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- biosensors (4)
- frequency mixing magnetic detection (4)
- LAPS (3)
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- capacitive field-effect sensor (3)
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In comparison to single-analyte devices, multiplexed systems for a multianalyte detection offer a reduced assay time and sample volume, low cost, and high throughput. Herein, a multiplexing platform for an automated quasi-simultaneous characterization of multiple (up to 16) capacitive field-effect sensors by the capacitive–voltage (C–V) and the constant-capacitance (ConCap) mode is presented. The sensors are mounted in a newly designed multicell arrangement with one common reference electrode and are electrically connected to the impedance analyzer via the base station. A Python script for the automated characterization of the sensors executes the user-defined measurement protocol. The developed multiplexing system is tested for pH measurements and the label-free detection of ligand-stabilized, charged gold nanoparticles.
The possibility of using the atomic-force microscopy as a method for detection of the analytical signal from plasticized polymeric sensor membranes was analyzed. The surfaces of cadmium-selective membranes based on two polymeric matrices were examined. The digital images were processed with multivariate image analysis techniques. A correlation was found between the surface profile of an ion-selective membrane and the concentration of the ion in solution.
The incorporation of nanomaterials that are biocompatible with different types of biological compounds has allowed the development of a new generation of biosensors applied especially in the biomedical field. In particular, the integration of film-based nanomaterials employed in field-effect devices can be interesting to develop biosensors with enhanced properties. In this paper, we studied the fabrication of sensitive nanofilms combining ZnO nanocrystals and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), prepared by means of the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique, in a capacitive electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) structure for detecting glucose and urea. The ZnO nanocrystals were incorporated in a polymeric matrix of poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH), and arranged with multi-walled CNTs in a LbL PAH-ZnO/CNTs film architecture onto EIS chips. The electrochemical characterizations were performed by capacitance–voltage and constant capacitance measurements, while the morphology of the films was characterized by atomic force microscopy. The enzymes glucose oxidase and urease were immobilized on film’s surface for detection of glucose and urea, respectively. In order to obtain glucose and urea biosensors with optimized amount of sensitive films, we investigated the ideal number of bilayers for each detection system. The glucose biosensor showed better sensitivity and output signal for an LbL PAH-ZnO/CNTs nanofilm with 10 bilayers. On the other hand, the urea biosensor presented enhanced properties even for the first bilayer, exhibiting high sensitivity and output signal. The presence of the LbL PAH-ZnO/CNTs films led to biosensors with better sensitivity and enhanced response signal, demonstrating that the adequate use of nanostructured films is feasible for proof-of-concept biosensors with improved properties that may be employed for biomedical applications.
The aim of the present study was the characterisation of three true subtilisins and one phylogenetically intermediate subtilisin from halotolerant and halophilic microorganisms. Considering the currently growing enzyme market for efficient and novel biocatalysts, data mining is a promising source for novel, as yet uncharacterised enzymes, especially from halophilic or halotolerant Bacillaceae, which offer great potential to meet industrial needs. Both halophilic bacteria Pontibacillus marinus DSM 16465ᵀ and Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus DSM 5271ᵀ and both halotolerant bacteria Metabacillus indicus DSM 16189 and Litchfieldia alkalitelluris DSM 16976ᵀ served as a source for the four new subtilisins SPPM, SPAH, SPMI and SPLA. The protease genes were cloned and expressed in Bacillus subtilis DB104. Purification to apparent homogeneity was achieved by ethanol precipitation, desalting and ion-exchange chromatography. Enzyme activity could be observed between pH 5.0–12.0 with an optimum for SPPM, SPMI and SPLA around pH 9.0 and for SPAH at pH 10.0. The optimal temperature for SPMI and SPLA was 70 °C and for SPPM and SPAH 55 °C and 50 °C, respectively. All proteases showed high stability towards 5% (w/v) SDS and were active even at NaCl concentrations of 5 M. The four proteases demonstrate potential for future biotechnological applications.
Enzyme-catalyzed reactions have been designed to mimic various Boolean logic gates in the general framework of unconventional biomolecular computing. While some of the logic gates, particularly OR, AND, are easy to realize with biocatalytic reactions and have been reported in numerous publications, some other, like NXOR, are very challenging and have not been realized yet with enzyme reactions. The paper reports on a novel approach to mimicking the NXOR logic gate using the bell-shaped enzyme activity dependent on pH values. Shifting pH from the optimum value to the acidic or basic values by using acid or base inputs (meaning 1,0 and 0,1 inputs) inhibits the enzyme reaction, while keeping the optimum pH (assuming 0,0 and 1,1 input combinations) preserves a high enzyme activity. The challenging part of the present approach is the selection of an enzyme with a well-demonstrated bell-shape activity dependence on the pH value. While many enzymes can satisfy this condition, we selected pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent glucose dehydrogenase as this enzyme has the optimum pH center-located on the pH scale allowing the enzyme activity change by the acidic and basic pH shift from the optimum value corresponding to the highest activity. The present NXOR gate is added to the biomolecular “toolbox” as a new example of Boolean logic gates based on enzyme reactions.
Amino acid-based surfactants are valuable compounds for cosmetic formulations. The chemical synthesis of acyl-amino acids is conventionally performed by the Schotten-Baumann reaction using fatty acyl chlorides, but aminoacylases have also been investigated for use in biocatalytic synthesis with free fatty acids. Aminoacylases and their properties are diverse; they belong to different peptidase families and show differences in substrate specificity and biocatalytic potential. Bacterial aminoacylases capable of synthesis have been isolated from Burkholderia, Mycolicibacterium, and Streptomyces. Although several proteases and peptidases from S. griseus have been described, no aminoacylases from this species have been identified yet. In this study, we investigated two novel enzymes produced by S. griseus DSM 40236ᵀ . We identified and cloned the respective genes and recombinantly expressed an α-aminoacylase (EC 3.5.1.14), designated SgAA, and an ε-lysine acylase (EC 3.5.1.17), designated SgELA, in S. lividans TK23. The purified aminoacylase SgAA was biochemically characterized, focusing on its hydrolytic activity to determine temperature- and pH optima and stabilities. The aminoacylase could hydrolyze various acetyl-amino acids at the Nα -position with a broad specificity regarding the sidechain. Substrates with longer acyl chains, like lauroyl-amino acids, were hydrolyzed to a lesser extent. Purified aminoacylase SgELA specific for the hydrolysis of Nε -acetyl-L-lysine was unstable and lost its enzymatic activity upon storage for a longer period but could initially be characterized. The pH optimum of SgELA was pH 8.0. While synthesis of acyl-amino acids was not observed with SgELA, SgAA catalyzed the synthesis of lauroyl-methionine.
Novel concepts for flow-rate and flow-direction determination by means of pH-sensitive ISFETs
(2001)
A novel photoexcitation method for the light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) is proposed to achieve a higher spatial resolution of chemical images. The proposed method employs a combined light source that consists of a modulated light probe, which generates the alternating photocurrent signal, and a ring of constant illumination surrounding it. The constant illumination generates a sheath of carriers with increased concentration which suppresses the spread of photocarriers by enhanced recombination. A device simulation was carried out to verify the effect of constant illumination on the spatial resolution, which demonstrated that a higher spatial resolution can be obtained.
N-Acyl-amino acids can act as mild biobased surfactants, which are used, e.g., in baby shampoos. However, their chemical synthesis needs acyl chlorides and does not meet sustainability criteria. Thus, the identification of biocatalysts to develop greener synthesis routes is desirable. We describe a novel aminoacylase from Paraburkholderia monticola DSM 100849 (PmAcy) which was identified, cloned, and evaluated for its N-acyl-amino acid synthesis potential. Soluble protein was obtained by expression in lactose autoinduction medium and co-expression of molecular chaperones GroEL/S. Strep-tag affinity purification enriched the enzyme 16-fold and yielded 15 mg pure enzyme from 100 mL of culture. Biochemical characterization revealed that PmAcy possesses beneficial traits for industrial application like high temperature and pH-stability. A heat activation of PmAcy was observed upon incubation at temperatures up to 80 °C. Hydrolytic activity of PmAcy was detected with several N-acyl-amino acids as substrates and exhibited the highest conversion rate of 773 U/mg with N-lauroyl-L-alanine at 75 °C. The enzyme preferred long-chain acyl-amino-acids and displayed hardly any activity with acetyl-amino acids. PmAcy was also capable of N-acyl-amino acid synthesis with good conversion rates. The best synthesis results were obtained with the cationic L-amino acids L-arginine and L-lysine as well as with L-leucine and L-phenylalanine. Exemplarily, L-phenylalanine was acylated with fatty acids of chain lengths from C8 to C18 with conversion rates of up to 75%. N-lauroyl-L-phenylalanine was purified by precipitation, and the structure of the reaction product was verified by LC–MS and NMR.