微量血清的快速质谱分析及其在肝硬化诊断中的初步应用

采用自制的纳升级微量取样器,在无需样品预处理下,对纳升级的血清进行了快速表面解吸常压化学电离质谱分析,并耦合多元统计主成分分析方法,进行数据处理。实验结果表明,该方法能快速的检测微量的血清样品,通过主成分方法,能很好的将肝硬化患者和正常人区分开,为肝硬化的早期诊断提供了新思路和新方法。     

Conducting polymer micro-tubules hosting electroactive species without guest modification

A hollow micro-tubule structure comprised of the conducting polymer, PEDOT, was manufactured by the electrochemical polymerization of EDOT into a template membrane containing 1.2 μm pores. The tubules formed were then capped with a conducting PEDOT/PSS aqueous dispersion. In order to assist in effective capping, a piece of a PC membrane containing 0.05 μm pores was attached to the capping film of the aqueous dispersion. The cap was then reinforced with PEDOT via the electrochemical polymerization of EDOT in order to make it insoluble in aqueous solutions. The cavity of this micro-cylinder structure worked as a container retaining water-soluble electroactive materials and played the role as a current collector for the electrochemical reaction of the species retained inside. In this study, K₃Fe(CN)₆ was used as the probe material stored in the cylinders. The current collector exhibited a fine current response due to the redox reaction of the interior species. These results show that guest materials can be stored in this capped cylinder structure without the problems associated with the use of organic solvents during the manufacturing processes. Moreover, the most important part of the whole process can be monitored using simple electrochemical methods.     

Detection of cow’s milk in Shaanxi goat’s milk with an ELISA assay

The aim of this work was to develop an ELISA assay capable of detecting adulteration of goat milk and its products with bovine milk in China. Polyclonal antibodies against bovine β-casein were used and modified by mixing them with lyophilized Saanen goat β-casein (blocking) to improve the specificity of the antibodies. The blocked antibodies recognize some specific epitopes of bovine β-casein with no cross-activity with bovine α-casein, κ-casein and whey protein. The absorbance values of the indirect ELISA showed a linear relationship to the adulteration concentration of bovine milk in the range of 2%–50%, which can be applied to quantify adulteration of bovine milk. There was no significant difference in titration curves between Saanen and Guanzhong goat milk, and the detection limits were all 2% for goat caseins, raw milk and heat-treated milk. Low coefficients of variation (＜10%) of the experiments indicated good repeatability. The ELISA assay is likely suitable for routine detection of cow’s milk adulteration of Shaanxi goat’s milk.     

Recent Advances in Microfluidic Technologies for the Construction of Artificial Cells

Artificial cells are synthetic constructs that emulate natural cells, with potential applications in areas of energy science, environmental treatment, and the study of life's origins. Nevertheless, the construction of artificial cells is a formidable undertaking, given the intricate nature of natural cells in structures, functions, and working mechanisms. With precise control, high automation, and excellent uniformity, microfluidics has emerged as a promising approach for the construction of artificial cells. This review summarizes the latest microfluidic techniques utilized to construct artificial cells, ranging from simple droplets to sophisticated cell-inspired systems. These include the generation of droplets, the production of vesicles (lipid-based and polymer-based vesicles), the fabrication of polymeric microparticles with various compartments, shapes, and microstructures, as well as the manufacture of sophisticated cell-inspired systems. The characteristics of different methods for the construction of artificial cells are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the wide-ranging applications of artificial cells are also showcased. Finally, contemporary obstacles and forthcoming advancements are discussed in the field of microfluidic-based artificial cells. This review is supposed to stimulate research in the construction of more functional and natural-like artificial cells, as well as works in the fields of material, biology, environment, medicine, and energy.