Analyst Blog

Analyst, 2011, 136(20):4085-4368

Optical analysis features on both covers of our latest issue.

On the front cover, Kagan Kerman of the University of Toronto and colleagues used near-IR optical trapping to characterise the early stages of aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease.  The work provides new insight into the first two hours of aggregation, and therefore our understanding of the role of Aβ oligomers in neuronal cell cytotoxicity and pathogenesis.

Optical trapping for the characterization of amyloid-beta aggregation kinetics
Anthony J. Veloso, Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, Xin R. Cheng, Eiichi Tamiya and Kagan Kerman
Analyst, 2011, 136, 4164-4167
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15480J

On the back cover, Tarkeshwar Gupta and Anup Kumar demonstrate direct label free optical detection of parts-per-billion (ppb) levels of Fe(II) in an organic solvent.  Molecular recognition at solid–solution or solid–gas interfaces has received tremendous scientific interest to develop nanoscale molecular systems for chemical sensors, molecular switches and logic architectures.

Communication: A highly sensitive redox-active monolayer for “signal-on” optical detection of iron(II)
Tarkeshwar Gupta and Anup Kumar
Analyst, 2011, 136, 4127-4129
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15519A

Both articles are free for 6 weeks, so do take a look!

Analyst, 2011, 136(19): 3817-4084

The latest issue of Analyst is now available online.

On the front cover is work from Xuefeng Yin of Zhejiang University and colleagues.  One of the major difficulties in microfluidic cell analysis for adherent cells is that the cells are prone to attaching to the channel surface.  Yin et al present a simple 3D hydrodynamic focusing microfluidic device integrated with continuous sampling, rapid dynamic lysis, capillary electrophoretic (CE) separation and detection of intracellular content, which aims to overcome this:

Three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic focusing for continuous sampling and analysis of adherent cells
Chunxiu Xu, Min Wang and Xuefeng Yin
Analyst, 2011, 136, 3877-3883
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15019G

The inside front cover highlights research by Srinand Sreevatsan of the University of Minnesota and collaborators from the University of Guelph.  Short RNA and DNA sequences (aptamers) have properties that make them desirable as biosensors for bacterial contaminants in food.  This paper describes the selection and characterization of a single, dominant aptamer (SSRA1), against the B-chain of the toxin ricin.  The results indicate that SSRA1 could serve well as pre-analytical tool for processing of ricin from liquid foods to aid current diagnostics as well as a sensor for direct ricin detection:

A single DNA aptamer functions as a biosensor for ricin
Elise A. Lamont, Lili He, Keith Warriner, Theodore P. Labuza and Srinand Sreevatsan
Analyst, 2011, 136, 3884-3895
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15352H

Both papers will be free to access for 6 weeks.

Analyst, 2011, 136(18): 3573-3816

Our latest issue is now available online.

Featured on the front cover is work from Huanwen Chen of East China Institute of Technology and colleagues, who present a straightforward method based on extractive electrospray ionization (EESI) was developed for fishing native proteins from a highly complex biological soup for mass spectrometric analysis without any sample pre-treatment.

Communication: Direct detection of native proteins in biological matrices using extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Bin Hu, Shuiping Yang, Ming Li, Haiwei Gu and Huanwen Chen
Analyst, 2011, 136, 3599-3601
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15410A

The inside front cover highlights work from Brian Cunningham and colleagues from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.  They introduce photonic crystal enhanced microscopy as a label-free biosensor imaging technique capable of measuring cell surface attachment and attachment modulation.

Label-free imaging of cell attachment with photonic crystal enhanced microscopy
Erich A. Lidstone, Vikram Chaudhery, Anja Kohl, Vincent Chan, Tor Wolf-Jensen, Lawrence B. Schook, Rashid Bashir and Brian T. Cunningham
Analyst, 2011, 136, 3608-3615
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15171A

Both these articles will be free to access for 6 weeks, so let your colleagues know!

On the back cover is research from the laboratories of Kyubong Jo and Han Bin Oh of Sogang University, Seoul.  They systematically studied DNA recognition by zinc-fingers using negative-ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Zinc-finger motif noncovalent interactions with double-stranded DNA characterized by negative-ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Soojin Park, Kyubong Jo and Han Bin Oh
Analyst, 2011, 136, 3739-3746
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15376E