Smart materials based on DNA aptamers: Taking aptasensing to the next level

"Smart" materials are an emerging category of multifunctional materials with physical or chemical properties that can be controllably altered in response to an external stimulus. By combining the standard properties of the advanced material with the unique ability to recognize and adapt in response to a change in their environment, these materials are finding applications in areas such as sensing and drug delivery. While the majority of these materials are responsive to physical or chemical changes, a particularly exciting area of research seeks to develop smart materials that are sensitive to specific molecular or biomolecular stimuli. These systems require the integration of a molecular recognition probe specific to the target molecule of interest. The ease of synthesis and labeling, low cost, and stability of DNA aptamers make them uniquely suited to effectively serve as molecular recognition probes in novel smart material systems. This review will highlight current work in the area of aptamer-based smart materials and prospects for their future applications

Outlook of aptamer-based smart materials for industrial applications

"Smart" materials are advanced materials that are able to change their physical or chemical properties in response to external stimuli in their environment, and they are finding uses in industry such as in drug delivery, for example. By adding a molecular recognition probe to the material that is specific to a target of interest, these smart materials can become responsive to specific molecules or biomolecules. Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides that fold into complex structures and bind their targets with high affinity and selectivity. Due to their stability and facile method of synthesis and labeling, DNA aptamers are well suited to incorporation in smart materials. The addition of aptamers into these advanced materials allows the material to gain functionality from target recognition, altering the properties of the material upon target binding. Aptamer-based smart materials bring together aptamer technology with materials science, producing multifunctional, advanced materials with tunable properties that could be applied to many facets of industry. This chapter will discuss current literature and patents pertaining to aptamer-based smart materials and discuss the applicability of these materials for industrial applications

Personalized Medicine for Crops? Opportunities for the Application of Molecular Recognition in Agriculture

This perspective examines the detection of rhizosphere biomarkers, namely, root exudates and microbial metabolites, using molecular recognition elements, such as molecularly imprinted polymers, antibodies, and aptamers. Tracking these compounds in the rhizosphere could provide valuable insight into the status of the crop and soil in a highly localized way. The outlook and potential impact of the combination of molecular recognition and other innovations, such as nanotechnology and precision agriculture, and the comparison to advances in personalized medicine are considered

Strategic role of nanotechnology in fertilizers: Potential and limitations

The field of nanotechnology has seen tremendous growth over the past decade and has had a measurable impact on all facets of our society, from electronics to medicine. Nevertheless, nanotechnology applications in the agricultural sector are still relatively underdeveloped. Nanotechnology has the potential to provide solutions for fundamental agricultural problems caused by conventional fertilizer management. Through this chapter, we aim to highlight opportunities for the intervention of nanotechnologies in the area of fertilizers and plant nutrition and to provide a snapshot of the current state of nanotechnology in this area. This chapter will explore three themes in nanotechnology implementation for fertilizers: nanofertilizer inputs, nanoscale additives that influence plant growth and health, and nanoscale coatings/host materials for fertilizers. This chapter will also explore the potential directions that nanotechnology in fertilizers may take in the next 5–10 years as well as the potential pitfalls that should be examined and avoided

Preparation and characterization of aptamer-polyelectrolyte films and microcapsules for biosensing and delivery applications

"Smart" materials are polymer systems that are able to change their physical or chemical properties in response to external stimuli in their environment. By adding a specific molecular recognition probe to a polymer, hybrid materials can be developed that retain the properties of the advanced polymer and gain the ability to respond to a specific molecular target. Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides that are well-suited to serve as molecular recognition probes due to the specificity and affinity of their target recognition as well as their stability and ease of synthesis and labeling. In particular, their negatively charged backbone makes for their facile incorporation into polyelectrolyte-based materials. This article will provide a brief review of the currently reported biosensor and deliv

Analysis of In Vitro Aptamer Selection Parameters

Nucleic acid aptamers are novel molecular recognition tools that offer many advantages compared to their antibody and peptide-based counterparts. However, challenges associated with in vitro selection, characterization, and validation have limited their wide-spread use in the fields of diagnostics and therapeutics. Here, we extracted detailed information about aptamer selection experiments housed in the Aptamer Base, spanning over two decades, to perform the first parameter analysis of conditions used to identify and isolate aptamers de novo. We used information from 492 published SELEX experiments and studied the relationships between the nucleic acid library, target choice, selection methods, experimental conditions, and the affinity of the resulting aptamer candidates. Our findings highlight that the choice of target and selection template made the largest and most significant impact on the success of a de novo aptamer selection. Our results further emphasize the need for improved documentation and more thorough experimentation of SELEX criteria to determine their correlation with SELEX success

Analysis of In Vitro Aptamer Selection Parameters

Nucleic acid aptamers are novel molecular recognition tools that offer many advantages compared to their antibody and peptide-based counterparts. However, challenges associated with in vitro selection, characterization, and validation have limited their wide-spread use in the fields of diagnostics and therapeutics. Here, we extracted detailed information about aptamer selection experiments housed in the Aptamer Base, spanning over two decades, to perform the first parameter analysis of conditions used to identify and isolate aptamers de novo. We used information from 492 published SELEX experiments and studied the relationships between the nucleic acid library, target choice, selection methods, experimental conditions, and the affinity of the resulting aptamer candidates. Our findings highlight that the choice of target and selection template made the largest and most significant impact on the success of a de novo aptamer selection. Our results further emphasize the need for improved documentation and more thorough experimentation of SELEX criteria to determine their correlation with SELEX success