Exfoliated near infrared fluorescent CaCuSi4O10 nanosheets with ultra-high photostability and brightness for biological imaging

ABSTRACTImaging of complex (biological) samples in the near infrared (nIR) range of the spectrum is beneficial due to reduced light scattering, absorption, phototoxicity and autofluorescence. However, there are only few near infrared fluorescent materials known and suitable for biomedical applications. Here, we exfoliate the layered pigment CaCuSi4O10 (known as Egyptian Blue, EB) via facile tip sonication into nanosheets (EB-NS) with ultra-high nIR fluorescence stability and brightness. The size of EB-NS can be tailored by tip sonication to diameters < 20 nm and heights down to 1 nm. EB-NS fluoresce at 910 nm and the total fluorescence intensity scales with the number of Cu2+ ions that serve as luminescent centers. Furthermore, EB-NS display no bleaching and ultra-high brightness compared to other nIR fluorophores. The versatility of EB-NS is demonstrated by in vivo single-particle tracking and microrheology measurements in developing Drosophila embryos. Additionally, we show that EB-NS can be uptaken by plants and remotely detected in a low cost stand-off detection setup despite strong plant background fluorescence. In summary, EB-NS are a highly versatile, bright, photostable and biocompatible nIR fluorescent material that has the potential for a wide range of bioimaging applications both in animal and plant systems.

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Genome-wide integration site detection using Cas9 enriched amplification-free long-range sequencing

Nucleic Acids Research ◽

10.1093/nar/gkaa1152 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Joost van Haasteren ◽

Altar M Munis ◽

Deborah R Gill ◽

Stephen C Hyde

Keyword(s):

Long Range ◽

Insertional Mutagenesis ◽

Lentiviral Vector ◽

Integration Site ◽

Low Cost ◽

Safety Evaluation ◽

Read Length ◽

Chromosomal Dna ◽

Wide Range

Abstract The gene and cell therapy fields are advancing rapidly, with a potential to treat and cure a wide range of diseases, and lentivirus-based gene transfer agents are the vector of choice for many investigators. Early cases of insertional mutagenesis caused by gammaretroviral vectors highlighted that integration site (IS) analysis was a major safety and quality control checkpoint for lentiviral applications. The methods established to detect lentiviral integrations using next-generation sequencing (NGS) are limited by short read length, inadvertent PCR bias, low yield, or lengthy protocols. Here, we describe a new method to sequence IS using Amplification-free Integration Site sequencing (AFIS-Seq). AFIS-Seq is based on amplification-free, Cas9-mediated enrichment of high-molecular-weight chromosomal DNA suitable for long-range Nanopore MinION sequencing. This accessible and low-cost approach generates long reads enabling IS mapping with high certainty within a single day. We demonstrate proof-of-concept by mapping IS of lentiviral vectors in a variety of cell models and report up to 1600-fold enrichment of the signal. This method can be further extended to sequencing of Cas9-mediated integration of genes and to in vivo analysis of IS. AFIS-Seq uses long-read sequencing to facilitate safety evaluation of preclinical lentiviral vector gene therapies by providing IS analysis with improved confidence.

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NIR-Emitting Benzene-Fused Oligo-BODIPYs for Bioimaging

10.33774/chemrxiv-2021-nl537 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gabriele Selvaggio ◽

Robert Nißler ◽

Peter Nietmann ◽

Atanu Patra ◽

Lukas Jacek Patalag ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Particle Tracking ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Bathochromic Shift ◽

Visible Region ◽

Tissue Penetration ◽

Actin Networks ◽

Nir Dyes ◽

Nir Fluorescence ◽

J Aggregates ◽

20 Nm

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores are emerging tools for biophotonics because of their reduced scattering, increased tissue penetration and low phototoxicity. However, the library of NIR fluorophores is still limited. Here, we report the NIR fluorescence of two benzene-fused oligo-BODIPYs in their hexameric (H) and octameric (O) forms. These dyes emit bright NIR fluorescence (H: maxima 943/1075 nm, O: maxima 976/1115 nm) that can be excited in the NIR (H = 921 nm, O = 956 nm) or non-resonantly over a broad range in the visible region. The emission bands of H show a bathochromic shift and peak sharpening with increasing dye concentration suggesting the presence of J-aggregates. Furthermore, the emission maxima of both H and O shift up to 20 nm in solvents of different polarity. These dyes can be used as NIR ink and imaged remotely on the macroscopic level with a stand-off distance of 20 cm. We furthermore demonstrate their versatility for biophotonics by coating microscale beads and performing microrheology via NIR video particle tracking (NIR-VPT) in biopolymer (F-actin) networks. No photodamaging of the actin filaments takes place, which is typically observed for visible fluorophores and highlights the advantages of these NIR dyes.

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Sustainable, Rapid Synthesis of Bright-Luminescent CuInS2-ZnS Alloyed Nanocrystals: Multistage Nano-xenotoxicity Assessment and Intravital Fluorescence Bioimaging in Zebrafish-Embryos

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/srep26078 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

S. Shashank Chetty ◽

S. Praneetha ◽

Sandeep Basu ◽

Chetana Sachidanandan ◽

A. Vadivel Murugan

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Organic Dyes ◽

Low Cost ◽

Fluorescence Emission ◽

Zebrafish Embryos ◽

Fluorescence Bioimaging ◽

Rapid Labeling

Abstract Near-infrared (NIR) luminescent CuInS2-ZnS alloyed nanocrystals (CIZS-NCs) for highly fluorescence bioimaging have received considerable interest in recent years. Owing, they became a desirable alternative to heavy-metal based-NCs and organic dyes with unique optical properties and low-toxicity for bioimaging and optoelectronic applications. In the present study, bright and robust CIZS-NCs have been synthesized within 5 min, as-high-as 230 °C without requiring any inert-gas atmosphere via microwave-solvothermal (MW-ST) method. Subsequently, the in vitro and in vivo nano-xenotoxicity and cellular uptake of the MUA-functionalized CIZS-NCs were investigated in L929, Vero, MCF7 cell lines and zebrafish-embryos. We observed minimal toxicity and acute teratogenic consequences upto 62.5 μg/ml of the CIZS-NCs in zebrafish-embryos. We also observed spontaneous uptake of the MUA-functionalized CIZS-NCs by 3 dpf older zebrafish-embryos that are evident through bright red fluorescence-emission at a low concentration of 7.8 μg/mL. Hence, we propose that the rapid, low-cost, large-scale “sustainable” MW-ST synthesis of CIZS-NCs, is an ideal bio-nanoprobe with good temporal and spatial resolution for rapid labeling, long-term in vivo tracking and intravital-fluorescence-bioimaging (IVBI).

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Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) based nanoparticles composed of AIE luminogens and NIR dyes with enhanced three-photon near-infrared emission for in vivo brain angiography

Nanoscale ◽

10.1039/c8nr00066b ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (21) ◽

pp. 10025-10032 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Wen Liu ◽

Yalun Wang ◽

Xiao Han ◽

Ping Lu ◽

Liang Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Near Infrared ◽

Resonance Energy Transfer ◽

Resonance Energy ◽

Infrared Emission ◽

Biological Imaging ◽

High Contrast ◽

Nir Dyes ◽

Nir Fluorescence ◽

Near Infrared Emission

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence is very important for high-contrast biological imaging of high-scattering tissues such as brain tissue.

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Chemical and physical characteristics of grains related to variability in energy and amino acid availability in poultry

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar98161 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 50 (5) ◽

pp. 689 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

M. Choct ◽

R. J. Hughes

Keyword(s):

Nutritive Value ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Low Cost ◽

Seasonal Effects ◽

Great Success ◽

Poultry Production ◽

Available Energy ◽

Amino Acid Availability ◽

Wide Range ◽

Poultry Diets

Grains such as wheat and barley, combined with legumes and oilseed meals, provide not only the bulk of essential nutrients for commercial poultry production and reproduction, but are also the prime source of anti-nutritive components, which are likely to have significant bearing on how effectively all dietary components are utilised by poultry. Sources of variation in the physical and chemical characteristics of grains used in poultry diets include variety, seasonal effects, and growth sites, crop treatment and grain fumigants, and post-harvest storage conditions and period of storage. The available energy and protein contents of grains fed to poultry, which best represent nutritive value, are extremely wide and in consequence there is an urgent need to develop rapid and objective tests for the assessment of nutritive value prior to including grains in poultry diets. Variation in the available energy and protein content of grains can be attributed to a wide range of anti-nutritive factors such as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), enzyme activity, tannins, alkyl resorcinols, protease inhibitors, α-amylase inhibitors, phytohaemagglutinins, alkaloids, saponins, and lathyrogens. The relative importance of such factors will also differ according to the type of grain in question. However, NSP seem to be the predominant factor in Australia over the past few years given the volume of published literature on this topic. This argument is strongly supported by the fact that NSP-degrading enzymes are routinely used in monogastric diets with great success throughout the world. Numerous attempts over a long period have failed to provide unequivocal evidence that nutritive value in grains for poultry can be predicted with sufficient accuracy and precision by simple, low-cost physico-chemical measurements used singly or in combination. Nevertheless, it is highly desirable to continue to explore these simple measurements in the expectation that useful statistical relationships with more complex measurements will emerge, or that simple measurements can be used to fine-tune prediction equations based on more powerful techniques such as near infrared spectrophotometry. Finally, the nutritive value of grains for poultry will be determined not only by the chemical and physical properties of grains but also by the way that these interact with the processes of ingestion, digestion, absorption, and metabolism in birds. For this reason it is imperative that plant and animal scientists join forces to improve the nutritive value of plant material as feed for animals for the benefit of grain growers and producers of livestock.

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Multifunctional graphene oxide for bioimaging: emphasis on biological research

European Journal of Nanomedicine ◽

10.1515/ejnm-2016-0036 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Do Won Hwang ◽

Byung Hee Hong ◽

Dong Soo Lee

Keyword(s):

Graphene Oxide ◽

Targeted Delivery ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Biological Research ◽

Natural Interaction ◽

Drug Delivery Carrier ◽

Wide Range ◽

Surface Enhanced Raman

AbstractGraphene oxide (GO) nanomaterials offer a wide range of bioimaging applicability. Almost complete quenching ability of fluorescence by GO and natural interaction of GO with single stranded nucleic acid made GO a useful and intriguing multifunctional nanoplatform both as a biosensor for in vitro microplate diagnostics and as a drug delivery carrier for targeted delivery. GO’s large surface area and strong near infrared absorbance contribute to enhancement of a therapeutic effect with abundant loading of drugs for possible photothermal and photodynamic therapy. Bioimaging capability of GO made it a good theranostic tool, while enabling tracing in vivo pharmacokinetics during concurrent treatment. Fluorescence, either signal on or off, Raman and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERs), photoacoustic, and radionuclide imaging modalities can be used for theranostic purposes using GO nanomaterials. In this review, we highlight current applications of GO for bioimaging that are classified into in vitro microplate, in vitro cellular and in vivo bioimaging.

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Rational design of a NIR-II fluorescent nano-system with maximized fluorescence performance and applications

Materials Advances ◽

10.1039/d1ma00516b ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Haoli Yu ◽

Yuesong Wang ◽

Yan Chen ◽

Min Ji

Keyword(s):

Fluorescence Imaging ◽

In Vivo Imaging ◽

Rational Design ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Nir Fluorescence

Purpose: Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging (FI) become a research hotspot in the field of in vivo imaging. Here, we intend to synthesize a NIR-II fluorescence nano-system with an excellent fluorescence...

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Dye-loaded mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles for multimodal tumor theranostics with enhanced immunogenic cell death

Journal of Nanobiotechnology ◽

10.1186/s12951-021-01109-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ying Tian ◽

Muhammad Rizwan Younis ◽

Yuxia Tang ◽

Xiang Liao ◽

Gang He ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Death ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Cytotoxic T Cells ◽

Cyanine Dye ◽

Immunogenic Cell Death ◽

Nir Fluorescence ◽

Tumor Accumulation ◽

Reduced Toxicity ◽

Tumor Theranostics

Abstract Background Tumor phototherapy especially photodynamic therapy (PDT) or photothermal therapy (PTT), has been considered as an attractive strategy to elicit significant immunogenic cell death (ICD) at an optimal tumor retention of PDT/PTT agents. Heptamethine cyanine dye (IR-780), a promising PDT/PTT agent, which can be used for near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence/photoacoustic (PA) imaging guided tumor phototherapy, however, the strong hydrophobicity, short circulation time, and potential toxicity in vivo hinder its biomedical applications. To address this challenge, we developed mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (MPDA) with excellent biocompatibility, PTT efficacy, and PA imaging ability, facilitating an efficient loading and protection of hydrophobic IR-780. Results The IR-780 loaded MPDA (IR-780@MPDA) exhibited high loading capacity of IR-780 (49.7 wt%), good physiological solubility and stability, and reduced toxicity. In vivo NIR fluorescence and PA imaging revealed high tumor accumulation of IR-780@MPDA. Furthermore, the combined PDT/PTT of IR-780@MPDA could induce ICD, triggered immunotherapeutic response to breast tumor by the activation of cytotoxic T cells, resulting in significant suppression of tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion This study demonstrated that the as-developed compact and biocompatible platform could induce combined PDT/PTT and accelerate immune activation via excellent tumor accumulation ability, offering multimodal tumor theranostics with negligible systemic toxicity. Graphical Abstract

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Anti-glycation activity of curcumin

Postępy Higieny i Medycyny Doświadczalnej ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0013.1934 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 73 ◽

pp. 182-188

Author(s):

Sabina Galiniak ◽

Marek Biesiadecki ◽

Bożena Czubat ◽

Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher

Keyword(s):

Curcuma Longa ◽

Low Cost ◽

Aldehyde Group ◽

Secretory Cells ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Active Inhibitor ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Wide Range

Curcumin, a compound belonging to the group of polyphenols with a characteristic yellow-orange color, is the most active ingredient of the long-leaved Curcuma longa L. and the ingredient of seasoning mixes, including curry spices. Due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, it has a wide range of therapeutic effects and has been studied for many years. Curcumin has enormous potential in preventing many diseases due to the widely described benefits of its use, it is non-toxic and additionally. Therapy with curcumin is low cost. Currently, many studies focus on the anti-glycation activity of curcumin, which could be used as an active inhibitor of glycation, i.e. a non-enzymatic process of combining a keto or aldehyde group of sugar with a free amino group of a protein. Finally, heterogeneous end products of advanced glycation are formed in the multistage and complicated glycation reaction. Formation of glycation products is intensified with age, as well as in various disease states, including diabetes or neurodegenerative diseases. Many literature data describe the role of curcumin in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. It is known that polyphenol has beneficial effects on hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and regeneration of secretory cells of pancreatic islets. It seems that addition of curcumin, the main ingredient of curry spice, to food could help people prevent the development of lifestyle diseases, including diabetes and its complications. The article presents the current state of knowledge on the curcumin anti-glycation properties in vitro as well as in vivo.

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mRhubarb: Engineering of monomeric, red-shifted, and brighter variants of iRFP using structure-guided multi-site mutagenesis

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-52123-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Oliver C. Rogers ◽

Dorothy M. Johnson ◽

Elad Firnberg

Keyword(s):

Near Infrared ◽

Fluorescent Proteins ◽

Visible Spectrum ◽

Tissue Imaging ◽

Imaging Studies ◽

Near Ir ◽

Site Mutagenesis ◽

Light Absorbance ◽

Reduced Light

Abstract Far-red and near-infrared fluorescent proteins (FPs) enable in vivo tissue imaging with greater depth and clarity compared to FPs in the visible spectrum due to reduced light absorbance and scatter by tissues. However current tools are limited by low brightness, limited red-shifting, and a non-ideal dimeric oligomerization state. In this study we developed a monomeric variant of iRFP, termed mRhubarb713, and subsequently used a targeted and expansive multi-site mutagenesis approach to screen for variants with red-shifted spectral activity. Two monomeric variants were discovered, deemed mRhubarb719 and mRhubarb720, with red-shifted spectra and increased quantum yield compared to iRFP. These tools build on previously developed near-IR FPs and should enable improved in vivo imaging studies with a genetically encoded reporter.

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