The endothelial glycocalyx: composition, functions, and visualization

This review aims at presenting state-of-the-art knowledge on the composition and functions of the endothelial glycocalyx. The endothelial glycocalyx is a network of membrane-bound proteoglycans and glycoproteins, covering the endothelium luminally. Both endothelium- and plasma-derived soluble molecules integrate into this mesh. Over the past decade, insight has been gained into the role of the glycocalyx in vascular physiology and pathology, including mechanotransduction, hemostasis, signaling, and blood cell–vessel wall interactions. The contribution of the glycocalyx to diabetes, ischemia/reperfusion, and atherosclerosis is also reviewed. Experimental data from the micro- and macrocirculation alludes at a vasculoprotective role for the glycocalyx. Assessing this possible role of the endothelial glycocalyx requires reliable visualization of this delicate layer, which is a great challenge. An overview is given of the various ways in which the endothelial glycocalyx has been visualized up to now, including first data from two-photon microscopic imaging

Wafer-Scale Gold Nanomesh via Nanotransfer Printing toward a Cost-Efficient Multiplex Sensing Platform

Multiplex sensing platforms via large-scale and cost-efficient fabrication processes for detecting biological and chemical substance are essential for many applications such as intelligent diagnosis, environmental monitoring, etc. For the past decades, the performance of those sensors has been significantly improved by the rapid development of nanofabrication technologies. However, facile processes with cost-effectiveness and large-scale throughput still present challenges. Nano-transfer printing together with the imprinting process shows potential for the efficient fabrication of 100 nm structures. Herein, a wafer-scale gold nanomesh (AuNM) structure on glass substrates with 100 nm scale features via nano-imprinting and secondary transfer printing technology is reported. Furthermore, potential sensing applications are demonstrated towards biochemical substance detection by using AuNM structures as highly responsive substrates for achieving the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and as working electrodes of electrochemical analysisfor the detection of metallic ions. In the SERS detection mode, different nucleotides can be detected down to 1 nm level and distinguished via theirunique fingerprint patterns. As for electrochemical analysis mode, Pb2+ ions can be detected out of other interfering components with concentration down to 30 nm. These multimodal sensing mechanisms provide complementary informationand pave the way for low-cost and high-performance sensing platforms.ISSN:2365-709XISSN:2365-709

π-conjugated DNA binders

π-Conjugated molecules constitute a very interesting class of compounds with versatile optoelectronic properties. The rise of π-Conjugated compounds is, to a large extent, the result of concomitant developments in molecular electronics, organic synthesis and computational property prediction. For π-Conjugated DNA binders that have tunable structures and accessible properties, the desired properties for various applications need to be established. These properties strongly depend on the particular application, although there is considerable cross-over between the properties that are required for different applications. The chapter explores these for π-Conjugated DNA binders for molecular diagnostics, therapeutics and optoelectronics. The most sensitive sensor designs that rely on spectroscopic detection involve fluorescence. The development of π-Conjugated DNA binders for use in biosensors may present the challenge of requiring specific structural and optoelectronic properties, but application in therapy provides a different set of challenges. Get PDF