This study demonstrates a high-performance capillary electrophoresis electrochemical (CE-EC) microchip featuring embedded the palladium nanoelectrode ensemble (Pd-NEE) as the decoupler. The Pd-NEE is fabricated utilizing a new composition of electroless plating bath for depositing palladium in the porous polycarbonate thin film. Palladium has the adsorbability and permeability to hydrogen, such that the produced Pd-NEE is able to eliminate the hydrogen formation from the high separation voltage and to reduce the background current for electrochemical detection. Moreover, this study adopts the oxygen plasma to etch the nanoelectrode ensemble to enlarge the exposed surface areas to further enhance the decoupling performance of the Pd-NRE. Experimental results show that the developed Pd-NEE decoupler is capable of decoupling the electrophoretic current such that the hydrogen formation on the electrochemical electrodes was suppressed. Results indicate the developed Pd-NEE decoupler greatly enhance the S/N ratio for the electrochemical signal and lower the detectable concentration for the bio-sample of the dopamine and catechol. The detection limit of dopamine and catechol are 50 nM and 100 nM using the microchip with the Pd-NEE decoupler. Furthermore, results also indicate that the palladium nanorod ensemble (Pd-NRE) decoupler produced using the oxygen plasma etching of Pd-NEE have better electrochemical detection performance in compared with the Pd-NEE decoupler. The background current of the electrochemical detection obtained with the microchip with Pd-NRE decoupler is about 5.6 pA at applied electric field of 800 V/cm electric field. In addition, combining the gold nanorod ensemble (GNRE) as the working electrode, the detection limit is lower to 10 nM and 50 nM, respectively. This study presents a high efficiency CE-EC microchip with a Pd-NRE decoupler and a GNRE working electrode which not only decreases the background current but improves the detection limit.

This study describes the use of human serum albumin (HSA)-modified gold nanoparticles (HSA-AuNPs) for the selective extraction and enrichment of high-pI protein, lysozyme (Lyz) prior to analysis by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with UV detection. HSA-AuNPs are capable of extracting Lyz from a complicated matrix because a HSA capping layer not only stabilizes gold nanoparticles in a high-salt environment but also exhibits strong electrostatic attraction with Lyz under neutral pH condition. Efficient separation of Lyz and other high-pI proteins has been successfully achieved by the filling of cationic polyelectrolyte, poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) (PDDAC), to the background electrolyte. After capturing Lyz with HSA-AuNPs, PDDAC-filled CE can be directly used for the analysis of the extracted Lyz without the addition of the releasing agent into the extractor. The extraction efficiency relied on the pH of the solution and the concentration of HSA-AuNPs. Under optimal extraction conditions, the limits of detection at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 for Lyz were down to 8 nM. The combination of HSA-AuNP extraction and PDDAC-filled CE has been applied the analyses of lysozyme in chicken egg white, white wine and human tear. Also, we reveal that this NP-based extraction can be coupled to matrix-assisted desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

DNA gel electrophoresis is a critical analytical step in a wide spectrum of genomic analysis assays. Great efforts have been directed to the development of miniaturized microfluidic systems (“lab-on-a-chip” systems) to perform low-cost, high-throughput DNA gel electrophoresis. However, further progress toward dramatic improvements of separation performance over ultra-short distances requires a much more detailed understanding of the physics of DNA migration in the sieving gel matrix than is currently available in literature. The ultimate goal would be the ability to quantitatively determine the achievable level of separation performance by direct measurements of fundamental parameters (mobility, diffusion, and dispersion coefficients) associated with the gel matrix instead of the traditional trial-and-error process. We successfully established this predicting capability by measuring these fundamental parameters on a conventional slab gel DNA sequencer. However, it is difficult to carry out fast and extensive measurements of these parameters on a conventional gel electrophoresis system using single-point detection (2,000 hours on the slab gel DNA sequencer we used). To address this issue, we designed and built a new automated whole-gel scanning detection system for a systematic investigation of these governing parameters on a microfluidic gel electrophoresis device with integrated on-chip electrodes, heaters, and temperature sensors. With this system, we can observe the progress of DNA separation along the whole microchannel with high temporal and spatial accuracy in nearly real time. This is in contrast to both conventional slab gel imaging where the entire gel can be monitored, but only at one time frame after completion of the separation, and capillary electrophoresis systems that allows detection as a function of time, but only at a single detection location. With this system, a complete set of mobility, diffusion, and dispersion data can be collected within one hour instead of days or even months of work on a conventional sequencer under the same experimental conditions. The ability to acquire both spatial and temporal data simultaneously provides a more detailed picture of the separation process that can potentially be used to refine theoretical models and improve separation performance over ultra-short distances for the nextgeneration of electrophoresis technology.

Density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) is a powerful method for analyzing lipoprotein particles in great detail. It yields considerable amounts of information regarding the density distribution of these particles when coupled with fluorometric analysis and is an invaluable tool in determining their relative abundance. This union allows relationships between subclasses of lipoproteins to be established that gives researchers a more focused path to aid them in developing methods to predict the early onset of coronary artery disease (CAD). The research presented here focuses on the pairing of DGU with post-separatory techniques including matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), capillary electrophoresis (CE), isoelectric focusing (IEF) and apoptosis studies involving cell cultures. It is becoming clearer that cholesterol concentrations themselves do not provide sufficient data to assess the quality of cardiovascular health. As a result, research is becoming more focused on identifying better markers that may be indicative of development of CAD in a patient. Of specific interest is group of particles known as high density lipoproteins (HDL). Classically, this molecule is considered the “good cholesterol”, but literature from the last decade suggests that there may be atherogenic variants to this group. By utilizing DGU as a preparatory method for secondary analyses, new dimensions can be added to the density distribution analysis to allow a better determination of markers of cardiovascular health. The aim of this work is to utilize the principles involved with these various techniques to develop a comprehensive set of methods to aid in the detection of potential risk markers. In this study, the properties of metal ion complexes of EDTA as solute systems for analysis of lipoproteins by DGU are analyzed. We show that by varying the complexing ion and counter-ion of these metal-ion complexes, we gain the ability to control the separation of lipoprotein subclasses for subsequent analyses. Qualitative and quantitative data is presented that describes the analysis of different density regions of HDL for apolipoprotein content. Trends between control and atherogenic samples are also described and a clinical link between the biological activity of these regions and the chemical analysis is discussed.

In earlier research in our lab, the manipulation of microtubules on gold patterned silicon wafers was achieved by E-beam lithography, Poly (ethylene glycol) self assembled monolayers (PEG-SAMs) and electrophoresis. To develop a technique for delicate single microtubule manipulation, further studies need to be done on PEG-SAMs and electrophoresis. As a foundation of this goal, we examined the electric field in an aqueous solution between two planar electrodes and the compatibility of the antifouling property of PEG-SAMs with the electric field. For this purpose, the distribution of microbeads was analyzed using a Boltzmann distribution. The amount of adsorbed microtubules on a PEG-SAM was examined to test the compatibility of the antifouling property of a PEG-SAM with concomitant exposure to electric field. It is shown that the product of the electric field and the effective charge of the microbead does not have a linear relation with the applied electric potential but an exponentially increasing function with respect to the potential. The antifouling property of the PEG-SAM was not retained after an exposure to the electric field.

The fabrication and characterization of boron-doped diamond microelectrodes for use in electrochemical detection coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE-EC) is discussed. They exhibited low and stable background currents and sigmoidally shaped voltammetric curves for cysteine, cystine and Fe(CN)63-/4- . Evaluation of the CE-EC system and the electrode performance were accomplished using a 10 mM borate buffer, pH 8.8, run buffer, and a 70-cm-long fused-silica capillary (10-mm i.d.) with seven sulfur-containing amino acids (methionine, cysteine, cystine, homocysyeine, homocystine, glutathionine, glutathionine disulfide) as test analytes. Reproducible separation (elution time) and detection (peak current) of seven sulfur-containing amino acids were observed with response precisions of 5% or less.

The fish disease epidemiology is urgent to be investigated for the surveillance and prevention. The diseased fish showed splenomegaly with diffusion of white nodules and microscopical granulomatous formation. It is important to develop a method of pathogens isolated from clinical samples with serial dilution method and disc diffusion method. Representative colonies were selected from diseased cobia on BHIA plate and were inoculated onto MacConkey agar, TCBS agar, and blood agar. The cage-culture of the different bacterial groups detected in the survey of bacteria isolated from THOD, HDSB, EMD with serial dilution method. 119 from 128 isolated strains were Gram¡¦s negative (93%), including pathogenic Vibrio spp. 57% (73/128) in THOD. 54 from 90 isolated strains were Gram¡¦s negative (60%), including pathogenic Vibrio spp. 12.2% (11/90) in HDSB. 61 from 104 isolated strains were Gram¡¦s negative (59%), including pathogenic Vibrio spp. 70.2% (77/90) in EMD. In different times diseased grouper, 104 from 139 isolated strains were Gram¡¦s negative (75%), including pathogenic Vibrio spp. 88% (123/139), in 2003. While 24 from 44 isolated strains were Gram¡¦s negative (55%), including pathogenic Vibrio spp. 73% (32/44), in 2004. 66 from 75 isolated strains were Gram¡¦s negative (88%), including pathogenic Vibrio spp. 97% (73/75) by disc dilution method in EMD. 9 from 31 isolated strains were Gram¡¦s negative (30%), including pathogenic Vibrio spp. 26% (8/31), by disc dilution method of grouper in PCG. A DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) technique can identify six groups of bacteria from cobia, and J6, R13, T29 have similarity 100%. Quantity One Version 4.5 (Bio-Rad) can identify six groups of bacteria from diffusion methods that F group diluted the bacterial strain from serial dilution method. B group and E group diluted the bacterial strain from disc diffusion method. Higher resistance rates of the different bacterial strains isolated from cobia and were £]-lactam and susceptible were observed in quinolones.

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The cyanide-degradation bacteria Klebsiella oxytoca SYSU-110 was isolated from the waste water of a metal-plating plant in southern Taiwan. K. oxytoca can utilize many nitrile compounds [including acetonitrile (100 mM), benzonitrile (1 mM), butyronitrile (100 mM), glutaronitrile (50 mM), methacrylnitrile (100 mM), phenylacetonitrile (1 mM), propionitrile (25 mM), succinonitrile (25 mM) and valeronitrile (50 mM)] as its sole nitrogen source. In this study, we found out that K. oxytoca was capable of degrading acetonitrile and propionitrile. Frome GC analysis, we recognized amide was an intermediate compound, while the carboxylic acid and ammonia were the final end-products. Therefore, we presume that K. oxytoca biodegraded nitrile compounds by two enzymes, the nitrile hydratase and amidase. We also analyzed the total cell proteins by 2-D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after the cells were cultured in medium containing 25mM succinonitrile. There were 23 proteins could be induced or overexpressed by nitrile and we had identified 11 by Mascot Peptide mass Fingerprint and Blast. Six proteins that can protect the cells from oxidative damage are: superoxide dismutase, glutathione s-transferase, dyp-type peroxidase, metal binding protein PsaA (that can transport metal ions into the cells), LraI, and FepA (used to transport inorganic ions into the cells). Three enzymes glutamine synthetase, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase,¡@and dihydroxyacid dehydratase were used to synthesize amino acids. One protein was identified as ribosomal protein L9. The last identified protein is nucleoside triphosphates kinase which can convert nucleoside diphosphates to nucleoside triphosphates non-specifically. From the activity analysis, superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase activities were escalated when the cells were cultured in 25mM succinonitrile, and the concentration of ROS has rise. These results suggested that succinonitrile could cause oxidative damage to the cells and induce some anti-oxidative damage proteins to protect them.

No description available.