Quantitative assessment of in vivo HIV protease activity using genetically engineered QD-based FRET probes.

HIV protease plays a central role in its life cycle leading to release of functional viral particles. It has been successfully used as a therapeutic target to block HIV infection. Several protease inhibitors (PIs) are currently being employed as a part of anti-HIV therapy.

Detection of RNA viruses: current technologies and future perspectives.

RNA viruses constitute one of the major classes of pathogenic organisms causing human diseases, with varying degrees of severity. This review summarizes the conventional and emerging technologies that are available for the detection of these organisms. Cell culture-based techniques for viral detection have been popular since their inception and continue to be the gold standard against which all other techniques.

Detecting RNA viruses in living mammalian cells by fluorescence microscopy.

Traditional methods that rely on viral isolation and culture techniques continue to be the gold standards used for detection of infectious viral particles. However, new techniques that rely on visualization of live cells can shed light on understanding virus-host interaction for early stage detection and potential drug discovery. Live-cell imaging techniques that incorporate fluorescent probes into viral components provide opportunities for understanding mRNA expression, interaction, and virus movement and localization.

A quantum-dot based protein module for in vivo monitoring of protease activity through fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

Here, we present a new generation of nanoscale probes for in vivo monitoring of protease activity by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The approach is based on a genetically programmable protein module carrying a fluorescently labeled, protease-specific sequence that can self-assemble onto quantum dots. The protein module was used for real-time detection of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 protease (HIV-1 Pr) activity as well as quantitative assessment of inhibitor efficiency.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes chemiresistor aptasensors for small molecules: picomolar level detection of adenosine triphosphate.

Here we report single walled-carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)-based chemiresistor aptasensors for highly sensitive and selective detection of weakly or uncharged molecules using the displacement format. As a proof-of-concept we demonstrate the detection of ATP, a small weakly charged molecule, by displacement of the ssDNA anti-ATP aptamer hybridized to a small capture oligonucleotide covalently attached on SWNTs, with picomolar sensitivity and selectivity over GTP.

Carbon nanotubes-based chemiresistive biosensors for detection of microorganisms.

The paper reports carbon nanotube (CNT)-based immunosensors for the detection of two types of microorganisms, bacteria and viruses. The pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 and the bacteriophage T7 were selected as model for bacteria and viruses, respectively, while E. coli K12 and the bacteriophage MS2 were used to assess the selectivity of the biosensor.

Single-walled carbon nanotube chemoresistive label-free immunosensor for salivary stress biomarkers.

The present work is focused on the development, analytical characterization and evaluation of selective and sensitive SWNT-chemiresistor immunosensor for the label-free detection of salivary α-amylase (SAA). SWNTs were aligned to bridge lithographically patterned gold microelectrodes using AC dielectrophoresis followed by functionalization with anti-SAA antibodies. The nano-immunosensors exhibited excellent sensitivity over the clinically relevant range (19 to 308 U ml(-1)) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 6 µg ml(-1) (0.

Carbon nanotubes-based chemiresistive immunosensor for small molecules: detection of nitroaromatic explosives.

In recent years, there has been a growing focus on use of one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes and nanowires, as transducer elements for label-free chemiresistive/field-effect transistor biosensors as they provide label-free and high sensitivity detection. While research to-date has elucidated the power of carbon nanotubes- and other 1-D nanostructure-based field effect transistors immunosensors for large charged macromolecules such as proteins and viruses, their application to small uncharged or charged molecules has not been demonstrated. In this paper we report a single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)-based chemiresistive immunosensor for label-free, rapid, sensitive and selective detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), a small molecule.

Single-walled carbon nanotube-based chemiresistive affinity biosensors for small molecules: ultrasensitive glucose detection.

We report for the first time single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)-based chemiresistive affinity sensors for highly sensitive and selective detection of small and/or weakly charged or uncharged molecules using a displacement format. The detection of glucose, a small, weakly charged molecule, by displacement of plant lectin (concavalin A) bound to a polysaccharide (dextran) immobilized on SWNTs with picomolar sensitivity and selectivity over other sugars and human serum proteins is demonstrated as a proof of concept.

Nano aptasensor for protective antigen toxin of anthrax.

We demonstrate a highly sensitive nano aptasensor for anthrax toxin through the detection of its polypeptide entity, protective antigen (PA toxin) using a PA toxin ssDNA aptamer functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) device. The aptamer was developed in-house by capillary electrophoresis systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (CE-SELEX) and had a dissociation constant (K(d)) of 112 nM. The aptasensor displayed a wide dynamic range spanning up to 800 nM with a detection limit of 1 nM.