Sensors and probes articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Biosensors often report relative rather than absolute values. Here the authors report a method that utilises the photochromic properties of biosensors to provide an absolute measure of the analyte concentration or activity: photochromism-enabled absolute quantification (PEAQ) biosensing.

    • Franziska Bierbuesse
    • , Anaïs C. Bourges
    •  & Peter Dedecker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Abnormal levels of intracellular hydrogen sulphide (H2S) have been associated with different pathological conditions, including cancer. Here the authors report the design of a H2S-responsive and -depleting nanoplatform that, combined with NIR-II photodynamic properties, can be used for H2S imaging and cancer therapy.

    • Yuqi Zhang
    • , Jing Fang
    •  & Haibin Shi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors design a nanoprobe for in vivo imaging of electronic transfer, consisting of a ferrocene-DNA polymer to transfer electrons to luminescent nanoparticles, changing their optical signal. Using this probe, they map activation of EGFR signalling during tumour treatment.

    • Jie Tan
    • , Hao Li
    •  & Quan Yuan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Site-specific labelling of proteins can be performed with unnatural amino acids combined with bioorthogonal click chemistry. Here the authors establish this in living neurons, using neurofilament light chain; they show combination with CRISPR/Cas9 engineering to tag the endogenous protein.

    • Aleksandra Arsić
    • , Cathleen Hagemann
    •  & Ivana Nikić-Spiegel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    While facemasks are recommended to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, potential adverse effects may occur upon prolonged usage. Here the authors develop and evaluate an opto-chemical sensor incorporated into a smart FFP2-type facemask for wireless, real-time CO2 monitoring.

    • P. Escobedo
    • , M. D. Fernández-Ramos
    •  & A. J. Palma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Currently, genetically encoded calcium indicators are not suitable for direct quantification. Here the authors engineer a fluorescence lifetime imaging calcium biosensor, Turquoise Calcium Fluorescence LIfeTime Sensor (Tq-Ca-FLITS), and measure intracellular calcium concentrations in human-derived organoids.

    • Franka H. van der Linden
    • , Eike K. Mahlandt
    •  & Joachim Goedhart

  • Article
    | Open Access

    l-lactate is an important intercellular energy currency. Here the authors report a genetically encoded biosensor eLACCO1.1 to monitor extracellular l-lactate; they use eLACCO1.1 to image extracellular l-lactate in cultured mammalian cells and brain tissue.

    • Yusuke Nasu
    • , Ciaran Murphy-Royal
    •  & Robert E. Campbell

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fluorescent imaging in the second biological window has advantages for in vivo applications. Here, the authors synthesise a molecular nanoprobe which activates upon binding H2O2, generating both strong fluorescent NIR-II emission and ultrasound signal for multi-mode imaging of inflammatory diseases.

    • Junjie Chen
    • , Longqi Chen
    •  & Yanli Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Surface plasmon resonance is well established for biosensing applications, but commonly limited by complex optical detection. Here, the authors present a plasmonic sensor integrated in a photovoltaic cell, which generates an electronic signal sensitive to the solution refractive index via plasmon interaction

    • Giles Allison
    • , Amrita Kumar Sana
    •  & Hironori Suzuki

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Simultaneous detection of multiple analytes from a sample is currently difficult. Here the authors present protocell arrays in a customisable platform integrating cell-free expression with a polymer-based aqueous two-phase system; they use this for detection of chemically diverse targets from biofluids.

    • Yan Zhang
    • , Taisuke Kojima
    •  & Mark P. Styczynski

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Many current immunoassays require multiple washing, incubation and optimization steps. Here the authors present Ratiometric Plug-and-Play Immunodiagnostics (RAPPID), a generic assay platform that uses ratiometric bioluminescent detection to allow sandwich immunoassays to be performed directly in solution.

    • Yan Ni
    • , Bas J. H. M. Rosier
    •  & Maarten Merkx

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Current methods to estimate energy expenditure are either infeasible for everyday use or associated with significant errors. Here the authors present a Wearable System using inertial measurement units worn on the shank and thigh that estimates metabolic energy expenditure in real-time during common steady-state and time-varying activities.

    • Patrick Slade
    • , Mykel J. Kochenderfer
    •  & Steven H. Collins

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The electron-withdrawing target (EWT)-induced fluorescence quenching is an unsolved issue in intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) fluorophores that limits their applicability. Here, the authors report a simple and generalizable strategy to reverse the EWT-induced quenching mode into light-up mode, by introducing an indazole building block between the π-bridge and the donor in the ICT scaffold.

    • Chenxu Yan
    • , Zhiqian Guo
    •  & Wei-Hong Zhu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A thermophoretic aptasensor can be used to profile cancer-associated proteins of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in patients’ plasma. Here, the authors use this technique to develop an EV-signature able to discriminate metastatic breast cancer, monitor treatment response, and predict patients’ progression-free survival.

    • Fei Tian
    • , Shaohua Zhang
    •  & Jiashu Sun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Performing multiple FRET measurements at once can be challenging. Here the authors report a method to discriminate between overlapping FRET pairs, even if the fluorophores display almost identical absorption and emission spectra, based on the photochromism of the donor fluorophores.

    • Thijs Roebroek
    • , Wim Vandenberg
    •  & Peter Dedecker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fluorescent protein reporters based on GFP exist, but have intrinsic disadvantages. Here the authors incorporate pH, Ca2+ and protein–protein interaction sensing modalities into de novo designed mini-fluorescence-activating proteins (mFAPs), with increased photostability and smaller size, which bind a range of DFHBI chromophore variants.

    • Jason C. Klima
    • , Lindsey A. Doyle
    •  & David Baker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Currently the most common method of COVID-19 diagnosis is by qRT-PCR which is slow and requires expensive instrumentation. Here the authors report an electrochemical biosensor based on isothermal rolling circle amplification for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples.

    • Thanyarat Chaibun
    • , Jiratchaya Puenpa
    •  & Benchaporn Lertanantawong

  • Comment
    | Open Access

    Writing in Nature communications, Zhu and collaborators reported the development of a genetically encoded sensor for the detection of formaldehyde in cells and tissues. This tool has great potential to transform formaldehyde research; illuminating a cellular metabolite that has remained elusive in live structures.

    • Carla Umansky
    • , Agustín E. Morellato
    •  & Lucas B. Pontel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Designing efficient, rapid and low-cost diagnostic technologies targeting nucleic acids remains a challenge. Here the authors present a disposable silicon-based integrated Point-of-Need transducer produced in a standard wet lab and able to chemically-amplify and detect pathogen-specific sequences of nucleic acids quantitatively in real-time.

    • Estefania Nunez-Bajo
    • , Alexander Silva Pinto Collins
    •  & Firat Güder

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Reliable plasmonic biosensors with high throughput and ease of use are highly sought after. Here, the authors report a plasmon-enhanced fluorescence antibody-aptamer biosensor based on a gold nanoparticle array, and demonstrate its use for effective specific detection of a malaria marker, at femtomolar level, in whole blood.

    • Antonio Minopoli
    • , Bartolomeo Della Ventura
    •  & Raffaele Velotta

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Membrane-less organelles or compartments are considered to be dynamic reaction centers for spatiotemporal control of diverse cellular processes. Here authors report quantitative measurements of changes in protein interactions for the proteins recruited into membrane-less compartments (termed client proteins) in living cells.

    • Daesun Song
    • , Yongsang Jo
    •  & Yongwon Jung

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Determining the trafficking of intracellular material is commonly done by colocalisation analysis using microscopy. Here the authors monitor trafficking of select cargo by measuring the conversion of quenched SNAP-tag substrates by subcellularly-localised SNAP-tag and detection by flow cytometry.

    • Laura I. FitzGerald
    • , Luigi Aurelio
    •  & Angus P. R. Johnston

  • Article
    | Open Access

    High density environmentally sensitive (HIDE) probes allow for long time-lapse super-resolution imaging of live cells. Here the authors develop a second HIDE probe with a bio-orthogonal labelling strategy to enable two-color nanoscopy of two organelles over extended periods.

    • Ling Chu
    • , Jonathan Tyson
    •  & Derek K. Toomre

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Existing fluorescent protein-based sensor measurements are limited to 4 or fewer simultaneously recorded modalities due to spectral overlap. Here the authors introduce Multiplexed Optical Sensors in Arrayed Islands of Cells (MOSAIC), which enables parallel recording of tens of physiological parameters using dense arrays of cell islands, each expressing a different fluorescent sensor.

    • Christopher A. Werley
    • , Stefano Boccardo
    •  & Adam E. Cohen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) allow visualisation of fast action potentials in neurons but most are bright at rest and dimmer during an action potential. Here, the authors engineer electrochromic FRET GEVIs with fast, bright and positive-going fluorescence signals for in vivo imaging.

    • Ahmed S. Abdelfattah
    • , Rosario Valenti
    •  & Eric R. Schreiter

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chemical tools to monitor drug-target engagement of endogenous enzymes are essential for preclinical target validation. Here, the authors present a chemical genetics strategy to study target engagement of endogenous kinases, achieving specific labeling and inactivation of FES kinase to provide insights into FES’ role in neutrophil phagocytosis.

    • Tom van der Wel
    • , Riet Hilhorst
    •  & Mario van der Stelt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The monitoring of nitric oxide is important to a number of disease states and biomedical applications. Here, the authors report on a single nickel atom catalyst based sensor for detecting nitric oxide production from cells.

    • Min Zhou
    • , Ying Jiang
    •  & Lanqun Mao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Real-time monitoring human motions normally demands connecting a large number of sensors in a complicated network. To make it simpler, Kim et al. decode the motion of fingers using a flexible sensor attached on wrist that measures skin deformation with the help of a deep-learning architecture.

    • Kyun Kyu Kim
    • , InHo Ha
    •  & Seung Hwan Ko

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Whole-cell catalyst-based hydroxytyrosol production is low. Here, the authors increase the efficiency of its production in E. coli by de-bottlenecking two enzymatic steps catalyzed by monooxygenase and tyramine oxidase using structure-based enzyme redesign or in vivo-directed evolution with the aid of a newly developed biosensor.

    • Jun Yao
    • , Yang He
    •  & Shuang-Yan Tang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The ability to manipulate and monitor calcium signaling in cells in vivo would provide insights into signaling in an endogenous context. Here the authors develop a two-photon-responsive calcium actuator and reporter combination to monitor the effect of calcium actuation on T cell migration, adhesion and chemokine release in vivo.

    • Armelle Bohineust
    • , Zacarias Garcia
    •  & Philippe Bousso

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Changes in the pulmonary membrane, caused by bacterial infection, form part of the pathology of pneumonia. Here, the authors report on a graphene-based oxygen sensor which is used along with X-ray diffraction and AFM to measure the structural changes and changes in oxygen permeability of pulmonary membranes associated with bacterial pneumonia.

    • Mijung Kim
    • , Marilyn Porras-Gomez
    •  & Cecilia Leal

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Protons have been discovered to play a role in neuronal signaling, but current methods to measure pH in the brain of animal models are limited. Here the authors develop a miniaturized proton image sensor that fits into a living mouse brain and can measure pH changes at micrometer and millisecond resolution scales.

    • Hiroshi Horiuchi
    • , Masakazu Agetsuma
    •  & Junichi Nabekura

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Taccalonolide microtubule stabilizers covalently bind β-tubulin and overcome taxane resistance mechanisms. Here, the authors synthesized fluorogenic taccalonolide probes and investigated the specificity of taccalonolide binding to β-tubulin and the molecular interactions between drug and target,

    • Lin Du
    • , Samantha S. Yee
    •  & April L. Risinger

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hydrogen can be used to reduce the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but its delivery to diseased tissues is challenging due to its low solubility. Here the authors develop a photosynthesis-inspired FRET nanocomplex to detect and scavenge local excess of ROS in the tissue using photocatalytic hydrogen production.

    • Wei-Lin Wan
    • , Bo Tian
    •  & Hsing-Wen Sung

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Existing methods to detect ethylene in plant tissue typically require gas chromatography or use ethylene-dependent gene expression as a proxy. Here Vong et al. show that an artificial metalloenzyme-based ethylene probe can be used to detect ethylene in plants with improved spatiotemporal resolution.

    • Kenward Vong
    • , Shohei Eda
    •  & Katsunori Tanaka

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cardiomyocytes obtained from human induced pluripotent stem cells are increasingly used for drug testing, but they are not always predictive of the heart contractile responses. Here the authors develop a method to measure cytosolic calcium, action potentials and contraction simultaneously, to achieve higher sensitivity for drug screenings.

    • Berend J. van Meer
    • , Ana Krotenberg
    •  & Christine L. Mummery

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Detection of viral biomarkers is important for disease treatment and prevention. Here, the authors report on a system that uses an electrical pulse-induced electrochemical sensor for the detection of hepatitis E virus, and demonstrate potential application of the device.

    • Ankan Dutta Chowdhury
    • , Kenshin Takemura
    •  & Enoch Y. Park

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