Microspot-based ELISA in microfluidics: chemiluminescence and colorimetry detection using integrated thin-film hydrogenated amorphous silicon photodiodes

Microfluidic technology has the potential to decrease the time of analysis and the quantity of sample and reactants required in immunoassays, together with the potential of achieving high sensitivity, multiplexing, and portability. A lab-on-a-chip system was developed and optimized using optical and fluorescence microscopy. Primary antibodies are adsorbed onto the walls of a PDMS-based microchannel via microspotting. This probe antibody is then recognised using secondary FITC or HRP labelled antibodies responsible for providing fluorescence or chemiluminescent and colorimetric signals, respectively. The system incorporated a micron-sized thin-film hydrogenated amorphous silicon photodiode microfabricated on a glass substrate. The primary antibody spots in the PDMS-based microfluidic were precisely aligned with the photodiodes for the direct detection of the antibody-antigen molecular recognition reactions using chemiluminescence and colorimetry. The immunoassay takes ~30 min from assay to the integrated detection. The conditions for probe antibody microspotting and for the flow-through ELISA analysis in the microfluidic format with integrated detection were defined using antibody solutions with concentrations in the nM-μM range. Sequential colorimetric or chemiluminescence detection of specific antibody-antigen molecular recognition was quantitatively detected using the photodiode. Primary antibody surface densities down to 0.182 pmol cm(-2) were detected. Multiplex detection using different microspotted primary antibodies was demonstrated.     

DNA‐Mediated Proximity‐Based Assembly Circuit for Actuation of Biochemical Reactions

Smart nanodevices that integrate molecular recognition and signal production hold great promise for the point‐of‐care (POC) diagnostic applications. Herein, the development of a DNA‐mediated proximity assembly of biochemical reactions, which was capable of sensing various bio‐targets and reporting easy‐to‐read signals is reported. The circuit was composed of a DNA hairpin‐locked catalytic cofactor with inhibited activity. Specific molecular inputs can trigger a conformational switch of the DNA locks through the mechanisms of toehold displacement and aptamer switching, exposing an active cofactor. The subsequent assembly of an enzyme/cofactor pair actuated a reaction to produce colorimetric or fluorescence signals for detecting target molecules. The developed system could be potentially applied to smart biosensing in molecular diagnostics and POC tests.     

Perspectives in Supramolecular Chemistry—From Molecular Recognition towards Molecular Information Processing and Self-Organization

The selective binding of a substrate by a molecular receptor to form a supramolecular species involves molecular recognition which rests on the molecular information stored in the interacting species. The functions of supermolecules cover recognition, as well as catalysis and transport. In combination with polymolecular organization, they open ways towards molecular and supramolecular devices for information processing and signal generation. The development of such devices requires the design of molecular components performing a given function (e.g., photoactive, electroactive, ionoactive, thermoactive, or chemoactive) and suitable for assembly into an organized array. Light-conversion devices and charge-separation centers have been realized with photoactive cryptates formed by receptors containing photosensitive groups. Eleclroactive and ionoactive devices are required for carrying information via electronic and ionic signals. Redox-active polyolefinic chains, like the “caroviologens”, represent molecular wires for electron transfer through membranes. Push-pull polyolefins possess marked nonlinear optical properties. Tubular mesophases, formed by organized stacking of suitable macro-cyclic components, as well as “chundle”-type structures, based on bundles of chains grafted onto a macrocyclic support, represent approaches to ion channels. Lipophilic macrocyclic units form Langmuir-Blodgett films that may display molecular recognition at the air-water interface. Supramolecular chemistry has relied on more or less preorganized molecular receptors for effecting molecular recognition, catalysis, and transport processes. A step beyond preorganization consists in the design of systems undergoing self-organization, that is, systems capable of spontaneously generating a well-defined supramolecular architecture by self-assembling from their components under a given set of conditions. Several approaches to self-assembling systems have been pursued: the formation of helical metal complexes, the double-stranded helicates, which result from the spontaneous organization of two linear polybipyridine ligands into a double helix by binding of specific metal ions; the generation of mesophases and liquid crystalline polymers of supramolecular nature from complementary components, amounting to macroscopic expression of molecular recognition; the molecular-recognition-directed formation of ordered solid-state structures. Endowing photo-, electro-, and ionoactive components with recognition elements opens perspectives towards the design of programmed molecular and supramolecular systems capable of self-assembly into organized and functional supramolecular devices. Such systems may be able to perform highly selective operations of recognition, reaction, transfer, and structure generation for signal and information processing at the molecular and supramolecular levels.     

Enantiopure O-substituted phenylphosphonothioic acids: chiral recognition ability during salt crystallization and chiral recognition mechanism

[structure: see text] The chiral recognition ability of enantiopure O-methyl, O-ethyl, O-propyl, and O-phenyl phenylphosphonothioic acids (1a-d) for various kinds of racemic amines during salt crystallization and the chiral recognition mechanism were thoroughly investigated. The chiral recognition abilities of enantiopure 1a-d for a wide variety of racemic amines varied in a range of 6 to >99% enantiomeric selectivity. Deposited less-soluble diastereomeric salts were classified into two categories, prism- and needle-type crystals; the prism-type crystals were composed of a globular molecular cluster, while there existed a 2(1) column in the needle-type crystals. In contrast to a general observation of a similar 2(1) column in the less-soluble diastereomeric salt crystals of chiral primary amines with chiral carboxylic acids, the globular molecular cluster is a very unique hydrogen-bonding motif that has never been constructed in diastereomeric salt crystals. Excellent chiral recognition was always achieved when the less-soluble diastereomeric salts were prism-type crystals. Significant correlations were found between the degree of the chiral recognition with 1a-d, the crystal shape of the less-soluble diastereomeric salts, and the hydrogen-bonding motif (molecular cluster/2(1) column). The chiral recognition mechanisms via the molecular cluster and the 2(1) column formations are discussed in detail on the basis of X-ray crystallographic analyses.     

Chemical input multiplicity facilitates arithmetical processing

We describe the design and function of a molecular logic system, by which a combinatorial recognition of the input signals is utilized to efficiently process chemically encoded information. Each chemical input can target simultaneously multiple domains on the same molecular platform, resulting in a unique combination of chemical states, each with its characteristic fluorescence output. Simple alteration of the input reagents changes the emitted logic pattern and enables it to perform different algebraic operations between two bits, solely in the fluorescence mode. This system exhibits parallelism in both its chemical inputs and light outputs.     

Analyte‐Triggered DNA‐Probe Release from a Triplex Molecular Beacon for Nanopore Sensing

A new nanopore sensing strategy based on triplex molecular beacon was developed for the detection of specific DNA or multivalent proteins. The sensor is composed of a triplex‐forming molecular beacon and a stem‐forming DNA component that is modified with a host–guest complex. Upon target DNA hybridizing with the molecular beacon loop or multivalent proteins binding to the recognition elements on the stem, the DNA probe is released and produces highly characteristic current signals when translocated through α‐hemolysin. The frequency of current signatures can be used to quantify the concentrations of the target molecules. This sensing approach provides a simple, quick, and modular tool for the detection of specific macromolecules with high sensitivity and excellent selectivity. It may find useful applications in point‐of‐care diagnostics with a portable nanopore kit in the future.     

Cavitand‐Grafted Silicon Microcantilevers as a Universal Probe for Illicit and Designer Drugs in Water

The direct, clean, and unbiased transduction of molecular recognition into a readable and reproducible response is the biggest challenge associated to the use of synthetic receptors in sensing. All possible solutions demand the mastering of molecular recognition at the solid–liquid interface as prerequisite. The socially relevant issue of screening amine‐based illicit and designer drugs is addressed by nanomechanical recognition at the silicon–water interface. The methylamino moieties of different drugs are all first recognized by a single cavitand receptor through a synergistic set of weak interactions. The peculiar recognition ability of the cavitand is then transferred with high fidelity and robustness on silicon microcantilevers and harnessed to realize a nanomechanical device for label‐free detection of these drugs in water.     

A Light‐up Logic Platform for Selective Recognition of Parallel G‐Quadruplex Structures via Disaggregation‐Induced Emission

The design of turn‐on dyes with optical signals sensitive to the formation of supramolecular structures provides fascinating and underexplored opportunities for G‐quadruplex (G4) DNA detection and characterization. Here, we show a new switching mechanism that relies on the recognition‐driven disaggregation (on‐signal) of an ultrabright coumarin‐quinazoline conjugate. The synthesized probe selectively lights‐up parallel G4 DNA structures via the disassembly of its supramolecular state, demonstrating outputs that are easily integrable into a label‐free molecular logic system. Finally, our molecule preferentially stains the G4‐rich nucleoli of cancer cells.     

Wiring enzymes in nanostructures built with electrostatically self-assembled thin films.

The construction of electrostatically self-assembled intelligent nanostructures on electrodes with redox enzyme layers and redox polymer molecular wires defined in space allowed the analysis of redox charge transport from the redox enzyme to the electrode along nanometric distances. Recent results on the electrical connection of enzymes to electrodes and perspectives of generating electrical signals from molecular recognition in integrated enzyme electrodes are discussed.     

三聚氰胺分子印迹光子晶体水凝胶膜传感器的制备及应用

该文将光子晶体与分子印迹技术结合，制备了分子印迹光子晶体水凝胶膜（MIPHs）作为光学传感器，用于样品中三聚氰胺的快速识别检测。以三聚氰胺为模板分子，通过垂直沉降自组装、填充聚合、去除模板3个步骤，制备得到了反蛋白石结构的三聚氰胺MIPHs。扫描电子显微镜的形貌表征表明，MIPHs具有高度有序的三维大孔结构。该MIPHs作为光学传感器可以将三聚氰胺的分子特异识别过程转换成光学信号，在对目标分析物分析时具有选择性高、响应快、灵敏度高的优点。此外，可以根据MIPHs的颜色变化利用图像软件分析或裸眼识别的方式实现目标分析物快速识别。实验结果表明，在最优条件下，三聚氰胺浓度为10^-11~10^-6mol/L时，MIPHs的布拉格衍射峰位移从563 nm红移到608 nm，而对三聚氰胺的结构类似物没有明显响应。     

Study of gas-phase molecular recognition using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR/MS)

The application of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry to the quantitative study of molecular recognition in the gas phase is reviewed. Because most quantitative measurements are dependent on accurate determination of the pressure of a neutral reagent, methods for accurate pressure measurement in FTICR, including gauge calibration using a reaction with known rate constants (the traditional method), exothermic proton transfer rate measurement (often the best method when accurate neutral pressures in the trapping cell are desired), and linewidth measurement (a little-used, but generally applicable method) are discussed. The use of rate constant measurements in molecular recognition is illustrated with examples employing natural abundance isotopic labeling to study self-exchange and 2 : 1 ligand:metal complex formation kinetics in crown ether-alkali cation systems. Self-exchange rates do not correlate with alkali cation/crown cavity size relationships, whereas 2 : 1 complex formation kinetics correlate strongly with size relationships. The use of exchange equilibrium constant measurements to characterize molecular recognition is illustrated by alkali cation exchanges between 18-crown-6 and the isomers of dicyclohexano-18-crown-6. These experiments show that the alkyl-substituted ligand binds alkali cations better than unsubstituted 18-crown-6 in the gas phase, in accordance with expectations based on the higher polarizability of the alkyl-substituted ligand. Further, the metal binding thermochemistry differs for the two dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 isomers, with the bowl-shaped cis-syn-cis isomer binding all the alkali cations more strongly than the cis-anti-cis isomer. The measurement of entropies and enthalpies associated with one of the most subtle forms of molecular recognition, enantiomeric discrimination, is illustrated by studies of the discrimination between enantiomers of chiral amines by dimethyldiketopyridino-18-crown-6. This chiral ligand binds chiral primary ammonium cations that have the opposite absolute configuration at their stereocenter more strongly than the enantiomer with the same absolute configuration. Gas-phase studies show that this enantiomeric discrimination is enthalpic in origin, likely related to more favorable pi-pi stacking for the preferred enantiomer. Entropy disfavors binding of the preferred enantiomer.     

A simple erosion dynamics model of molecular sputter depth profiling

A simple model which describes the essential features commonly observed in a molecular sputter depth profile is presented. General predictions of the dependence of measured molecular ion signals on the primary ion fluence are derived for the specific case where a mass spectrometric technique such as SIMS or secondary neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) is used to analyze the momentary surface. The results are compared with recent experimental data on molecular depth profiles obtained by cluster‐ion‐initiated SIMS of organic overlayers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The area-code hypothesis: the immune system provides clues to understanding the genetic and molecular basis of cell recognition during development

Numberous studies of embryogenesis have provided evidence for highly specific cell-surface recognition phenomena. These include both the interactions of neighboring cells and the specific cellular migrations which occur as the developmental program of the embryo progresses. The area-code hypothesis elaborate here is an attempt to provide a framework for understanding cell-recognition phenomena in development. This hypothesis is based on extensive genetic, molecular, and cellular studies of the immune system. These studies suggest that the following events occur during the differentiation of antibody-producing cells. 1) Somatic cell lines of antibody-producing cells undergo a modification of their DNA as they become committed to synthesize a particular type of antibody molecule. This chromosomal modification event is probably a DNA translocation which leads to a somatic rearrangement of certain antibody genes. 2) In each of the specific cell lineages the new arrangement of DNA is inherited by all subsequent generations of cells. 3) The developmental programs which control these genetic alterations may be employed in a programmed and reproducible fashion. This programming of antibody development is suggested because different embryos appear to become committed to the production of identical antibody molecules in the same developmental sequence. 4) Antibody molecules are initially displayed on the cell surface where they serve as highly specifici receptors to trigger the cell to proliferate and differentiate upon interacting with appropriate external molecular signals. 5) Antibody-producing cells display combinations of different molecules on their surfaces which cause each of a very large number of different cells to interact differently with their environment. 6) The genes which code for many of these cell-surface molecules are organized into multigene families. These observations as well as information from other developmental systems have led us to propose the area-code hypothesis. This hypothesis is concerned with the structure, function, and regulation of cell-surface molecules that mediate recognition phenomena during embryogenesis. Area-code molecules are cell-surface molecules which are involved in the specific recognition phenomena during growth and development. These molecules provide cells with distinct cell-surface addresses or phenotypes, and provide the basis for the specificity in cell-cell recognition during cell migrations and cell-cell interactions, as well as serving as receptors for diffusible differentiation signals. The area-code hypothesis has 3 main postulates. i) There is a progressive display of specific combinations of area-code molecules on the surfaces of cells during development. ii) The genetic programs which determine the specific expression of area-code molecules are in part controlled by DNA modifications. These chromosomal modifications are believed to channel cells into specific lineages uith progressively restricted developmental options...     

共轭聚合物离子荧光化学传感器

荧光传感器能够将分子识别的信息转换成荧光信号,荧光法在灵敏度、选择性和实时原位检测等方面优势突出,最近已引起了人们很大的兴趣。本文主要介绍以共轭聚合物为基础的离子荧光化学传感器的近期研究进展,重点综述了共轭聚合物的荧光化学传感器在阳离子识别检测中的分子设计、合成、作用机理和应用,并展望了该领域的发展方向。     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensor for theophylline determination by molecular imprinting on silver nanoparticles

A surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensor for the determination of theophylline (THO) has been developed by imprinting the target molecules on the surface of silver nanoparticles. The desired recognition sites are generated after template removal and homogeneous distribution on the silver nanoparticles that have been incorporated within polymer matrix by the in situ reduction of theophylline-silver complexes, providing molecular recognition ability and SERS active surfaces. The theophylline molecules, complementary to the shape, size, and functionality of the recognition cavities, can selectively bind to the recognition sites at the surface of silver nanoparticles driven by the formation of hydrogen bonding and surface coordination. It has been demonstrated that the SERS signals of the theophylline molecules captured on the surface of the silver nanoparticles have a good reproducibility and a dose-response relationship to the target analytes, showing the potential for reliable identification and quantification of the bioactive compound. The molecular imprinting-based SERS sensor, like antibodies or enzymes, also possesses the ability to distinguish theophylline from the closely related structure caffeine due to the variations of molecular size and shape as well as the different affinity to silver ions.     

Photochemically and electrochemically triggered Au nanoparticles "sponges"

Stimuli-triggered wettability of surfaces and controlled uptake and release of substrates by "smart" materials are essential for drug delivery and microfluidic control. A composite "sponge" consisting of bis-aniline-bridged Au nanoparticles (NPs), functionalized with photoisomerizable nitrospiropyran/nitromerocyanine that includes selective imprinted molecular recognition sites for N,N'-bis(3-sulfonatopropyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium (PVS) was electropolymerized on a Au electrode. The system is triggered by photonic and/or electrical signals to yield four different states exhibiting variable binding/release capacities for PVS and controlled wettability of the surface. The electrical/optical uptake and release of PVS to and from the Au NPs "sponge", respectively, is followed by CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, acting as an auxiliary photonic label.     

基于光化学探针的分子键盘锁研究进展

分子键盘锁作为一类新型的分子逻辑器件,其信号输出依赖于特定顺序的信号输入组合,可以在分子水平上保护信息。光化学探针分子以其选择性好、灵敏度高、易于实现在线分析以及可通过目视比色识别和原位检测等特点成为目前研究的热点。本文介绍了基于光化学分子探针发展起来的分子键盘锁,根据信号输入类型主要有阳离子输入、阴离子输入和阳离子/阴离子混合输入等类型。最后,展望了分子键盘锁的发展趋势。     

Light scattering sensing detection of pathogens based on the molecular recognition of immunoglobulin with cell wall-associated protein A

In this contribution, we report a rapid optical detection method of pathogens using Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) as the model analyte based on the molecular recognition of immunoglobulin with cell wall-associated Protein A (SpA). It was found that the molecular recognition of human immunoglobulin (IgG) with protein A on the cell wall of S. aureus on glass slide sensing area could result in strong surface enhanced light scattering (SELS) signals, and the SELS intensity (ΔI) increases proportionally with the concentration of S. aureus over the range of 2.5 × 10⁵-1.0 × 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹ with right angle light scattering (RALS) signals detection mode. In order to identify the solid support based molecular recognition between IgG with SpA, we also employed water-soluble CdS quantum dots (CdS-QDs) as a fluorescent marker for IgG by immobilizing the IgG onto the surfaces of CdS-QDs through covalent binding in order to generate recognition probes for SpA on the cell wall of S. aureus. Consequently, the fluorescent method also showed that the detection for pathogens with solid supports is reliable based on the molecular recognition of IgG with SpA.