Near-Native Imaging of Metal Ion-Initiated Cell State Transition.

Metal ions are indispensable to life, as they can serve as essential enzyme cofactors to drive fundamental biochemical reactions, yet paradoxically, excess is highly toxic. Higher-order cells have evolved functionally distinct organelles that separate and coordinate sophisticated biochemical processes to maintain cellular homeostasis upon metal ion stimuli. Here, we uncover the remodeling of subcellular architecture and organellar interactome in yeast initiated by several metal ion stimulations, relying on near-native three-dimensional imaging, cryo-soft X-ray tomography.

Dual-mode harvest solar energy for photothermal CuSe biomineralization and seawater desalination by biotic-abiotic hybrid.

Biotic-abiotic hybrid photocatalytic system is an innovative strategy to capture solar energy. Diversifying solar energy conversion products and balancing photoelectron generation and transduction are critical to unravel the potential of hybrid photocatalysis. Here, we harvest solar energy in a dual mode for CuSe nanoparticles biomineralization and seawater desalination by integrating the merits of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and biogenic nanoparticles.

Near-Native Imaging of Label-Free Silver Nanoparticles-Triggered 3D Subcellular Ultrastructural Reorganization in Microalgae.

Understanding the spatial orientation of nanoparticles and the corresponding subcellular architecture events favors uncovering fundamental toxic mechanisms and predicting response pathways of organisms toward environmental stressors. Herein, we map the spatial location of label-free citrate-coated Ag nanoparticles (Cit-AgNPs) and the corresponding subcellular reorganization in microalgae by a noninvasive 3D imaging approach, cryo-soft X-ray tomography (cryo-SXT). Cryo-SXT near-natively displays the 3D maps of Cit-AgNPs presenting in rarely identified sites, namely, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the cytoplasm.

Regulating the synthesis rate and yield of bio-assembled FeS nanoparticles for efficient cancer therapy.

Biosynthesis has gained growing interest due to its energy efficiency and environmentally benign nature. Recently, biogenic iron sulfide nanoparticles (FeS NPs) have exhibited excellent performance in environmental remediation and energy recovery applications. However, their biosynthesis regulation strategy and application prospects in the biomedical field remain to be explored.

Directed Biofabrication of Nanoparticles through Regulating Extracellular Electron Transfer.

Biofabrication of nanomaterials is currently constrained by a low production efficiency and poor controllability on product quality compared to chemical synthetic routes. In this work, we show an attractive new biosynthesis system to break these limitations. A directed production of selenium-containing nanoparticles in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 cells, with fine-tuned composition and subcellular synthetic location, was achieved by modifying the extracellular electron transfer chain.

[Geometric distortion correction for hyperspectral image using a rotating scan reflector].

Offner imaging spectrometer is a kind of pushbroom imaging system. Hyperspectral images acquired by Offner imaging spectrometers require relative motion of sensor and scene that is translation or rotation. Via rotating scan with a reflector at the front of sensor's len, large objects can be entirely captured.

A nano-sized Au electrode fabricated using lithographic technology for electrochemical detection of dopamine.

One big challenge of fabricating nanosensors for spatially resolved electrochemical detection of neurochemicals, such as dopamine (DA), is the difficulty to assembly nanometer-scale patternable and integrated sensors. In this work we develop a novel approach to precisely manufacture nano-Au-electrode (NAE) using lithographic fabrication technique, and characterize the NAE for DA detection. A negative photoresist, SU-8, is used as a substrate and protection layer for the 127-nm Au active sensing layer.

Heterotrophs grown on the soluble microbial products (SMP) released by autotrophs are responsible for the nitrogen loss in nitrifying granular sludge.

In this work, nitrogen loss in the nitrite oxidation step of the nitrification process in an aerobic-granule-based reactor was characterized with both experimental and modeling approaches. Experimental results showed that soluble microbial products (SMP) were released from the nitrite-oxidizing granules and were utilized as a carbon source by the heterotrophs for denitrification. This was verified by the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis.

An innovative miniature microbial fuel cell fabricated using photolithography.

Recently microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have attracted increasing interests in both environmental and energy fields. Among the various MFC configurations, miniature microbial fuel cell (mini-MFC) has a great potential for the application in medical, communication and other areas because of its miniature volume and high output power density. In this work, a 25-μL single-chamber mini-MFC was fabricated using the photolithography technique.

A gold-sputtered carbon paper as an anode for improved electricity generation from a microbial fuel cell inoculated with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.

Gold is among the highly conductive and stable materials, which are ideal anodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). However, previous studies have shown that bare gold surface is recalcitrant for the colonization of some exoelectrogens, e.g.

Measurement of dissolved oxygen and its diffusivity in aerobic granules using a lithographically-fabricated microelectrode array.

A novel gold microelectrode array (MEA) was manufactured with microfabrication techniques and applied on the measurement of dissolved oxygen profile in an aerobic granule. The MEA contained five gold microelectrodes, which had a good linear response to dissolved oxygen and typically had a lifetime of more than 10 days. Dissolved oxygen microprofiles near the surface of an aerobic granule were monitored with this MEA.

Simultaneous determination of nitrate and dissolved oxygen under neutral conditions using a novel silver-deposited gold microelectrode.

In this work a novel gold-based microelectrode was successfully fabricated using photolithographic techniques and electrochemical deposition for a simultaneous determination of nitrate and dissolved oxygen (DO) under neutral conditions. Three-dimensional tree-shaped silver nanorods were formed on the gold surface through electrochemical deposition and they had an electrochemical catalytic reductive activity for both nitrate and oxygen under neutral conditions. Thus, the silver nanorods served as the active center of the microelectrode.

Innovative solid-state microelectrode for nitrite determination in a nitrifying granule.

Nitrite is an intermediate of both nitrification and denitrification in biological removal of nitrogen from wastewater, and in situ measurement of nitrite concentration in a biofilm or microbial granules is highly desirable. However, a solid-state microelectrode for nitrite determination is not available yet In this work, a solid-state microelectrode was manufactured through electrochemical codeposition of Pt--Fe nanoparticles on a gold microelectrode fabricated using photolithography for in situ nitrite determination. This gold-based microelectrode could be used as a more cost-effective, efficient, and reliable alternative to the liquid membrane microelectrode.

An innovative microelectrode fabricated using photolithography for measuring dissolved oxygen distributions in aerobic granules.

In this work an innovative microelectrode was successfully fabricated using photolithography for determination of dissolved oxygen distributions in aerobic granules, which were sampled from a nitrifying sequencing batch reactor. A negative photoresist, SU-8, was used as a substrate for the microelectrode and a 70 microm wide needle was photopatterned on it. The microelectrode could be renewed several times.