Analytica Chimica Acta最新文献

{"title":"A novel pyrazine-based Eu-MOFs AIECL immunosensor with antenna effect and Au@Sn3O4 as co-reaction accelerator for ultrasensitive detection of deoxynivalenol","authors":"Jiayuan Nie ,&nbsp;Jing Shi ,&nbsp;Chunyan He ,&nbsp;Huiling Jiang ,&nbsp;Kang Wu ,&nbsp;Anping Deng ,&nbsp;Xinjian Feng ,&nbsp;Jianguo Li","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345115","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Deoxynivalenol (DON), a widespread mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi, contaminates grains like wheat and corn, its thermal/chemical resistance prevents full decomposition during food processing. The severe toxicological impacts of DON have instigated scientific vigilance and elevated public apprehension. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) assigned deoxynivalenol to its Group 3 classification within its chemical carcinogen taxonomy in 2017. Therefore, it is crucial to detect the content of DON contaminants in grains. In this paper we developed a novel electrochemical luminescence immunoassay based on pyrazine ligands for the detection of DON in grains.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>This work presents a significant conceptual and methodological advancement in the field of electrochemiluminescence biosensing. The synthesized Eu-MOF, utilizing 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) pyrazine as an AIE (aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence) ligand and Eu³⁺ as the metal center, exhibited a significantly enhanced and stable ECL emission compared to the ligand alone, which is attributed to the effective \"antenna effect\". When integrated with Au@Sn₃O₄ nanoflowers as a co-reaction accelerator, the ECL intensity was further amplified due to improved electron transfer and catalytic efficiency. After optimizing all parameters, the optimal experimental conditions were determined. The constructed immunosensor demonstrated an excellent wide-range linear response to DON concentrations from 0.007 ng mL⁻¹ to 1000 ng mL⁻¹, with an ultra-low detection limit of 2.3 pg mL⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The sensor also showed high selectivity against other common mycotoxins and satisfactory stability.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The successful implementation of this \"AIE-antenna\" dual-effect strategy provides a new and general paradigm for designing high-performance ECL materials. Furthermore, the constructed immunosensor demonstrates its practical utility for the ultrasensitive monitoring of mycotoxins in food safety. The outstanding analytical performance, as evidenced by the ultra-low detection limit, underscores the reliability of this platform and its great potential for the detection of various trace-level contaminants in complex sample.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1389 ","pages":"Article 345115"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Smartphone-integrated colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescence sensor for visual detection of HSO4−","authors":"Yu Ding ,&nbsp;Guoxing Zhang ,&nbsp;Lishan Chen ,&nbsp;Shengwen Yang ,&nbsp;Ning Liu ,&nbsp;Hao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The detection of bisulfate (HSO₄⁻) is critical in food preservation and pharmaceutical quality control, as it is a common additive with potential health risks. Existing detection methods often lack the portability for on-site analysis or the capability for cross-validation to ensure accuracy. Establishing a rapid and reliable quantitative method for HSO₄⁻ is the prerequisite and core step for precisely controlling related food and pharmaceutical additives.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>To address the need for a rapid, reliable, and field-deployable sensing platform that provides intuitive visual feedback and quantitative data for HSO₄⁻ detection in complex real-world samples, we engineered a novel Schiff base probe (<strong>KF</strong>) integrating aggregation-induced emission (AIE), excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) properties. HSO₄⁻ triggers a specific cleavage of the probe's imine bond, inducing a distinct colorimetric change (yellow to colorless) and a ratiometric fluorescence shift (yellow-green to blue). This dual-signal response enables visual qualitative analysis and provides an internal reference for quantitative measurement, with a fluorescence detection limit down to 72.9 nM. We integrated the probe with a smartphone-based RGB analysis platform (ColorPicker App), creating a portable device for on-site, quantitative determination. The platform's efficacy was successfully demonstrated by accurately detecting HSO₄⁻ in spiked vegetable and pharmaceutical samples with satisfactory recovery rates (83.1 %–114.4 %).</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This work presents the first multifunctional probe combining AIE, ESIPT, and ICT for HSO₄⁻-triggered cleavage, enabling a dual-mode response. This study is significant for establishing a robust, smartphone-integrated sensor that transcends laboratory confines, offering a practical solution for on-site monitoring in food safety and pharmaceutical analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1389 ","pages":"Article 345118"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implications of specific ion effects on salt-induced proteome precipitation in organic solvent","authors":"Ziheng Dang,&nbsp;Jessica L. Nickerson ,&nbsp;Alan A. Doucette","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Solvent-based protein precipitation is an integral component of the proteomics workflow, as a means of concentrating and purifying proteins ahead of digestion and mass spectrometry. We previously disclosed the critical importance of ionic species above a minimal concentration to maximize protein precipitation in 80 % acetone; however, the type of salt was not varied. Specific ion effects have been examined for decades, with many exceptions to the classic Hofmeister series reported. Specifically, the relative influence of various salts has been ranked for their capacity to enhance or reverse protein solubility, but the relevance in proteome sample preparation has yet to be characterized.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We hereby demonstrate that specific ion effects have a controlling influence on modulating protein aggregation efficiency in 80 % acetone. Distinct salts facilitate aggregation of proteins from a proteomic mixture to varying degrees in organic solvent. Moreover, we reveal a salt-specific systematic precipitation efficiency bias correlating to intrinsic protein properties. Sodium salts of chloride and sulfate were shown to strongly correlate with the protein's molecular weight and degree of aromaticity, with higher MW and aromaticity enhancing aggregation. Zinc salts of chloride and sulfate, on the other hand favored aggregation of low MW proteins. Proteins with a higher fraction of basic amino acids also showed higher precipitation efficiency for zinc salts, while higher histidine content favored precipitation with ZnCl₂ but not with ZnSO₄.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>These results point to a combination of protein-ion, protein-solvent, and ion-solvent interactions influencing their solubility in organic solvent, with differing mechanisms of precipitation being strongly salt dependent, and provide a greater understanding of salt-mediated protein precipitation in organic solvent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1390 ","pages":"Article 345111"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A covalent conjugation enrichment strategy for analysis of dimethyllysine sites in the proteome","authors":"Lufeng Yan ,&nbsp;Manqian Zheng ,&nbsp;Mingxuan Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lysine methylation is a common protein post-translational modification, and it has three forms as monomethyllysine (Kme1), dimethyllysine (Kme2) and trimethyllysine (Kme3). All of them have exhibited significant roles in many biological processes. Thus, development of methods for analysis of methyllysine sites is essential to further explore their biological functions. In a previous study, we found that covalent conjugation enrichment strategy has exhibited much more significant advantages in the analysis of cellular Kme1 sites than affinity-based or strong cation-exchange method. It encouraged us to develop a covalent conjugation enrichment strategy for deep exploration of Kme2 sites in the proteome. Here, we reported a Kme2 enrichment strategy including transforming Kme2 peptides into Kme1 peptides and using an aryl diazonium resin to enrich those newly produced Kme1 peptides. First, Kme2 peptides could be efficiently converted into Kme1 peptides through two steps including oxidization and elimination, and the only significant and complete side reaction on 20 natural amino acids is the oxidation on methionine. Meanwhile, propionylation could be utilized to block the original Kme1 residues for distinction with new produced ones. By this strategy, we could enrich Kme2 peptides in a complex mixture of peptides and finally identify 32 common Kme2 sites in HeLa cells by three replicates. 24 of them were unreported according to PhosphoSitePlus and 8 of them were known, including K561me2 of heat shock 70 kDa protein (HSP70), K55me2 and K165me2 of elongation factor 1-alpha 1 (EF1A1). Kme2 is an intermediate state of lysine methylation and plays significant roles in various biological processes especially on epigenetic regulation. Identification on Kme2 sites is basic for further understanding of their biological significance for both histone and nonhistone proteins. Our covalent conjugation enrichment strategy realized broad analysis of Kme2 sites in the proteome and provided great potential for exploring significant biological functions of Kme2 sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1388 ","pages":"Article 345108"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of branched and linear polyethyleneimine by trapped ion mobility-time of flight-mass spectrometry","authors":"Faraz Mohammad Valipour ,&nbsp;Mehmet Atakay ,&nbsp;Sahin Demirci ,&nbsp;Nurettin Sahiner ,&nbsp;Bekir Salih","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Polyethyleneimine (PEI) is a common polyelectrolyte that is used in many areas, such as drug delivery, gene therapy, and water treatment. This is because it has a highly branched structure, functional amine groups in its repeating unit, and a high cationic charge density. To understand the behavior and function of PEI, it is important to accurately describe its structure. The ion mobility-mass spectrometry method is expected to yield structural insights into PEI's molecular architecture, encompassing variations in branching patterns, chain conformations, and the potential presence of isomeric forms.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The difference in zeta potential values between B-PEI and L-PEI can be attributed to the distinct types of functional amine groups present in their structures. The trapped ion mobility-time of flight-mass spectrometry (TIMS-ToF-MS) technique was used in this study to elucidate the molecular architecture of linear and branched PEI with varying polymeric distributions of ion series and end groups, concentrating on its dimensions, morphology, conformational variations, variable cationic adducts (Na⁺, K⁺, Li⁺, and Ag⁺), and charge states (+1 and + 2). The singly charged ions, like those in the main series and fragment series of PEI, are more compact than doubly charged ions because of the change in charge repulsion. TIMS, in conjunction with mass spectrometry, facilitated high-resolution separation of PEI conformers according to their collision cross-section (CCS) values and charge states.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The findings indicated that PEI displays a wide range of both compact and extended molecular conformations at various <em>m/z</em> ratios, with specific populations associated with varying branching levels, cationic adducts, and charge distribution. The influence of various metal ions on PEI conformation was examined, indicating substantial alterations in CCS values under diverse conditions of analysis. Hyphenated TIMS and MS technologies make a strong analytical platform for studying polymer structures in depth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1389 ","pages":"Article 345107"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145996147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Specific determination of influenza virus A by SERS-active spike-like track-etched membranes","authors":"Daria Tikhonova ,&nbsp;Evgeny Andreev ,&nbsp;Assel Akhmetova ,&nbsp;Nadezda Meshcheryakova ,&nbsp;Olga Zaborova ,&nbsp;Liliya Mukhametova ,&nbsp;Rugiya Aliyeva ,&nbsp;Elena Kravchenko ,&nbsp;Elizaveta Boravleva ,&nbsp;Sergei Dubkov ,&nbsp;Sergei Eremin ,&nbsp;Igor Yaminsky ,&nbsp;Alexander Nechaev ,&nbsp;Elena Zavyalova","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rapid specific sensors, ready for several particles’ detection per probe, are essential for disease diagnostics at the early stages before the symptom manifestation. Infectious diseases represent a prominent example where the early diagnosis is necessary both for a proper treatment of the patient as well as preventing the infection spreading. Here, a composite track-etched membrane with a 3D surface was used to create a biosensor specific to influenza A virus. The membrane allows concentration of the analyte on the surface, whereas the spike-like 3D surface covered with Ag layer serves as a substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) enhancing Raman scattering by 10⁶-fold. The SERS-active coating is stable even in biological medium, being resistant to salts and proteins. A DNA aptamer with broad specificity to various influenza A strains was used as a recognition element, which was attached to the metal surface. As a result, the sensor can determine both human and avian influenza A viruses, covering all risky viral strains. The limit of detection (LoD) was as low as 120–2000 viral particles in mL. The LoDs are comparable with the LoDs of polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription when the time of analysis is about 10 min. The biosensor allows rapid, specific and accurate detection of influenza A viruses in the nasal swabs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1388 ","pages":"Article 345100"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145993297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasensitive detection of colorectal cancer biomarkers in exhaled breath using superhydrophobic HCPs-2Br-based SPME-GC-MS with a two-step pre-enrichment strategy","authors":"Haifei Shang ,&nbsp;Mingyu Wang ,&nbsp;Zhiyu Wang ,&nbsp;Mingwei Wang ,&nbsp;Ligai Bai ,&nbsp;Hongyuan Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Exhaled breath has emerged as a promising biospecimen for disease diagnosis, particularly for non-invasive screening. However, the detection of disease biomarkers in exhaled breath presents significant challenges due to their ultra-trace levels and the complex, high-humidity composition of the breath matrix. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop innovative pretreatment technologies to enable the sensitive detection of colorectal cancer (CRC)-related biomarkers for early non-invasive screening.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In this study, a superhydrophobic dibromodibenzothiophene-based hypercrosslinked polymer (HCPs-2Br) was developed as a novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating and established a two-step pre-enrichment strategy to overcome these challenges. Target biomarkers were first pre-concentrated using Tenax TA adsorption tubes, followed by methanol elution, and subsequently enriched using HCPs-2Br-SPME. Coupled with GC-MS, this method enabled ultrasensitive and selective quantification of six CRC-related biomarkers in human exhaled breath. The HCPs-2Br coating demonstrated excellent affinity and selectivity, achieving enrichment factors ranging from 1498 to 29,078. The limits of detection were as low as 0.4–14.8 pg mL⁻¹, with strong linearity (<em>r</em> ≥ 0.9987), recoveries between 86.3 % and 117.3 %, and relative standard deviations below 12.4 %. The method was applied to exhaled breath samples from patients and volunteers, confirming its robustness, reproducibility, and clinical potential.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This work presents a novel pretreatment framework for the analysis of disease-related volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath. It provides a simple, cost-effective, and highly sensitive platform for non-invasive CRC screening, laying the foundation for broader applications of breath-based biomarker detection in clinical diagnostics and metabolic research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1389 ","pages":"Article 345099"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dual-functional fluorescent bio-sensor for detecting ONOO− and polarity for targeted-diagnosis of NAFLD in vivo fluorescence imaging","authors":"Ya-Tong Liu ,&nbsp;Yue-Li Zou ,&nbsp;Yu-Yang Wang ,&nbsp;Xi-Yue Luo ,&nbsp;Si-Yi Yao ,&nbsp;Jing-Yi Li ,&nbsp;Zhiyong Xing ,&nbsp;Li-Xia Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Alterations in the polarity of lipid droplets as a unique spherical organelle are closely associated with multiple pathological factors such as oxidative stress and ferroptosis. ONOO⁻, as a type of reactive oxygen species, also plays a crucial role in cellular activities. Accurately monitoring the abnormal changes in ONOO⁻ and LDs in vitro and in vivo environments is crucial to promote the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In this study, a dual-responsive fluorescent bio-sensor <strong>PTQ</strong> based on triphenylamine groups was devised for monitoring of low - polarity environment and peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻) in water bodies and living organisms. <strong>PTQ</strong> exhibited high sensitivity (LOD = 1.92 nM), strong fluorescence signal and high quantum yield (57.76 %) in low polarity media. Concurrently, it exhibited a markedly enhanced fluorescence response to ONOO⁻, coupled with exceptional selectivity, a low detection limit (4.97 nM), and excellent biological imaging capability. On this basis, <strong>PTQ</strong> was effectively employed for targeted monitoring of LDs and detection of endogenous ONOO⁻ in HepG2 cells. <strong>PTQ</strong> was applied to the bio-imaging of NAFLD mouse models by monitoring ONOO⁻ and LDs.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>In summary, <strong>PTQ</strong> not only serves as a valuable instrument for investigating polarity and the involvement of ONOO⁻ in NAFLD, but also has the potential to become a powerful molecular imaging tool for exploring the complex biological effects in various biological environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1388 ","pages":"Article 345104"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lipase-based HKUST-1 (Cu) biocomposites as chiral stationary phase for enantiomer separation in capillary electrochromatography","authors":"Mengxue Tang ,&nbsp;Jiale Zhang ,&nbsp;Qixuan Mu ,&nbsp;Keyan Chen ,&nbsp;Yibing Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345102","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345102","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Enantiomers may have differences in biological effects, pharmacological activity, and toxicity. Currently, global regulatory authorities are imposing increasingly stringent approval requirements for single-enantiomer drugs. Coupled with the continued growth of the chiral pharmaceutical market, this makes the development of chiral separation technology an urgent scientific task. Therefore, the separation and analysis of chiral drug enantiomers are directly related to human health. Enzyme-based chiral stationary phase (CSP) is a promising platform. Unfortunately, the fragility of natural enzymes, as well as the complexity and low efficiency of the preparation process, hinder their practical application in chiral separation.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Metal organic frameworks (MOFs), which have enormous potential in the fields of enzyme immobilization and capillary electrochromatography (CEC) separation, were explored as support materials with good enzyme immobilization performance and CSP with separation abilities. Lipase (from porcine pancreatic) was encapsulated into a metal organic framework (MOF) under the concept of “in situ”. Effective enzyme loading capacity enables composite materials (Lipase@HKUST-1) to inherit lipase's natural chiral recognition ability. On this basis, inspired by the same concept, Lipase@HKUST-1 was directly grown in the open column for capillary electrochromatography (CEC). By optimizing the interface combination method and simplifying the column preparation steps, the efficiency and performance of capillary column preparation have been effectively improved. Enantiomer separation of multi-chiral drugs such as naproxen and chlorpheniramine has been achieved. Theoretical calculations further explore potential chiral recognition mechanisms.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The effective combination of cost-effective lipase (from porcine pancreatic) and MOF materials enriches the library of chiral materials for enantioseparation. The understanding of the chiral recognition mechanism inspires the design of ideal performance materials. The highly stable MOF separation platform for biological functions has introduced a pioneering research paradigm for the CSP development of OT-CEC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1389 ","pages":"Article 345102"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145961876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermosensitive hydrogel-enhanced RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a biosensor for ultrasensitive detection of methylated loci in breast cancer ctDNA","authors":"Jianxun Hou ,&nbsp;Yingjie Wang ,&nbsp;Weiguang Yuan ,&nbsp;Yajie Gong ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Yu ,&nbsp;Xuquan Qin ,&nbsp;Hui Li ,&nbsp;Youxue Zhang ,&nbsp;Huawen Shi ,&nbsp;Yanbo Chen ,&nbsp;Xianyu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345101","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Methylation differences exist between breast cancer tissues and normal tissues. The release of methylated circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) by tumor cells provides a foundation for breast cancer liquid biopsy using methylated ctDNA. However, detection of low-abundance methylated loci in ctDNA remains a significant challenge to date. Existing one-tube detection systems cannot avoid target depletion caused by CRISPR/Cas12a cleavage, leading to reduced sensitivity.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>This study developed a thermosensitive hydrogel-based one-tube RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a detection system, combined with methylation-sensitive restriction endonucleases (MSRE), for the detection of specific methylated loci in breast cancer ctDNA. This method achieves spatial separation while maintaining connectivity of reaction phases in a single tube for the first time, and the thermosensitive hydrogel does not exert inhibitory effects on either system. The system can specifically recognize methylated target molecules with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 1 × 10⁻⁸ ng/μL (≈70 copies/μL), outperforming the current glycerol-enhanced one-tube reaction system. It is capable of distinguishing methylated fractions as low as 0.05 %, with a sensitivity twice that of the gold standard methylation-specific quantitative PCR (Methylight). Detection of genomic DNA (gDNA) from tumor tissues and paired plasma ctDNA of 15 clinical patients using this method showed both sensitivity and specificity reaching 100 %.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This novel, highly sensitive, efficient, and portable detection method innovatively resolves the target depletion issue caused by CRISPR/Cas12a cleavage in traditional RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a systems via thermosensitive hydrogel-mediated single-tube phase separation technology. It provides a new technical pathway for the accurate detection of low-abundance methylated circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), will significantly enhance the level of breast cancer liquid biopsy, and offer strong support for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of breast cancer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1388 ","pages":"Article 345101"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145962776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}