Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins: Implications for Nanotechnological Applications in Biosensing and Drug/Gene Delivery

Over various scientific fields in biochemistry, amino acids have been highlighted in research works. Protein, peptide- and amino acid-based drug delivery systems have proficiently transformed nanotechnology via immense flexibility in their features for attaching various drug molecules and biodegradable polymers. In this regard, novel nanostructures including carbon nanotubes, electrospun carbon nanofibers, gold nanoislands, and metal-based nanoparticles have been introduced as nanosensors for accurate detection of these organic compounds. These nanostructures can bind the biological receptor to the sensor surface and increase the surface area of the working electrode, significantly enhancing the biosensor performance. Interestingly, protein-based nanocarriers have also emerged as useful drug and gene delivery platforms. This is important since, despite recent advancements, there are still biological barriers and other obstacles limiting gene and drug delivery efficacy. Currently available strategies for gene therapy are not cost-effective, and they do not deliver the genetic cargo effectively to target sites. With rapid advancements in nanotechnology, novel gene delivery systems are introduced as nonviral vectors such as protein, peptide, and amino acid-based nanostructures. These nano-based delivery platforms can be tailored into functional transformation using proteins and peptides ligands based nanocarriers, usually overexpressed in the specified diseases. The purpose of this review is to shed light on traditional and nanotechnology-based methods to detect amino acids, peptides, and proteins. Furthermore, new insights into the potential of amino protein-based nanoassemblies for targeted drug delivery or gene transfer are presented.

Surface diffusion and cluster formation of gold on the silicon (111)

Purpose: Investigation of the gold atoms behaviour on the surface of silicon by molecular dynamics simulation method. The studies were performed for the case of one, two and four atoms, as well as incomplete and complete filling of gold atoms on the silicon surface. Design/methodology/approach: Investigations were performed by the method of molecular dynamics simulation using the Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS). MEAM potential of interatomic interaction was used for modelling. Molecular dynamic simulations were carried out in isothermal-isobaric ensemble (NpT) with a timestep 1.0 fs. Findings: As a result of studies, the preferred interaction between gold atoms and the formation of clusters at temperatures up to 800 K was revealed. Analysis of the temperature dependences of the number of large jumps of atoms made it possible to calculate the activation energy of a single jump. It was found that activation energy of single atomic displacement decreases with increasing number of gold atoms. Research limitations/implications: Only a limited number of sets of atoms were used in the study. It is possible that for another combination of atoms and a larger substrate surface, the formation of gold nanoislands on the silicon surface can be observed, which requires further research. Practical implications: The research results can be used to select the modes of gold sputtering to create gold nanoislands or nanopillars on the silicon surface. Originality/value: Computer modelling of the behaviour of gold atoms on the surface of silicon with the possibility of their self-organization and cluster formation was performed for the first time.

Acoustic Multi-Detection of Gliadin Using QCM Crystals Patterned with Controlled Sectors of TEM Grid and Annealed Nanoislands on Gold Electrode

Celiac diseases are a group of gluten ingestion-correlated pathologies that are widespread and, in some cases, very dangerous for human health. The only effective treatment is the elimination of gluten from the diet throughout life. Nowadays, the food industries are very interested in cheap, easy-to-handle methods for detecting gluten in food, in order to provide their consumers with safe and high-quality food. Here, for the first time, the manufacture of controlled micropatterns of annealed gold nanoislands (AuNIs) on a single QCM crystal (QCM-color) and their biofunctionalization for the specific detection of traces of gliadin is reported. In addition, the modified quartz crystal with a TEM grid and 30 nm Au (Q-TEM grid crystal) is proposed as an acoustic sensitive biosensing platform for the rapid screening of the gliadin content in real food products.

Катодолюминесценция пленок ZnO на ромбоэдрической плоскости сапфира с буферным слоем золота

Luminescent properties of ZnO films grown on R-plane sapphire coated with a buffer layer of gold nanoislands were studied. Luminescence spectra of the samples show a set of oscillations resulted from classical thin-film interference. Such a set of oscillations can be represented as a barcode with each bar position corresponding to the wavelength of each oscillation and bar width corresponding to the oscillation intensity. High repeatability and simplicity of production of such ZnO-based thin-film structures together with high sensitivity of interference phenomena to the ambient environment make them prospective for different chemo- and biosensing applications.

Влияние кулоновских сил на процессы роста золота на поверхности диэлектрических подложек

A model of interaction of gold nanoislands during chemical vapor deposition in vacuum both in the presence of charges in the vapor and after their removal has been considered. A growth stage has been revealed (the mean sediment thickness is more than 2 nm) in which the mutual attraction of gold nanoislands and a sharp increase in their sizes is observed. In this stage, the sediment with removed charges exhibits retardation of the nanoisland growth. The influence of the substrate geometric profile on the sediment morphology is demonstrated. These investigations are promising for development of methods for nanocoating segmentation and formation of ordered nanoisland ensembles.