Detecting De-gelation through Tissue Using Magnetically Modulated Optical Nanoprobes (MagMOONs).

Alginate gels are widely used for drug delivery and implanted devices. The rate at which these gels break down is important for controlling drug release. Since the de-gelation may be different , monitoring this process is essential.

The effect of roots and media constituents on trichomes and artemisinin production in Artemisia annua L.

KEY MESSAGE : Rooting of Artemisia annua increases trichome size on leaves and helps drive the final steps of the biosynthesis of the sesquiterpene antimalarial drug, artemisinin. Artemisia annua produces the antimalarial drug, artemisinin (AN), which is synthesized and stored in glandular trichomes (GLTs). In vitro-grown A.

Surface-enhanced raman scattering detection of pH with silica-encapsulated 4-mercaptobenzoic acid-functionalized silver nanoparticles.

Sensors based upon surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) are attractive because they have narrow, vibrationally specific spectral peaks that can be excited using red and near-infrared light which avoids photobleaching, penetrates tissue, and reduces autofluorescence. Several groups have fabricated pH nanosensors by functionalizing silver or gold nanoparticle surfaces with an acidic molecule and measuring the ratio of protonated to deprotonated Raman bands. However, a limitation of these sensors is that macromolecules in biological systems can adsorb onto the nanoparticle surface and interfere with measurements.

Optical imaging in tissue with X-ray excited luminescent sensors.

We report a high-spatial resolution imaging technique to measure optical absorption and detect chemical and physical changes on surfaces embedded in thick tissue. Developing sensors to measure chemical concentrations on implanted surfaces through tissue is an important challenge for analytical chemistry and biomedical imaging. Tissue scattering dramatically reduces the resolution of optical imaging.

Trichomes + roots + ROS = artemisinin: regulating artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua L.

Artemisinin is a highly effective sesquiterpene lactone therapeutic produced in the plant, Artemisia annua. Despite its efficacy against malaria and many other infectious diseases and neoplasms, the drug is in short supply mainly because the plant produces low levels of the compound. This review updates the current understanding of artemisinin biosynthesis with a special focus on the emerging knowledge of how biosynthesis of the compound is regulated in planta.