Quantifying F-actin patches in single melanoma cells using total-internal reflection fluorescence microscopy.

Total-internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscope is a unique technique for selective excitation of only those fluorophore molecules in a cellular environment, which are located at the sub-diffraction axial distance of a cell's contact-area. Despite this prominent feature of the TIRF microscope, making quantitative use of this technique has been a challenge, since the excitation intensity strongly depends on the axial position of a fluorophore molecule. Here, we present an easy-implemented data analysis method to quantitatively characterize the fluorescent signal, without considering the intensity-value.

Morphometry and Modeling of Label-Free Human Melanocytes and Melanoma Cells.

A combination of light microscopy and image processing was applied to investigate morphology of label-free primary-melanocytes and melanoma cells. A novel methodological approach based on morphology of nuclear body was used to find those single cells, which were at the same phase of cell cycle. The area and perimeter of melanocytes and melanoma cells were quantified.

Capture and detection of rare cancer cells in blood by intrinsic fluorescence of a novel functionalized diatom.

The ability to identify and enrich target cells can play a significant role in biosensing in general. For the separation of rare cells; a biosilica structure was extracted from "Chaetoceros sp." diatoms as a novel natural source of mesoporous materials.

A novel aspect of functionalized graphene quantum dots in cytotoxicity studies.

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) represent a new generation of graphene-based nanomaterials with enormous potential for use and development of a variety of biomedical applications. However, up to now little studies have investigated the impact of GQDs on human health in case of exposure. GQDs were synthesized from citric acid as carbon precursor by hydrothermal treatment at 160 °C for 4 h.

Label free phosphate functionalized semiconducting polymer dots for detection of iron(III) and cytochrome c with application to apoptosis imaging.

We report on facile synthesis and characterization of phosphate-functionalized polymer dots (PDs) by doping tributyl phosphate (TBP) in a semiconducting polymer poly[9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-1,4-benzo-{2,10-3}-thiadiazole)] (PFBT). Then, the prepared TBP@PFBT PDs were used to develop a very high sensitive probe for detection Fe, Cu ions and Cytochrome c based on aggregation induced fluorescence off mechanism. The PDs exhibited a linear dynamic range for Fe from 0.

Chemiluminescent liposomes as a theranostic carrier for detection of tumor cells under oxidative stress.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) is one of the main source of oxidative stress and a typical marker of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-associated diseases. Therefore, selective detection and scavenging of overproduced HO provide enormous benefits to the successful treatment of ROS-related diseases. The authors took advantage of this property to detect cancer cells using chemiluminescent peroxyoxalate reaction.