Biology

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

A disposable immunosensor for the detection of salivary MMP-8 as biomarker of periodontitis

Cristina Tortolini, Valeria Gigli, Antonio Angeloni, Federico Tasca, Nguyen T. K. Thanh, Riccarda Antiochia

Summary: The development of a novel voltammetric immunosensor for the detection of salivary MMP-8 at the point-of-care is described. The sensor showed good performance and comparable results to the conventional ELISA method when tested in real saliva samples. This biosensor is single-use, cost-effective, and requires a small quantity of test medium and a short preparation time.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Facile construction of nanocubic Mn3[Fe(CN)6]2@Pt based electrochemical DNA sensors for ultrafast precise determination of SARS-CoV-2

Mengjiao Zhu, Yu Liu, Meiyue Wang, Tao Liu, Zhenyu Chu, Wanqin Jin

Summary: Early rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 is crucial for reducing the risk of severe symptoms and loss of lung function. Researchers have proposed an ultrafast and ultrasensitive DNA sensor that can accurately detect the virus in a short period of time, with outstanding selectivity.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

A ratiometric molecular imprinted electrochemiluminescence sensor based on enhanced luminescence of CdSe@ZnS quantum dots by MXene@NaAsc for detecting uric acid

Miao Liu, Yuwei Wang, Shanshan Tang, Wei Wang, Axin Liang, Aiqin Luo

Summary: An unlabeled ratiometric molecular imprinted electrochemiluminescence sensor was developed for the determination of trace uric acid using MXene@NaAsc, CdSe@ZnS quantum dots, and molecularly imprinted polymer composites modified glass carbon electrode. This sensor, with easy preparation, great selectivity, and excellent sensitivity, successfully detected uric acid in human serum.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Bacterial eradication by a low-energy pulsed electron beam generator

Charlotte Da Silva, Camille Lamarche, Carole Pichereaux, Emmanuelle Mouton-Barbosa, Gauthier Demol, Sebastien Boisne, Etienne Dague, Odile Burlet-Schiltz, Flavien Pillet, Marie-Pierre Rols

Summary: Low-energy electron beams (LEEB) are a safe and practical sterilization solution for industrial applications. To address the limitations of LEEB, we developed a low-energy pulsed electron beam generator (LEPEB) that can effectively and efficiently eradicate bacteria in a wide range of industrial applications.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Polyethylene glycol hydrogel coatings for protection of electroactive bacteria against chemical shocks

Niloufar Fattahi, Jeffrey Reed, Evan Heronemus, Priyasha Fernando, Ryan Hansen, Prathap Parameswaran

Summary: In this study, polyethylene glycol hydrogels were developed as protective coatings for electroactive biofilms, improving their viability under low resource conditions and ammonia-N shocks.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM) as electrochemical probe for detection of guanine quadruplexes

Daniel Dobrovodsky, Ales Danhel, Daniel Renciuk, Jean-Louis Mergny, Miroslav Fojta

Summary: In this study, N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM) was utilized as a voltammetric probe for the electrochemical detection of G4s. The detection of NMM was achieved by cyclic voltammetry on a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 40 nM. The reduction signal of NMM was found to be significantly higher when G4 oligodeoxynucleotides (G4 ODNs) were present compared to single- or double-stranded ODNs or unfolded ODNs capable of forming G4s. Gradual transition from unstructured single strand to G4, induced by increasing concentrations of the G4 stabilizing K+ ions, was detected for the first time using electrochemical methods. Circular dichroism spectroscopy provided support for the obtained results. This work expands on the utilization of electrochemical probes for DNA secondary structure recognition and offers a proof of principle for the development of novel electroanalytical methods for nucleic acid structure studies.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Electrocatalytic aptasensor for bacterial detection exploiting ferricyanide reduction by methylene blue on mixed PEG/aptamer monolayers

Rimsha B. Jamal, Ulrich Bay Gosewinkel, Elena E. Ferapontova

Summary: Pathogen-triggered infections are a severe global threat to human health. Researchers have developed a fast and inexpensive electrocatalytic aptamer assay for the specific and ultrasensitive detection of E. coli, allowing for timely treatment and prevention. The method is fast, sensitive, and can be used in field and point-of-care applications for analysis of bacteria in the human environment.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Development of bioanodes rich in exoelectrogenic bacteria using iron-rich palaeomarine sediment inoculum

Fatima-Zahra Ait-Itto, James A. Behan, Mathieu Martinez, Frederic Barriere

Summary: This study investigated the feasibility of using ancient marine sediments as inoculum for bioanode development in microbial fuel cells (MFC). The results showed the presence of two exoelectrogenic bacterial genera in these iron-rich sediments and confirmed that the development of the bioanode derived from the native microbiota. This study has important implications for understanding the role of these bacteria in broader paleoenvironmental phenomena.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Paper-based electrodes as a tool for detecting ligninolytic enzymatic activities

Issa Fall, Bastien Doumeche, Sofiene Abdellaoui, Caroline Remond, Harivony Rakotoarivonina, Marjorie Ochs

Summary: This article presents a novel electrochemical tool based on lignin-coated paper electrodes for the detection and characterization of ligninolytic activity. The suitability of this method has been demonstrated using a catalaseperoxidase isolated from Thermobacillus xylanilyticus.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biology

Cryopreserved red blood cells maintain allosteric control of oxygen binding when utilizing trehalose as a cryoprotectant

Charles A. Elder, Jensen S. Smith, Mustafa Almosawi, Ethan Mills, Brett R. Janis, Jonathan A. Kopechek, Willem F. Wolkers, Michael A. Menze

Summary: By using a biomimetics approach and trehalose as a cryoprotective agent, red blood cells can be successfully preserved for long-term storage without the need for time-consuming washing steps.

CRYOBIOLOGY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Unraveling the kinetics and pharmacology of human PepT1 using solid supported membrane-based electrophysiology

Alexander Koerner, Andre Bazzone, Maximilian Wichert, Maria Barthmes, Srujan Kumar Dondapati, Niels Fertig, Stefan Kubick

Summary: In this study, the human Peptide Transporter 1 (hPepT1) and its interactions with various substrates were comprehensively studied using solid supported membrane-based electrophysiology (SSME). The pH dependence of hPepT1 activity was observed, and the K-M and relative V-max values of different substrates were determined. Specific inhibition of hPepT1 by various inhibitors was also evaluated in a high throughput format.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Angiogenesis inhibitor or aggressiveness marker? The function of endostatin in cancer through electrochemical biosensing

Sandra Tejerina-Miranda, Maria Pedrero, Marina Blazquez-Garcia, Veronica Serafin, Ana Montero-Calle, Maria Garranzo-Asensio, A. Julio Reviejo, Jose M. Pingarron, Rodrigo Barderas, Susana Campuzano

Summary: This study developed the first electrochemical bioplatform for determining human endostatin, which shows high sensitivity and selectivity for diagnosing tumors and identifying patients in different stages.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Kinetic modeling of 2e-/1H+and 2e-/2H+bidirectional catalytic cycles

Andrea Fasano, Vincent Fourmond, Christophe Leger

Summary: This article focuses on the electrochemical response when a redox enzyme or synthetic catalyst is interfaced with an electrode, and the relation to the catalytic cycle and properties of the catalytic intermediates. The concept of catalytic pKa is introduced, and understanding and tuning catalytic potentials are crucial for the design of reversible catalysts that operate at a fast rate in response to even a small overpotential.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

A hair-ball heterostructure of MnS-MnS2/CdS with compact linking interface for ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical bioanalysis of carcinoembryonic antigen

Delun Zheng, Ruilong Zhang, Kaibo Zheng, Caiyun Zhang, Jianqiao Chen, Chengwen Wang, Shaochen Sun, Sihan Lin

Summary: This study successfully prepared a high-performance biosensor with superior photoelectrochemical properties by fabricating a contact heterojunction interface with special porosity structure.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Characterizing reversible, irreversible, and calcium electroporation to generate a burst-dependent dynamic conductivity curve

Edward J. Jacobs, Sabrina N. Campelo, Alyssa Charlton, Sara Altreuter, Rafael V. Davalos

Summary: The relationships between burst number, reversible, irreversible, and calcium electroporation in tumor tissue-mimics have been comprehensively evaluated in this study. The findings show that electroporation effects saturate with an increasing burst number, and the reversible and irreversible electroporation thresholds converge at a certain point. The lethal thresholds for calcium electroporation are similar to reversible electroporation. The study emphasizes the importance of considering burst number in minimizing thermal damage, choosing adjuvant therapies, and modeling electroporation effects at low burst numbers.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Nitrogen-enhanced carbon quantum dots mediated immunosensor for electrochemical detection of HER2 breast cancer biomarker

Humayun Amir, Vasanth Subramanian, Sundaram Sornambikai, Nagamony Ponpandian, Chinnusamy Viswanathan

Summary: In this study, the electrochemical detection of breast cancer biomarker HER2 was successfully achieved using the N-CQDs/GS as the detector. The BSA-modified HER2 Antibody/N-CQDs/GS immunoelectrode preserved excellent activity for the biosensor, while the GS electrode provided high stability and conductivity. The method exhibited a low detection limit and optimal specificity, stability, and reproducibility for detecting HER-2 protein in untreated blood samples from breast cancer patients.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Astronomy & Astrophysics

Cancer and circulatory disease risks for the largest solar particle events in the space age

Francis A. Cucinotta, Sungmin Pak

Summary: In this paper, the NASA Space Cancer Risk (NSCR version 2022) model is used to predict the risks of cancer and circulatory diseases caused by the largest observed solar particle events (SPEs) in the space age. The contribution of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) to the risks is also considered. The results show that with proper shielding, the risks can be mitigated, and the annual GCR risks are predicted to surpass the risks from large SPEs.

LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH (2024)

Article Biology

Genomic signatures of eusocial evolution in insects

Alina A. Mikhailova, Sarah Rinke, Mark C. Harrison

Summary: The genomes of eusocial insects allow the production and regulation of highly distinct phenotypes, largely independent of genotype. Eusociality has evolved convergently in at least three insect orders, but eusocial phenotypes show remarkable similarity. Increased regulatory complexity and the adaptive evolution of chemical communication are common genomic signatures of eusociality. Colony life itself can shape genomes of divergent taxa in a similar manner.

CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE (2024)

Article Biology

Implementing link prediction in protein networks via feature fusion models based on graph neural networks

Chi Zhang, Qian Gao, Ming Li, Tianfei Yu

Summary: In this study, we propose a graph neural network-based autoencoder model, AGraphSAGE, that effectively predicts protein-protein interactions across diverse biological species by integrating gene ontology.

COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY (2024)

Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Polypyrrole-based structures for activation of cellular functions under electrical stimulation

Ilona Uzieliene, Anton Popov, Raminta Vaiciuleviciute, Gailute Kirdaite, Eiva Bernotiene, Almira Ramanaviciene

Summary: This review discusses the application of polypyrrole (Ppy), an electroconductive polymer, in cell culture experiments with electrical stimulation (ES) and its potential for tissue regeneration. Ppy can direct ES to cells and stimulate differentiation towards different cell lineages. Different types of Ppy materials and their combination with active molecules are explored.

BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY (2024)