ACS Sensors最新文献

{"title":"Ultra-Sensitive Detection of Bacterial Spores via SERS.","authors":"Jonas Segervald, Dmitry Malyshev, Rasmus Öberg, Erik Zäll, Xueen Jia, Thomas Wågberg, Magnus Andersson","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03151","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03151","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacterial spores are highly resilient and capable of surviving extreme conditions, making them a persistent threat in contexts such as disease transmission, food safety, and bioterrorism. Their ability to withstand conventional sterilization methods necessitates rapid and accurate detection techniques to effectively mitigate the risks they present. In this study, we introduce a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) approach for detecting <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> spores by targeting calcium dipicolinate acid (CaDPA), a biomarker uniquely associated with bacterial spores. Our method uses probe sonication to disrupt spores, releasing their CaDPA, which is then detected by SERS on drop-dried supernatant mixed with gold nanorods. This simple approach enables the selective detection of CaDPA, distinguishing it from other spore components and background noise. We demonstrate detection of biogenic CaDPA from concentrations as low as 10³ spores/mL, with sensitivity reaching beyond CaDPA levels of a single spore. Finally, we show the method's robustness by detecting CaDPA from a realistic sample of fresh milk mixed with spores. These findings highlight the potential of SERS as a sensitive and specific technique for bacterial spore detection, with implications for fields requiring rapid and reliable spore identification.</p>","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":" ","pages":"1237-1248"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143021292","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":"Generation of Orthogonal Gradients of the Matrix Stiffness and Chemotactic Cues in a Suspended Array of Hydrogel to Study hMSCs Migration","authors":"Zhen Xu, Anna Ponek, Jordan Thomas, Yibing Qyang","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c02793","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.4c02793","url":null,"abstract":"Stem cell migration is a tightly regulated process in vivo, orchestrated by a collection of mechanical and chemotactic cues via concentration gradients. A variety of in vitro assays have been developed to facilitate cell migration studies; however, very few assays allow the investigation of both matrix stiffness and chemotactic cues on cell migration within a single device, especially in a three-dimensional (3D) environment. Here, we develop a microfluidic device that can produce 3D orthogonal gradients of matrix stiffness and chemotactic cues with varied steepness in a suspended array of hydrogel cylinders. The device’s working principle is the formation of diffusion-driven concentration gradients within a suspended array of hydrogel cylinders between a source and a sink. Device fabrication is based on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) replica molding, followed by assembly on a glass substrate. To validate this device, we study the migration of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in response to orthogonal gradients of matrix stiffness and stromal cell-derived factor 1 alpha (SDF-1α). This technology has the potential to be applied to various cell types, facilitating exploration in different cellular contexts.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"24 1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143526291","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":"Multiplexing Label-Free Polymeric Nanocarriers via Antipolymer Antibodies.","authors":"James Humphries, Jody Hobson-Peters, Saikat Ghosh, Christopher B Howard, Pie Huda, Craig A Bell, Nicholas L Fletcher, Kristian Kempe, Kristofer J Thurecht","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03184","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03184","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent examples of immune responses directed against the synthetic polymer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have led to the development of biocompatible polymers, which are viewed as promising candidates to act as surrogate materials for use in biological applications, such as hydrophilic poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx). Despite this, the characterization of critical aspects of the immune response against these emerging materials is sparse, in part because no known monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against this family of synthetic material have been reported. To advance the understanding of such responses, we report the successful isolation and characterization of hybridoma-derived mAbs with excellent specificity for different POx species and notable selectivity for highly branched polymer architectures over linear systems. In conjunction with established mAbs targeted against PEG, we show that these antibodies can be employed for sensitive <i>in vivo</i> multiplex-detection of label-free polymer therapeutics based on the specificity of the polymer-antibody binding. This approach enables scalable therapeutic drug monitoring of multiple polymer therapeutics within a single animal, simultaneously.</p>","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":" ","pages":"1280-1288"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143062217","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":"Tuning the Surface: Screen-Printed Flexible Porous Nanocomposite Electrodes with Programmable Electrochemical Performances for Wearable Platforms","authors":"Adisak Pokprasert, Natcha Rasitanon, Irlesta Rahma Lani, Itthipon Jeerapan","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03519","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.4c03519","url":null,"abstract":"Flexible electrodes fabricated through cost-effective thick-film strategies are important for developing electrochemical devices, such as sensors. Properly engineered nanocomposite electrodes can enhance the electrochemically active surface area, facilitate mass and charge transport, and allow for tailored surface chemistry and structure. Although great efforts have been devoted to developing porous nanocomposite electrodes, a facile method to achieve screen-printed porous nanocomposite electrodes in the form of flexible electrodes with tunable electrochemical performance has been overlooked. This article introduces a strategy for fabricating flexible porous electrodes using screen printing and electrochemical surface treatments, resulting in enhanced surface chemistry and electrochemical properties. By applying selective etching and anodization, the electrode’s surface area increases by 214% compared to a nontreated electrode, enabling programmable sensitivity to specific molecules. The engineered electrode improves the hydroquinone-to-salicylic acid detection ratio from less than 1 to over 10, allowing selective detection of neutral and positively charged molecules while rendering the electrode inactive for negatively charged species. This flexible sensor can be integrated into a wearable glove for rapid analysis and has also been successfully implemented in a second-generation glucose biosensor. This approach holds significant potential for advancing surface electrochemistry, offering new possibilities for tailoring electrode surfaces for diverse analytical applications.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143518580","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":"High-Performance Flexible Capacitive Pressure Sensor Based on a Spiked Nickel/Polyimide Composite Nanofiber Membrane.","authors":"Luntao Xia, Wei Xiao, Luoxin Li, Xin Liu, Qibin Zhuang, Yong Huang, Tianhao Lan, Xiaohui Du, Yang Zhao, Dezhi Wu","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03495","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03495","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Flexible capacitive pressure sensors are now widely used in the fields of electronic skin, medical monitoring, and human-computer interaction. However, most of the current flexible capacitive pressure sensors generally suffer easy saturation and low sensitivity under high pressure. This paper proposes a new strategy using evenly distributed spiked nickel (Ni) particles as fillers in a nanofiber membrane to prepare flexible capacitive pressure sensors. The spiked Ni particles are embedded into the interior of polyimide (PI) electrospun nanofiber membranes by electrostatic self-assembly. The experimental results show that the introduction of spiked Ni particles effectively increased the sensitivity of the sensor under high pressure due to the formation of many parallel microcapacitors. In addition, a novel combination method is adopted to integrate individual sensor modules into arbitrary sensor arrays for sensing field pressures. Specifically, the sensor prototype with a 2.7 weight ratio of spiked nickel/PI nanofiber membranes was characterized by short response/recovery times (30/40 ms), wide pressure detection range (1.5 MPa), and excellent mechanical stability (1000 cycles), more than 4-fold increase in sensor sensitivity (4.04 MPa^-1 at 0-1.5 MPa) compared to pure PI nanofiber membrane dielectric layers. Due to its superior performance demonstration, the sensor could be applied in many scenarios, such as human motion detection, sleeping posture monitoring, and plantar pressure measurement, indicating good application prospects in diverse wearable systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":" ","pages":"1450-1460"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143412316","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":"Advancing CRISPR/Cas Biosensing with Integrated Devices","authors":"Guozhen Liu","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.5c00330","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c00330","url":null,"abstract":"Rather than being famous only in the gene editing field, by revealing the collateral cleavage activity of Cas12a, Cas13a, and Cas14 effectors, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated (Cas) systems (i.e., CRISPR/Cas) have received significant credit in modern analytical science with the capability of detecting versatile analytes with superior sensitivity and specificity. (1,2) A variety of exciting CRISPR/Cas biosensing systems have now been developed successfully for detection of different analytes varying from nucleic acids to non-nucleic acids (such as metabolites, proteins, exosomes, and metal ions). Although the most popular signal output in CRISPR/Cas biosensors is fluorescence, various signal output modalities such as colorimetric, electrochemiluminescence, electrochemical, and electrical have been applied in CRISPR/Cas biosensing systems. Furthermore, the potential of CRISPR/Cas has been demonstrated in multiplex detection by integration with microfluidics or other devices enabling identification of the presence of multiple targets. However, despite extensive efforts and success to develop CRISPR/Cas diagnostic tools based on trans-cleavage enzymatic activity, these systems encounter unavoidable challenges, including inadequate detection limit (near the picomole level) for detecting clinically relevant biomarkers at subpicomolar levels and limited catalytic efficiency for DNA cleavage. These limitations significantly hinder the widespread adoption of CRISPR/Cas diagnostic tools in clinical diagnostics and point-of-care testing. To further enhance detection sensitivity and avoid the necessity for sophisticated and costly equipment, nucleic acids-based preamplification techniques, including thermal-dependent amplification, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and thermal-independent amplification, rolling circle amplification (RCA), recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), or loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), are frequently integrated with CRISPR/Cas based assays. Although preamplification techniques significantly increase the sensitivity, they inevitably overshadow Cas effectors and neglect the intrinsic detection capability of Cas effectors. Preamplification also extends detection time and reduces the efficiency of subsequent detection due to nonspecific amplification and primer interference, while substantially increasing the risk of aerosol contamination. The most sensitive nucleic acid amplification strategies employ exponential amplification formats in which amplicons (amplification products) are recycled as primers or templates. However, because of the exponential format, nonspecific background products that lead to false-positive results are inevitable after long reaction times and can be caused by, for example, contaminants, off-template polymerase products, and secondary structures of primers or templates. Therefore, the reaction time of exponential amplification has ","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143518583","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":"Development of an Oxygen-Insensitive Nrf2 Reporter Reveals Redox Regulation under Physiological Normoxia","authors":"Seyed Mohammad Miri, Büşra N. Ata, Şeyma Çimen, Sarah Barakat, Asal Ghaffari Zaki, Joudi Armouch, Emre Vatandaşlar, Sven Vilain, Gürkan Öztürk, Emrah Eroğlu","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.4c03167","url":null,"abstract":"Reactive oxygen species, particularly hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), play crucial roles in cellular signaling, with Nrf2 serving as a key transcription factor in maintaining redox homeostasis. However, the precise influence of H₂O₂ on Nrf2 activity under physiological normoxia remains unclear due to the limitations of oxygen-sensitive imaging methods. To address this, we developed and validated an oxygen-insensitive Nrf2 reporter named pericellular oxygen-insensitive Nrf2 transcriptional performance reporter (POINTER). We employed this reporter in human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3). Using POINTER, we investigated how varying intracellular H₂O₂ concentrations affect Nrf2 regulation under normoxia (5 kPa O₂) compared to hyperoxia (ambient air, 21 kPa O₂). We manipulated intracellular H₂O₂ levels through exogenous application, chemogenetic production using a modified amino acid oxidase, and pharmacological induction with Auranofin. Our findings reveal that Nrf2 transcriptional activity is significantly lower under normoxia than under hyperoxia, supporting previous literature and expectations. Using POINTER, we found that both antioxidant pathway inhibition and sustained H₂O₂ elevation are essential for modulating Nrf2 activity. These findings provide new insights into the regulation of Nrf2 by H₂O₂.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143526292","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":"Room Temperature and Humidity Resistant NH3 Detection Based on a Composite of Hydrophobic CNTs with Sulfur Nanosheets","authors":"Xiaoni Cui, Huaipeng Wang, Xinglei Wang, Yuchen Tang, Yaozhou Zhang, Yu Dong, Liuwei Jing, Lihua Shen","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c02076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.4c02076","url":null,"abstract":"A composite of sulfur nanosheets (S-NSs) with hydrophobic carbon nanotubes (H-CNTs) was designed, and a chemiresistive gas sensor based on this composite material was constructed for breath analysis of NH₃ detection at room temperature. Taking advantage of the capillary condensation of CNTs, the hydrophobic effect of hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS), and the high sensitivity of S-NSs to NH₃ detection, the constructed sensor showed an improved humidity-resistant capacity and is capable of detecting breath-relevant NH₃ concentrations down to ppb level under high humidity. The fabricated gas sensor exhibited fast response/recovery (18/26 s) and good stability. Online monitoring for exhaled breath analysis shows good recovery with a stable baseline, providing a potential practical application. The research also facilitates the development of commercial low-cost breath analysis sensors.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143518579","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":"All-Fiber Multicomponent Gas Raman Probe Based on Platinum-Coated Capillary Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.","authors":"Dexun Yang, Qilu Nie, Mengen Cheng, Shilong Pei, Cheng Cheng, Donglai Guo, Minghong Yang","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c02954","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acssensors.4c02954","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper presents a compact all-fiber multicomponent gas Raman probe using a dual-fiber architecture within a platinum-coated capillary. The probe eliminates the need for conventional optical components like filters and dichroic mirrors by strategically employing metal coating on the excitation fiber's surface to suppress interference signals. A detailed analysis of the silica Raman signal and fluorescence propagation within the system facilitated this design. Metal-coated capillary (MCC), produced via atomic layer deposition (ALD) of platinum on silica capillaries, exhibits excellent optical properties and environmental resilience, boosting gas Raman signal reception. Careful alignment of the dual fibers relative to the platinum-coated capillary optimizes signal-to-noise ratio enhancement. The system achieves detection limits of 21 ppm for CH₄, 30 ppm for C₂H₄, and 51 ppm for C₂H₆ within 45 s of exposure, alongside a rapid response time of 25 s (relative to systems based on hollow-core antiresonant fibers) and robust stability. Its streamlined optical path and compact design enhance practicality across diverse fields, including agriculture, industry, environmental monitoring, and healthcare, advancing multicomponent gas detection technology.</p>","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":" ","pages":"1113-1122"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143062211","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":"Mixed-Layered Glycodendrimer Probe for Imaging Inflammation at Surgical Site Infections","authors":"Anubhav Dhull, Ki Wan Park, Aqib Iqbal Dar, Andrew Wang, Anu Rani, Rishi Sharma, Tulio A Valdez, Anjali Sharma","doi":"10.1021/acssensors.4c03544","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.4c03544","url":null,"abstract":"Surgical site infections (SSIs) remain the most common cause for readmission following surgery and are associated with significant medical comorbidities. Distinguishing between inflammation and early infection postsurgery is a critical challenge for clinicians. Intraoperative surgical debridement of infectious tissues relies heavily on the surgeon’s experience, risking error due to difficulty in distinguishing infection from inflammation. We evaluated the simultaneous use of two fluorescent probes, maltotriose-indocyanine-green (ICG-DBCO-maltotriose) and a mixed-layered 2-deoxyglucose dendrimer (2DG-D) labeled with cyanine 5 (2DG-D-Cy5), to delineate between SSI and inflammation in vitro in cell-bacteria coculture and in vivo in an early implant SSI model via multiplexed short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging. To our knowledge, this study is the first to use multiple fluorescent dyes combined with small molecules and dendrimer-based nanoprobes to differentiate between inflammation and infection within the same experimental model. We synthesized 2DG-D using a convergent method, simplifying synthesis and purification. 2DG-D-Cy5 exclusively labeled the macrophages associated with inflammation in vitro. In vivo SWIR imaging using both probes in a murine implant infection model successfully distinguished infection from inflammation in real time, allowing targeted surgical debridement. This real-time detection of infection and inflammation may enhance diagnostic confidence and aid in the monitoring of therapeutic responses.","PeriodicalId":24,"journal":{"name":"ACS Sensors","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143526294","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}