Recent developments in microarray-based enzyme assays: from functional annotation to substrate/inhibitor fingerprinting

Recent advances in proteomics have provided impetus towards the development of robust technologies for high-throughput studies of enzymes. The term “catalomics” defines an emerging ‘-omics’ field in which high-throughput studies of enzymes are carried out by using advanced chemical proteomics approaches. Of the various available methods, microarrays have emerged as a powerful and versatile platform to accelerate not only the functional annotation but also the substrate and inhibitor specificity (e.g. substrate and inhibitor fingerprinting, respectively) of enzymes. Herein, we review recent developments in the fabrication of various types of microarray technologies (protein-, peptide- and small-molecule-based microarrays) and their applications in high-throughput characterizations of enzymes.     

Interface engineering with an MOCVD grown ZnO interface passivation layer for ZrO2-GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor devices

This work deals with the fabrication of a GaAs metal-oxide-semiconductor device with an unpinned interface environment. An ultrathin (∼2 nm) interface passivation layer (IPL) of ZnO on GaAs was grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition to control the interface trap densities and to prevent the Fermi level pinning before high-k deposition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy results show that an ultra thin layer of ZnO IPL can effectively suppress the oxides formation and minimize the Fermi level pinning at the interface between the GaAs and ZrO₂. By incorporating ZnO IPL, GaAs MOS devices with improved capacitance-voltage and reduced gate leakage current were achieved. The charge trapping behavior of the ZrO₂/ZnO gate stack under constant voltage stressing exhibits an improved interface quality and high dielectric reliability.     

A Precious-Metal-Free Hybrid Electrolyzer for Alcohol Oxidation Coupled to CO2-to-Syngas Conversion

Electrolyzers combining CO₂ reduction (CO₂R) with organic substrate oxidation can produce fuel and chemical feedstocks with a relatively low energy requirement when compared to systems that source electrons from water oxidation. Here, we report an anodic hybrid assembly based on a (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO) electrocatalyst modified with a silatrane-anchor ( STEMPO ), which is covalently immobilized on a mesoporous indium tin oxide (mesoITO) scaffold for efficient alcohol oxidation (AlcOx). This molecular anode was subsequently combined with a cathode consisting of a polymeric cobalt phthalocyanine on carbon nanotubes to construct a hybrid, precious-metal-free coupled AlcOx–CO₂R electrolyzer. After three-hour electrolysis, glycerol is selectively oxidized to glyceraldehyde with a turnover number (TON) of ≈1000 and Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 83 %. The cathode generated a stoichiometric amount of syngas with a CO:H₂ ratio of 1.25±0.25 and an overall cobalt-based TON of 894 with a FE of 82 %. This prototype device inspires the design and implementation of nonconventional strategies for coupling CO₂R to less energy demanding, and value-added, oxidative chemistry.     

Tramadol—A True Natural Product?

We have independently investigated the source of tramadol, a synthetic analgesic largely used for treating moderate to severe pain in humans, recently found in the roots of the Cameroonian medicinal plant, Nauclea latifolia. We found tramadol and its three major mammalian metabolites (O‐desmethyltramadol, N‐desmethyltramadol, and 4‐hydroxycyclohexyltramadol) in the roots of N. latifolia and five other plant species, and also in soil and local water bodies only in the Far North region of Cameroon. The off‐label administration of tramadol to cattle in this region leads to cross‐contamination of the soil and water through feces and urine containing parent tramadol as well as tramadol metabolites produced in the animals. These compounds can then be absorbed by the plant roots and also leached into the local water supplies. The presence of tramadol in roots is, thus, due to an anthropogenic contamination with the synthetic compound.     

The effect of surface temperature on H2/D2(v = 0, j = 0)–Ni(100) scattering processes

We carry out both four-dimensional (4D×2D) and six-dimensional (6D) quantum dynamics on a parametrically time- and temperature-dependent effective Hamiltonian for H₂/D₂(v = 0,j = 0)–Ni(100) collision process. Such an effective potential was derived within a theoretical framework of mean-field approximation by considering weakly correlated interaction between molecular degrees of freedom, phonon modes and electron– hole pair (elhp) coupling through a Hartree-product-type wave function, where the initial state distribution of the surface modes and elhp coupling were introduced through Bose– Einstein and Fermi– Dirac probability factor, respectively. The temperature-dependent dissociation and state-to-state transition probabilities for H₂/D₂(v = 0,j = 0)–Ni(100) system are depicted as a function of initial kinetic energ of the incoming diatom. Though such effect appears negligibly small for H₂(v = 0,j = 0)–Ni(100) system, it is prominent in the case of D₂(v = 0,j = 0)–Ni(100) collision. It appears that the change of dissociation and transition probabilities of D₂ with the increase of surface temperature is exclusively dictated by the phonon modes directed along Z-axis, but the effect of elhp coupling particularly for transition probabilities is insignificant.     

Characterization of a ferrofluid-based thermomagnetic pump for microfluidic applications

We experimentally characterize the performance of a miniature thermomagnetic pump, where suitably imposed temperature and magnetic field gradients are used to drive ferrofluid in a 2 mm diameter glass capillary tube, without application of any external pressure gradient. Such a pump can operate in a hermetically sealed micro electromechanical system configuration without any moving part, and is thus capable of handling microfluidic samples with little risk of contamination. In the experiment, the ferrofluid in the capillary is exposed to a magnetic field using a solenoid; a small resistive heater wrapped on the tube wall is used to create temperature gradient in such a way that the Kelvin body force in the medium produces a net unbalanced axial component. This causes a thermomagnetic pumping action, transporting the ferrofluid in the capillary tube from the colder end to the warmer end. Performance of the thermomagnetic pump is investigated experimentally to characterize the pump pressure head and discharge under different working conditions, namely, the magnetic field strength, heating power, and ferrofluid properties. A comparison with two other field actuation pumps at comparable length scales is also presented. The pump produces higher output at lower power supplies and magnetic field compared to the other two pumps.