Analyst Blog

By Pui Sai Lau, Web Writer

Careful detection of toxic metals such as Pb²⁺ is critical to ensure environmental and food safety. Yuping Wang and colleagues from Nanjing Normal University, China have developed a method to grow and assemble gold nanoparticles using gallic acid. The resulting nanoassembly can effectively detect Pb²⁺ – even in tea! Check out their discovery by accessing the link below.

Using gallic acid-modified gold nanoassemblies to detect the Pb²⁺ of tea
Caiyun Jiang, Meihua Ma and Yuping Wang
Anal. Methods, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AY25648G

Critical Review: Bayford and Tizzard, Analyst, 2012, 137, 4635-4643

Lots of HOT article action in our latest issue, including a Critical Review from Richard Bayford and Andrew Tizzard in which they provide the background to Electrical Impedance Tomography and highlight its potential clinical applications, such as monitoring pulmonary function, detecting and localising tumours and monitoring brain function.

All the articles below will be free to access until 8 October, and don’t forget to also take a look at this issue’s three cover articles.

Bioimpedance imaging: an overview of potential clinical applications
Richard Bayford and Andrew Tizzard
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4635-4643
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35874C

Communication: Functionalized shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for selective detection of trinitrotoluene
Kai Qian, Honglin Liu, Liangbao Yang and Jinhuai Liu
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4644-4646
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35947B

A study of enzymatic activity in cell cultures via the analysis of volatile biomarkers
Thomas W. E. Chippendale, Bin Hu, Alicia J. El Haj and David Smith
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4677-4685
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35815H

Direct detection of peptides and small proteins in fingermarks and determination of sex by MALDI mass spectrometry profiling
Leesa Susanne Ferguson, Florian Wulfert, Rosalind Wolstenholme, Judith Marlou Fonville, Malcolm Ronald Clench, Vikki Amanda Carolan and Simona Francese
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4686-4692
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36074H

Facile in situ characterization of gold nanoparticles on electrode surfaces by electrochemical techniques: average size, number density and morphology determination
Ying Wang, Eduardo Laborda, Chris Salter, Alison Crossley and Richard G. Compton
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4693-4697
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36050K

Electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrogen peroxide on a platinum electrode in the imitation of oxidative drug metabolism of lidocaine
Eslam Nouri-Nigjeh, Andries P. Bruins, Rainer Bischoff and Hjalmar P. Permentier
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4698-4702
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35388A

Network generation enhances interpretation of proteomics data sets by a combination of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry
Xijun Wang, Aihua Zhang, Hui Sun, Gelin Wu, Wenjun Sun and Guangli Yan
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4703-4711
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35891C

Smith et al., Analyst, 2012, Advance Article

By Jennifer A. Dougan, Imperial College London, Web Writer

Deficiencies of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes have been linked to Parkinson’s disease, alcoholic liver disease and Alzheimer’s disease amongst others. David Smith and co-workers have been studying the activity of this class of enzyme in cell cultures by analysing the volatile components they produce by selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS). Click here to read more about this study, by the researchers from Keele University, and the opportunity to extend the scope of this methodology to other volatile components for drug screening and the prevention or treatment of disease.

A study of enzymatic activity in cell cultures via the analysis of volatile biomarkers
Thomas W. E. Chippendale, Bin Hu, Alicia J. El Haj and David Smith
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35815H

Permentier et al., Analyst, 2012, Advance Article

By Jennifer A. Dougan, Imperial College London, Web Writer

Testing drug metabolism by in vitro electrochemistry as a mimic for the in vivo action of enzymes is an established technique in drug metabolism and toxicological studies. These investigations are an important part of the drug discovery and development process.  Using lidocaine as a model substrate to test the applicability of their new electrochemical techniques, Hjalmar P. Permentier‘s group from the Analytical Biochemistry and Mass Spectrometry Core Facility at the University of Groningen have successfully expanded their electrochemical toolbox to more closely mimic the action of Cytochrome P450s.  Using a Pt electrode and electrocatalytic oxidation of H₂O₂, 3-hydroxylation of lidocaine has been observed, thereby extending the scope and validity of in vitro electrochemical-imitation of Cytochrome P450 enzymatic action.

Electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrogen peroxide on a platinum electrode in the imitation of oxidative drug metabolism of lidocaine
Eslam Nouri-Nigjeh, Andries P. Bruins, Rainer Bischoff and Hjalmar P. Permentier
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35388A

Analyzing gold nanoparticles

Compton et al., Analyst, 2012, Advance Article

From Richard G. Compton‘s group at the University of Oxford, comes this paper on the characterization of gold nanoparticles. The reactivity and properties of nanoparticles are defined by their composition, size and morphology, therefore accurate characterization of nanoparticles is important. The method is fast, cheap, and can be performed in situ.

Facile in situ characterization of gold nanoparticles on electrode surfaces by electrochemical techniques: average size, number density and morphology determination
Ying Wang, Eduardo Laborda, Chris Salter, Alison Crossley and Richard G. Compton
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36050K

Interpreting proteomic data

Wang, Zhang & Sun et al., Analyst, 2012, Advancce Article

Xijun Wang, Aihua Zhang and Hui Sun with co-workers from the Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine have been working on the characterization and identification of candidate proteins involved in given diseases. Click through to read more.

Network generation enhances interpretation of proteomics data sets by a combination of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry
Xijun Wang, Aihua Zhang, Hui Sun, Gelin Wu, Wenjun Sun and Guangli Yan
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35891C

HOT Article: Zeng et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 4435-4439

Featured in the latest issue of Analyst are a handful of HOT articles, including a quickly responsive, and specific fluorescent assay for the detection of Au(III), a turn-on and reversible fluorescence sensor for zinc ions, and pH-activatable fluorescent probe which responds rapidly and sensitively to intracellular pH distributions and cellular pH fluctuations.

All these articles will be free to access until 7 September, and don’t forget to take a look at the covers of Issue 19 too.

Highly selective fluorescence turn-on sensing of gold ions by a nanoparticle generation/C–I bond cleavage sequence
Jihye Park, Sohee Choi, Tae-Il Kim and Youngmi Kim
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4411-4414
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35351B

A turn-on and reversible fluorescence sensor for zinc ion
Hsiang-Yi Lin, Pi-Yun Cheng, Chin-Feng Wan and An-Tai Wu
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4415-4417
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35752F

Development of a pH-activatable fluorescent probe and its application for visualizing cellular pH change
Rong Huang, Shengyong Yan, Xiaolong Zheng, Fengling Luo, Minggang Deng, Boshi Fu, Yijie Xiao, Xi Zhao and Xiang Zhou
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4418-4420
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35671F

Endonuclease V-assisted accurate cleavage of oligonucleotide probes controlled by deoxyinosine and deoxynucleoside phosphorothioate for sequencing-by-ligation
Yanqiang Li, Zhiqiang Pan, Jing Tang, Dan Pu, Pengfeng Xiao and Zuhong Lu
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4421-4424
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35595G

Sensitive detection of H₂O₂ and H₂O₂-related reactant with Ru(bipy)2(7,8-dimethyl-dipyridophenazine)²⁺ and oligodeoxyribonucleotide
Cen Xiong, Zhiyou Xiao, Manjun Zhang and Liansheng Ling
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4428-4434
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35519A

Gold nanoparticles-based nanoconjugates for enhanced enzyme cascade and glucose sensing
Dongdong Zeng, Weijie Luo, Jiang Li, Huajie Liu, Hongwei Ma, Qing Huang and Chunhai Fan
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4435-4439
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35900F