A dual encapsulation strategy to generate anion-responsive luminescent lanthanide hydrogels.

We report a new method to generate ion-responsive luminescent hydrogels, involving encapsulation of a luminescent lanthanide probe within crosslinked amphiphilic polymer particles and subsequent entrapment within a hydrogel. The resulting hydrogels are capable of reversible bicarbonate sensing, exhibit no leaching, and can be tuned for a range of sensing applications.

Transmembrane Transport of Inorganic Phosphate by a Strapped Calix[4]pyrrole.

Synthetic anion receptors are increasingly being explored for the transport of anions across lipid membranes because of their potential therapeutic applications. A considerable amount of research focuses on the transport of chloride, whereas the transmembrane transport of inorganic phosphate has not been reported to date, despite the biological relevance of this anion. Here we present a calix[4]pyrrole with a bisurea strap that functions as a receptor and transporter for HPO, relying on the formation of eight hydrogen bonds and efficient encapsulation of the anion.

Sterically demanding macrocyclic Eu(iii) complexes for selective recognition of phosphate and real-time monitoring of enzymatically generated adenosine monophosphate.

The design of molecular receptors that bind and sense anions in biologically relevant aqueous solutions is a key challenge in supramolecular chemistry. The recognition of inorganic phosphate is particularly challenging because of its high hydration energy and pH dependent speciation. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP) represents a valuable but elusive target for supramolecular detection because of its structural similarity to the more negatively charged anions, ATP and ADP.

Advances in anion binding and sensing using luminescent lanthanide complexes.

Luminescent lanthanide complexes have been actively studied as selective anion receptors for the past two decades. Ln(iii) complexes, particularly of europium(iii) and terbium(iii), offer unique photophysical properties that are very valuable for anion sensing in biological media, including long luminescence lifetimes (milliseconds) that enable time-gating methods to eliminate background autofluorescence from biomolecules, and line-like emission spectra that allow ratiometric measurements. By careful design of the organic ligand, stable Ln(iii) complexes can be devised for rapid and reversible anion binding, providing a luminescence response that is fast and sensitive, offering the high spatial resolution required for biological imaging applications.

A Mycobacterium species for Crohn's disease?

In ruminants Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative organism of a chronic granulomatous inflammatory bowel disease called Johne's disease (JD). Some researchers have hypothesised that MAP is also associated with Crohn's disease (CD), an inflammatory bowel disease in humans that shares some histological features of JD. Despite numerous attempts to demonstrate causality by researchers, direct microbiological evidence of MAP involvement in CD remains elusive.