Groundwater arsenic detector

Groundwater contaminated with arsenic has led to an epidemic of arsenic poisoning in parts of Bangladesh and India. Scientists in China have developed a sensor to detect arsenic quickly and accurately in water.

The sensor may help to produce clean drinking water as seen here © Paul Prescott/Shutterstock.com

The sensor may help to produce clean drinking water as seen here © Paul Prescott/Shutterstock.com

Pei Zhou at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and colleagues’ sensor detects arsenic using an arsenic-binding aptamer, gold nanoparticles and a cationic surfactant.

Read the full article at Chemistry World.

Ultrasensitive aptamer biosensor for arsenic(III) detection in aqueous solution based on surfactant-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles
Yuangen Wu, Le Liu, Shenshan Zhan, Faze Wang and Pei Zhou
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4171-4178
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35711A

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HOT Articles in Issue 19

Gold nanoparticles-based nanoconjugates for enhanced enzyme cascade and glucose sensing

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

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Issue 19 now online

Analyst, 2012, Vol. 137, Issue 19, front cover

Front cover: Hopkins et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 4408-4410

The latest issue of Analyst has landed, and as usual there are some interesting cover images and articles for you to enjoy.

On the front cover is a Communication from Rebecca Hopkins and colleagues from DSTL Porton Down, UK. They demonstrate spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) using 1064 nm excitation to detect chemicals through a physical barrier such as a container. This excitation wavelength overcomes the issue of fluorescence from the target chemical, whilst retaining the benefits of the SORS technique for through-barrier detection. The authors say these advantages have a wide range of applications in both civilian and military environments.

Communication: Short-wave infrared excited spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) for through-barrier detection
Rebecca J. Hopkins, Suzanne H. Pelfrey and Neil C. Shand
Analyst
, 2012, 137, 4408-4410
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35681C

The inside front cover features a Critical Review from Guido Verbeck and colleagues from the University of North Texas. Their review concentrates on the apparatus and techniques associated with deposition processes, and covers the hyperthermal and thermal energetic regimes which allow for species to be landed intact.

Analyst, 2012, Vol. 137, Issue 19, inside front cover

Verbeck et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 4393-4407

Critical Review: Soft-landing preparative mass spectrometry
Guido Verbeck, William Hoffmann and Barbara Walton
Analyst
, 2012, 137, 4393-4407
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35550G

Both these cover articles will be free to access for 6 weeks, and don’t forget to take a look at the HOT Articles featured in Issue 19 too.

Follow Analyst on Twitter: @analystrsc

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HOT article: Protein binding to multiple DNA targets in a one-pot reaction

Moreau & Schaeffer, Analyst, 2012, 137, 4111

By Laura Ruvuna, Web Writer

Morgane Moreau and Patrick Schaeffer at James Cook University in Australia have developed a qPCR based binding assay for detecting protein-DNA complexes. Understanding these binding interactions is both biologically vital but difficult to study using traditional methods. Alternatively, this simple procedure requires GFP-Tus, a termination replication protein, a GFP antibody, and multiple strands of DNA in a single reaction. After the immunoprecipitation of the protein-DNA complex, qPCR measures the quantification of each strand separately in polyplex. In addition to being quick and cheap, this assay has the versatility of combining with other common techniques, such as SPR, to increase overall sensitivity. To read more about this group’s new detection method, check out the article below.

A polyplex qPCR-based binding assay for protein–DNA interactions
Morgane J. J. Moreau and Patrick M. Schaeffer
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4111-4113
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35703H

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HOT articles in Analyst this August

Check out some of the HOT articles published this last month in Analyst that you may have missed. These papers will be free to access for 2 weeks!

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

Ultrasensitive aptamer biosensor for arsenic(III) detection in aqueous solution based on surfactant-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles
Yuangen Wu, Le Liu, Shenshan Zhan, Faze Wang and Pei Zhou
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4171-4178
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35711A

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

Zhou et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 4171

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

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

Analysis of layered assays and volume microarrays in stratified media
Homanaz Ghafari and Quentin S. Hanley
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35767D

Ghafari & Hanley, Analyst, 2012, Advance Article

Assessing the responses of cellular proteins induced by hyaluronic acid-modified surfaces utilizing a mass spectrometry-based profiling system: Over-expression of CD36, CD44, CDK9, and PP2A
Ming-Hui Yang, Shiang-Bin Jong, Chi-Yu Lu, Yu-Fen Lin, Pei-Wen Chiang, Yu-Chang Tyan and Tze-Wen Chung
Analyst, 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35368G

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

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

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HOT articles in Analyst

Screening for D-amino-acid oxidase inhibitors

Qi et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 4235

A team from China have been working on a capillary electrophoresis (CLE-CE) system for the enantioseparation of dansyl amino acids. Their method was tested on the inhibition efficiency of D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) inhibitors, which could pave a the way for high-throughput screening of enzyme inhibitors and relevant drug discovery.

A novel chiral ligand exchange capillary electrophoresis system with amino acid ionic liquid as ligand and its application in screening D-amino-acid oxidase inhibitors
Xiaoyu Mu, Li Qi, Ying Shen, Haizhi Zhang, Juan Qiao and Huimin Ma
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4235-4240
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35753D

A turn-on and reversible fluorescence sensor for zinc ion

Wu et al., Analyst, 2012, Advance Article

A new zinc sensor has been developed by a team working at the National Changhua University of Education and Chung Shan Medical University, Taiwan. Zinc is the second most abundant transition metal in the human body, and although it is considered to be relatively nontoxic, toxicity symptoms can occur with extremely high intake.

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, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35752F

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HOT articles in Issue 18

lectrochemical impedance spectroscopy as novel technology for the management of patients with diabetes mellitus

Adamson et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 4179-4187

A number of HOT papers feature in our latest issue, including a qPCR-based binding assay to measure protein–DNA interactions in polyplex, a comparison of the different modes of interrogation for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors, and the development of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to offer a unique frequency detection of glucose (and other targets) for better diabetes management.

All these papers will be free to access until 31 August.

Communication: A polyplex qPCR-based binding assay for protein–DNA interactions
Morgane J. J. Moreau and Patrick M. Schaeffer
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4111-4113
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35703H

EOT or Kretschmann configuration? Comparative study of the plasmonic modes in gold nanohole arrays
Maxime Couture, Ludovic S. Live, Anuj Dhawan and Jean-Francois Masson
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4162-4170
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35566C

The promise of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as novel technology for the management of patients with diabetes mellitus
Teagan Leigh Adamson, Francis Ang Eusebio, Curtiss B. Cook and Jeffrey T. LaBelle
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4179-4187
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35645G

See what else is HOT below.

Read more »

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Issue 18 now online

Analyst 2012, Issue 18, front cover

Front cover: Hong et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 4140-4149

Our latest issue is now available, so do take a look.

Featured on the front cover, Qingdong Zheng from the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Fuzhou, China, and co-workers, report on the synthesis and characterization of two silylated BODIPY dyes and their use in dye-encapsulated silica nanoparticles with switchable emitting wavelengths for cellular imaging. In order to realise multiplexed imaging, they doped two different dyes into the same nanoparticle, which is able to emit light with different colors based on a change in excitation wavelengths.

Silylated BODIPY dyes and their use in dye-encapsulated silica nanoparticles with switchable emitting wavelengths for cellular imaging
Xuehua Hong, Zhuyuan Wang, Jing Yang, Qingdong Zheng, Shenfei Zong, Yu Sheng, Deqin Zhu, Changquan Tang and Yiping Cui
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4140-4149
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35389J

On the inside front cover, Natalie Cann and colleagues from Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada present full-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for nano electrospray ionization (ESI) with various emitter designs as a step towards an integrated approach to emitter design and characterization.

Analyst 2012, Issue 18, inside front cover

Inside front cover: Wu et al., Analyst, 2012, 137, 4150-4161

Characterization of microstructured fibre emitters: in pursuit of improved nano electrospray ionization performance
Xinyun Wu, Richard D. Oleschuk and Natalie M. Cann
Analyst, 2012, 137, 4150-4161
DOI: 10.1039/C2AN35249D

Both these articles will be free to access for 6 weeks.

Don’t forget to see which HOT articles also feature in this issue.

Follow Analyst on Twitter: @analystrsc

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Advances in Clinical Analysis 2012 Meeting

The Chromatographic Society and the Separation Science Group of the Analytical Division of the Royal Society of Chemistry are pleased to announce their next meeting: Advances in Clinical Analysis 2012

30th October 2012
Robens Suite,
29th Floor,
Guy’s Hospital Tower,
St Thomas’ Street, London, SE1 9RT, UK

Clinical analysis is a wide ranging and complex subject area, but as we move to more complex and difficult analyses, much is now being asked of the techniques in terms of the specificity, sensitivity, simplicity and productivity.

The meeting sets out to look at separation and complementary/alternative techniques along with case studies from the hospital and academic areas. The program has been designed to give attendee’s an update for both routine and problem solving in clinical analysis.

For more information please contact Adrian Clarke.
Tel +41 616963955 e-mail:adrian.clarke@novartis.com

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FACSS welcomes three new member Societies!

The Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS) is pleased to announce that at their recent Governing Board meeting in March three new member organizations, namely the AES Electrophoresis Society, the Spectroscopical Society of Japan (SpSJ), and the North American Society for Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (NASLIBS), have been accepted to the federation as full member organizations.

The Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS) is an organization designed to further the interests of analytical chemistry and spectroscopy on behalf of its member organizations.

In 1973, FACSS was founded as a federation of member organizations for the exchange of ideas at the forefront of analytical sciences. Over the last thirty nine years FACSS has pursued five critical objectives to realize the Federation’s goals:

A. Education and Training
B. Advancement of Knowledge
C. Advancement of Technology
D. Social and Professional Peer Networking
E. Promotion / Enabling of Interests of Member Organizations

With the addition of the AES Electrophoresis Society, the Spectroscopical Society of Japan (SpSJ), and the North American Society for Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (NASLIBS), to the federation’s existing member organizations [Division of Analytical Chemistry of the American Chemical Society, American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS), ANACHEM, the Coblentz Society, the International Society for Automation (ISA) – Analysis Division, the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Analytical Division, and the
Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS)], FACSS is now 10-member societies strong. This expansion reflects a unique element of FACSS and its annual North American meeting, SciX, in that all areas and aspects of analytical chemistry and spectroscopy are welcome, bringing together leading scientists from among many disciplines for scientific exchange.

FACSS believes that the addition of these three member organizations will enhance its ability to serve the analytical chemistry and spectroscopy community.

Future North American conferences presented by FACSS will carry the name SciX – the Great Scientific eXchange. Additional information on SciX and the 2012 SciX conference is available at www.scixconference.org.

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