Analyst Blog

An Electronic Nose for Detection of Toxic Air Pollutants

11 Dec 2012

Pui Sai Lau is a guest web writer for Analyst. She is currently a PhD student at McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Our health and well-being is deeply impacted by the air that we breathe. Maintaining good quality of air is highly dependent on the ability of chemical gas sensors to monitor toxic air pollutants in the environment. While many sensors are currently available, there is still a need for a detection system that is highly sensitive and selective, robust, accurate, fast, adaptable to mass production, and capable of monitoring many different chemical gases. Jong Kyu Kim and colleagues from the Republic of Korea have addressed some of these challenges by developing an “electronic nose” – a series of high performance gas sensors based on an array of TiO₂ nanohelices fabricated by the method of rotating oblique angle deposition (OAD).

Gas sensors based on an array of near single crystalline TiO2

Find out more by clicking on the link below:

A near single crystalline TiO2 nanohelix array: enhanced gas sensing performance and its application as a monolithically integrated electronic nose
Sunyong Hwang, Hyunah Kwon, Sameer Chhajed, Ji Won Byon, Jeong Min Baik, Jiseong Im, Sang Ho Oh, Ho Won Jang, Seok Jin Yoon and Jong Kyu Kim
Analyst, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35932D

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2012 FACSS Innovation Award winner announced

10 Dec 2012

By Rebecca Brodie, Deputy Editor.

The Federation of Analytical Chemistry & Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS), of which the RSC is a member society, has announced the winner of the 2012 FACSS Innovation Award as Rohit Bhargava, from the University of Illinois, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.

This is a juried prize awarded to the most innovative, creative, and outstanding work making its world debut at the FACSS-organized SciX conference. The winner is selected in a special oral session featuring five candidates selected from the many talks contributed to the program.

This year’s award was given for “Advancing Infrared Microscopy Instrumentation by Theory and Computation,” Rohit Bhargava, P. Scott Carney, Rohith Reddy, Kevin Yeh, Thomas van Dijk, Matthew Gelber, Matthew V. Schulmerich; University of Illinois, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.

Dr Rohit Bhargava, recipient of the 2012 FACSS Innovation Award

Rohit Bhargava completed his PhD at Case Western Reserve University in 2000 after first completing his undergraduate degree at the Indian Institute of Technology. Since then he has worked at the UIUC Department of Bioengineering and is a full time faculty member with the Beckman Institute Bioimaging Science and Technology group. His research interests include infrared spectroscopy imaging, molecular imaging and cancer pathology research.

Take a look at a selection of papers published by Bhargava in Analyst. They will be free to read until December 24th.

Accurate histopathology from low signal-to-noise ratio spectroscopic imaging data
Rohith K. Reddy and Rohit Bhargava
Analyst, 2010, 135, 2818-2825
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00350F

Characterization of porcine skin as a model for human skin studies using infrared spectroscopic imaging
Rong Kong and Rohit Bhargava
Analyst, 2011, 136, 2359-2366
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15111H

Subcellular localization of early biochemical transformations in cancer-activated fibroblasts using infrared spectroscopic imaging
Sarah E. Holton, Michael J. Walsh and Rohit Bhargava
Analyst, 2011, 136, 2953-2958
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15112F

Characterization of tumor progression in engineered tissue using infrared spectroscopic imaging
Rong Kong, Rohith K. Reddy and Rohit Bhargava
Analyst, 2010, 135, 1569-1578
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00112K

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How clean are your contact lenses?

07 Dec 2012

By Paola Quattroni, Development Editor.

Although silicone hydrogel contact lenses have been available since 1999, the accumulation of biological material as solid deposit on the surface of lens polymer during lenses wear is still a reason of discomfort.
With this work, Simon Brown and colleagues from the University of Wollongong, Australia, describe a method to analyse lipids directly from a contact lens using liquid extraction surface analysis coupled to mass spectrometry (LESA-MS/MS). To demonstrate the efficiency of LESA-MS/MS, the researchers analysed the lipids on 25 worn contact lenses and extracted lipids with limited degradation of the lens material in only 15 minutes.

Photograph and schematic diagram of the LESA process from a contact lens

Liquid extraction surface analysis allows the extraction of analytes from a surface by creating a micro-junction between a small volume of solvent at the surface and a pipette tip. The solvent is then aspirated into the pipette tip and infused onto a sensitive mass analyser.
According to the authors, this improved technique will determine the molecular composition of biological deposits and identify the lipid molecular species representing all major classes present in human tear films.

To know more about this study click on the link below.

Communication Automated surface sampling of lipids from worn contact lenses coupled with tandem mass spectrometry
Simon H. J. Brown , Liam H. Huxtable , Mark D. P. Willcox , Stephen J. Blanksby and Todd W. Mitchell
Analyst, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36189B

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Hot articles in Analyst Issue 1

28 Nov 2012

By Paola Quattroni, Development Editor.

With the first issue of Analyst 2013, we also have a good number of HOT papers for you to have a read.

Articles cover a wide range of topics including improved biosensing methodologies, some interesting data on volatile biomarkers of tumour cells and this novel tattoo-based potentiometric sensor (see picture). According to Wang and co-workers, these new tattoos have a potential in measuring strenuous physical activity by monitoring the pH of the skin.

These papers will be free to read until December 12th.

Tattoo-based potentiometric ion-selective sensors for epidermal pH monitoring

Photograph of the tattoo ISE sensor. Bandodkar et al., Analyst, 2013, 138, 123-128

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence of nanomaterials for bioanalysis
Shengyuan Deng and Huangxian Ju
Analyst, 2013, 138, 43-61
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36122A

Integration of rapid DNA hybridization and capillary zone electrophoresis using bidirectional isotachophoresis
Supreet S. Bahga , Crystal M. Han and Juan G. Santiago
Analyst, 2013, 138, 87-90
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36249J

Quantification by SIFT-MS of acetaldehyde released by lung cells in a 3D model Abigail
V. Rutter , Thomas W. E. Chippendale , Ying Yang , Patrik Španěl , David Smith and Josep Sulé-Suso
Analyst, 2013,138, 91-95
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36185J

Tattoo-based potentiometric ion-selective sensors for epidermal pH monitoring
Amay J. Bandodkar , Vinci W. S. Hung , Wenzhao Jia , Gabriela Valdés-Ramírez , Joshua R. Windmiller , Alexandra G. Martinez , Julian Ramírez , Garrett Chan , Kagan Kerman and Joseph Wang
Analyst, 2013, 138, 123-128
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36422K

Integration of multiple components in polystyrene-based microfluidic devices part I: fabrication and characterization
Alicia S. Johnson , Kari B. Anderson , Stephen T. Halpin , Douglas C. Kirkpatrick , Dana M. Spence and R. Scott Martin
Analyst, 2013, 138, 129-136
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36168J

Integration of multiple components in polystyrene-based microfluidic devices part II: cellular analysis
Kari B. Anderson , Stephen T. Halpin , Alicia S. Johnson , R. Scott Martin and Dana M. Spence
Analyst, 2013, 138, 137-143
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36171J

Microfluidic integration of Western blotting is enabled by electrotransfer-assisted sodium dodecyl sulfate dilution
Chenlu Hou and Amy E. Herr
Analyst, 2013, 138, 158-163
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36033K

Screening reactive metabolites bioactivated by multiple enzyme pathways using a multiplexed microfluidic system
Dhanuka P. Wasalathanthri , Ronaldo C. Faria , Spundana Malla , Amit A. Joshi , John B. Schenkman and James F. Rusling
Analyst, 2013, 138, 171-178
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35993F

Biofuel cell-based self-powered biogenerators for online continuous monitoring of neurochemicals in rat brain
Hanjun Cheng , Ping Yu , Xulin Lu , Yuqing Lin , Takeo Ohsaka and Lanqun Mao
Analyst, 2013, 138, 179-185
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36385B

Fast and continuous-flow separation of DNA-complexes and topological DNA variants in microfluidic chip format
Martina Viefhues , Jan Regtmeier and Dario Anselmetti
Analyst, 2013, 138, 186-196
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36056J

Ultrasensitive detection of mRNA extracted from cancerous cells achieved by DNA rotaxane-based cross-rolling circle amplification
Sai Bi , Yangyang Cui and Li Li
Analyst, 2013,138, 197-203
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36118C

A biosensor fabricated by incorporation of a redox mediator into a carbon nanotube/nafion composite for tyrosinase immobilization: detection of matairesinol, an endocrine disruptor
Jahangir Ahmad Rather , Sanaz Pilehvar and Karolien De Wael
Analyst, 2013, 138, 204-210
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35959F

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Analyst Issue 1 now online!

28 Nov 2012

By Paola Quattroni, Development Editor.

The first issue of Analyst for 2013 has now gone online! Here are the three cover articles for you to enjoy.

Front cover: Smits et al., Analyst, 2013, 138, 111-117

On the front cover, we have a wonderful image from Nathalie Smits and colleagues from the RIKILT-Institute of Food Safety , Wageningen, The Netherlands. The team developed a new multiplex screening tool of biomarkers for recognition of recombinant bovine somatotropin. According to the reasearch, this method can be applied with high confidence to screen somatotropin abuse in cattle. To know more about this article, click on the link below:

Multiplex flow cytometric immunoassay for serum biomarker profiling of recombinant bovine somatotropin
Nathalie Gabriëlle Esther Smits, Susann Katrina Julie Ludwig, Grisha Van der Veer, Maria Gabriëlle Eleonore Gerarda Bremer and Michel Wilhelmus Franciscus Nielen
Analyst, 2013, 138, 111-117
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35226E

On a similar subject, our inside front cover is from Stephen O’ Hagan featuring the work of Roystone Goodacre and co-workers from the University of Manchester. This study shows how silver deposited onto copper surfaces, such as the British 2 pence coins, can be used for detection of legal or illegal substances present in solution at low concentration. The researchers used the highly fluorescent Rhodamine 6G probe to demonstrate that silver application to copper coins leads to production of substrates capable of promoting Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). The application of different drugs to the obtained substrates was then carried out using

Inside front cover: Mabbott et al., Analyst, 2013, 138, 118-122

spotting and soaking methodologies.

2p or not 2p: tuppence-based SERS for the detection of illicit materials
Samuel Mabbott , Alex Eckmann , Cinzia Casiraghi and Royston Goodacre
Analyst, 2013, 138, 118-122
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35974J

Back cover: Lo et al., Analyst 2013, 138, 25-31

Finally, the image on the back cover of this issue showcases the work of Gregory V. Hartland and colleagues, from the University of Notre Dame, USA. In this mini-review, the authors describe their most recent data on detecting single nano-objects using transient absorption microscopy. They highlight a few key points for implementing transient absorption microscopy and discuss advantages and disadvantages of the techniques compared to other optical absorption based methods.

Optical detection of single nano-objects by transient absorption microscopy
Shun Shang Lo , Mary Sajini Devadas , Todd A. Major and Gregory V. Hartland
Analyst, 2013, 138, 25-31
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36097G

These cover articles are free to access for 6 weeks. And don’t forget to take a look at the Hot articles of this Issue!

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A New Solution to an Old Problem – A Novel Microfluidic Device for Efficient DNA Separation

26 Nov 2012

By Pui Sai Lau, Web Writer.

Anselmetti et al., Analyst, 2013, Advance Article

We often hear the colloquial phrase, “if something isn’t broken, then why fix it?” However, with this line of thinking, we may at times overlook areas that need improvement, and miss out on opportunities to make a big difference. Routine methods for DNA separation such as gel electrophoresis, and capillary chromatography are so widely used that they are often thought of as standard techniques, despite their obvious limitations. Dario Anselmetti, and colleagues from Bielefeld University, Germany have sought out to find a better way for efficient detection, separation, and purification of different DNA topologies. They have developed a novel micro-nanofluidic device based on dielectrophoretic trapping to enable fast, continuous-flow, and virtually label-free DNA separation. Find out more about their discovery by accessing the link below:

Fast and continuous-flow separation of DNA-complexes and topological DNA variants in microfluidic chip format

Martina Viefhues,* Jan Regtmeier and Dario Anselmetti

Analyst, 2013, Advance Article

DOI:10.1039/c2an36056j

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DNA Rotaxanes for Cancer Detection

26 Nov 2012

By Laura Ruvuna, Web Writer.

Bi et al., Analyst, 2013, Advance Article

Interlocking molecular structures known as rotaxanes have been expanded to DNA to create a new class of nanomachines for studying biological systems. Li Li and researchers at Qingdao University used DNA psuedorotaxnes as an alternative method for detecting low concentrations of mRNA in cancerous cell lines. Instead of the traditional polymerase chain reaction, a cross-rolling circular amplification synthesizes and links two DNA psuedorotaxnes into a single DNA rotaxane, which contains a biotinylated primer detected by a streptavidin coated magnetic nanoparticle. To read more about the zeptomole sensitivity and high selectivity accomplished by this assay, check out the article below.

Ultrasensitive detection of mRNA extracted from cancerous cells achieved by DNA rotaxane-based cross-rolling circle amplification
Sai Bi, Yangyang Cui and Li Li
Analyst, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36118C

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Quantification by SIFT-MS of acetaldehyde released by lung cells in a 3D model

22 Nov 2012

By Rebecca Brodie, Deputy Editor.

Sulé-Suso et al., Analyst, 2013, Advance Article

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

Lung cancer has a poor survival rate worldwide and research to better diagnose and manage the disease is of paramount importance. Recent work by Josep Sulé-Suso’s group from the Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, based at Keele University attempts to improve our understanding of the behaviour of lung cancer. The approach taken by the group and a collaborator from the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry in the Czech Republic, was to analyse the volatile components (VCs) excreted from lung cancer cells and compare those to healthy lung cells using Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry, SIFT-MS. However, rather than analysing the headspace produced from a 2D growth of cells, the researchers aimed to mimic more closely the in vivo conditions by hosting the cells in a 3D hydrogel scaffold. They found that moving from a 2D to 3D system did, indeed, have an effect on the levels of VCs for both cancerous and non-cancerous cells and that they were able to discriminate between the two cell types at some concentrations. Although there is a way to go before SIFT-MS analysis reaches its ultimate aim; the analysis, diagnosis and management of lung cancer from patient exhalations, its ability to analyse multiple compounds simultaneously in humid air samples makes it an attractive technique for further studies. To read more about this HOT new Analyst article click below, it will be free to read until Dec 6th.

Quantification by SIFT-MS of acetaldehyde released by lung cells in a 3D model
Abigail V. Rutter, Thomas W. E. Chippendale, Ying Yang, Patrik Španěl, David Smith and Josep Sulé-Suso
Analyst, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36185J

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Keeping science in the family

20 Nov 2012

By Aliya Anwar.

Robin McCarley is professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University, US. His research spans liposome systems, surface chemistry, polymer chemistry, nanoscience and bioanalytical/physical chemistry. His current interests are in stimuli-responsive materials in solution and on surfaces, and modified polymers for use in lab-on-a-chip technologies.

You work on bioanalytical sensors – why is this an exciting area of research?

Robin McCarley

It’s really a nexus region where you bring together people from so many different, diverse areas of training and background. That to me is exciting because I think that’s the way we’ll solve a lot of scientific problems in the future. No one principal investigator can attack problems by themselves anymore – you need to have an integrated knowledge base. At the same time, the challenges are all over the map: food, human health and environment. It’s amazing to consider the cross-cutting nature of research right now.

To read the full article please visit Chemistry World.

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HOT articles in Analyst

20 Nov 2012

By Aliya Anwar.

Take a look below at some wonderful HOT articles we’ve recently published this month in Analyst. There are papers covering a variety of fields, including point of care devices, microfluidics and biosensors. These HOT papers will be free to read until Dec 5th.

Gravitational field-flow fractionation integrated with chemiluminescence detection for a self-standing point-of-care compact device in bioanalysis
S. Casolari , B. Roda , M. Mirasoli , M. Zangheri , D. Patrono , P. Reschiglian and A. Roda
Analyst, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36041A

Integration of multiple components in polystyrene-based microfluidic devices part I: fabrication and characterization
Alicia S. Johnson , Kari B. Anderson , Stephen T. Halpin , Douglas C. Kirkpatrick , Dana M. Spence and R. Scott Martin
Analyst, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36168J

Integration of multiple components in polystyrene-based microfluidic devices part II: cellular analysis
Kari B. Anderson , Stephen T. Halpin , Alicia S. Johnson , R. Scott Martin and Dana M. Spence
Analyst, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN36171J

A biosensor fabricated by incorporation of a redox mediator into a carbon nanotube/nafion composite for tyrosinase immobilization: detection of matairesinol, an endocrine disruptor
Jahangir Ahmad Rather , Sanaz Pilehvar and Karolien De Wael
Analyst, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35959F

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An Electronic Nose for Detection of Toxic Air Pollutants

2012 FACSS Innovation Award winner announced

How clean are your contact lenses?

Hot articles in Analyst Issue 1

Analyst Issue 1 now online!

A New Solution to an Old Problem – A Novel Microfluidic Device for Efficient DNA Separation

DNA Rotaxanes for Cancer Detection

Quantification by SIFT-MS of acetaldehyde released by lung cells in a 3D model

Keeping science in the family

HOT articles in Analyst

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