Using Dextran-encapsulated gold nanoparticles as insulin carriers to prolong insulin activity.

Aim: Diabetes mellitus is commonly treated with painful insulin injections. We aim to explore drug carriers that can prolong insulin activity.

Materials & Methods: Dextran-encapsulated gold NPs (AuNPs@Dextran) that can bind with insulin are used as insulin carriers.

Revisiting the quantitative features of surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric analysis.

Surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization (SALDI) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is frequently used to analyse small organics owing to its clean background. Inorganic materials can be used as energy absorbers and the transfer medium to facilitate the desorption/ionization of analytes; thus, they are used as SALDI-assisting materials. Many studies have demonstrated the usefulness of SALDI-MS in quantitative analysis of small organics.

Functional gold nanoparticle-based antibacterial agents for nosocomial and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Aim: Medical treatments for bacterial-infections have become challenging because of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Thus, new therapeutics and antibiotics must be developed.

Materials & Methods: Arginine and tryptophan can target negatively-charged bacteria and penetrate bacterial cell membrane, respectively.

Molecular recognition between insulin and dextran encapsulated gold nanoparticles.

Insulin is a peptide hormone that can regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids. This hormone is closely related to glucose-uptake in cells and can control blood glucose levels. Dextran is a polysaccharide composed of glucose units.