SERS sensing for cancer biomarker: Approaches and directions.

These days, cancer is thought to be more than just one illness, with several complex subtypes that require different screening approaches. These subtypes can be distinguished by the distinct markings left by metabolites, proteins, miRNA, and DNA. Personalized illness management may be possible if cancer is categorized according to its biomarkers.

Optimization of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cell isolation and culture methods in serum- and xeno-free conditions.

Background: Although umbilical cord blood (UCB) is identified as a source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with various advantages, the success in cell isolation is volatile. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize methods of cord blood-derived MSC (UCB-MSC) isolation and culture. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of UCB-MSC isolation and expansion using different commercially available serum- and xeno-free media and investigated the capacity of autologous serum and plasma as a supplement to support cell proliferation.

Pathogen Concentration Combined Solid-Phase PCR on Supercritical Angle Fluorescence Microlens Array for Multiplexed Detection of Invasive Nontyphoidal Serovars.

Bloodstream infections and invasive nontyphoidal in particular remain a major health and economic burden worldwide. The complexity of blood matrixes along with extremely low concentration of pathogens in blood poses a great challenge for rapid and ultrasensitive detection. Sample preparation has been the critical step that should provide blood-matrix-free sample with the targeted pathogen in the highest possible concentration.

Factors Affecting Human Umbilical Cord Blood Quality Before Cryopreservation: The Importance of Birth Weight and Gestational Age.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells and is useful for the treatment of blood diseases. The cost of UCB storage is high; thus, it is necessary to evaluate the quality of UCB before collection and cryopreservation. This study aimed to determine the maternal and neonatal factors that influence UCB before selection for cryopreservation.

A Sensitive, Specific and Simple Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of spp. in Broiler Production.

Campylobacteriosis is one of the most common foodborne diseases worldwide. Two species - and in poultry and poultry products are considered to be the main source of human campylobacteriosis. Therefore, studying status in poultry flocks is needed to prevent transmission of disease and reduce human risk, health cost, and economic losses.

Classification of Multiple DNA Dyes Based on Inhibition Effects on Real-Time Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP): Prospect for Point of Care Setting.

LAMP has received great interest and is widely utilized in life sciences for nucleic acid analysis. To monitor a real-time LAMP assay, a fluorescence DNA dye is an indispensable component and therefore the selection of a suitable dye for real-time LAMP is a need. To aid this selection, we investigated the inhibition effects of twenty-three DNA dyes on real-time LAMP.

Protein adaptors assemble functional proteins on DNA scaffolds.

DNA is an attractive molecular building block to construct nanoscale structures for a variety of applications. In addition to their structure and function, modification the DNA nanostructures by other molecules opens almost unlimited possibilities for producing functional DNA-based architectures. Among the molecules to functionalize DNA nanostructures, proteins are one of the most attractive candidates due to their vast functional variations.

Solid Phase PCR on 3D Microstructure ArrayChip for Pathogen Detection Application.

Advanced free angle photolithography (FAPL) is presented for making 3D supercritical angle fluorescence (SAF) microstructures and transfer them on to polymeric chips using injection molding technique for low-cost microfluidic devices embedded with optical sensing structures. A solid phase polymerase chain reaction (SP-PCR) is used as model technique, which allows rapid and sensitive detection of pathogen DNA on-chip. This article presents the detailed fabrication of SAF structure and SP-PCR application on SAF structure for pathogen detection.

MicroRNA amplification and detection technologies: opportunities and challenges for point of care diagnostics.

The volume of point of care (POC) testing continues to grow steadily due to the increased availability of easy-to-use devices, thus making it possible to deliver less costly care closer to the patient site in a shorter time relative to the central laboratory services. A novel class of molecules called microRNAs have recently gained attention in healthcare management for their potential as biomarkers for human diseases. The increasing interest of miRNAs in clinical practice has led to an unmet need for assays that can rapidly and accurately measure miRNAs at the POC.

Rapid detection of Salmonella enterica in food samples by a novel approach with combination of sample concentration and direct PCR.

Foodborne salmonellosis remains a major economic burden worldwide and particularly for food industries. The diverse and complexity of food matrices pose great challenges for rapid and ultra-sensitive detection of Salmonella in food samples. In this study, combination of pathogen pre-concentration with rapid molecular identification is presented to overcome these challenges.

Microfluidic devices for sample preparation and rapid detection of foodborne pathogens.

Rapid detection of foodborne pathogens at an early stage is imperative for preventing the outbreak of foodborne diseases, known as serious threats to human health. Conventional bacterial culturing methods for foodborne pathogen detection are time consuming, laborious, and with poor pathogen diagnosis competences. This has prompted researchers to call the current status of detection approaches into question and leverage new technologies for superior pathogen sensing outcomes.

Spatially Organized Enzymes Drive Cofactor-Coupled Cascade Reactions.

We report the construction of an artificial enzyme cascade based on the xylose metabolic pathway. Two enzymes, xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase, were assembled at specific locations on DNA origami by using DNA-binding protein adaptors with systematic variations in the interenzyme distances and defined numbers of enzyme molecules. The reaction system, which localized the two enzymes in close proximity to facilitate transport of reaction intermediates, resulted in significantly higher yields of the conversion of xylose into xylulose through the intermediate xylitol with recycling of the cofactor NADH.

A modular zinc finger adaptor accelerates the covalent linkage of proteins at specific locations on DNA nanoscaffolds.

A modular adaptor consisting of a sequence-specific DNA binding zinc finger protein and a self-ligating protein-tag was developed to expedite efficient formation of a covalent linkage between an individual protein molecule and the programmed address modified with a tag-substrate on the DNA nanostructure.

A protein adaptor to locate a functional protein dimer on molecular switchboard.

The addressable DNA nanostructures offer ideal platforms to construct organized assemblies of multiple protein molecules. Sequence-specific DNA binding proteins that target defined sites on DNA nanostructures would act as orthogonal adaptors to carry individual protein molecules to the programmed addresses. We have recently developed a protein-based adaptor by utilizing the sequence-specific DNA binding zinc finger protein to locate a monomeric protein of interest at specific positions on DNA origami, which serves as a molecular switchboard.