ACS Sensors最新文献

{"title":"Multiplexed Salivary miRNA Quantification for Predicting Severe COVID-19 Symptoms in Children Using Ligation-RPA Amplification Assay.","authors":"Md Ahasan Ahamed, Zhikun Zhang, Aneesh Kshirsagar, Anthony J Politza, Usha Sethuraman, Srinivasan Suresh, Steven Hicks, Feng Guo, Weihua Guan","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.5c01275","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c01275","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While most children with COVID-19 experience mild symptoms or remain asymptomatic, some may develop severe complications. Early identification of children at risk for severe outcomes is essential to ensuring timely and effective intervention. Recent studies have identified alterations in salivary microRNA (miRNA) expression levels as promising biomarkers for predicting severe complications in children. However, there remains a need for a rapid, noninvasive, and quantitative method to detect miRNA expression level changes, as their upregulation or downregulation serves as a hallmark of various diseases, providing an alternative to sequencing-based methods. Here, we developed a highly specific and sensitive ligation-coupled recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay for quantitatively detecting multiplex severe and nonsevere miRNAs on a portable platform. The assay begins with an miRNA-templated annealing and ligation reaction of miR-1273, miR-296, and miR-29, followed by an RPA reaction. We quantified 100 pM to 1 fM, resolving 1 fM, with 100% specificity. Next, we validated portable extraction against benchtop extraction, achieving <i>R</i>² > 0.85 and <i>r</i> > 0.92 in clinical samples. Finally, testing 154 clinical samples revealed severe miRNA downregulation compared to nonsevere cases. The assay achieved high diagnostic accuracy with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.98. This platform would empower clinicians to make informed decisions, optimize resource allocation, and improve outcomes, particularly in point-of-care (POC) settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144564154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Label-Free Multimodal Imaging Microscope for Damaged Cell Membrane Detection and Single-Cell Characterization.","authors":"Huijun Wang, Lu Zhang, Chen Fan, Jie Huang, Yuxiang Huang, Weihao Zhao, Lifang Tian, Hong Zhao, Cuiping Yao","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.5c00968","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c00968","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Multimodal characterization of single cells offers unprecedented resolution and depth for research in fundamental biology, pathology, and drug development. However, limited by labeling techniques or complex systems, developing a simple, label-free multimodal detection system remains challenging. In this work, a label-free multimodal imaging microscope (MMIM) is proposed for single-cell characterization. The MMIM system simultaneously performs forward scattering, degree of circular polarization, and phase measurements to quantify the volume and to image intracellular refractive index distribution and morphology. Four features, from external morphology (volume, roughness average (Ra), and root-mean-square) to intracellular substance (refractive index), are extracted for characterization. Moreover, the potential high classification accuracy of multimodal characterization is verified by a decision tree model. The MMIM system detected that surface roughness of damaged human kidney-2 (HK-2) cells induced by lipid peroxidation was 39.7% higher than normal HK-2 cells. Scanning electron microscopy images of the control group confirmed that MMIM can directly detect cell membrane damage, without the need for fluorescent staining or complex systems. Multimodal features improved accuracy by 21.5 and 22.4% for classifying different cancer cell types and normal versus damaged HK-2 cells compared to single features. Overall, the MMIM system provides a simple method of multimodal characterization and cell membrane damage detection for single cells, demonstrating great potential in biomedical research.</p>","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144558392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microneedle Sensors for Ion Monitoring in Plants. One Step Closer to Smart Agriculture.","authors":"Qianyu Wang,Águeda Molinero-Fernandez,José Ramón Acosta Motos,Gastón A Crespo,María Cuartero","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.5c01215","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c01215","url":null,"abstract":"As global demand for food rises and agricultural systems face unprecedented stress from environmental challenges, understanding the role of ions (i.e., key nutrient components) in crop productivity has never been more critical. Unfortunately, current tools for ion analysis in plants rely on destructive sap collection that fails to capture the dynamic changes in ionic concentrations. On the other hand, noninvasive optical methods lack practicality for field applications due to their reliance on expensive equipment and complex operational procedures. Recent advancements in microneedle (MN) sensing technology have demonstrated significant potential for real-time monitoring of plants' health by enabling the direct detection of various important biomarkers, including but not limited to ions. By offering a minimally invasive approach, MN sensors allow continuous in-planta monitoring with precise penetration into plant tissues, ensuring natural growth remains undisturbed. However, the application of MN sensors, especially for in vivo ion measurement, is still in its very early stage. Herein, we delve into the technological potential and application avenues of plant MN sensors, with a focus on tailoring sensor designs to meet the specific requirements of various plant growth environments and analytical performances for ion detection. This perspective paper also introduces the essential relevance of ion levels in plants, provides a comprehensive assessment of existing ion detection methods, and identifies key challenges associated with achieving effective in planta monitoring. Notably, we highlight the potential of MN sensors as a transformative approach for unveiling plant stress responses, optimizing crop yields, and fulfilling diverse roles that bridge the fields of precision agriculture and plant science research.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144547712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Flexible Mo2CTx/MoSe2 Heterostructure Sensors for Ultrasensitive, Room-Temperature Detection of Exhaled H2S in Periodontitis Diagnosis.","authors":"Qi Han,ChenCheng Hu,Fangyu Shi,Juanrui Du,Fanrou Zhang,Chunyan Li,Lin Wang,Lin Xu","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.5c01141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c01141","url":null,"abstract":"Oral hydrogen sulfide (H2S) level is a critical biomarker for noninvasive periodontitis, making its sensitive and selective detection essential for early diagnosis and real-time monitoring. However, current sensing technologies still face significant limitations in achieving high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability within the complex oral environment. In this study, we report the development of an integrated heterostructure of two-dimensional Mo2CTx-modified MoSe2 (Mo2CTx/MoSe2 composite), tailored for room temperature H2S detection in periodontitis diagnosis. The composite synergistically combines the high electrical conductivity and abundant surface defects of Mo2CTx with the bandgap tunability and chemical specificity of MoSe2, yielding an outstanding gas-sensing performance. The optimized Mo2CTx/MoSe2 sensor (0.5 wt % Mo2CTx) demonstrated a high response (ΔR/R0 = 629% to 10 ppm of H2S), an ultralow detection limit (22 ppb), and superior selectivity (3.9-628 times against interfering gases). Moreover, it exhibited excellent long-term stability (<11% signal drift over 40 days) and mechanical robustness, underscoring its suitability for clinical deployment. Density functional theory simulations revealed that enhanced sensing performance arises from strong electronic coupling at the heterointerface, accelerated charge transfer, and efficient molecular activation of H2S. Real-time breath analysis confirmed the sensor's ability to dynamically track trace H2S levels, enabling effective discrimination between healthy individuals and periodontitis patients. This work presents a robust and scalable strategy for the early diagnostic screening of periodontitis and lays the groundwork for next-generation wearable or smart diagnostic platforms in oral healthcare.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144547791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lambda Theta Reflectometry: A New Technique for Measuring Optical Film Thickness in Planar Protein Arrays.","authors":"Alanna M Klose,Joseph D Katz,Robert Boni,David Nelson,Brian Hassard,Benjamin L Miller","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.5c01108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c01108","url":null,"abstract":"Quantitative protein measurements provide valuable information about biological pathways, immune system functionality, and the mechanisms of disease. The most accurate methods for detecting proteins are label-free and preserve native protein-binding interactions. Label-free biomolecular interaction analysis includes reflectometry, a group of techniques that detect proteins by measuring the reflectance properties of a thin film on a substrate. Most of these techniques are limited in some way by instrument complexity, sensitivity, or consumable manufacturing requirements. To address these issues, we introduce Lambda Theta Reflectometry (LTR), a new reflectometric technique that measures changes in film thickness by determining the point of null reflectivity as a function of wavelength (lambda) and angle of incidence (theta). The substrate is simultaneously illuminated with a range of angles and wavelengths, and reflected light is resolved both angularly and spectrally. Our prototype LTR reflectometer can measure SiO2 layer thickness with milli-Ångström precision. LTR measurements of Si/SiO2 oxide films are in excellent agreement with spectroscopic ellipsometry for film thicknesses ranging from 1390 to 1465 Å. This technique enables label-free biosensing measurements across a range of biological analyte concentrations (0.5 ng/mL to μg/mL) without requiring stringent control over probe deposition thickness or substrate manufacturing.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144533486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Real-Time Gas Identification at Room Temperature Using UV-Modulated Sb-Doped SnO2 Sensors via Machine Learning.","authors":"Yan-Fong Lin,Yu-Chen Chi,Sheng-Hong Tseng,Te-Fu Wang,Ying-Tsung Lin,Min-Ta Yang,Chih-Hao Lin,Su-Yu Liao,Chun-Ying Huang","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.5c01183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c01183","url":null,"abstract":"This study presents a novel approach for real-time gas identification at room temperature. We use UV-modulated Sb-doped SnO2 sensors combined with machine learning. Our method exclusively employs the gas response (R) as the sole metric. This eliminates the need for time-dependent parameters such as response and recovery times. By modulating the UV light intensity at five distinct levels (5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 mW/cm2), we generate a five-dimensional optical fingerprint. This fingerprint captures subtle variations in sensor response under different illumination conditions. Gas discrimination was evaluated for both oxidizing gases (O3 and NO2) and reducing gases (NH3 and H2). Our machine learning results show that Support Vector Machine (SVM) and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) achieve nearly 100% accuracy when four UV intensity levels are used. Using R as the sole input metric allows for instantaneous response detection, which is essential for real-time gas identification. This approach addresses the limitations of conventional thermally activated sensors that require multiple parameters and paves the way for the development of rapid-response monitoring systems.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144547759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Specific Detection of Cortisol in Biological Fluids: A Tailored Electrochemical Aptasensing Approach.","authors":"Maria-Bianca Irimes,Alexandra Pusta,Mihaela Tertis,Andreea Tabirta,Eduard Achim,Maria Suciu,Cristian Leostean,Ovidiu Pana,Radu Nicolaie Oprean,Cecilia Cristea","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.4c03105","url":null,"abstract":"Cortisol is a key endogenous hormone involved in physiological and pathological processes, its levels fluctuating in biological fluids due to numerous factors, including inflammatory disorders. Therefore, the accurate and selective detection of cortisol is essential for both diagnosing these conditions and evaluating treatment efficiency. Electrochemical methods offer significant advantages for biomarker analysis in biological samples due to their low cost, high sensitivity and specificity, potential for miniaturization, and capability for in situ analysis. The goal of this study was to design a customized platform for the specific electrochemical detection of cortisol in biological samples, with potential applications in portable biomedical devices. Flexible, customized carbon electrodes were fabricated, and the surface of the working electrodes was modified using Au and Pt, to enhance sensitivity, and an aptamer to increase specificity for cortisol detection. All the modification steps were validated using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Cortisol detection was performed via cyclic voltammetry, and the platforms were assessed for their analytical performance, including the limit of detection, limit of quantification, and sensitivity. The aptasensor was able to determine the analyte on a linear domain between 0.5 and 100 nM, with a limit of detection of 0.1 nM. Additionally, the aptasensors were applied for the analysis of saliva and sweat samples collected from patients and healthy subjects as control. This aptasensor enables the specific detection of cortisol and has the potential to be further developed for point-of-care medical applications.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144533531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the Blood Components Contributing to the Drift of Electrochemical Aptamer-Based Biosensors.","authors":"Joshua D Pham,Lisa C Fetter,Julian Gerson,Tod E Kippin,Kevin W Plaxco,Kaylyn K Leung","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.5c01267","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c01267","url":null,"abstract":"Electrochemical aptamer-based (EAB) sensors support the high-frequency, real-time measurement of specific molecules, including metabolites, pharmacological agents, and biomarkers, in situ in the living body. A challenge that complicates their long-term, in vivo deployment, however, is signal drift, which causes a reduction in their signal output over time that is unrelated to the presence of target. Previously, we and others have shown that, when placed in undiluted whole blood at body temperature, EAB sensor drift arises predominantly due to fouling and enzymatic degradation of the DNA aptamer, with the former dominating in vitro in days-old bovine blood, and the latter dominating in vivo in blood flowing through the rat jugular. Building on this background, here we explore the specific blood components that prompt the EAB sensor drift in vitro. Comparison of the drift produced by whole blood, washed blood cells, and plasma demonstrates that this drift is caused by blood proteins rather than blood cells. And studies employing size-fractionated serum and plasma indicate that the proteins causing drift are approximately of molecular weight >100 kDa. The latter observation explains past successes in mitigating drift via the use of molecular-weight-selective films.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144533532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photothermal Paper-Based Microfluidic Analytical Device Integrated with Carbon Nanomaterials and Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Sensitive Perfluorooctanesulfonate Quantification.","authors":"Kawin Khachornsakkul,Thithawat Trakoolwilaiwan,Ruben Del-Rio-Ruiz,Elliot Friesen,Wijitar Dungchai,Tapparath Leelasattarathkul","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.5c00940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c00940","url":null,"abstract":"The global prevalence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination highlights the need for sensitive, accessible, simple, and cost-effective analytical tools. In this article, we present the first photothermal-based microfluidic paper-based analytical device (PT-μPAD) for the detection of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), one of the most widespread PFAS, in various matrices, including water, food, and human samples. By integration of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) with carbon dots (CDs), the device achieves selective and sensitive PFOS monitoring by measuring the temperature change on the μPAD sensor. Additionally, the detection signal is rapidly obtained via a wireless near-field communication (NFC) system embedded in a portable and user-friendly platform. Under optimization, the developed sensor delivers a linear range between 1.5 and 7.0 pg mL-1 (R2 = 0.9989) and a detection limit (limit of detection (LOD)) of 7.0 fg mL-1. Our developed sensor also exhibits high selectivity, with no observed interferent effects. The method also demonstrates remarkable accuracy and precision for PFOS quantification across real-world samples, achieving recovery percentages of 92.5-110.0% and the highest relative standard deviation (RSD) of 7.3%. Correspondingly, the results obtained using our method are comparable to those from the high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method, as confirmed by a 95% confidence level in the t test analysis. Therefore, this sensor is well-suited for PFOS monitoring across various sample matrices, offering key advantages, such as simplicity, cost-effectiveness, portability, and ease of use by unskilled operators. Overall, this approach can be extended to the detection of other target molecules through MIP modification, showing its versatility. Furthermore, this concept holds great potential for broader applications, including medical point-of-care (POC) diagnostics and prognostics, on-site environmental analysis, and food safety.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144533533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Highly Selective Hybrid InSe-Graphene for NO₂ Gas Sensing with High Humidity Tolerance.","authors":"Jyayasi Sharma, Frank Güell, Mubdiul Islam Rizu, Dalal Fadil, Eduard Llobet","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03521","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.4c03521","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>p-type pristine InSe, pristine graphene, and the corresponding hybrid InSe-graphene gas sensor that is highly selective to NO₂ have been developed. These materials are produced at an environmentally friendly temperature of 35 °C by the Liquid Phase Exfoliation (LPE) technique. Then their deposition was performed on alumina transducers for achieving chemoresistive gas sensors. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), photoluminescence (PL), and Raman spectroscopy were used to analyze the materials. The multilayered crystalline structure is revealed by HRTEM. Studies on gas-sensing properties showed that the response of the hybrid InSe-graphene sensor to 1 ppm of NO₂ is three times higher than the one of the pristine graphene sensor, whereas the pristine InSe sensor was not responsive. While under dry conditions, the response to NO₂ (1 ppb) was 3.41%, under humid conditions (RH 50%), the responsiveness was significantly increased to 6.16% and to 14.42% for sensors operated at 150 and 250 °C, respectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144525401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}