vinyl)-pyridine] (in brief RuL) which binds to double stranded DNA (dsDNA) following an intercalative mechanism. After optimization of the different variables involved in the hybridization and detection reactions, detection limits of 5.30 pg μL(-1) and 10 pg μL(-1) were obtained for the 25-mer synthetic target DNA and the aPCR amplicon, respectively. A RSD value of 6% was obtained for measurements carried out with 3 different genosensors prepared in the same manner.