A polypyrrole-mediated photothermal biosensor with a temperature and pressure dual readout for the detection of protein biomarkers.

Photothermal biosensors with advantages of speed and high sensitivity offer alternative and reliable solutions for real-time clinical diagnosis, food safety testing and environmental monitoring. Although metallic nanoparticles are usually used for photothermal biosensors, their poor photothermal stability and potential toxicity hinder clinical applications. Taking advantage of the low cytotoxicity and remarkable photothermal effect under the low laser power of polypyrrole-based organic nanoparticles, we developed a novel photothermal biosensor with a temperature and pressure dual readout.

In situ Raman enhancement strategy for highly sensitive and quantitative lateral flow assay.

As a paper-based analytical platform, lateral flow assay (LFA) gets benefit from the rapid analysis, low cost, high selectivity, good stability, and user-friendliness, and thus has been widely used in rapid screening or assisted diagnosis. Nevertheless, LFA still suffers from low detection sensitivity via the naked eye, limiting its applications to qualitative and semi-quantitative tests. To enhance the signal readout, various nanoparticle signal tags have been employed to replace traditional colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), such as fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs), magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), and Raman reporter-labeled nanoparticles.

Investing in Food Safety for Developing Countries: Opportunities and Challenges in Applying Whole-Genome Sequencing for Food Safety Management.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has become a significant tool in investigating foodborne disease outbreaks and some countries have incorporated WGS into national food control systems. However, WGS poses technical challenges that deter developing countries from incorporating it into their food safety management system. A rapid scoping review was conducted, followed by a focus group session, to understand the current situation regarding the use of WGS for foodborne disease surveillance and food monitoring at the global level and identify key limiting factors for developing countries in adopting WGS for their food control systems.

Lateral flow assay with pressure meter readout for rapid point-of-care detection of disease-associated protein.

Paper-based assays such as lateral flow assays are good candidates for portable diagnostics owing to their user-friendly format and low cost. In terms of analytical detection, lateral flow assays usually require dedicated instruments to obtain quantitative results. Here we demonstrate a lateral flow assay with handheld pressure meter readout for the rapid detection of disease-related protein with high sensitivity and selectivity.

Effect of Addition of Allium hookeri on the Quality of Fermented Sausage with Meat from Sulfur Fed Pigs during Ripening.

The effect of the addition of Allium hookeri on the quality of fermented sausage made with meat from sulfur fed pigs was examined, throughout a 60 d ripening period. There were two treatments in animal management: normal feed fed pigs, and sulfur fed pigs given 0.3% sulfur mixed normal feed.