Elucidating the Anomalous Binding Enhancement of Isoquinoline Boronic Acid for Sialic Acid Under Acidic Conditions: Expanding Biorecognition Beyond Vicinal Diols

A zwitterionic heterocyclic boronic acid based on 4-isoquinolineboronic acid (IQBA) exhibits the highest reported binding affinity for sialic acid or N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac, K=5390±190 m ⁻¹) through the formation of a cyclic boronate ester complex under acidic conditions (pH 3). This anomalous pH-dependent binding enhancement does not occur with common neutral saccharides (e.g., glucose, fructose, sorbitiol), because it is mediated via selective complexation to a α-hydroxycarboxylate moiety forming a stable ion pair and ternary complex with Neu5Ac in phosphate buffer. IQBA expands biorecognition beyond classical vicinal diols under neutral or alkaline buffer conditions, which enables the direct analysis of Neu5Ac by native fluorescence with sub-micromolar detection limits.     

The evolution of dip-pen nanolithography

The ability to tailor the chemical composition and structure of a surface on the 1-100 nm length scale is important to researchers studying topics ranging from electronic conduction, to catalysis, to biological recognition in nanoscale systems. Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is a new scanning-probe based direct-write tool for generating such surface-patterned chemical functionality on the sub-100 nm length-scale, and it is a technique that is accessible to any researcher who can use an atomic force microscope. This article introduces DPN and reviews the rapid growth of the field of DPN-related research over the past few years. Topics covered range from the development of new classes of DPN-compatible chemistry, to experimental and theoretical advances in the understanding of the processes controlling tip-substrate ink transport, to the implementation of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) based strategies for parallel DPN applications.     

Development of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Based Malaria Aptasensor Using HRP‐II as Target Biomarker

Current demand for a stable, low cost and sensitive malaria sensor has prompted to explore novel recognition systems that can substitute widely used protein based labile biorecognition elements to be used in point of care diagnostic devices. Here, we report a novel ssDNA aptamer of 90 mer sequence developed by SELEX process against HRP‐II, a specific biomarker for Plasmodium falciparum strains. High stability of the secondary structure of the isolated aptamer was discerned from its free energy of folding of −20.40 kcal mole⁻¹. The binding constant (K_d) of the aptamer with HRP‐II analysed by isothermal titration calorimetry was ∼1.32 μM. Circular dichroism studies indicated B form of the aptamer DNA. The aptamer was chemically immobilized on a gold electrode surface through a self‐assembled monolayer of dithio‐bis(succinimidyl) propionate to produce the aptasensor. The step wise modification of the layers over the gold electrode during fabrication of the aptasensor was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry. The aptasensor was then challenged with different concentration of HRP‐II and analysed the interaction signals through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The impedance signal behaved reciprocally with the increasing concentrations of the target in the sample from which a dynamic range of 1 pM–500 pM (R²=0.99) and LOD of ∼3.15 pM were discerned. The applicability of the developed aptasensor to detect HRP‐II in mimicked real sample was also validated.