Terminal protection of a small molecule-linked loop DNA probe for turn-on label-free fluorescence detection of proteins.

A novel label-free turn-on fluorescence biosensor for the determination of streptavidin (SA) was proposed. Using terminal protection of small molecule-linked DNA chimeras, which can protect DNA from degradation by various exonucleases when the small molecule moieties are bound to their protein target, we designed a loop probe, where the 3'-end was modified with biotin to resist digestion by exonucleases in the presence of target SA. Coupled with an intercalating dye, SYBR Green I, strong enhancement of the fluorescence signals was obtained compared with that in the absence of SA.

A label-free fluorescence strategy for selective detection of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide based on a dumbbell-like probe with low background noise.

In this work we developed a novel label-free fluorescence sensing approach for the detection of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) based on a dumbbell-like DNA probe designed for both ligation reaction and digestion reaction with low background noise. SYBR Green I (SG I), a double-helix dye, was chosen as the readout fluorescence signal. In the absence of NAD(+), the ligation reaction did not occur, but the probe was digested to mononucleotides after the addition of exonuclease I (Exo I) and exonuclease I (Exo III), resulting in a weak fluorescence intensity due to the weak interaction between SG I and mononucleotides.

Headspace thin-film microextraction coupled with surface-enhanced Raman scattering as a facile method for reproducible and specific detection of sulfur dioxide in wine.

By coupling thin-film microextraction (TFME) with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), a facile method was developed for the determination of sulfur dioxide (SO2), the most effective food additive in winemaking technology. The TFME substrate was made by free settling of sea urchin-like ZnO nanomaterials on a glass sheet. The headspace sampling (HS) procedure for SO2 was performed in a simple homemade device, and then the SO2 was determined using SERS after uniformly dropping or spraying a SERS-active substrate (gold nanoparticles, AuNPs) onto the surface of the TFME substrate.