Proving the automatic benchtop electrochemical station for the development of dopamine and paracetamol sensors.

The introduced work represents an implementation of the automatic benchtop electrochemical station (BES) as an effective tool for the possibilities of high-throughput preparation of modified sensor/biosensors, speeding up the development of the analytical method, and automation of the analytical procedure for the determination of paracetamol (PAR) and dopamine (DOP) as target analytes. Within the preparation of gold nanoparticles modified screen-printed carbon electrode (AuNPs-SPCE) by electrodeposition, the deposition potential E, the deposition time t, and the concentration of HAuCl were optimized and their influence was monitored on 1 mM [Ru(NH)] redox probe and 50 μM DOP. The morphology of the AuNPs-SPCE prepared at various modification conditions was observed by SEM.

Simultaneous Urea and Phosphate Recovery from Synthetic Urine by Electrochemical Stabilization.

Urine is a widely available renewable source of nitrogen and phosphorous. The nitrogen in urine is present in the form of urea, which is rapidly hydrolyzed to ammonia and carbonic acid by the urease enzymes occurring in nature. In order to efficiently recover urea, the inhibition of urease must be done, usually by increasing the pH value above 11.

Fully automated station for testing, characterizing and modifying screen-printed electrodes.

Electrochemical detection systems that provide either quantitative or sample-to-answer information are promising for various analytical applications in the emerging field of point-of-care testing (POCT). Nevertheless, in mobile POC systems optical detection is currently more preferred compared to electrochemical detection due to the insufficient robustness of electrochemical detection approaches toward "real world" use. Over the last couple of decades, screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) have emerged as a simple and low-cost electrochemical detection platform.

Efficiency, operational stability and biofouling of novel sulfomethylated polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)-block-polystyrene cation exchange membrane in microbial fuel cells.

In this work, a novel cation exchange membrane, PSEBS SU22 was deployed in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to examine system efficacy in line with membrane characteristics and inoculum source. It turned out that compared to a reference membrane (Nafion), employing PSEBS SU22 resulted in higher current density and electricity generation kinetics, while the electron recoveries were similar (19-28%). These outcomes indicated more beneficial ion transfer features and lower mass transfer-related losses in the PSEBS SU22-MFCs, supported by membrane water uptake, ion exchange capacity, ionic conductivity and permselectivity.

Detection of microbial contamination based on uracil-selective synthetic receptors.

The here presented work is focused on the development of a method for detection of microbial contamination of food based on uracil-selective synthetic receptors. Because uracil may serve as an indicator of bacterial contamination, its selective and on-site detection may prevent spreading of foodborne diseases. The synthetic receptors were created by molecular imprinting.

Metallothionein dimerization evidenced by QD-based Förster resonance energy transfer and capillary electrophoresis.

Herein, we report a new simple and easy-to-use approach for the characterization of protein oligomerization based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and capillary electrophoresis with LED-induced detection. The FRET pair consisted of quantum dots (QDs) used as an emission tunable donor (emission wavelength of 450 nm) and a cyanine dye (Cy3), providing optimal optical properties as an acceptor. Nonoxidative dimerization of mammalian metallothionein (MT) was investigated using the donor and acceptor covalently conjugated to MT.

Chiral Templating of Polycarbonate Membranes by Pinene Using the Modified Atomic Layer Deposition Approach.

In this article, chiral templating of a polycarbonate (PC) membrane by (-)-α-pinene using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) approach is investigated. The templating with the enantiomer of (-)-α-pinene, used as a case compound, was performed either on the original commercial PC membrane or on the PC membrane with a beforehand deposited AlO layer. The efficiency of the templating was assessed by a difference in the membrane ability to adsorb/absorb (-)-α-pinene, (+)-α-pinene, and their racemic mixture, using a very sensitive gas sorption analyzer.

Evaluation and ranking of polymeric ion exchange membranes used in microbial electrolysis cells for biohydrogen production.

This work characterizes and comparatively assess two cation exchange membranes (PSEBS SU22 and CF22 R14) and one bipolar membrane (FBM) in microbial electrolysis cells (MEC), fed either by acetate or the mixture of volatile fatty acids as substrates. The PSEBS SU22 is a new, patent-pending material, while the CF22 R14 and FBM are developmental and commercialized products. Based on the various MEC performance measures, membranes were ranked by the EXPROM-2 method to reveal which of the polymeric membranes could be more beneficial from a complex, H production efficiency viewpoint.

Feasibility of quaternary ammonium and 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-functionalized anion-exchange membranes for biohydrogen production in microbial electrolysis cells.

In this work, two commercialized anion-exchange membranes (AEMs), AMI-7001 and AF49R27, were applied in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) and compared with a novel AEM (PSEBS CM DBC, functionalized with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) to produce biohydrogen.

Behavior of two-chamber microbial electrochemical systems started-up with different ion-exchange membrane separators.

In this study, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) - operated with novel cation- and anion-exchange membranes, in particular AN-VPA 60 (CEM) and PSEBS DABCO (AEM) - were assessed comparatively with Nafion proton exchange membrane (PEM). The process characterization involved versatile electrochemical (polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy - EIS, cyclic voltammetry - CV) and biological (microbial structure analysis) methods in order to reveal the influence of membrane-type during start-up. In fact, the use of AEM led to 2-5 times higher energy yields than CEM and PEM and the lowest MFC internal resistance (148 ± 17 Ω) by the end of start-up.

Upconversion nanoparticle bioconjugates characterized by capillary electrophoresis.

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are an emerging class of optical materials with high potential in bioimaging due to practically no background signal and high penetration depth. Their excellent optical properties and easy surface functionalization make them perfect for conjugation with targeting ligands. In this work, capillary electrophoretic (CE) method with laser-induced fluorescence detection was used to investigate the behavior of carboxyl-silica-coated UCNPs.

Bioconjugation of peptides using advanced nanomaterials to examine their interactions in 3D printed flow-through device.

Peptide-peptide interactions are crucial in the living cell as they lead to the formation of the numerous types of complexes. In this study, synthetic peptides containing 11 of cysteines (α-domain of metallothionein (MT)) and sialic acid binding region (130-loop of hemagglutinin (HA)) were employed. The aim of the experiment was studying the interactions between MT and HA-derived peptides.

3D-printed biosensor with poly(dimethylsiloxane) reservoir for magnetic separation and quantum dots-based immunolabeling of metallothionein.

Currently, metallothioneins (MTs) are extensively investigated as the molecular biomarkers and the significant positive association of the MT amount was observed in tumorous versus healthy tissue of various types of malignant tumors, including head and neck cancer. Thus, we proposed a biosensor with fluorescence detection, comprising paramagnetic nanoparticles (nanomaghemite core with gold nanoparticles containing shell) for the magnetic separation of MT, based on affinity of its sulfhydryl groups toward gold. Biosensor was crafted from PDMS combined with technology of 3D printing and contained reservoir with volume of 50 μL linked to input (sample/detection components and washing/immunobuffer) and output (waste).

A 3D microfluidic chip for electrochemical detection of hydrolysed nucleic bases by a modified glassy carbon electrode.

Modification of carbon materials, especially graphene-based materials, has wide applications in electrochemical detection such as electrochemical lab-on-chip devices. A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with chemically alternated graphene oxide was used as a working electrode (glassy carbon modified by graphene oxide with sulphur containing compounds and Nafion) for detection of nucleobases in hydrolysed samples (HCl pH = 2.9, 100 °C, 1 h, neutralization by NaOH).

3D-printed chip for detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus labeled with gold nanoparticles.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a dangerous pathogen occurring not only in hospitals but also in foodstuff. Currently, discussions on the issue of the increasing resistance, and timely and rapid diagnostic of resistance strains have become more frequent and sought. Therefore, the aim of this study was to design an effective platform for DNA isolation from different species of microorganisms as well as the amplification of mecA gene that encodes the resistance to β-lactam antibiotic formation and is contained in MRSA.