Exploration of Water-Soluble Natural AIEgens Boosting Label-Free Turn-on Fluorescent Sensing in a DNA Hydrogel.

Various aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) have been developed and applied in different areas in recent years. However, AIEgens generally can aggregate and emit strong fluorescence in aqueous solution even containing DNA and other biomacromolecules because of poor water solubility, restricting their application in biosensing and bioimaging in aqueous solution. Moreover, the great majority of AIEgens commonly suffer from complex organic synthesis, environmental damage, and biological toxicity. In this work, jatrorrhizine (Jat), an isoquinoline alkaloid from Chinese herbs, was found to be a natural water-soluble AIEgen that has not been previously reported. Jat's photometric characteristics and single-crystal structure demonstrated that the restriction of intramolecular motion and twisted intramolecular charge transfer were responsible for its AIE phenomenon. Due to the good water solubility and AIE character of Jat, it did not emit fluorescence in the aqueous solution containing DNA and polymers until the formation of the DNA hydrogel. Therefore, a DNA hydrogel fluorescence biosensor was designed by using the target (miRNA) as a catalyst to trigger the entropy-driven circuit of DNA, realizing the ultrasensitive and label-free detection of miRNA with an ultralow limit of detection (0.049 fM, S/N = 3). This biosensing strategy also has excellent stability and acceptable reliability for real sample assay. The results not only indicated the excellent sensing performance of Jat as AIE probes in aqueous solution but also demonstrated the promising application potential of water-soluble natural AIEgens.

Interactions of Amino Group Functionalized Tetraphenylvinyl and DNA: A Label-Free "On-Off-On" Fluorescent Aptamer Sensor toward Ampicillin.

As a type of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescent probe, tetraphenylvinyl (TPE) or its derivatives are widely used in chemical imaging, biosensing and medical diagnosis. However, most studies have focused on molecular modification and functionalization of AIE to enhance the fluorescence emission intensity. There are few studies on the interaction between aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) and nucleic acids, which was investigated in this paper. Experimental results showed the formation of a complex of AIE/DNA, leading to the quenching of the fluorescence of AIE molecules. Fluorescent test experiments with different temperatures proved that the quenching type was static quenching. The quenching constants, binding constants and thermodynamic parameters demonstrated that electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions promoted the binding process. Then, a label-free "on-off-on" fluorescent aptamer sensor for the detection of ampicillin (AMP) was constructed based on the interaction between the AIE probe and the aptamer of AMP. Linear range of the sensor is 0.2-10 nM with a limit of detection 0.06 nM. This fluorescent sensor was applied to detect AMP in real samples.

Colorimetric and Fluorescence Dual-Mode Biosensors Based on Peroxidase-Like Activity of the Co3O4 Nanosheets.

The mimic enzyme has become a research hotspot in recent years because of its advantages of high stability, convenient preparation, and low price. In this article, Co3O4 nanosheets synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method possess the characteristics of a peroxidase-like activity. The results demonstrated that 3,3',5,5'-Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) could be oxidized by H2O2 to produce a typical blue product (oxTMB) which has a strong absorption at 650 nm wavelength with the help of the Co3O4 nanosheets. Thus, a simple and sensitive colorimetric detection method for H2O2 was established with a good linear relationship (2-200 µM) and a low limit of detection (0.4 µM). Meanwhile, the colorimetric product can effectively quench the fluorescence emitted by Ru(bpy)3 2+. Therefore, a colorimetric and fluorescence dual detection mode photochemical sensor for H2O2 detection is constructed based on the principle of the inner filter effect (IFE) between the colorimetric product (oxTMB) and Ru(bpy)3 2+. It can effectively avoid the false positive problem of a single detection mode. In the presence of glucose oxidase, glucose can be catalyzed to produce gluconic acid and H2O2; therefore, the sensor can also be used for the determination of glucose with a good linear relationship (0.02-2 µM) and a low limit of detection (5 nM). Experimental results showed that the sensor has a high sensitivity and strong anti-interference ability which can be used for the detection of actual samples.

Flow-homogeneous electrochemical sensing system based on 2D metal-organic framework nanozyme for successive microRNA assay.

Considering DNA-based homogeneous electrochemical assay allows identification of targets to be carried out in a homogeneous solution, it would be of significance to develop the successive homogeneous assay system in dynamic solution for rapid disease diagnosis and high-throughput bioanalysis. In homogeneous assay, the work electrodes generally have capability of DNA capture but lack signal amplification, restricting its sensitivity. Here, a flow-homogeneous sensing system was proposed to realize the successive assay of microRNA, a model biomarker. Ultrathin 2D metal-organic framework (MOF) nanozymes with thickness of about 1 nm were facilely prepared by ultrasonic approach. Due to the excellent enzyme-like activity and adsorption capacity towards single-strand DNA (ssDNA), MOF nanozymes adsorbed on electrode simultaneously played two roles of ssDNA collector and signal-amplifier. To adapt the recoverable electrode to on-line monitoring, duplex-specific nuclease-assisted circle reaction was conducted to produce the turn-on amplified signal. Flow injection device was employed to realize the recycling of electrodes and the successive microRNA assay. The assay strategy showed low limit of detection (0.12 pM, S/N = 3) for microRNA, excellent renewability and acceptable reliability for real sample assay. The established system exerts the advantages of DNA-based homogeneous electrochemical sensing strategy. This work would not only expand homogeneous electrochemical assay to successive bioassay, but also provide the possibility for practical application of homogeneous sensing strategy.

Selective Inhibition toward Dual Enzyme-like Activities of Iridium Nanozymes for a Specific Colorimetric Assay of Malathion without Enzymes.

A colorimetric assay based on an enzyme-inhibition strategy is promising for the on-site detection of pesticide residues. Due to the high cost and low stability of enzymes, nanozymes (nanomaterials with enzyme-like activities) are widely developed as substitutes of enzymes. However, the inhibition of pesticides toward enzymes and nanozymes generally lacks selectivity. It is of great significance and challenge to design a specific pesticide assay based on an activity-inhibition strategy. Here, we discovered that iridium nanoparticles possess both peroxidase-like and oxidase-like activities under the same conditions, and their catalytic mechanisms are different. The synergistic effect of dual enzyme-like activities enhanced the colorimetric signal. Interestingly, the dual enzyme-mimicking activities could be simultaneously inhibited, and the inhibition effect exhibited high selectivity toward malathion. Considering the popularity and the hazards of malathion, a malathion assay method based on activity inhibition was established without enzymes and a redundant process. The synergistic effect of the selective inhibition of dual enzyme-like activities enhanced the selectivity and sensitivity. The proposed assay strategy opens up an avenue for specific assay of various pesticides.

Novel micro-granular sludge process for highly efficient treatment of low-strength and low C/N ratio municipal wastewater.

A novel high-concentration powder bio-carrier (HPB) process was developed for the high-load treatment of low-strength municipal wastewater with low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio (∼3). The powder carrier facilitated the rapid micro-granulation of sludge within 20 days and the average particle size increased rapidly from 47 µm to 210 µm. Accordingly, the concentration of mixed liquid volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) increased from 1.8 g/L to 4.3 g/L, which enabled the HPB process to maintain a short hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3.6 h. Correspondingly, the high volumetric load of 0.4-1.3 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/(m3∙d) and 0.12-0.24 kg total nitrogen (TN)/(m3∙d) could be achieved and twice higher than those of conventional activated sludge process, e.g., anaerobic/anoxic/oxic process. The carrier-induced sludge granulation also significantly optimized the microbial structure, and the high-throughput sequencing revealed the increasing abundances of denitrifying bacteria and anammox bacteria, which was consistent with the nitrogen removal efficiency rising from 44.6% to 77.4%. Accordingly, the enhanced nitrogen removal could be achieved with TN of effluent steadily below 5 mg/L. Especially, the mass balance analysis on carbon and nitrogen further indicated the advantage of newly developed HPB process in carbon source saving for nitrogen removal. All the results are believed to suggest a promising strategy for the highly efficient treatment of low-strength municipal wastewater.

Development of a chemiluminescent aptasensor for ultrasensitive and selective detection of aflatoxin B1 in peanut and milk.

More and more attention about food safety leads to a research hotspot to develop new detection methods for food contaminant. To address the problems of serious interference and low sensitivity, a chemiluminescent aptasensor for the detection of aflatoxin B1(AFB1) in food was developed in this paper. It is based on horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyze the luminol chemiluminescence reaction. The hybridization chain reaction (HCR) signal amplification strategy has been used to improve the detection sensitivity. Magnetic separation could further reduce background signal obviously at the same time. AFB1 as a model of analyte to test the capability of our developed assay system. Under the optimal experimental conditions, CL intensity showed a good linear correlation with the concentrations of AFB1 ranging from 0.5 to 40 ng mL-1. The limit of detection was estimated 0.2 ng mL-1 based on 3 times of the signal-to-noise ratio which is lower than those of the previously reported sensors. It could be used to detect AFB1 content in real samples, such as peanuts and milk which were purchased in local supermarket. The results proved that the sensing system has good anti-interference and selectivity. In all, it has potential for practical application in food safety field.

A highly sensitive and low-background fluorescence assay for pesticides residues based on hybridization chain reaction amplification assisted by magnetic separation.

Due to the concern over food safety, it is important to detect the pesticides residues in agricultural products. Here, a highly sensitive and low background fluorescent strategy for the detection of pesticides residues has been developed. The fluorescence intensity of N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM) binding G-quadruplex could be turn off because of inhibiting effect of the pesticides on the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. For that, four single-stranded DNAs (named linker, trigger, H1 and H2, respectively) are rational designed and T-Hg-T mismatches duplex DNAs as a recognizer combined with the separation of magnetic beads. The design of hybridization chain reaction (HCR) amplification strategy assisted by magnetic separation has been adopted to improve the detection sensitivity. In the presence of pesticides, the amount of the thiol group generated by hydrolysis reaction of acetylcholine (ACh) is reduced, lead to release of less trigger DNA. Therefor subsequent HCR process is retarded with decreased fluorescence intensity. The reduced fluorescence intensity has a quantitative relationship with the pesticide concentration. The limit of detection of chlorpyrifos was estimated to be 2.0 ng ml-1. It has been applied to detect the pesticides residues in real samples.

DNA-Functionalized Nanoceria for Probing Oxidation of Phosphorus Compounds.

Chemical reactions without an obvious optical signal change, such as fluorescence or color, are difficult to monitor. Often, more advanced analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy are needed. It would be useful to convert such reactions to those with changes in optical signals. In this work, we demonstrate that fluorescently labeled DNA oligonucleotides adsorbed on nanomaterials can probe such reactions, and oxidation of phosphorus-containing species was used as an example. Various metal oxides were tested, and CeO2 nanoparticles were found to be the most efficient for this purpose. Among phosphate, phosphite, and hypophosphite, only phosphate produced a large signal, indicating its strongest adsorption on CeO2 to displace the DNA. This was further used to screen oxidation agents to convert lower oxidation-state compounds to phosphate, and bleach was found to be able to oxidize phosphite. Canonical discriminant analysis was performed to discriminate various phosphorus species using a sensor array containing different metal oxides. On the basis of this, glyphosate was studied for its adsorption and oxidation. Although this method is not specific enough for selective biosensors, it is useful as a tool to produce sensitive optical signals to follow important chemical transformations.

Adsorption of Phosphate and Polyphosphate on Nanoceria Probed by DNA Oligonucleotides.

Phosphate-containing molecules exist in many forms in biology and the environment, and their interaction with metal oxides is an important aspect of their chemistry and biochemistry. In this work, phosphates with different degrees of polymerization (e.g., orthophosphate, pyrophosphate (PPi), sodium triphosphate (STPP), sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP), and polyphosphate with 25 phosphate units) and phosphates with one or two capping groups were studied. CeO2 nanoparticles (nanoceria) were used as a model metal oxide. DNA is also a polyphosphate, and a fluorescently labeled DNA oligonucleotide was mixed with nanoceria. These phosphate species were individually added to displace the adsorbed DNA. Longer phosphate chains were more efficient when each molecule was used at the same molar concentration, whereas PPi and STPP were most efficient at the same total phosphorus atom concentration. By capping the phosphate with organic groups, the affinity was significantly decreased. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was also performed to quantitatively measure thermodynamic parameters. Although STMP was very slow at displacing DNA, it was still adsorbed very strongly by nanoceria from ITC, indicating kinetic effects likely due to its ring structure. This observation allowed us to use the DNA as a probe to study the hydrolysis of STMP to form STPP. In summary, this study provides a systematic understanding of phosphate species interacting with metal oxides, and interestingly, it demonstrates an analytical application as well.

A label-free, versatile and low-background chemiluminescence aptasensing strategy based on gold nanocluster catalysis combined with the separation of magnetic beads.

A label-free, versatile and low-background chemiluminescence (CL) sensing strategy based on gold nanocluster catalysis combined with the separation of magnetic beads (MBs) was developed. Kanamycin was selected as the target analyte to exhibit the analytical performance of this platform. Two single-stranded DNA (named DNA1 and DNA2) are ingeniously designed. DNA1, containing an aptamer sequence of the targets, was firstly immobilized on the MBs which were modified with many amino groups by amidation reaction. DNA2 consists of 30 repeat adenosine bases (A30) at the 5' terminal which were used to prepare AuNCs by a UV-light-assisted method and a 12 nucleotide sequence at the 3' terminal which can easily hybridize with DNA1 to form a partly complementary double-stranded structure. In the presence of targets, the aptamer modified on MBs would combine with targets and lead to release the prepared DNA-templated AuNCs. After the magnetic separation, enrichment AuNCs in the supernatant can catalyze the CL substrate to produce a strong CL signal. The well-designed CL sensing strategy exhibited a low detection limit of 0.035 nM for kanamycin, and it also showed good selectivity and stability. Most importantly, different targets can be analyzed only by changing the aptamer sequence that is immobilized on the MBs. Therefore, the strategy we proposed here has provided a versatile sensing platform for sensitively detecting various biomolecules at low levels.

Fluorescent and colorimetric dual-mode aptasensor for thrombin detection based on target-induced conjunction of split aptamer fragments.

Since the lack of detection diversity of the single-signal readout strategy, it is urgent to develop fast and multisignal assay strategies. A highly selective and sensitive assay method with colorimetric and fluorometric dual signals readouts is presented in this paper. It is based on the principle that the target induced conjunction of split aptamer fragments assembled on the surface of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs). In the presence of targets, the color of solution changed from wine red to blue and can be measured both visual inspection and spectrophotometry because of the aggregation of AuNPs. At the same time, the report probes which are original hybrid with the anchoring aptamer fragments on the AuNPs surface can be released and recovers the fluorescence. By use of this detection strategy, the limit of detection for thrombin (TMB), as a model of analyte, were 0.45 and 0.16nM, respectively. Furthermore, this protocol can discriminate TMB from other analogue with high selectivity and can be used to detect TMB in human serum samples. The results came from the two signals were well consistent with each other, which demonstrated that it has application potential for detection of TMB in complex matrix.

Whole tumor section quantitative image analysis maximizes between-pathologists' reproducibility for clinical immunohistochemistry-based biomarkers.

Pathologists have had increasing responsibility for quantitating immunohistochemistry (IHC) biomarkers with the expectation of high between-reader reproducibility due to clinical decision-making especially for patient therapy. Digital imaging-based quantitation of IHC clinical slides offers a potential aid for improvement; however, its clinical adoption is limited potentially due to a conventional field-of-view annotation approach. In this study, we implemented a novel solely morphology-based whole tumor section annotation strategy to maximize image analysis quantitation results between readers. We first compare the field-of-view image analysis annotation approach to digital and manual-based modalities across multiple clinical studies (~120 cases per study) and biomarkers (ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67, and p53 IHC) and then compare a subset of the same cases (~40 cases each from the ER, PR, HER2, and Ki-67 studies) using whole tumor section annotation approach to understand incremental value of all modalities. Between-reader results for each biomarker in relation to conventional scoring modalities showed similar concordance as manual read: ER field-of-view image analysis: 95.3% (95% CI 92.0-98.2%) vs digital read: 92.0% (87.8-95.8%) vs manual read: 94.9% (91.4-97.8%); PR field-of-view image analysis: 94.1% (90.3-97.2%) vs digital read: 94.0% (90.2-97.1%) vs manual read: 94.4% (90.9-97.2%); Ki-67 field-of-view image analysis: 86.8% (82.1-91.4%) vs digital read: 76.6% (70.9-82.2%) vs manual read: 85.6% (80.4-90.4%); p53 field-of-view image analysis: 81.7% (76.4-86.8%) vs digital read: 80.6% (75.0-86.0%) vs manual read: 78.8% (72.2-83.3%); and HER2 field-of-view image analysis: 93.8% (90.0-97.2%) vs digital read: 91.0 (86.6-94.9%) vs manual read: 87.2% (82.1-91.9%). Subset implementation and analysis on the same cases using whole tumor section image analysis approach showed significant improvement between pathologists over field-of-view image analysis and manual read (HER2 100% (97-100%), P=0.013 field-of-view image analysis and 0.013 manual read; Ki-67 100% (96.9-100%), P=0.040 and 0.012; ER 98.3% (94.1-99.5%), p=0.232 and 0.181; and PR 96.6% (91.5-98.7%), p=0.012 and 0.257). Overall, whole tumor section image analysis significantly improves between-pathologist's reproducibility and is the optimal approach for clinical-based image analysis algorithms.

Highly sensitive homogeneous electrochemical aptasensor for antibiotic residues detection based on dual recycling amplification strategy.

The ubiquitous presence of antibiotic residues in foodstuff have serious health consequences for consumers from allergic reactions to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To address this problem, a novel homogeneous electrochemical aptasensor with high sensitivity and specificity is designed for antibiotic residues detection based on target-induced and T7 exonuclease-assisted dual recycling signal amplification strategy. It was realized by the remarkable diffusivity difference between hairpin probe and the mononucleotides towards the negatively charged indium tin oxide electrode. For the proof-of-concept experiment, ampicillin, was employed as a model analyte to examine the desirable properties of this assay. A low detection limit of 4.0pM toward ampicillin with an excellent selectivity could be achieved, which has been successfully applied to assay antibiotic in milk. What's more, compared with the immobilization-based electrochemical means, the proposed sensing system avoids the tedious and time-consuming steps of electrode modification, making the experimental processes much simpler and more convenient. With the advantages of high sensitivity, excellent selectivity and simple operation, it is believed that this strategy possesses great potential for the simple, easy and convenient detection of antibiotic residues in food safety field.

Exonuclease I-aided homogeneous electrochemical strategy for organophosphorus pesticide detection based on enzyme inhibition integrated with a DNA conformational switch.

A novel enzyme inhibition-based homogeneous electrochemical biosensing strategy was designed for an organophosphorus pesticide assay based on exploiting the resistance of a mercury ion-mediated helper probe (HP) toward nuclease-catalyzed digestion and the remarkable diffusivity difference between HPs and the mononucleotides toward a negatively charged indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. In particular, the mercury ion-mediated T-Hg(2+)-T base pairs facilitate the HP labeled with methylene blue (MB) to fold into a hairpin structure, preventing its digestion by exonuclease I, and thus resulting in a low electrochemical response because of the large electrostatic repulsion between the negatively charged ITO electrode and the HPs. The competitive binding by a thiol group (-SH), produced in the hydrolysis reaction of acetylthiocholine (ACh) chloride with acetylcholinesterase (AChE), removes mercury ions from the base pairs, causing a nuclease-catalyzed digestion, and the subsequent electrochemical response increase due to the weak electrostatic repulsion between the product-mononucleotides and the ITO electrode. Mercury ion-mediated HPs were first designed for pesticide detection and diazinon was chosen as the model target. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the approach exhibited high sensitivity for diazinon detection with a detection limit of 0.25 µg L(-1). The satisfactory results in the determination of diazinon in real samples demonstrate that the method possesses great potential for detecting organophosphorus pesticides. This new approach is expected to promote the exploitation of mercury-mediated base pair-based homogenous electrochemical biosensors in biochemical studies and in the food safety field.

Fluorescence biosensing strategy based on mercury ion-mediated DNA conformational switch and nicking enzyme-assisted cycling amplification for highly sensitive detection of carbamate pesticide.

Pesticides are of great importance in agricultural and biological fields, but pesticide residues may harm the environment and human health. A highly sensitive fluorescent biosensor for the detection of carbamate pesticide has been developed based on acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-catalyzed hydrolysis product triggered Hg(2+) release coupled with subsequent nicking enzyme-induced cleavage of a duplex DNA for cycling amplification. In this protocol, two DNA probes, an unmodified single-stranded helper DNA probe 1 (HP1) and a quencher-fluorophore probe (QFP) are ingeniously designed. HP1 can be folded into hairpin configuration through T-Hg(2+)-T base pair formation. QFP, labeled with FAM and BHQ1 at its two terminals, contains the recognition sequence and the cleavage site of the nicking enzyme. In the presence of carbamate pesticide, the activity of AChE is inhibited, and the amount of the product containing the thiol group generated by the hydrolysis reaction of acetylthiocholine chloride (ACh) decreases, resulting in the release of a low concentration of Hg(2+). The number of HP1 that can be selectively unfolded would be reduced and the subsequent nicking enzyme-assisted cleavage processes would be affected, resulting in decreased fluorescence signals. The fluorescence intensity further decreases with the increase of the pesticide concentration. Therefore, the pesticide content can be easily obtained by monitoring the fluorescence signal change, which is inversely proportional to the logarithm of the pesticide concentration. The detection limit of aldicarb, the model analyte, is 3.3 µgL(-1), which is much lower than the Chinese National Standards or those previously reported. The as-proposed method has also been applied to detect carbamate pesticide residues in fresh ginger and artificial lake water samples with satisfactory results, which demonstrates that the method has great potential for practical application in biological or food safety field.

A versatile label-free and signal-on electrochemical biosensing platform based on triplex-forming oligonucleotide probe.

Nucleic acid and protein assays are very important in modern life sciences, and the recently developed triplex-forming oligonucleotide probes provide a unique means for biological analysis of different kinds of analytes. Herein, we report a label-free and signal-on electrochemical sensor for the detection of specific targets, which is based on the triple-helix structure formation between the hairpin molecular beacon and the capture probe through the intermolecular DNA hybridization induced by Watson-Crick and Hoogsteen base pairings. Upon the introduction of a specific target, the triple-helical stem region is dissembled to liberate the hemin aptamer, and a G-quadruplex- hemin complex can be formed in the presence of K(+) and hemin on the electrode surface to give an electrochemical response, thus signaling the presence of the target. With the use of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) as a proof-of-principle analyte, we first demonstrated this approach by using a molecular beacon, which consists of a central section with the DNA sequence complementary to HIV-1, flanked by two arm segments. This newly designed protocol provides an ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of HIV-1 with a limit of detection down to 0.054 nM, and also exhibit good selectivity. Therefore, the as-proposed strategy holds a great potential for early diagnosis in gene-related diseases, and with further development, it could be used as a universal protocol for the detection of various DNA sequences and may be extended for the detection of aptamer-binding molecules.

Enzyme-free and label-free fluorescence aptasensing strategy for highly sensitive detection of protein based on target-triggered hybridization chain reaction amplification.

Proteins are of great importance in medical and biological fields. In this paper, a novel fluorescent aptasensing strategy for protein assay has been developed based on target-triggered hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and graphene oxide (GO)-based selective fluorescence quenching. Three DNA probes, a helper DNA probe (HP), hairpin probe 1 (H1) and hairpin probe 2 (H2) are ingeniously designed. In the presence of the target, the aptamer sequences in HP recognize the target to form a target-aptamer complex, which causes the HP conformation change, and then triggers the chain-like assembly of H1 and H2 through the hybridization chain reaction, generating a long chain of HP leading complex of H1 and H2. At last the fluorescence indicator SYBR Green I (SG) binds with the long double strands of the HCR product through both intercalation and minor groove binding. When GO was added into the solutions after HCR, the free H1, H2 and SG would be closely adsorbed onto GO surface via π-π stacking. However, the HCR product cannot be adsorbed on GO surface, thereby the SG bound to HCR product gives a strong fluorescence signal dependent on the concentration of the target. With the use of platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) as the model analyte, this newly designed protocol provides a highly sensitive fluorescence detection of PDGF-BB with a limit of detection down to 1.25 pM, and also exhibit good selectivity and applicability in complex matrixes. Therefore, the proposed aptasensing strategy based on target-triggered hybridization chain reaction amplification should have wide applications in the diagnosis of genetic diseases due to its simplicity, low cost, and high sensitivity at extremely low target concentrations.

Layered double hydroxide functionalized textile for effective oil/water separation and selective oil adsorption.

The removal of oil and organic pollutants from water is highly desired due to frequent oil spill accidents, as well as the increase of industrial oily wastewater. Here, superhydrophobic and superoleophilic textile has been successfully prepared for the application of effective oil/water separation and selective oil adsorption. This textile was fabricated by functionalizing the commercial textile with layered double hydroxide (LDH) microcrystals and low surface energy molecules. The LDH microcrystals were immobilized on the microfibers of the textile through an in situ growth method, and they formed a nestlike microstructure. The combination of the hierarchical structure and the low surface energy molecules made the textile superhydrophobic and superoleophilic. Further experiments demonstrated that the as-prepared textile not only can be applied as effective membrane materials for the separation of oil and water mixtures with high separation efficiency (>97%), but also can be used as a bag for the selective oil adsorption from water. Thus, such superhydrophobic and superoleophilic textile is a very promising material for the application of oil spill cleanup and industrial oily wastewater treatment.

A sensitive and versatile "signal-on" electrochemical aptasensor based on a triple-helix molecular switch.

In the present study, a versatile "signal-on" electrochemical aptasensor based on a triple-helix molecular switch has been developed. An aptamer probe is designed to hybridize with the methylene blue (MB)-modified DNA capture probe immobilized on the gold electrode to form rigid triple-helix DNA, impeding the efficient electron transfer of MB to the electrode and resulting in the decreased oxidation peak current of MB. However, upon introduction of the perfectly matched target, for example, human α-thrombin (Tmb), the interaction between Tmb and the aptamer probe leads to the dissociation of the triple-helix DNA structure and thereby liberates the MB-modified end of the capture probe, allowing the MB to collide with the electrode surface and resulting in an increase of the oxidation peak currents of MB. Therefore, the sensitive signal-on detection of Tmb is realized, and the detection limit of Tmb is 0.12 nM. The proposed approach also demonstrates excellent regenerability, reproducibility and stability. Additionally, it also has the advantages of simplicity in design and easy operation. The success in the present biosensor provides a promising alternative to the electrochemical detection of a variety of analytes and may have potential applications in point-of-care testing and clinical diagnosis.