Non-invasive in vivo sensing of bacterial implant infection using catalytically-optimised gold nanocluster-loaded liposomes for urinary readout.

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of nosocomial implant-associated infections, causing significant morbidity and mortality, underscoring the need for rapid, non-invasive, and cost-effective diagnostics. Here, we optimise the synthesis of renal-clearable gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) for enhanced catalytic activity with the aim of developing a sensitive colourimetric diagnostic for bacterial infection. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations confirm the stability of glutathione-coated AuNCs and surface access for peroxidase-like activity in complex physiological environments.

Feasibility of Using Continuous Glucose Monitoring to Detect Glycemic Abnormalities in Children with Cystic Fibrosis.

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) is linked to worsening pulmonary function and increased mortality in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Because of this correlation, early recognition of CFRD is important. Current recommendations for detecting glucose abnormalities using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) can be difficult to achieve in a busy clinical setting.

Unlocking Intracellular Protein Delivery by Harnessing Polymersomes Synthesized at Microliter Volumes using Photo-PISA.

Efficient delivery of therapeutic proteins and vaccine antigens to intracellular targets is challenging due to generally poor cell membrane permeation and endolysosomal entrapment causing degradation. Herein, these challenges are addressed by developing an oxygen-tolerant photoinitiated polymerization-induced self-assembly (Photo-PISA) process, allowing for the microliter-scale (10 µL) synthesis of protein-loaded polymersomes directly in 1536-well plates. High-resolution techniques capable of analysis at a single particle level are employed to analyze protein encapsulation and release mechanisms.

The role of helper lipids in optimising nanoparticle formulations of self-amplifying RNA.

Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation plays a vital role in RNA vaccine delivery. However, further optimisation of self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) vaccine formulation could help enhance seroconversion rates in humans and improve storage stability. Altering either the ionisable or helper lipid can alter the characteristics and performance of formulated saRNA through the interplay of the phospholipid's packing parameter and the geometrical shape within the LNP membrane.

Assembly of Fillable Microrobotic Systems by Microfluidic Loading with Dip Sealing.

Microrobots can provide spatiotemporally well-controlled cargo delivery that can improve therapeutic efficiency compared to conventional drug delivery strategies. Robust microfabrication methods to expand the variety of materials or cargoes that can be incorporated into microrobots can greatly broaden the scope of their functions. However, current surface coating or direct blending techniques used for cargo loading result in inefficient loading and poor cargo protection during transportation, which leads to cargo waste, degradation and non-specific release.