Low-cost compact optical spectroscopy and novel spectroscopic algorithm for point-of-care real-time monitoring of nanoparticle delivery in biological tissue models.

Objective: Real-time monitoring of nanoparticle delivery in biological models is essential to optimize nanoparticle-mediated therapies. However, few techniques are available for convenient real-time monitoring of nanoparticle concentrations in tissue samples. This work reported novel optical spectroscopic approaches for low-cost point-of-care real-time quantification of nanoparticle concentrations in biological tissue samples. Methods: Fiber probe measured diffuse reflectance can be described with a simple analytical model by introducing an explicit dependence on the reduced scattering coefficient. Relying on this, the changes on the inverse of diffuse reflectance are proportional to absorption change when the scattering perturbation is negligible. We developed this model with proper wavelength pairs and implemented it with both a standard optical spectroscopy platform and a low-cost compact spectroscopy device for near real-time quantification of nanoparticle concentrations in biological tissue models. Results: Both tissue-mimicking phantom and ex vivo tissue sample studies showed that our optical spectroscopic techniques could quantify nanoparticle concentrations in near real-time with high accuracies (less than 5% error) using only a pair of narrow wavelengths (530 nm and 630 nm). Conclusion: Novel low-cost point-of-care optical spectroscopic techniques were demonstrated for rapid accurate quantification of nanoparticle concentrations in tissue-mimicking medium and ex vivo tissue samples using optical signals measured at a pair of narrow wavelengths. Significance: Our methods will potentially facilitate real-time monitoring of nanoparticle delivery in biological models using low-cost point-of-care optical spectroscopy platforms, which will significantly advance nanomedicine in cancer research.

[Low carbon biomanufacturing for future food].

Affected by the rapid population growth, the unbalanced level of social and economic development, the aging population and unhealthy eating patterns, we are facing problems such as lack of food and nutrition, and the high incidence of nutrition related diseases. At the same time, the demand for low-carbon development calls for a sustainable food supply model. Therefore, technologies that meet the taste and nutritional needs of consumers, and serve as a green and sustainable food supply model, such as functional sugar, alternative meat and other future food technologies, have attracted increasing attention. The rapidly developed emerging biomanufacturing technology and its products will support the development of a green and low-carbon future food industry and trigger profound changes in the traditional production mode. Collectively, this represents a major strategic development direction of the emerging bioeconomy. This review summarizes the biomanufacturing technology of functional sugars, microbial proteins and key auxiliary ingredients of alternative meat. We discuss the latest progress in cell factory construction, strain evaluation and process optimization in industrial environment and derived product development. Moreover, future development trend was prospected, with the aim to facilitate industrial development of biomanufacturing of future food.