An iridium oxide microelectrode for monitoring acute local pH changes of endothelial cells.

pH sensors were fabricated by anodically electrodepositing iridium oxide films (AEIROFs) onto microelectrodes on chips and coated with poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) for mechanical stability. These demonstrate super-Nernstian response to pH from pH 4.0 to 7.

Advances of lab-on-a-chip in isolation, detection and post-processing of circulating tumour cells.

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are shed by primary tumours and are found in the peripheral blood of patients with metastatic cancers. Recent studies have shown that the number of CTCs corresponds with disease severity and prognosis. Therefore, detection and further functional analysis of CTCs are important for biomedical science, early diagnosis of cancer metastasis and tracking treatment efficacy in cancer patients, especially in point-of-care applications.

RGD-peptide functionalized graphene biomimetic live-cell sensor for real-time detection of nitric oxide molecules.

It is always challenging to construct a smart functional nanostructure with specific physicochemical properties to real time detect biointeresting molecules released from live-cells. We report here a new approach to build a free-standing biomimetic sensor by covalently bonding RGD-peptide on the surface of pyrenebutyric acid functionalized graphene film. The resulted graphene biofilm sensor comprises a well-packed layered nanostructure, in which the RGD-peptide component provides desired biomimetic properties for superior human cell attachment and growth on the film surface to allow real-time detection of nitric oxide, an important signal yet short-life molecule released from the attached human endothelial cells under drug stimulations.

In situ molecular detection of ischemic cells by enhanced protein direct electron transfer on a unique horseradish peroxidase-Au nanoparticles-polyaniline nanowires biofilm.

To overcome shortcomings of the ex situ approaches, in situ detection using H(2)O(2) molecules to diagnose ischemia through enhanced protein direct electron transfer on a unique horseradish peroxidase-Au nanoparticles-polyaniline nanowires biofilm is demonstrated and it is discovered that the extracellular H(2)O(2) molecule released per ischemic cell is 2.7-times of that of a normal cell.