Advanced Science

Journal: Advanced Science

Abbreviation

Adv. Sci.

Publisher

Wiley-VCH

ISSN

2198-3844

Show all metadata

Search Results

Publications 1 - 10 of 126

Structure-Function Relationship of Highly Reactive CuOx Clusters on Co₃O₄ for Selective Formaldehyde Sensing at Low Temperatures
D'Andria, Matteo; Krumeich, Frank; Yao, Zhangyi; et al. (2024)
Advanced Science
Designing reactive surface clusters at the nanoscale on metal-oxide supports enables selective molecular interactions in low-temperature catalysis and chemical sensing. Yet, finding effective material combinations and identifying the reactive site remains challenging and an obstacle for rational catalyst/sensor design. Here, the low-temperature oxidation of formaldehyde with CuOₓ clusters on Co₃O₄ nanoparticles is demonstrated yielding an excellent sensor for this critical air pollutant. When fabricated by flame-aerosol technology, such CuOₓ clusters are finely dispersed, while some Cu ions are incorporated into the Co₃O₄ lattice enhancing thermal stability. Importantly, infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed CO, near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and temperature-programmed reduction in H₂ identified Cu⁺ and Cu²⁺ species in these clusters as active sites. Remarkably, the Cu⁺ surface concentration correlated with the apparent activation energy of formaldehyde oxidation (Spearman's coefficient rho = 0.89) and sensor response (0.96), rendering it a performance descriptor. At optimal composition, such sensors detected even the lowest formaldehyde levels of 3 parts-per-billion (ppb) at 75 degrees C, superior to state-of-the-art sensors. Also, selectivity to other aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and inorganic compounds, robustness to humidity and stable performance over 4 weeks are achieved, rendering such sensors promising as gas detectors in health monitoring, air and food quality control.
Hierarchical Protofilament Intertwining Rules the Formation of Mixed-Curvature Amyloid Polymorphs
Zhou, Jiangtao; Assenza, Salvatore; Tatli, Meltem; et al. (2024)
Advanced Science
Amyloid polymorphism is a hallmark of almost all amyloid species, yet the mechanisms underlying the formation of amyloid polymorphs and their complex architectures remain elusive. Commonly, two main mesoscopic topologies are found in amyloid polymorphs characterized by non-zero Gaussian and mean curvatures: twisted ribbons and helical fibrils, respectively. Here, a rich heterogeneity of configurations is demonstrated on insulin amyloid fibrils, where protofilament packing can occur, besides the common polymorphs, also in a combined mode forming mixed-curvature polymorphs. Through AFM statistical analysis, an extended array of heterogeneous architectures that are rationalized by mesoscopic theoretical arguments are identified. Notably, an unusual fibrillization pathway is also unraveled toward mixed-curvature polymorphs via the widespread recruitment and intertwining of protofilaments and protofibrils. The results present an original view of amyloid polymorphism and advance the fundamental understanding of the fibrillization mechanism from single protofilaments into mature amyloid fibrils.
Synergizing Algorithmic Design, Photoclick Chemistry and Multi-Material Volumetric Printing for Accelerating Complex Shape Engineering
Chansoria, Parth; Rütsche, Dominic; Wang, Anny; et al. (2023)
Advanced Science
The field of biomedical design and manufacturing has been rapidly evolving, with implants and grafts featuring complex 3D design constraints and materials distributions. By combining a new coding-based design and modeling approach with high-throughput volumetric printing, a new approach is demonstrated to transform the way complex shapes are designed and fabricated for biomedical applications. Here, an algorithmic voxel-based approach is used that can rapidly generate a large design library of porous structures, auxetic meshes and cylinders, or perfusable constructs. By deploying finite cell modeling within the algorithmic design framework, large arrays of selected auxetic designs can be computationally modeled. Finally, the design schemes are used in conjunction with new approaches for multi-material volumetric printing based on thiol-ene photoclick chemistry to rapidly fabricate complex heterogeneous shapes. Collectively, the new design, modeling and fabrication techniques can be used toward a wide spectrum of products such as actuators, biomedical implants and grafts, or tissue and disease models.
Engineering Whole Mammalian Cells for Target-Cell-Specific Invasion/Fusion
Kojima, Ryosuke; Fussenegger, Martin (2018)
Advanced Science
Dual-Laser Optical Tweezers for Photothermal Analysis of Hybrid Microgels
Jung, Se-Hyeong; Zhang, Chi; Stauffer, Nick; et al. (2026)
Advanced Science
Soft actuators that respond to external stimuli play a fundamental role in microscale robotics, active matter, and bio-inspired systems. Among these actuators, photo-thermal hybrid microgels (HMGs) containing plasmonic nanoparticles enable rapid, spatially controlled actuation via localized heating. Understanding their dynamic behavior at the single-particle level is crucial for optimizing performance. However, traditional bulk characterization methods such as dynamic light scattering (DLS) provide only ensemble-averaged data, thereby limiting analytical insights. Here, a dual-laser optical tweezers approach is introduced for real-time, single-particle analysis of HMGs under controlled light exposure. Combining direct imaging and mean-squared displacement (MSD) analysis, our method quantifies the precise laser power required for actuation and accurately tracks the particle size. The results are benchmarked against dual-laser DLS, demonstrating comparable precision while offering the unique advantage of single-actuator resolution. Thus, this method provides a robust platform for precise optimization of programmable actuators with applications in soft robotics, microswimmers, and biomedical devices.
ATP Hydrolysis by α-Synuclein Amyloids is Mediated by Enclosing β-Strand
Frey, Lukas; Buratti , Fiamma Ayelen; Horvath , Istvan; et al. (2025)
Advanced Science
Pathological amyloids, like those formed by α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease, are recently found to catalyze the hydrolysis of model substrates in vitro. Here it is reported that the universal energy molecule ATP is another substrate for α-synuclein amyloid chemical catalysis. To reveal the underlying mechanism, the high-resolution cryo-EM structure of the amyloids in the presence of ATP is solved. The structure reveals a type 1A amyloid fold with an additional β-strand involving residues 16-22 that wraps around the ATP, creating an enclosed cavity at the interface of the protofilaments. Mutations of putative ATP-interacting residues in the cavity and the additional β-strand showed that replacing any one of Lys21, Lys23, Lys43, Lys45, and Lys60 with Ala reduced amyloid-mediated ATPase activity. High-resolution structural analysis of Lys21Ala α-synuclein amyloids in the presence of ATP reveals the same fold as wild-type α-synuclein amyloids but without the extra β-strand and with ATP oriented differently. It is concluded that positively-charged side chains, along with ordering of the N-terminal part into a β-strand, enclosing the cavity, are essential parameters governing ATP hydrolysis by α-synuclein amyloids. Amyloid-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis may hamper ATP-dependent rescue systems near amyloid deposits in vivo.
An Automated Lab‐On‐A‐Chip Approach for Pollen Tube Growth Manipulation in a Controlled Chemical Environment
Zhu, Jiawei; Belloli, Marta; Vale, João P.; et al. (2025)
Advanced Science
Laboratory automation is successfully implemented across a wide range of applications, from space exploration to oceanic research, facilitating data collection and analysis while improving precision in biological and medical fields. The future of robotic laboratory automation is closely tied to advancements in miniaturization. Thus, automation of lab‐on‐a‐chip (LoC) systems–integrating complex laboratory tasks onto a small chip–holds great potential for scientific research, including the study of model organisms and cells. Here, an automated continuous‐flow‐based LoC device designed to investigate and manipulate the growth of pollen tubes (PTs)–fastest‐growing cells in nature–within controlled chemical environments is presented. The automated LoC approach allows for the generation of tailored chemical gradients (e.g., of Ca2+) around the PT tip, offering unprecedented precision and efficiency in the manipulation of PT growth when compared to manual experiments. Besides advancing the experimental methodology by providing more precise information on the response of PTs to Ca2+ concentration gradients, the developed closed‐loop approach with simultaneous data recording and processing reduces the time and costs associated with experiments. This underscores the great potential of robotic laboratory automation for streamlining data collection and analysis, paving the way for more efficient and precise scientific research.
Water, Collagen, and Lipid Content in the Human Skin and Muscles Assessed with Near-Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy and Multi-Spectral Optoacoustic Tomography
Davydov, Denis; Kurnikov, Alexey; Subochev, Pavel; et al. (2025)
Advanced Science
Infrared spectroscopy can quantify individual body components such as lipids, water, and proteins, but extending it to a comprehensive assessment of overall body composition is hampered by high variability and optical heterogeneity of biological tissues. Here, a theoretical and experimental strategy merging multi-spectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is introduced to characterize skin and subcutaneous tissue composition in the near-infrared range. Water, lipids, and collagen exhibit distinct absorption peaks, with lipids demonstrating significantly higher absorption than collagen at comparable mass concentrations. Diminished lipid absorption in subjects with thin hypodermis allows the DRS method to detect distinct collagen band at 910 nm, whose magnitude correlates with the muscle mass, as confirmed by bioimpedance analysis. Conversely, strong lipid peak at 930 nm in subjects with pronounced hypodermis overshadows collagen signals by an order of magnitude, making DRS characterization insufficient. MSOT overcomes this limitation by offering high-resolution depth-resolved 3D imaging to accurately delineate the dermis, hypodermis, and muscle layers in vivo and quantify each chromophore’s contribution individually. The findings demonstrate the complementary capabilities of MSOT and DRS for molecularly specific, noninvasive body composition analysis, potentially enhancing diagnostic approaches for a number of conditions, such as obesity and sarcopenia.
Beyond Traditional RAFT Polymerization: Emerging Strategies and Future Perspectives; A Third Update
Jafari, Vianna F.; Grace, James L.; Li, Jiajia; et al. (2026)
Advanced Science
Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization has undergone transformative growth since its inception in 1998, emerging as a powerful and versatile tool for precision polymer synthesis. This review highlights the latest developments in non-traditional RAFT polymerization from 2020 to 2025, capturing major innovations in activation techniques and expanding applications. Key emerging directions include the integration of RAFT into smart synthesis platforms powered by artificial intelligence, enabling high-throughput and autonomous polymer discovery, and innovations in RAFT depolymerization that support sustainable plastic recycling. With RAFT increasingly accessible to diverse materials science domains, this review provides a forward-looking perspective on the evolving capabilities and future potential of RAFT polymerization.
Design and Development of Transient Sensing Devices for Healthcare Applications
Janićijević, Željko; Huang, Tao; Bojórquez, Diana Isabel Sandoval; et al. (2024)
Advanced Science
With the ever-growing requirements in the healthcare sector aimed at personalized diagnostics and treatment, continuous and real-time monitoring of relevant parameters is gaining significant traction. In many applications, health status monitoring may be carried out by dedicated wearable or implantable sensing devices only within a defined period and followed by sensor removal without additional risks for the patient. At the same time, disposal of the increasing number of conventional portable electronic devices with short life cycles raises serious environmental concerns due to the dangerous accumulation of electronic and chemical waste. An attractive solution to address these complex and contradictory demands is offered by biodegradable sensing devices. Such devices may be able to perform required tests within a programmed period and then disappear by safe resorption in the body or harmless degradation in the environment. This work critically assesses the design and development concepts related to biodegradable and bioresorbable sensors for healthcare applications. Different aspects are comprehensively addressed, from fundamental material properties and sensing principles to application-tailored designs, fabrication techniques, and device implementations. The emerging approaches spanning the last 5 years are emphasized and a broad insight into the most important challenges and future perspectives of biodegradable sensors in healthcare are provided.

Publications 1 - 10 of 126

Journal: Advanced Science

Abbreviation

Publisher

Journal Volumes

ISSN

Description

Filters

Search Results