Analyst Blog

Scientists from Korea have immobilised a reactive antibody onto the surface of a microfluidic sensor to allow immunosensing with minimal steps to analyse a fluctuating analyte concentration continuously. They found that the antibody showed rapid kinetic properties in both the association and dissociation reactions, and also had a high binding affinity.

When monitoring the analyte level in the sample, the binder was able to be continuously recycled without interrupting the analytical conditions, according to the researchers.  The continuous immunosensor displayed characteristics that were suitable for in vitro disease diagnosis so could be used as a novel analytical tool for a direct online clinical decision, they added.

Minimum-step immuno-analysis based on continuous recycling of the capture antibody
Hyun-Kyu Cho, Sung-Min Seo, Il-Hoon Cho, Sung-Ho Paek, Dong-Hyung Kim and Se-Hwan Paek
Analyst, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00811G

Chemiluminescence has been extensively used for analytical purposes but very limited research has been devoted to the theoretical basics of the technique. In this study by Paul S. Francis and co-workers in Australia, a combination of electrochemical, spectroscopic and computational techniques are used to explore the properties of ruthenium complexes designed for coupling with other molecules or surfaces for electrochemiluminescence applications. 

Interested in knowing more?  Read for free here until 21st March!

Simultaneous control of spectroscopic and electrochemical properties in functionalised electrochemiluminescent tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complexes
Gregory J. Barbante, Conor F. Hogan, David J. D. Wilson, Naomi A. Lewcenko, Frederick M. Pfeffer, Neil W. Barnett and Paul S. Francis
Analyst, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00952K

In this study, Xing-guo Chen and co-workers in Lanzhou, China, established a new flow injection–capillary electrophoresis (FI–CE) system in which a cross-H-channel interface was constructed for coupling FI with CE. Compared with typical FI–CE, the advantages of this new technique include lower sample solution requirement, shorter analysis time, and higher sensitivity.

Interested in knowing more?  Read the full text here; free until 18^th March!

A novel cross-H-channel interface for flow injection-capillary electrophoresis to reduce sample requirement and improve sensitivity
Hua-dong Zhu, Wenjuan Lü, Hong-hong Li, Yan-hua Ma, Shao-qiang Hu, Hong-li Chen and Xing-guo Chen
Analyst, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00592D

Read this communication by Stefan Glöggler and colleagues on an application of low-field NMR combined with Signal Amplification by Reversible-Exchange (SABRE) to detect traces of drugs.  They were able to selectively enhance the signal of drug molecules in proton rich standard solutions that would otherwise mask the ¹H NMR signal of the drug.

The article will be free to access until the 18th March.  How do you think mobile NMR machines will be used for trace drug detection and differentiation in the future?  Leave your comments below or tweet us @analystrsc.

Selective drug trace detection with low-field NMR
Stefan Glöggler, Meike Emondts, Johannes Colell, Rafael Müller, Bernhard Blümich and Stephan Appelt
Analyst, 2011
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN01048K

The work could open up a whole new area of medical diagnostics and health research

Take a look at this Spectroscopy Now article, which highlights work from Robert Peverall and colleagues on the detection of trace species in breath using near infrared Fourier transform broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy.

The paper is in the latest issue of Analyst, and can be accessed using the link below:

Trace species detection in the near infrared using Fourier transform broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy: initial studies on potential breath analytes
W. Denzer, G. Hancock, M. Islam, C. E. Langley, R. Peverall, G. A. D. Ritchie and D. Taylor
Analyst, 2011, 136, 801-806
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00462F

Let us know your thoughts on this exciting piece of research by posting a comment below, or tweet us @analystrsc.

In this HOT Article a team from Dublin present an impressive study that links imunohistochemistry and fluorescence with FTIR to demonstrate the effectiveness of spectroscopic techniques in the diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry are used to deomonstrate that expression levels of the biomarker protein p16^INK4A in cervical cancer cell lines correlates with HPV invection levels.  This confirms p16^INK4A as a potential diagnostic marker of cervical cancer. FTIR imaging is then used to identify the specific spectral features of nuclear and cytoplasmic regions of the cervical cancer cells.  By correlating all the findings it was possible to construct a model which can predict the p16^INK4A expression level based on a spectral fingerprint of a cell line, demonstrating the diagnostic potential of spectroscopic techniques.

Interested in knowing more?  Read the article here, free until March 11^th.

Correlation of p16^INK4A expression and HPV copy number with cellular FTIR spectroscopic signatures of cervical cancer cells
Kamila M. Ostrowska, Amaya Garcia, Aidan D. Meade, Alison Malkin, Ifeoluwapo Okewumi, John J. O’Leary, Cara Martin, Hugh J. Byrne and Fiona M. Lyng
Analyst, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00910E

Polymer chips embossed with micropillars enhance the distribution of fluorescently labelled fibrinogen, which can be used to determine the onset of clotting in response to anticoagulants.

Read this HOT paper from Anthony J. Killard and colleagues describing a technique for identifying the onset of in vivo clot formation.  One referee decribed it as a ‘clever yet practical approach’.
The paper will be free to access until the end of the month.

Development of a fluorescent method for detecting the onset of coagulation in human plasma on microstructured lateral flow platforms
Magdalena M. Dudek, Nigel J. Kent, Pan Gu, Z. Hugh Fan and Anthony J. Killard
Analyst, 2011
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00907E