Analytica Chimica Acta最新文献

{"title":"Integrated Circuit–Microfluidic Biosensors for Blood-Based Disease Diagnostics—A Review","authors":"Sasi Kiran Boilla, Gwo-Bin Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345549","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2026.345549","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Background</h3>Integrated circuit (IC)-integrated microfluidic biosensors have revolutionized blood-based diagnostics by merging precise electronic sensing with on-chip sample manipulation. Over the past decade, continuous progress in IC architectures, signal processing, packaging and microfluidic designs has enabled compact, low-power platforms that detect cardiovascular, infectious disease, and cancer biomarkers directly from microliter volumes of blood or plasma.<h3>Results</h3>Herein we summarized developments over the decade, highlighting advances in IC front-ends (impedance, capacitive, &amp; electrochemical), time- and frequency-encoded conversion (sigma–delta converters, voltage-controlled oscillators, &amp; capacitance-to-digital/time interfaces), and fluidic strategies spanning capillary-driven, pressure-driven, and hybrid configurations. Limits of detection (LOD), dynamic range, response time, sample volume, and power consumption were compared across an array of devices to evaluate their point-of-care (POC) suitability. We further addressed drift-resilient packaging, on-chip calibration, and machine learning-assisted signal processing as emerging solutions for robust field operations.<h3>Significance</h3>This review highlights the key design and performance factors that govern the translational potential of IC-integrated microfluidic biosensors for blood diagnostics. It outlines critical challenges in biocompatibility, manufacturability, analytical sensitivity, and standardization, and identifies the co-optimization of circuit design, surface chemistry, and microfluidic operation as essential for translating laboratory prototypes into practical POC diagnostic devices.","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147709058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A ratiometric fluorescent probe consisting of Zn-MOF and calcium ion for sensitive and visual detection of doxycycline","authors":"Nan Yang ,&nbsp;Le Kang ,&nbsp;Wei Yao ,&nbsp;Baotong Xu ,&nbsp;Yunhui Feng ,&nbsp;Vladimir P. Fedin ,&nbsp;Enjun Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The global consumption of antibiotics is steadily rising, with doxycycline being extensively utilized in both animal husbandry and the treatment of COVID-19. Overuse of this antibiotic may result in residual accumulation and pose potential health risks. Conventional detection methods are often complex and labor-intensive, whereas fluorescence analysis offers advantages such as high sensitivity and rapid response. In this work, the development of a simple and efficient MOF-based fluorescent sensor for the detection of doxycycline holds considerable promise for practical applications.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In this paper, a unique 3D metal-organic framework Zn[C₁₈H₁₆O₄N₄]·C₂H₆SO·2H₂O (Zn-MOF) for rapid detection of doxycycline was successfully synthesized and analyzed by SEM, PXRD, FTIR, TGA and UV-vis. The fluorescence of Zn-MOF at 430 nm is quenched by the static quenching and inner filter effect between Zn-MOF and doxycycline with detection limit of 2.01 μM. Concurrently, Ca²⁺ can combine with doxycycline and form the Zn-MOF that generates a new fluorescence signal at 550 nm. By mixing the Zn-MOF and Ca²⁺, a ratiometric fluorescent probe can be created. The ratio of fluorescence intensity (F₅₅₀/F₄₃₀) to doxycycline concentration revealed a good linear relationship and detection limit of 1.25 μM. The fluorescence detection efficiency of the ratiometric fluorescent probe is almost twice that of the single metal-organic framework.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The ratiometric fluorescent probe also exhibited excellent selectivity and stability in both ionic and antibiotic solution. As with the concentration of doxycycline increase, the color of the probe and Ca²⁺ shifted from blue to yellow, allowing for visual detection of doxycycline and facilitating its application in rapid detection in real life.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1395 ","pages":"Article 345232"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrafast peptide preparation brings shotgun proteomics into the minute era","authors":"Haowei Ma ,&nbsp;Ming Bi ,&nbsp;Lang Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhixin Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345223","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345223","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Mass spectrometry-based shotgun proteomics relies on efficient sample preparation, where proteins are reduced, alkylated, and digested into peptides for LC-MS/MS analysis. While LC-MS/MS and bioinformatic identification have advanced to minute-scale workflows, sample preparation remains a major bottleneck, typically requiring hours to days. Although methods such as high-pressure and droplet-based reactions have reduced processing times, achieving minute-scale preparation has remained challenging. There is a clear need for an integrated, rapid sample preparation strategy to match the speed of modern LC-MS/MS and data analysis platforms.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We developed OPPRAD (One-Pot Protein Reduction, Alkylation, and Digestion), an ultrafast sample preparation method conducted in water-in-oil nano/micro-droplets. This one-pot process completes all three key reactions within 5 min. When integrated with rapid LC-MS/MS on the Orbitrap Astral platform and MSFragger- or DIA–NN–based identification, the entire workflow achieved serum-to-peptide identification in 25.9 min and tissue-to-identification in 35.9 min—the fastest reported proteomic pipeline. The method showed high peptide recovery (∼68–71%), excellent cysteine alkylation (&gt;99%), and miss cleavage rates comparable to conventional bulk digestion. It enabled deep proteome coverage across a wide dynamic range and was successfully applied to identify differentially expressed proteins in paired liver cancer tissues.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>OPPRAD drastically shortens proteomic sample preparation from hours to minutes, reducing steps, cost, and hands-on time. This innovation bridges a critical gap in high-throughput proteomics, enabling rapid translational applications and large-scale clinical studies. The method's speed and efficiency pave the way for real-time proteomic analysis and future integration with online desalting and database searching.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1395 ","pages":"Article 345223"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146161816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optical-fiber sensors for dissociation constant measurement of aptamer and rapid detection of ampicillin in river water and milk","authors":"Guangxin Zhang ,&nbsp;Haixu Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiaoqi Li ,&nbsp;Yi Zhang,&nbsp;Haijing Jia,&nbsp;Qiaoqiao Zhang,&nbsp;Tianyu Dai,&nbsp;Xinhui Lou","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345221","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345221","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The conflicted affinity evaluation results of small molecule-binding aptamers (SM-Apts) are increasing, raising the concerns on if a reported aptamer is a real aptamer. AMP17 is the first published controversial aptamer, which has been applied in at least 37 reported aptasensors for the detection of ampicillin, but was disproved by several homogeneous affinity methods including isothermal titration calorimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Only the original paper reported its dissociation constant (K_D = 13.4 nM) by the affinity column-based fluorescence method. If is AMP17 a real aptamer? What are the possible reasons that result in the conflicted results?</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We carried out four most popularly used homogeneous assays (FRET-based strand displacement assays, circular dichroism, EvaGreen and thioflavin T–based label-free fluorescence assays, and DNase I assay). None of them proved the binding of AMP17 to ampicillin. We then successfully measured the K_D using a fiber optic evanescent wave sensor (FOEW), in which AMP17 was covalent immobilized on the SiO₂ fiber without (K_D = 2.6 ± 0.2 nM) or with BSA coating (K_D = 5.1 ± 0.5 nM). The high specificity of AMP17 was proved by testing other molecules and replacing AMP17 by a non-binding sequence. We finally constructed a FOEW for the detection of ampicillin via one-step competitive or two step-noncompetitive detection modes, respectively. The latter showed 25.9-fold lower limit of detection (LOD = 2.8 fM, S/N = 3) than the former. Both detection modes possessed the good anti-matrix interference capability and were capable for the detection of ampicillin spiked in river water and milk without the need of sample purification.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Our results support that AMP17 is a real aptamer with high affinity and specificity. The surface immobilization favors the binding of AMP17 with ampicillin. Our study highlights the limited application scope of homogeneous assays for affinity evaluation of small molecule-binding aptamers. FOEW is a facile platform for both K_D measurements and rapid detection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1395 ","pages":"Article 345221"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nanozyme fabrication based on magnetic COFs and gold nanorods and its SERS detection of zearalenone","authors":"Xiaoyuan Ma ,&nbsp;Xi Ma ,&nbsp;Muxi Zhang ,&nbsp;Jinchi Han ,&nbsp;Zhouping Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>As one of the most common mycotoxins, Zearalenone (ZEN) not only contaminates cereal crops but also exists in processed grain products for its chemical stability. After entering human body through the food chain, ZEN exhibits remarkable bioaccumulation properties, which poses varying degrees of harmful effects to human health. The traditional chromatography instrumental methods require expensive equipment and complex experimental procedures. The aim of this manuscript is to develop a facile and accurate method for ZEN detection in food samples.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Here, a SERS platform was developed for ZEN detection using COF and noble metal nanomaterial with nitroreductase (NTR)-like activity. First, magnetic COF loaded with gold nanoparticles (MCOF-Au) were synthesized as SERS enhancement substrates with partial NTR activity. Simultaneously, palladium-loaded dumbbell-shaped gold nanorods (AuNR/Pd) were prepared and served as the primary NTR in the 4-NTP/NaBH₄ system, significantly enhancing both catalytic activity and SERS signal. After nucleic acid functionalization, the two components assembled. The addition of ZEN regulated the assemble of AuNR/Pd on MCOF-Au. Following magnetic separation, the catalytic and SERS activities changed in the precipitate. Using the Raman peak of the output product 4-ATP at 390 cm⁻¹ as the quantitative marker, the method showed a linear range in 0.001 μg/kg-1000 μg/kg. The LOD was calculated as 1.88 × 10⁻⁴ μg/kg, and spiked recoveries in wheat flour and corn ranged from 88.91% to 115.78%, demonstrating high sensitivity and reliability for real-sample detection.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This aptasensor integrates the high sensitivity of Raman signals with the selectivity of aptamers, providing a robust and efficient tool for accurate ZEN detection in food. COF based nanocomposites are proved to have remarkable NTR activity and the catalytic product 4-ATP exhibits prominent Raman signal, making it suitable for quantitative detection. This design offers a versatile platform for food safety monitoring and public health protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1395 ","pages":"Article 345229"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An improved ion-exchange-to-silver-salt procedure for δ18O measurement of nitrate in natural samples","authors":"Bo Wang ,&nbsp;Chao Li ,&nbsp;Ying Wang ,&nbsp;Linbao Chen ,&nbsp;Yuting Wang ,&nbsp;Ran Ma ,&nbsp;Zhengyu Zhu ,&nbsp;Youping Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345228","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345228","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The oxygen isotope composition (δ¹⁸O) of natural nitrate is a proven effective indicator of its sources and the (bio)geochemical processes that it has experienced. Removing interfering species (in particular oxyanions such as SO₄²⁻, PO₄³⁻, HPO₄²⁻ and H₂PO₄⁻) from natural samples with the currently established <strong>ion-exchange-to-silver-nitrate (IE2AgN)</strong> for reliable δ¹⁸O measurement with high temperature conversion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HTC-IRMS) involves a lengthy 5-step procedure. A less tedious and lower-cost <strong>IE2AgN</strong> procedure is highly desirable for high throughput analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We report an improved ion-exchange procedure based on the vast difference in solubilities in <em>n</em>-butyronitrile between AgNO₃ and interfering inorganic oxyanions. Nitrate was isolated from interfering inorganic oxyanions (and organic matter) as its silver salt following a 3-step procedure (anion-exchange, neutralization with Ag₂O and selective dissolution of AgNO₃ in <em>n</em>-butyronitrile). The δ¹⁸O of the purified nitrate was then analyzed by HTC-IRMS. A comparative δ¹⁸O analysis of the certified international nitrate O isotope standards before and after processing through our new 3-step and the current 5-step procedures showed them to yield comparably accurate and precise determinations with minimal isotope fractionation. The time required was more than halved (from 3-5 days to 1-2 days) as was the amount of expensive Ag₂O.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The simplified <strong>IE2AgN</strong> procedure will prove useful for high throughput and lower cost extraction of nitrate from natural samples for oxygen (and nitrogen) isotope analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1395 ","pages":"Article 345228"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microscale native size exclusion chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry for the determination of the chelator-to-antibody ratio of immunoconjugates","authors":"Annika A.M. van der Zon ,&nbsp;Bram Weijers ,&nbsp;Danielle J. Vugts ,&nbsp;Andrea F.G. Gargano","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345214","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345214","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Positron emission tomography (PET) using radiolabeled antibodies (radioimmunoconjugates) is a powerful imaging technique to track the distribution of therapeutic antibodies. Accurate determination of the average number of chelators per antibody (CAR) is essential for (radio)immunoconjugate characterization, which is important for maximizing tumor uptake and image quality. Determination of the CAR is considered a critical quality attribute. Radiometric titration, although widely used, is labor-intensive, material- and time-consuming, and requires approximately half a day per sample. To overcome this analytical bottleneck, we developed a microscale size exclusion chromatography – mass spectrometry (SEC-MS) analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>By applying microscale flow, high concentrations of volatile salts, up to 1000 mM ammonium acetate, could be used to minimize secondary interactions. Moreover, high isCID energy of 140 eV was applied to reduce adduct formation and enhance the MS sensitivity. The method was optimized using model radioimmunoconjugates based on intact trastuzumab, with a particular focus on the impact of buffer concentration on both chromatographic effects and CAR determination. A final buffer concentration of 600 mM ammonium acetate was selected. The method was compared with radionuclide titration for analysis of the same immunoconjugate model and yielded similar results. Finally, we demonstrated the broad applicability of the method by testing diverse immunoconjugates (<em>e.g.</em>, ipilimumab, rituximab), including cysteine- and lysine-linked chelators (<em>e.g.</em>, DFO, DOTA, RESCA), as well as other smaller protein models, such as nanobodies.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The optimized microflow native SEC-MS method, with a rapid 20-min run time, provides comprehensive characterization, including determination of the average CAR, dispersity index, glycosylation profile, and mAb impurities. Crucially, this native approach is applicable to all tested immunoconjugates, including chemically sensitive species such as those with maleimide and thiourea linkages, which often challenge denaturing methods like RPLC-MS. This establishes SEC-MS as a broadly applicable alternative to radiometric titration for the comprehensive characterization of immunoconjugates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1395 ","pages":"Article 345214"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146135286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measuring absolute gas amounts with gas chromatography by using a novel setup for pressure based gas control","authors":"Andreas Hofmann,&nbsp;Ingo Reuter,&nbsp;Freya Müller,&nbsp;Anna Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345217","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345217","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The characteristics of the gas itself, such as its volatility, compressibility, or weight, often complicate the process of feeding gas into a measuring system, such as a gas chromatograph. This is particularly relevant when quantifying individual gas components. While it is possible to inject gas with syringes, this method has several disadvantages, such as gas tightness and syringe and gas volume, especially for small gas quantities. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a simple, reliable, and improved method of gas injection into a measuring device. This study describes the development of a novel gas injection system that reliably and contaminant-free injects gas into gas chromatography (GC) instruments and other gas-related devices. The system consists of an injection unit, a vacuum system, and a loop assembly, and it connects directly to the corresponding device. Sample gas can then be introduced directly into the evacuated injection system and delivered to the measuring device. The system has been validated using a range of configurations and has undergone extensive testing. Additionally, two applications are presented to demonstrate the system's wide range of potential uses. Notably, the setup enables a contamination-free gas supply from battery pouch-bag cells. For this configuration, an adapter assembly was required for the pouch-bag cell and was integrated into the battery cell. Additionally, it is demonstrated how the setup can be used to determine the gas composition of a thermal decomposition reaction. This setup is a new, platform-independent option for introducing gas into a low-pressure environment and connecting it to devices without causing contamination. Reduced pressure enables multi-point calibration with a single reference or calibration gas mixture, which is pressure-dependent. Additionally, the integrated loop technology allows for the quantitative calculation of gas concentrations. Errors in calculating the amount of substance are less than 10–20%, even with flexible pouch cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1395 ","pages":"Article 345217"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Twenty years of ASCA: a systematic review of applications for ANOVA-Simultaneous Component Analysis","authors":"Daniel Schorn-García, Giulia Gorla, Jokin Ezenarro","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345530","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2026.345530","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Background</h3>ANOVA–simultaneous component analysis (ASCA) integrates ANOVA-based variance decomposition with latent variable modelling to quantify, validate and interpret factor-related variation in high-dimensional analytical signals. Over the past two decades, ASCA has expanded through methodological variants (e.g., ASCA+ and mixed-model extensions) and has been adopted across analytical chemistry, agrifood science, biology and metabolomics. Despite this growth, practical use and reporting remain heterogeneous. The key problem is the lack of a consolidated, evidence-based picture of how ASCA is actually implemented and interpreted in the applied literature.<h3>Results</h3>Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically screened the literature and identified 158 peer-reviewed ASCA application studies published since the original formulation of the method. Each article was annotated for application domain, data type and analytical technique, experimental design complexity, factorisation choices, validation strategies (including permutation testing), treatment of residuals, and the way component models and effect sizes were reported. The corpus is dominated by agrifood, biological and metabolomics applications, and most studies involve two or more factors, often including a time component that does not necessarily imply a longitudinal design. Across domains, we observe substantial inconsistency in how unbalanced designs and interactions are encoded, how effect magnitudes are quantified and normalised, how permutation schemes are specified and justified, and whether residual structure is examined to support conclusions or to detect confounding variation.<h3>Significance</h3>This review maps where and how ASCA is used in real experiments and pinpoints recurring pitfalls that limit transparency and reproducibility. By synthesising current practice into recommendations for design specification, effect-size reporting, validation and residual interpretation, it provides a practical basis for more robust and comparable ASCA studies and helps guide future applications and methodological development.","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1 1","pages":"345530"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147695834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"One-Step Detection of miRNA-21 Cancer Marker in Serum using Molecularly Imprinted Nanoparticle Recognition and Surface Plasmon Resonance","authors":"Ellie Unwin, Amanda Manso Pena, Nicholas W. Turner, Damla Ulker","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345529","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2026.345529","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Background</h3>The rapid one step detection of cancer markers at early stages of cancer is critical to increase the efficiency of the treatments and survival. miRNA-21 is the most commonly upregulated microRNA in solid tumours and haematological malignancies and is associated with poor prognosis and survival rate. Therefore, its detection at the early stage is vital, ideally using a rapid, simple method with a low detection limit. Current methods often require sophisticated method and labelling to detect miRNAs.<h3>Results</h3>Here, we show that nanosized molecularly imprinted polymers (nanoMIPs), can selectively and sensitively detect miRNA-21 without labelling. NanoMIPs were synthesized via solid-phase polymerization. The template molecule of 5’ phosphor-capped miRNA-21 was attached to a functionalised glass bead via phosphorylimidazolide chemistry. Selected functional monomers/cross-linkers were used to generate selective nanoMIPs with recognition based on electrostatic and ionic interactions. NanoMIPs were characterized to investigate their physicochemical properties and interaction with target molecule. These nanoMIPs were then used for miRNA-21 detection studies exploring affinity and selectivity to the target with Surface Plasmon Resonance in both buffer and serum. High affinity materials (equilibrium dissociation constants – K_D’ s in the nM/pM range) were demonstrated with high selectivity and when linked to the SPR sensor, a theoretical lower detection limit (LOD) of miRNA-21 was calculated as 0.49 pM in serum.<h3>Significance</h3>This work provides new perspectives in developing miRNA-21 specific synthetic molecular recognition materials using nanoMIPs. The nanoMIPs has potential to be suitable sensor platform, that could be promising tools for early cancer diagnostics in complex matrices.","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"67 1","pages":"345529"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147695835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}