Microfluidic assembly of uniform fluorescent microbeads from quantum‐dot‐loaded fluorine‐containing microemulsion

We report a facile strategy for fabricating fluorescent quantum dot (QD)‐loaded microbeads by means of microfluidic technology. First, a functional fluorine‐containing microemulsion was synthesized with poly[(2‐(N‐ethylperfluorobutanesulfonamido)ethyl acrylate)‐co‐(methyl methacrylate)‐co‐(butyl acrylate)] (poly(FBMA‐co‐MMA‐co‐BA)) as the core and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as the shell via differential microemulsion polymerization. Then, CdTe QDs capped with N‐acetyl‐l ‐cysteine (NAC) were assembled into the poly(FBMA‐co‐MMA‐co‐BA‐co‐GMA) microemulsion particles through the reaction of the epoxy group on the shell of the microemulsion and the carboxyl group of the NAC ligand capped on the QDs. Finally, fluorescent microbeads were fabricated using the CdTe QD‐loaded fluorine‐containing microemulsion as the discontinuous phase and methylsilicone oil as the continuous phase by means of a simple microfluidic device. By changing flow rate of methylsilicone oil and hybrid microemulsion system, fluorescent microbeads with adjustable sizes ranging from 290 to 420 µm were achieved. The morphology and fluorescent properties of the microbeads were thoroughly investigated using optical microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Results showed that the fluorescent microbeads exhibited uniform size distribution and excellent fluorescence performance. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Explosives in the Cage: Metal–Organic Frameworks for High‐Energy Materials Sensing and Desensitization

An overview of the current status of coordination polymers and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) pertaining to the field of energetic materials is provided. The explosive applications of MOFs are discussed from two aspects: one for detection of explosives, and the other for explosive desensitization. By virtue of their adjustable pore/cage sizes, high surface area, tunable functional sites, and rich host–guest chemistry, MOFs have emerged as promising candidates for both explosive sensing and desensitization. The challenges and perspectives in these two areas are thoroughly discussed, and the processing methods for practical applications are also discussed briefly.     

Protein- and Peptide-directed Approaches to Fluorescent Metal Nanoclusters

Fluorescent metal nanoclusters (FMNCs), one of the promising functional nanomaterials, have aroused great interest in diverse areas due to their unique characteristics, such as ultrasmall size, high fluorescence, excellent photophysical and chemical stability, good biocompatibility, and tuneable emissions. Many methods have been developed to prepare the FMNCs. Among them, the biomolecule-directed approach, which could produce FMNCs with high water-solubility, good biocompatibility, enhanced fluorescence, and rich surface chemistry for conjugation has attracted enormous attention. In this review, we highlight the substantial progress in protein- and peptide-directed approaches to varieties of FMNCs. The synthetic protocols and potential formation mechanisms are well summarized. Selected key applications, ranging from biological and chemical detection to cellular and in vivo imaging, are also discussed. Finally, the current challenges, as well as future perspectives, are briefly discussed. The lessons from these case studies would provide a valuable guide to designing nanomaterials with desired or even personalized functions in the future.     

In Vitro Fluorogenic Real‐Time Assay of the Repair of Oxidative DNA Damage

The repair of oxidative damage to DNA is essential to avoid mutations that lead to cancer. Oxidized DNA bases, such as 8‐oxoguanine, are a main source of these mutations, and the enzyme 8‐oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (OGG1) is the chief human enzyme that excises 8‐oxoguanine from DNA. The activity of OGG1 has been linked to human inflammation responses and to cancer, and researchers are beginning to search for inhibitors of the enzyme. However, measuring the activity of the enzyme typically requires laborious gel‐based measurements of radiolabeled DNAs. Here we report the design and properties of fluorogenic probes that directly report on the activity of OGG1 (and its bacterial homologue Fpg) in real time as the oxidized base is excised. The probes are short, modified DNA oligomers containing fluorescent DNA bases and are designed to utilize 8‐oxoguanine itself as a fluorescence quencher. Screening of combinations of fluorophores and 8‐oxoguanine revealed two fluorophores, pyrene and tCo, that are strongly quenched by the damaged base. We tested 42 potential probes containing these fluorophores: the optimum probe, OGR1, yields a 60‐fold light‐up signal in vitro with OGG1 and Fpg. It can report on oxidative repair activity in mammalian cell lysate and with bacterial cells overexpressing a repair enzyme. Such probes might prove useful in quantifying enzyme activity and performing competitive inhibition assays.     

Synthesis of fluorescent ABA triblock copolymer via click reaction

A hyperbranched–linear–hyperbranched (ABA) triblock copolymer containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as linear block and polyglycerol (hbPG) as hyperbranched blocks has been synthesized through a copper‐catalysed click reaction. In order to synthesize the hyperbranched block, propargyl alcohol‐initiated ring‐opening multibranching polymerization of glycidol was used to prepare hbPG with the propargyl segment in the focal point (CH?C? hbPG). Separately, PEG was functionalized at both ends using cyanuric chloride, and then the chloride groups of cyanuric chloride were substituted by azide groups. Finally, the azide‐functionalized PEG was conjugated to CH?C? hbPG via a click reaction. Substitution of the chlorine atoms of cyanuric chloride under different conditions together with click chemistry allows the synthesis of a variety of polymeric architectures. In the last step, fluorescein was attached to the block copolymer as a fluorescent probe in order to study the cell internalization of this copolymer. This type of triblock copolymer is a promising future nanomaterial for simultaneous drug delivery and cell imaging. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Replacement of Highly Conserved E222 by the Photostable Non‐photoconvertible Histidine in GFP

The widely used green fluorescent protein (GFP) decarboxylates upon irradiation; this involves removal of the acidic function of the glutamic acid at position 222, thereby resulting in the irreversible photoconversion of GFP. To suppress this phenomenon, the photostable, non‐photoconvertible histidine was introduced at position 222 in GFP. The variant E222H shows negligible photodynamic processes and high expression yield. In addition, the stable and bright fluorescence over a wide pH range makes the E222H protein an alternative for GFP in fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy. Other fluorescent proteins are predicted to benefit from replacement of the catalytic glutamic acid by histidine.     

何首乌水热法合成荧光碳点的研究

首次以何首乌作为碳源水热法合成了荧光碳纳米点,我们考察了何首乌的用量、反应温度及反应时间对水热法合成过程的影响。实验结果表明,反应釜溶液总体积为30 mL的条件下,何首乌质量为0.5 g时得到的荧光碳点发光效率最高;同时,水热反应温度也不宜过高,反应温度为160℃,反应时间为3 h时得到的荧光碳点发光强度最高。     

Visualization of Biosurfactant Film Flow in a Bacillus subtilis Swarm Colony on an Agar Plate

Collective bacterial dynamics plays a crucial role in colony development. Although many research groups have studied the behavior of fluidic swarm colonies, the detailed mechanics of its motion remains elusive. Here, we developed a visualization method using submicron fluorescent beads for investigating the flow field in a thin layer of fluid that covers a Bacillus subtilis swarm colony growing on an agar plate. The beads were initially embedded in the agar plate and subsequently distributed spontaneously at the upper surface of the expanding colony. We conducted long-term live cell imaging of the B. subtilis colony using the fluorescent tracers, and obtained high-resolution velocity maps of microscale vortices in the swarm colony using particle image velocimetry. A distinct periodic fluctuation in the average speed and vorticity of flow in swarm colony was observed at the inner region of the colony, and correlated with the switch between bacterial swarming and growth phases. At the advancing edge of the colony, both the magnitudes of velocity and vorticity of flow in swarm colony were inversely correlated with the spreading speed of the swarm edge. The advanced imaging tool developed in this study would facilitate further understanding of the effect of micro vortices in swarm colony on the collective dynamics of bacteria.     

Transgenic Plants as Low-Cost Platform for Chemotherapeutic Drugs Screening

In this work we explored the possibility of using genetically modified Arabidopsis thaliana plants as a rapid and low-cost screening tool for evaluating human anticancer drugs action and efficacy. Here, four different inhibitors with a validated anticancer effect in humans and distinct mechanism of action were screened in the plant model for their ability to interfere with the cytoskeletal and endomembrane networks. We used plants expressing a green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagged microtubule-protein (TUA6-GFP), and three soluble GFPs differently sorted to reside in the endoplasmic reticulum (GFPKDEL) or to accumulate in the vacuole through a COPII dependent (AleuGFP) or independent (GFPChi) mechanism. Our results demonstrated that drugs tested alone or in combination differentially influenced the monitored cellular processes including cytoskeletal organization and endomembrane trafficking. In conclusion, we demonstrated that A. thaliana plants are sensitive to the action of human chemotherapeutics and can be used for preliminary screening of drugs efficacy. The cost-effective subcellular imaging in plant cell may contribute to better clarify drugs subcellular targets and their anticancer effects.     

Design,Synthesis, and Photophysical Properties of Pyrroloquinoline‐Based Compounds Showing Strong Blue Fluorescence as Potential Dyes for Biomedical Applications

A small library of 3‐ethylpyrrolo[3,2‐f]quinoline derivatives was synthesized to identify a novel class of dyes for use in biological studies. According to the spectroscopic analyses performed to evaluate the fluorimetric parameters of quantum yield and brightness, 7‐methyl‐ and 6,7‐dimethylpyrroloquinolin(9)one derivatives were found to be the best blue luminescent dyes for biological applications. To enhance the luminescence profiles and to obtain probes that could be conjugated to functional groups of supramolecular drug delivery systems, these compounds were further modified at position 3 to obtain 3‐heptanoic acid and 3‐aminohexylpyrroloquinolin(9)one methylated derivatives. The most brilliant 6,7‐dimethyl‐3‐aminohexylpyrroloquinolinone hydrochloride was conjugated to pullulan, a biocompatible polysaccharide used to produce colloidal systems for drug delivery. Comparative studies showed that this compound can be properly exploited as a blue fluorescent label in biological investigations, namely cell trafficking and pharmacokinetics/biodistribution studies. These molecules possess higher fluorescence efficiency than commercial dyes in biological media, making them suitable alternatives to commercially available products in current use.