[Pollution Characteristics of Microplastics in Migratory Bird Habitats Located Within Poyang Lake Wetlands].

Microplastic pollution (plastics with particle sizes<5 mm) has become a serious problem. In this study, we sampled the surface water, sediment, and bird excrement from the shore, center of the lake, and active areas for birds in Baisha Lake, which is key habitat for migratory birds in the Poyang Lake wetlands. The microplastics were separated by flotation separation, and then, we analyzed the pollution characteristics of this area.

A sensitive and label-free impedimetric biosensor based on an adjunct probe.

A highly sensitive and label-free impedimetric biosensor is achieved based on an adjunct probe attached nearby the capture probe. In this work, the adjunct probe was co-assembled on the surface of gold electrode with the capture probe hybridized with the reporter probe, and then 6-mercapto-1-hexanol was employed to block the nonspecific binding sites. When target DNA was added, the adjunct probe functioned as a fixer to immobilize the element of reporter probe displaced by the target DNA sequences and made the reporter probe approach the electrode surface, leading to effective inhibition of charge transfer.

Electrochemical strategy for sensing DNA methylation and DNA methyltransferase activity.

The present work demonstrates a novel signal-off electrochemical method for the determination of DNA methylation and the assay of methyltransferase activity using the electroactive complex [Ru(NH3)6](3+) (RuHex) as a signal transducer. The assay exploits the electrostatic interactions between RuHex and DNA strands. Thiolated single strand DNA1 was firstly self-assembled on a gold electrode via Au-S bonding, followed by hybridization with single strand DNA2 to form double strand DNA containing specific recognition sequence of DNA adenine methylation MTase and methylation-responsive restriction endonuclease Dpn I.

A simple and label-free electrochemical biosensor for DNA detection based on the super-sandwich assay.

The focus of this work was on designing a label-free DNA biosensor based on a super-sandwich assay using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. For this purpose, we designed a signal-up configuration whose linker probes could hybridize with two regions of the target DNA. In this configuration, the presented target DNA would effectively decrease the electron transfer, which would improve the sensitivity of the sensor.