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A dual-site controlled pH probe, which is composed of gold nanoparticles and modified with rhodamine and fluorescein derivatives, was applied to sensitively monitor intracellular pH changes in sperm. The pH probe revealed the intracellular pH of sperm under different conditions and demonstrated the lower pH in asthenozoospermia patients as compared to healthy individuals. Importantly, the pH probe can help screen for healthy sperm.

A newly glycopolymer-patterned surface for capturing red blood cells (RBCs) is demonstrated. Our strategy is based on the surface-initiated photopolymerization of 2-acryl-amido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) on a thermoplastic elastomer, the patterning of poly(d-gluconamidoethyl methacrylate) (PGAMA, glycopolymer) micro-domains on the PAMPS layer with photomask-assisted photolithography, followed by the generation of a phytohemagglutinin (PHA) array on the patterned surface through lectin-carbohydrate recognition. We demonstrate that the bi-component polymer-patterned surface with high lateral resolution is successfully fabricated; the PAMPS layer with patterned glycopolymer domains remains hydrophilic to resist non-specific plasma protein adsorption and cell adhesion; the PHA array on the patterned PGAMA domains induces nearly no platelet adhesion on the patterned surface, but shows high capability for capturing RBCs in the blood, and in addition, the captured RBCs maintain cellular integrity and function. Our work presented herein not only paves a new way for capturing RBCs from the blood, but also establishes a basic principle to capture non-adherent cells in the blood or biological fluid without damage.