Latest Trends in Biosensing for Microphysiological Organs-on-a-Chip and Body-on-a-Chip Systems.

Organs-on-chips are considered next generation tools capable of recreating like, physiological-relevant microenvironments needed to cultivate 3D tissue-engineered constructs (e.g., hydrogel-based organoids and spheroids) as well as tissue barriers.

Outgrowth, proliferation, viability, angiogenesis and phenotype of primary human endothelial cells in different purchasable endothelial culture media: feed wisely.

Function and dysfunction of endothelial cells are regulated by a multitude of factors. Endothelial cell research often requires in vitro cell culture experiments. Hence, various culture media specifically designed to promote endothelial cell growth are available.

Pore Size-Dependent Structure of Confined Water in Mesoporous Silica Films from Water Adsorption/Desorption Using ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy.

The local structure of water on chemically and structurally different surfaces is a subject of ongoing research. In particular, confined spaces as found in mesoporous silica have a pronounced effect on the interplay between the adsorbate-adsorbate and adsorbate-surface interactions. Mid-infrared spectroscopy is ideally suited to quantitatively and qualitatively study such systems as the probed molecular vibrations are highly sensitive to intermolecular interactions.

High-throughput quantitation of bovine milk proteins and discrimination of commercial milk types by external cavity-quantum cascade laser spectroscopy and chemometrics.

Analysis of bovine milk proteins is crucial in many food and non-food industrial applications, nevertheless labour-intensive wet-chemical, low-throughput methods are still routinely used. In this work, external cavity-quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) mid-infrared spectroscopy is employed as a rapid method for protein analysis of commercial bovine milk. Combined analysis of the amide I and II bands enabled quantitation of individual proteins (casein, β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin) and total protein content.

Irreversible oxidative post-translational modifications in heart disease.

: Development of specific biomarkers aiding early diagnosis of heart failure is an ongoing challenge. Biomarkers commonly used in clinical routine usually act as readouts of an already existing acute condition rather than disease initiation. Functional decline of cardiac muscle is greatly aggravated by increased oxidative stress and damage of proteins.

Hyperspectral optical coherence tomography for in vivo visualization of melanin in the retinal pigment epithelium.

Previous studies for melanin visualization in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) have exploited either its absorption properties (using photoacoustic tomography or photothermal optical coherence tomography [OCT]) or its depolarization properties (using polarization sensitive OCT). However, these methods are only suitable when the melanin concentration is sufficiently high. In this work, we present the concept of hyperspectral OCT for melanin visualization in the RPE when the concentration is low.

Study of metabolism and identification of productive regions in filamentous fungi via spatially resolved time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry.

Filamentous fungi are well-established production hosts that feature a strong interconnection between morphology, physiology, and productivity. For penicillin production in Penicillium chrysogenum, industrial processes frequently favor a pellet morphology comprising compact hyphal agglomerates. Inherently these tightly packed entanglements lead to inactive, degrading sections within the pellet's core because of limitations.

Virus-like particle size and molecular weight/mass determination applying gas-phase electrophoresis (native nES GEMMA).

(Bio-)nanoparticle analysis employing a nano-electrospray gas-phase electrophoretic mobility molecular analyzer (native nES GEMMA) also known as nES differential mobility analyzer (nES DMA) is based on surface-dry analyte separation at ambient pressure. Based on electrophoretic principles, single-charged nanoparticles are separated according to their electrophoretic mobility diameter (EMD) corresponding to the particle size for spherical analytes. Subsequently, it is possible to correlate the (bio-)nanoparticle EMDs to their molecular weight (M) yielding a corresponding fitted curve for an investigated analyte class.

Nanoscale Chemical Imaging of Individual, Chemotherapeutic Cytarabine-loaded Liposomal Nanocarriers.

Dosage of chemotherapeutic drugs is a tradeoff between efficacy and side-effects. Liposomes are nanocarriers that increase therapy efficacy and minimize side-effects by delivering otherwise difficult to administer therapeutics with improved efficiency and selectivity. Still, variabilities in liposome preparation require assessing drug encapsulation efficiency at the single liposome level, an information that, for non-fluorescent therapeutic cargos, is inaccessible due to the minute drug load per liposome.

Characterization of four functional biocompatible pressure-sensitive adhesives for rapid prototyping of cell-based lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip systems.

In the advent of affordable photo- and soft-lithography using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), low cost multi-step microfabrication methods have become available to a broad scientific community today. Although these methods are frequently applied for microfluidic prototype production in academic and industrial settings, fast design iterations and rapid prototyping within a few minutes with a high degree of flexibility are nearly impossible. To reduce microfluidic concept-to-chip time and costs, a number of alternative rapid prototyping techniques have recently been introduced including CNC micromachining, 3D printing and plotting out of numeric CAD designs as well as micro-structuring of thin PDMS sheets and pressure sensitive adhesives.

Refinement strategy for antivenom preparation of high yield and quality.

Antivenoms from hyperimmune animal plasma are the only specific pharmaceuticals against snakebites. The improvement of downstream processing strategies is of great interest, not only in terms of purity profile, but also from yield-to-cost perspective and rational use of plasma of animal origin. We report on development of an efficient refinement strategy for F(ab')2-based antivenom preparation.

An Acoustic Trap for Bead Injection Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared Spectroscopy.

In this work, we introduce a system combining an acoustic trap for bead injection with attenuated total reflection (ATR) infrared (IR) spectroscopy. By mounting an acoustofluidic cell hosting an ultrasound source on top of a custom-built ATR fixture we were able to trap beads labeled with the enzyme alkaline phosphatase without requiring any mechanical retention elements. Sequential injection analysis was employed for reproducible sample handling and bead injection into the acoustic trap.

Stand-off Hyperspectral Raman Imaging and Random Decision Forest Classification: A Potent Duo for the Fast, Remote Identification of Explosives.

In this study, we present a stand-off hyperspectral Raman imager (HSRI) for the fast detection and classification of different explosives at a distance of 15 m. The hyperspectral image cube is created by using a liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF) to select a specific Raman shift and sequentially imaging spectral images onto an intensified CCD camera. The laser beam is expanded to illuminate the field of view of the HSRI and thereby improves large area scanning of suspicious surfaces.

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other organic pollutants in freshwaters on the western shore of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Maritime Antarctica).

Organic contamination in freshwater samples has never been investigated at the western shore of Admiralty Bay. Therefore, the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in five different sites distributed along a shore running from the Arctowski Station to the Baranowski Glacier was studied. Moreover, organic compounds such as n-alkanes, toluene and ethylbenzene were also noted.

The Usual Suspects 2019: of Chips, Droplets, Synthesis, and Artificial Cells.

Synthetic biology aims to understand fundamental biological processes in more detail than possible for actual living cells. Synthetic biology can combat decomposition and build-up of artificial experimental models under precisely controlled and defined environmental and biochemical conditions. Microfluidic systems can provide the tools to improve and refine existing synthetic systems because they allow control and manipulation of liquids on a micro- and nanoscale.

Effect of Spheroidal Age on Sorafenib Diffusivity and Toxicity in a 3D HepG2 Spheroid Model.

The enhanced predictive power of 3D multi-cellular spheroids in comparison to conventional monolayer cultures makes them a promising drug screening tool. However, clinical translation for pharmacology and toxicology is lagging its technological progression. Even though spheroids show a biological complexity resembling native tissue, standardization and validation of drug screening protocols are influenced by continuously changing physiological parameters during spheroid formation.

On the volatilisation and decomposition of cyanide contaminations from gold mining.

Cyanide leaching is the predominant process of gold extraction in large scale mining. Current initiatives for reducing the use of mercury in small scale and artisanal mining tend towards the cyanide technology as the only feasible alternative. Thus, the deliberate handling in consideration of the hazardous nature of cyanide compounds is an issue of particular importance.

Biomechanical properties of fishing lines of the glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa (Diptera; Keroplatidae).

Animals use adhesive secretions in highly diverse ways, such as for settlement, egg anchorage, mating, active or passive defence, etc. One of the most interesting functions is the use of bioadhesives to capture prey, as the bonding has to be performed within milliseconds and often under unfavourable conditions. While much is understood about the adhesive and biomechanical properties of the threads of other hunters such as spiders, barely anything is documented about those of the New Zealand glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa.

Oxygen Management at the Microscale: A Functional Biochip Material with Long-Lasting and Tunable Oxygen Scavenging Properties for Cell Culture Applications.

Oxygen plays a pivotal role in cellular homeostasis, and its partial pressure determines cellular function and fate. Consequently, the ability to control oxygen tension is a critical parameter for recreating physiologically relevant in vitro culture conditions for mammalian cells and microorganisms. Despite its importance, most microdevices and organ-on-a-chip systems to date overlook oxygen gradient parameters because controlling oxygen often requires bulky and expensive external instrumental setups.

Native Nano-electrospray Differential Mobility Analyzer (nES GEMMA) Enables Size Selection of Liposomal Nanocarriers Combined with Subsequent Direct Spectroscopic Analysis.

Gas-phase electrophoresis employing a nano-electrospray differential mobility analyzer (nES DMA), aka gas-phase electrophoretic mobility molecular analyzer (nES GEMMA), enables nanoparticle separation in the gas-phase according to their surface-dry diameter with number-based concentration detection. Moreover, particles in the nanometer size range can be collected after size selection on supporting materials. It has been shown by subsequent analyses employing orthogonal methods, for instance, microscopic or antibody-based techniques, that the surface integrity of collected analytes remains intact.

Optimization of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry imaging for the visualization and comparison of peptide distributions in dry-cured ham muscle fibers.

In this article, a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI)-based study was designed in order to selectively map and compare the peptides present in slices of Biceps femoris, Istrian dry-cured ham muscles, from the same production batch. A systematic sample preparation process was optimized, which comprises embedding samples of Biceps femoris, cryo-sectioning, glass slide mounting, a nine-step washing protocol, MALDI matrix sublimation and recrystallization. This process efficiently preserved sample morphology and removed the high salt and lipid content, which was present in the samples as a result of the dry-curing production process.

Biodegradable zein film composites reinforced with chitosan nanoparticles and cinnamon essential oil: Physical, mechanical, structural and antimicrobial attributes.

Natural bio-based zein films were prepared by incorporating cinnamon essential oil (CEO) and chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) at 2% and 4% (w/w) amounts, respectively, in order to provide mechanical and antimicrobial functionalities. The physical, mechanical, structural and antibacterial properties of the enriched zein films were also scrutinized. The results showed that the combination of CEO-CNPs significantly improves the tensile strength and decreases the elongation of zein film composite.

In-depth analysis of crocetin ester glycosides from dried/processed stigmas of Crocus sativus L. by HPLC-ESI-MS (n = 2, 3).

Introduction: Saffron stigmas from Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae) are used as a drug in folk medicine, as a food additive and as a dying agent for at least 3500 years. Despite this long-term use the chemical composition of saffron seems still to be not fully known.

Hexaammineruthenium (II)/(III) as alternative redox-probe to Hexacyanoferrat (II)/(III) for stable impedimetric biosensing with gold electrodes.

Gold electrodes have been used in a wide range of electrochemical biosensors because their functionalization process with thiols has been well described and, in general, they offer good chemical stability. However, one of the most commonly used redox-pairs in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Hexacyanoferrate (II)/(III), causes corrosion of the gold electrodes and consequently damages the surface modification. This leads to alterations of the sensing signals, and thus, renders the quantitative and sensitive detection of target molecules virtually impossible.

Selective Hydrogenation of Aldehydes Using a Well-Defined Fe(II) PNP Pincer Complex in Biphasic Medium.

A biphasic process for the hydrogenation of aldehydes was developed using a well-defined iron (II) PNP pincer complex as model system to investigate the performance of various ionic liquids. A number of suitable hydrophobic ionic liquids based on the N(Tf) anion were identified, allowing to immobilize the iron (II) catalyst in the ionic liquid layer and to facilitate the separation of the desired alcohols. Further studies showed that targeted Brønsted basic ionic liquids can eliminate the need of an external base to activate the catalyst.