{"title":"Editorial: The DNA molecule as an object of nanotechnology and the creation of helical-structured metamaterials and metasurfaces","authors":"I. Semchenko, S. Khakhomov, Jicheng Wang","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1217459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1217459","url":null,"abstract":"The spring of 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the discovery of the DNA structure by eminent scientists, later Nobel laureates James Watson and Francis Crick (Watson and Crick, 1953). The years that followed confirmed the importance of a great scientific discovery, which gave a real impetus to endless research on the DNA molecule, its structure, properties and possible applications. It is no exaggeration to say that the DNA molecule is the source and basis of numerous technologies in various fields of human activity. This Research Topic compiles a variety of contributions (very few have been published recently) highlighting new types of analysis and methods for more effective work with DNA data, simulated and real, obtained via different methods. These approaches let us shed light on the mechanisms of DNA organization, focusing on the relationship between DNA structure, function and dynamics, as well as consider The DNA molecule as an object of nanotechnology and the creation of helical-structured metamaterials and metasurfaces. The Research Topic is between biophysics, nanotechnology, chemical and biomedical engineering, and the articles presented by scientists from various fields make it possible to convey to the reader a variety of research methods related to this Research Topic, as well as to put this into a broader context. The first article on this Research Topic (Hu et al.) presents a mini-review summarizing the latest advances in the development of endogenous stimulus-sensitive DNA nanostructures featuring precise self-assembly, targeted delivery and controlled release of drugs for cancer theranostics. This mini review briefly discusses the diverse dynamic DNA nanostructures aiming at bioimaging and biomedicine, including DNA self-assembling materials, DNA origami structures, DNA hydrogels, etc., elaborate the working principles of DNA nanostructures activated by biomarkers (e.g., miRNA, mRNA, and proteins) in tumor cells and microenvironments of tumor tissue (e.g., pH, ATP, and redox gradient). Applications of the endogenous stimuli-responsive DNA nanostructures in biological imaging probes for detecting cancer hallmarks as well as intelligent carriers for drug release in vivo are discussed. In conclusion, the current challenges of DNA OPEN ACCESS","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47616920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Boxuan Yang, Ceri J Richards, Timea B Gandek, Isa de Boer, Itxaso Aguirre-Zuazo, Else Niemeijer, Christoffer Åberg
{"title":"Following nanoparticle uptake by cells using high-throughput microscopy and the deep-learning based cell identification algorithm Cellpose","authors":"Boxuan Yang, Ceri J Richards, Timea B Gandek, Isa de Boer, Itxaso Aguirre-Zuazo, Else Niemeijer, Christoffer Åberg","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1181362","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1181362","url":null,"abstract":"How many nanoparticles are taken up by human cells is a key question for many applications, both within medicine and safety. While many methods have been developed and applied to this question, microscopy-based methods present some unique advantages. However, the laborious nature of microscopy, in particular the consequent image analysis, remains a bottleneck. Automated image analysis has been pursued to remedy this situation, but offers its own challenges. Here we tested the recently developed deep-learning based cell identification algorithm Cellpose on fluorescence microscopy images of HeLa cells. We found that the algorithm performed very well, and hence developed a workflow that allowed us to acquire, and analyse, thousands of cells in a relatively modest amount of time, without sacrificing cell identification accuracy. We subsequently tested the workflow on images of cells exposed to fluorescently-labelled polystyrene nanoparticles. This dataset was then used to study the relationship between cell size and nanoparticle uptake, a subject where high-throughput microscopy is of particular utility.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42401524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Soojin Jeong, Rebecca X Skalla, Yi Wang, Baixu Zhu, Xingchen Ye
{"title":"Elucidating the role of seed structure in the heterometallic seeded growth of copper-based nanocrystals","authors":"Soojin Jeong, Rebecca X Skalla, Yi Wang, Baixu Zhu, Xingchen Ye","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1163390","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1163390","url":null,"abstract":"Seed-mediated synthesis is a versatile method to prepare multimetallic nanocrystals for diverse applications. However, many fundamental questions remain on how the structural and chemical properties of nanocrystal seeds control the reaction pathways, especially for nonaqueous synthesis at elevated temperatures. Herein, we elucidate the role of surface ligands and crystallinity of Au nanocrystal seeds on the heterometallic seeded growth of Cu-based nanocrystals. We found that weakly coordinating ligands are critical to facilitate the diffusion between Au and Cu, which enables subsequent one-dimensional growth of Cu. Replacing multiple-twinned Au seeds with single-crystalline ones switched the growth pathway to produce heterostructured nanocrystals. Our work illustrates the importance of precise control of seed characteristics for the predictive synthesis of structurally complex multimetallic nanocrystals.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48203551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
K. Yue, Wang Weipeng, M. Tian, Zou Ting, Chen Junxian, Zhang Zhengjun
{"title":"Recent advances in Raman and surface enhanced Raman spectroelectrochemistry","authors":"K. Yue, Wang Weipeng, M. Tian, Zou Ting, Chen Junxian, Zhang Zhengjun","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2022.1086100","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2022.1086100","url":null,"abstract":"Raman spectroscopy could supply the molecular vibrational process giving the detailed information of molecular structure. At the same time, electrochemistry could provide kinetic and thermodynamic processes. Integration of both technology with the general definition of using spectroscopic approaches for assaying the variations triggered through an electrochemistry-based system within an electrochemical cell induces a novel technique, spectroelectrochemistry (SEC). Raman-spectroelectrochemistry possesses interdisciplinary advantages and can further expand the scopes in the fields of analysis and other applications, emphasizing the cutting-edge issues of analytical chemistry, materials science, biophysics, chemical biology, and so on. This review emphasizes on the recent progress of integrated Raman/Surface enhanced Raman scattering-spectroelectrochemistry and aimed to summarize the spectroelectrochemistry device, electrode materials and applications of Raman/Surface enhanced Raman scattering-spectroelectrochemistry over the past several decades. Finally, the key issues, future perspectives and trends in the development of Raman/Surface enhanced Raman scattering-spectroelectrochemistry are discussed.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46448604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ashwini Kumar, Sunny Shah, T. J. Jayeoye, Akash Kumar, A. Parihar, B. Prajapati, Sudarshan Singh, D. Kapoor
{"title":"Biogenic metallic nanoparticles: biomedical, analytical, food preservation, and applications in other consumable products","authors":"Ashwini Kumar, Sunny Shah, T. J. Jayeoye, Akash Kumar, A. Parihar, B. Prajapati, Sudarshan Singh, D. Kapoor","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1175149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1175149","url":null,"abstract":"Biogenic metallic nanoparticles (BMNPs) are nanostructure materials synthesized through biological processes that have gained significant attention due to their small size and high surface area-to-volume ratio. BMNPs have several advantages over chemically synthesized ones due to their eco-friendly synthesis regimen, sustainability, biocompatibility, and diverse multifarious biomedical applications. Moreover, the superior cytocompatibility and stability due to the capping layer over metallic nanoparticles (MNPs), reduces the like hood of toxicity and side effects, making them a safer alternative to traditional drug delivery methods. Among several promising applications of BMNPs, their antibacterial activity, analytical sensing of heavy metals, and their roles in food preservations have been widely explored. In addition, to drug delivery and imaging, BMNPs have also been investigated for therapeutic activity such as antimicrobial efficacy against the skin and soft tissue nosocomial pathogens and targeting cancer cells in cancer therapy. The present review bestows several characterization techniques involved with MNPs and compressive aspects of the biogenic synthesis of MNPs using agricultural and biological materials, which reduces the cost of synthesis and minimizes the use of hazardous chemicals. The review also focuses on the multifold applications of BMNPs including biomedical, analytical, preservation of food, and in other consumable goods with toxicological aspects.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43529589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial: Biomedical nanotechnology in cancer diagnostics and treatment","authors":"B. G. Prajapati, Sankha Bhattacharya","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1208544","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1208544","url":null,"abstract":"Our understanding and methodology of conducting medical research and therapeutic procedures have been completely changed by nanotechnology (Deshmukh, 2023). In recent years, the field of biomedical nanotechnology has experienced fast expansion, promising exciting new avenues for the detection and treatment of various diseases, including cancer (Yang and Jiao, 2023). In order to improve patient outcomes, nanotechnology has the potential to increase the accuracy of diagnostic and therapeutic methods in cancer research and therapy. This editorial’s goal is to look into developments in biomedical nanotechnology for the prevention and treatment of cancer. One of the most exciting uses of biomedical nanotechnology is cancer diagnostics. Invasive techniques like biopsies are routinely used in conventional cancer screening approaches, which can be painful for patients and have unfavourable outcomes. Nevertheless, nanoparticles offer an extremely sensitive, noninvasive method for cancer diagnosis (Raab et al., 2024). Nanoparticles are extremely sensitive and selective, and they can be engineered to target compounds, such as cancer biomarkers (Ren et al., 2024). Additionally, they can be engineered to have certain optical, magnetic, or electrical properties that make them perfect for use in diagnostic imaging procedures including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET) scans (Vélez et al., 2022). For instance, it has become possible to create gold nanoparticles that can target and bind to cancer cells, making it possible to scan and detect them. Similarly, iron oxide nanoparticles have been used in MRI to detect liver cancer cells. These nanoparticle-based imaging techniques enable earlier and more precise cancer diagnosis due to their excellent sensitivity and specificity. Nanoparticles have huge potential for cancer treatment as well as diagnosis (Larsen et al., 2024). Nanoparticles that particularly target cancer cells can be developed to deliver therapeutic medications directly to the tumour area. This targeted method can improve therapy efficacy while minimising unwanted effects on healthy tissues. One of the most promising nanoparticle-based cancer treatments is nanodrug delivery. Using nanoparticles, this approach delivers chemotherapy drugs directly to the tumour site (Ferrell et al., 2024). This targeted administration can increase therapy effectiveness while decreasing systemic toxicity by enhancing medication uptake by cancer cells. Nanoparticles can also be used to deliver a variety of cancer treatments, including radiation therapy and gene therapy. For instance, using gold nanoparticles to increase the radiation dose delivered to the tumour OPEN ACCESS","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42196491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Application of DNA molecules in nature- inspired technologies: a mini review","authors":"I. Semchenko, S. Khakhomov","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1185429","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1185429","url":null,"abstract":"The DNA molecule is considered as an object of nature-like technologies, with the focus on the special electromagnetic properties of DNA-like helices. This is the difference from the traditional approach to the DNA molecule as the repository of genetic information. DNA-like helices are regarded as artificial micro-resonators, or “meta-atoms,” exhibiting both dielectric and magnetic properties, that are equally pronounced. The article presents methods for creating spatial structures directly from DNA molecules, as well as from DNA-like helices. It is shown that the design of metamaterials and metasurfaces should be carried out considering the special electromagnetic properties of DNA-like helices. This will make it possible to obtain the required properties of metamaterials and metasurfaces and achieve advantages over other types of artificial structures.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49506405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Sultan, Y. Sabry, Ahmed Samir, Mostafa A. El-Aasser
{"title":"Mirror-terminated Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on SiNOI slot and strip waveguides for sensing applications using visible light","authors":"A. Sultan, Y. Sabry, Ahmed Samir, Mostafa A. El-Aasser","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1121537","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1121537","url":null,"abstract":"In this work, a highly sensitive sensor based on silicon nitride (SiN) waveguide is proposed that can be used for gas sensing using visible light. The whole sensor waveguide uses a silicon dioxide (SiO2) cladding while the sensing arm uses a fluidic cladding such as water. The proposed device is based on loop-mirror terminated (LMT) Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), where the reference arm is exposed to the reference SiO2 medium, while the sensing arm is exposed to the sensing medium leading to a change in the refractive index of the waveguide cladding. The sensor performance is overall optimized by optimizing the design performance of all the components of the structure one by one. The waveguide sensitivity of both strip and slot types is analyzed for gaseous medium in order to compare their sensitivities and select the dimensions of the waveguide that results in the highest device sensitivity. Transverse-electric (TE) polarization is considered in this study for strip waveguide, where a higher sensitivity is founded with respect to the transverse-magnetic (TM) polarization. The field confinement in the slot waveguide in the sensing region is investigated and verified with a mode solver, where the optimum dimensions are obtained using finite difference eigenmode and finite difference time domain solvers. With a sensing arm length of 150 μm only, the proposed sensor achieves a device sensitivity of about 1,320 nm/RIU and a figure-of-merit (FOM) as high as 641 RIU−1 at the wavelength of 650 nm, which is the highest reported FOM up to the author’s knowledge. Higher values of the FOM are possible by employing a longer sensing arm.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41421056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial: Biosynthesis of bio-inspired nanoparticles/nanomaterials and evaluation of their therapeutic potential in the medical field","authors":"F. A. Almeida, R. Srinivasan, S. Vijayakumar","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1198994","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1198994","url":null,"abstract":"Recent advancement in nanoscience and nanotechnology has given us scope for developing biomimetic and biocompatible nanoparticles/nanomaterials using natural products. Nanoparticles/nanomaterials exhibit remarkable physicochemical and biological properties, which are entirely distinct from their bulk materials, making them ideal candidates for biological applications. The plant, microorganisms, and biopolymersbased nanoparticles/nanomaterials are highly advantageous compared to those involving chemical reductants. The biological synthesis method uses eco-friendly solvents and nontoxic chemicals and thereby helps in minimizing the release of hazardous wastes to the environment. In recent years, widespread microbial infections and mosquito-borne parasitic diseases have been a major threat to humans. In addition, dreadful diseases like cancer have become more common and bring massive mortality to human populations. Many of the currently available growth inhibitory agents and chemotherapeutics are too expensive, cause drug resistance, and have numerous side effects. In this scenario, developing novel therapeutic agents that are cost-effective, safe, and without any side effects is of utmost importance. The development of biological nanoparticles/nanomaterials either from plants, microorganisms, or biopolymers is the need of the hour. Most of the newly developed bionanoparticles/bionanomaterials are promising and have significantly contributed to preventing ailments. This Research Topic, “Biosynthesis of bio-inspired nanoparticles/nanomaterials and evaluation of their therapeutic potential in the medical field”, aimed to include the synthesis, physicochemical characterization, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of the antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, anti-quorum sensing, antiviral, anti-infective, and anti-cancer properties of bionanoparticles/bionanomaterials, as well as their application in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases. OPEN ACCESS","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44272100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Nista, A. Alaferdov, Y. H. Isayama, L. Mei, S. Moshkalev
{"title":"Flexible highly conductive films based on expanded graphite /polymer nanocomposites","authors":"S. Nista, A. Alaferdov, Y. H. Isayama, L. Mei, S. Moshkalev","doi":"10.3389/fnano.2023.1135835","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnano.2023.1135835","url":null,"abstract":"Highly electrically and thermally conducting films of expanded graphite/polymer nanocomposites were fabricated using an approach based on solution mixing methods. The use of Hydroxyethylcellulose and benzylic alcohol based solutions provides efficient dispersion and better exfoliation of multilayer graphene (nanographite) flakes that are further aligned in extended 2D layers forming continuous conductive pathways during lamination (hot calendering) process. Very high electrical conductivity (190 S/cm) was obtained for fabricated layered films. In contrast, for films produced by a conventional mixing and deposition method with acrylic copolymer and the same nanographitic material, with flakes randomly distributed within the composite, much lower conductivities (2.4 S/cm) were obtained.","PeriodicalId":34432,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44369856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}