Chemical sensing on the nanoscale has been breaking new ground since the discovery of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). For nanoparticles, controlled particle aggregation is necessary to achieve the largest SERS enhancements. Therefore, aggregating agents such as salts or linker molecules are used in conjunction with chemically sensitive reporters in order to develop robust environmentally sensitive SERS probes. While salt-induced colloidal nanosphere aggregates have produced robust SERS signals, their variability in aggregate size contributes significantly to poor SERS signal reproducibility, which can complicate their use in in vitro cellular studies. Such systems often also lack reproducibility in spectral measurements between different nanoparticle clusters. Preaggregation of colloids via linkers followed by surface functionalization with reporter molecules results in the linker occupying valuable SERS hotspot volume which could otherwise be utilized by additional reporter molecules. Ideally, both functionalities should be obtained from a single molecule. Here, we report the use of 3,5-dimercaptobenzoic acid, a single multifunctional molecule that creates SERS hotspots via the controlled aggregation of nanoparticles, and also reports pH values. We show that 3,5-dimercaptobenzoic acid bound to Au nanospheres results in an excellent pH nanoprobe, producing very robust, and highly reproducible SERS signals that can report pH across the entire physiological range with excellent pH resolution. To demonstrate the efficacy of our novel pH reporters, these probes were also used to image both the particle and pH distribution in the cytoplasm of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs).
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c3nr06277e | DOI Listing |
Sensors (Basel)
December 2024
Dental Medicine Faculty, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pasteur 4, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
The use of Raman spectroscopy, particularly surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), offers a powerful tool for analyzing biochemical changes in biofluids. This study aims to assess the modifications occurring in saliva collected from patients before and after exposure to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and computed tomography (CT) imaging. SERS analysis revealed significantly amplified spectra in post-imaging samples compared to pre-imaging samples, with pronounced intensification of thiocyanate and opiorphin bands, which, together with proteins, dominated the spectra.
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December 2024
Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, GR26504 Patras, Greece.
Liquid biopsy is an efficient diagnostic/prognostic tool for tumor-derived component detection in peripheral circulation and other body fluids. The rapid assessment of liquid biopsy techniques facilitates early cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Early and precise detection of tumor biomarkers provides crucial information about the tumor that guides clinicians towards effective personalized medicine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogens
December 2024
Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA.
Non-typhoidal species are one of the leading causes of gastrointestinal disease in North America, leading to a significant burden on the healthcare system resulting in a huge economic impact. Consequently, early detection of species in the food supply, in accordance with food safety regulations, is crucial for protecting public health, preventing outbreaks, and avoiding serious economic losses. A variety of techniques have been employed to detect the presence of this pathogen in the food supply, including culture-based, immunological, and molecular methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
December 2024
BioNano Applications Research Center, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
The increased demand for consuming seafood has made seafood production undergo a rapid period of growth. However, seafood has a high risk of contamination from harmful microorganisms and marine toxins which can cause health problems for humans consuming it. Concerning this issue, monitoring seafood safety has become a center of attention for researchers, and developing effective methods for detecting contamination in seafood has become a critical research field.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
December 2024
Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, PL-30239 Krakow, Poland.
Fluphenazine (FPZ) is a well-known neuroleptic that has attracted considerable scientific interest due to its biocidal, virucidal, and antitumor properties. Although methods for encapsulating and delivering FPZ to enhance its activity and reduce side effects have been developed, there is still limited knowledge about its conjugates with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop a preparation method for stable FPZ-AuNP conjugates and to investigate their physicochemical and biological properties.
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