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In this work, we demonstrate a wafer-scale fabrication of biologically sensitive Si nanowire FET for pH sensing and electrical detection of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hybridization. Based on conventional “top-down” CMOS compatible technology, our bioFETs explore a wide range of design (nanowires (NW), nanoribbons (NR), and honeycomb (HC) structures) with opening access scaled down to only 120 nm. After device fabrication, IDS-VBG transfer and IDS-VDS output characteristics show a conventional n-type FET behavior with an ION/IOFF value higher than 105, as well as an increase of threshold voltage as the NW width is reduced. Then, using a capacitive coupling in our dually-gated Si bioFETs, the pH sensitivity is enhanced with a pH response up to 600 mV/pH. Finally, we successfully detected an increase of threshold voltage of n-type silicon nanowires (SiNWs) due to hybridized target DNA molecules.

Sustainable biocatalysis syntheses have gained considerable popularity over the years. However, further optimizations - notably to reduce costs - are required if the methods are to be successfully deployed in a range of areas. As part of this drive, various enzyme immobilization strategies have been studied, alongside process intensification from batch to continuous production. The flow bioreactor portfolio mainly ranges between packed bed reactors and wall-immobilized enzyme miniaturized reactors. Because of their simplicity, packed bed reactors are the most frequently encountered at lab-scale. However, at industrial scale, the growing pressure drop induced by the increase in equipment size hampers their implementation for some applications. Wall-immobilized miniaturized reactors require less pumping power, but a new problem arises due to their reduced enzyme-loading capacity. This review starts with a presentation of the current technology portfolio and a reminder of the metrics to be applied with flow bioreactors. Then, a benchmarking of the most recent relevant works is presented. The scale-up perspectives of the various options are presented in detail, highlighting key features of industrial requirements. One of the main objectives of this review is to clarify the strategies on which future study should center to maximize the performance of wall-immobilized enzyme reactors., (© 2024 The Authors. ChemBioChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from cotton were functionalized in aqueous medium using methacrylic anhydride (MA) to produce methacrylated cellulose nanocrystals (mCNCs) with a degree of methacrylation (DM) up to 12.6 ± 0.50%. Dispersible as-prepared CNCs and mCNCs were then considered as reinforcing fillers for aqueous 3D-printable formulations based on methacrylated carboxymethylcellulose (mCMC). The rheological properties of such photo-cross-linkable aqueous formulations containing nonmodified CNCs or mCNCs at 0.2 or 0.5 wt% in 2 wt% mCMC were fully investigated. The influence of the presence of nanoparticles on the UV-curing kinetics and dimensions of the photo-cross-linked hydrogels was probed and 13 C CP-MAS NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the maximum conversion ratio of methacrylates as well as the optimized time required for UV postcuring. The viscoelasticity of cross-linked hydrogels and swollen hydrogels was also studied. The addition of 0.5 wt% mCNC with a DM of 0.83 ± 0.040% to the formulation yielded faster cross-linking kinetics, better resolution, more robust cross-linked hydrogels, and more stable swollen hydrogels than pure mCMC materials. Additionally, the produced cryogels showed no cytotoxicity toward L929 fibroblasts. This biobased formulation could thus be considered for the 3D printing of hydrogels dedicated to biomedical purposes using vat polymerization techniques, such as stereolithography or digital light processing.

Objectives: Early identification of mechanical complications of total knee arthroplasties is of great importance to minimize the complexity and iatrogenicity of revision surgeries. There is therefore a critical need to use smart knee implants during intra or postoperative phases. Nevertheless, these devices are absent from commercialized orthopaedic implants, mainly due to their manufacturing complexity. We report the design, simulations and tests of a force and moments sensor integrated inside the tibial tray of a knee implant., Methods: By means of a "tray-pillar-membrane" arrangement, strain gauges and metal additive technology, our device facilitates the manufacturing and assembly steps of the complete system. We used finite element simulations to optimize the sensor and we compared the simulation results to mechanical measurements performed on a real instrumented tibial tray., Results: With a low power acquisition electronics, the measurements corroborate with simulations for low vertical input forces. Additionally, we performed ISO fatigue testings and high force measurements, with a good agreement compared to simulations but high non-linearities for positions far from the tray centre. In order to estimate the center of pressure coordinates and the normal force applied on the tray, we also implemented a small-size artificial neural network., Conclusion: This work shows that relevant mechanical components acting on a tibial tray of a knee implant can be measured in an easy to assemble, leak-proof and mechanically robust design while offering relevant data usable by clinicians during the surgical or rehabilitation procedures., Significance: This work contributes to increase the technological readiness of smart orthopaedic implants.

Despite decades of research on the reduction of surface fouling from biomolecules or micro-organisms, the ultimate antibiofouling surface remains undiscovered. The recent covid-19 pandemic strengthened the crucial need for such treatments. Among the numerous approaches that are able to provide surfaces with antibiofouling properties, chemical, biological, and topographical strategies have been implemented for instance in the marine, medical, or food industries. However, many of these methods have a biocidal effect and, with antibioresistance and biocide resistance a growing threat on humanity, strategies based on reducing adsorption of biomolecules and micro-organism are necessary for long-term solutions. Bioinspired strategies, combining both surface chemistry and topography, are currently at the heart of the best innovative and sustainable solutions. The synergistic effect of micro/nanostructuration, together with engineered chemical or biological functionalization is believed to contribute to the development of antibiofouling surfaces. This review aims to present approaches combining hydrophobic or hydrophilic chemistries with a specific topography to avoid biofouling in various industrial environments and healthcare facilities.

Future long-duration human spaceflight will require developments to limit biocontamination of surface habitats. The MATISS (Microbial Aerosol Tethering on Innovative Surfaces in the international Space Station) experiments allowed for exposing surface treatments in the ISS (International Space Station) using a sample-holder developed to this end. Three campaigns of FDTS (perFluoroDecylTrichloroSilane) surface exposures were performed over monthly durations during distinct periods. Tile scanning optical microscopy (×3 and ×30 magnifications) showed a relatively clean environment with a few particles on the surface (0.8 to 7 particles per mm 2 ). The varied densities and shapes in the coarse area fraction (50-1500 µm 2 ) indicated different sources of contamination in the long term, while the bacteriomorph shapes of the fine area fraction (0.5-15 µm 2 ) were consistent with microbial contamination. The surface contamination rates correlate to astronauts' occupancy rates on board. Asymmetric particles density profiles formed throughout time along the air-flow. The higher density values were located near the flow entry for the coarse particles, while the opposite was the case for the fine particles, probably indicating the hydrophobic interaction of particles with the FDTS surface., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

In recent years, many biocatalytic processes have been developed for the production of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. In this context, enzyme immobilization methods have attracted attention for their advantages, such as continuous production and increased stability. Here, enzyme immobilization methods and a collection of nitrilases from biodiversity for the conversion of 3-cyanopyridine to nicotinic acid were screened. Substrate conversion over 10 conversion cycles was monitored to optimize the process. The best immobilization conditions were found with cross-linking using glutaraldehyde to modify the PMMA beads. This method showed good activity over 10 cycles in a batch reactor at 30 and 40°C. Finally, production with a new thermostable nitrilase was examined in a continuous packed bed reactor, showing very high stability of the biocatalytic process at a flow rate of 0.12 ml min -1 and a temperature of 50°C. The complete conversion of 3-cyanopyridine was obtained over 30 days of operation. Future steps will concern reactor scale-up to increase the production rate with reasonable pressure drops., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

In this work, we present an innovative strategy for the grafting of an antibacterial agent onto nanocellulose materials in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 ). Dense cellulose nanofibril (CNF) nanopapers were prepared and subsequently functionalized in supercritical carbon dioxide with an aminosilane, N -(6-aminohexyl)aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AHA-P-TMS). Surface characterization (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle, ζ-potential analysis) evidenced the presence of the aminosilane. The results show that the silane conformation depends on the curing process: a nonpolycondensed conformation of grafted silane with the amino groups facing outwards was favored by curing in an oven, while the curing step performed in scCO 2 yielded CNF structures with the alkyl chain facing outwards. The grafted nanopapers exhibited antibacterial activity, and no antibacterial agent was released into the media. Furthermore, these materials proved to benefit from low cytotoxicity. This study offers a proof of concept for the covalent grafting of active species on nanocellulose structures and the control of aminosilane orientation using a green and controlled approach. These newly designed materials could be used for their antibacterial activity in the biomedical field. Thus, perspectives for topical administration and design of wound dressing could be envisaged.

Future long-duration human spaceflight calls for developments to limit biocontamination of the surface habitats. The MATISS experiment tests surface treatments in the ISS's atmosphere. Four sample holders were mounted with glass lamella with hydrophobic coatings, and exposed in the Columbus module for ~6 months. About 7800 particles were detected by tile scanning optical microscopy (×3 and ×30 magnification) indicating a relatively clean environment (a few particles per mm 2 ), but leading to a significant coverage-rate (>2% in 20 years). Varied shapes were displayed in the coarse (50-1500 µm 2 ) and fine (0.5-50 µm 2 ) area fractions, consistent with scale dices (tissue or skin) and microbial cells, respectively. The 200-900 µm 2 fraction of the coarse particles was systematically higher on FDTS and SiOCH than on Parylene, while the opposite was observed for the <10 µm 2 fraction of the fine particles. This trend suggests two biocontamination sources and a surface deposition impacted by hydrophobic coatings., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

This study presents the impregnation in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 ) of nanocellulose-based structures with thymol as a natural antimicrobial molecule to prepare bioactive, biosourced materials. First, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were used to produce four types of materials (nanopapers, cryogels from water or tert -butyl alcohol suspensions, and aerogels) of increasing specific surface area up to 160 m 2 ·g -1 , thanks to the use of different processes, namely, vacuum filtration, freeze-drying, and supercritical drying. Second, these CNF-based structures were impregnated with thymol in the scCO 2 medium using a relatively low temperature and pressure of 40 °C and 100 bar during 1 h. The amount of impregnated thymol in the different CNF materials was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, 13 C NMR analysis, and gas chromatography. All three methods consistently showed that the amount of impregnated thymol increases with the specific surface area of the material. The antimicrobial activity of the impregnated CNF-based materials was then measured against three reference strains of microorganisms: the Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria, and the yeast Candida albicans using the disk diffusion test method. The latter revealed the leaching of thymol in sufficient amounts to generate antimicrobial activity against the three strains in the case of the cryogel derived from a tert -butyl alcohol suspension and the aerogel, which are the two materials exhibiting the highest specific surface areas. The proposed strategy, therefore, enabled us to precisely steer the amount of active molecule loading and the related antimicrobial activity by adjusting the specific surface area of the biosourced material impregnated in green supercritical conditions. These results are very promising and confirm that supercritical impregnation of active molecules onto nanocellulose three-dimensional (3D) structures can be an interesting solution for the design of active medical devices such as wound dressings.

Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) are lipid vesicles secreted by cells that allow intercellular communication. They are decorated with surface proteins, which are membrane proteins that can be targeted by biochemical techniques to isolate EVs from background particles. EVs have recently attracted attention for their potential applications as biomarkers for numerous diseases. This review focuses on the contribution of biomolecules used as ligands in affinity-based biosensors for the detection and isolation of EVs. Capturing biological objects like EVs with antibodies is well described in the literature through different biosensing techniques. However, since handling proteins can be challenging due to stability issues, sensors using non-denaturable biomolecules are emerging. DNA aptamers, short DNA fragments that mimic antibody action, are currently being developed and considered as the future of antibody-like ligands. These molecules offer undeniable advantages: unparalleled ease of production, very high stability in air, similar affinity constants to antibodies, and compatibility with many organic solvents. The use of peptides specific to EVs is also an exciting biochemical solution to target EV membrane proteins and complement other probes. These different ligands have been used in several types of biosensors: electrochemical, optical, microfluidic using both generic probes (targeting widely expressed membrane proteins such as the tetraspanins) and specific probes (targeting disease biomarkers such as proteins overexpressed in cancer).

The natural biodegradabilty of porous silicon (pSi) in physiological media limits its wider usage for implantable systems. We report the stabilization of porous silicon (pSi) membranes by chemical surface oxidation using RCA1 and RCA2 protocols, which was followed by a PEGylation process using a silane-PEG. These surface modifications stabilized the pSi to allow a long period of immersion in PBS, while leaving the pSi surface sufficiently hydrophilic for good filtration and diffusion of several biomolecules of different sizes without any blockage of the pSi structure. The pore sizes of the pSi membranes were between 5 and 20 nm, with the membrane thickness around 70 μm. The diffusion coefficient for fluorescein through the membrane was 2 × 10 -10  cm 2  s -1 , and for glucose was 2.2 × 10 -9  cm 2  s -1 . The pSi membrane maintained that level of glucose diffusion for one month of immersion in PBS. After 2 months immersion in PBS the pSi membrane continued to operate, but with a reduced glucose diffusion coefficient. The chemical stabilization of pSi membranes provided almost 1 week stable and functional biomolecule transport in blood plasma and opens the possibility for its short-term implantation as a diffusion membrane in biocompatible systems., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, strictly speaking aerogels of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and TEMPO-oxidized CNFs (TO-CNFs) were obtained from an optimized supercritical drying processes and cryogels were prepared after freeze-drying. The cryogels and aerogels were characterized and the influence of the preparation process on the resulting properties was studied. Significant differences were observed in the micro- and nanoscale organization of the porous structures. In addition, the specific surface areas measured varied from 25 to 160 m² g -1 for CNF materials, depending on the preparation process. Very high specific surface areas up to 482 m² g -1 among the highest reported for pure cellulose nanofibrils porous materials were achieved for TO-CNF aerogels. Finally, in order to evaluate their aptitudes for wound dressings applications, the capillary water uptake capacities were assessed on skin mimicking layers. From this study, it was revealed that TO-CNF aerogels can absorb almost 120 times their own weight of water., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Hydrogen production through direct sunlight-driven water splitting in photo-electrochemical cells (PECs) is a promising solution for energy sourcing. PECs need to fulfill three criteria: sustainability, cost-effectiveness and stability. Here we report an efficient and stable photocathode platform for H 2 evolution based on Earth-abundant elements. A p-type silicon surface was protected by atomic layer deposition (ALD) with a 15 nm TiO 2 layer, on top of which a 300 nm mesoporous TiO 2 layer was spin-coated. The cobalt diimine-dioxime molecular catalyst was covalently grafted onto TiO 2 through phosphonate anchors and an additional 0.2 nm ALD-TiO 2 layer was applied for stabilization. This assembly catalyzes water reduction into H 2 in phosphate buffer (pH 7) with an onset potential of +0.47 V vs. RHE. The resulting current density is -1.3 ± 0.1 mA cm -2 at 0 V vs. RHE under AM 1.5 solar irradiation, corresponding to a turnover number of 260 per hour of operation and a turnover frequency of 0.071 s -1 .

Metallic conductive nanowires (NWs) with DNA bundle core are achieved, thanks to an original process relying on double-stranded DNA alignment and physical vapor deposition (PVD) metallization steps involving a silicon substrate. First, bundles of DNA are suspended with a repeatable process between 2 µm high parallel electrodes with separating gaps ranging from 800 nm to 2 µm. The process consists in the drop deposition of a DNA lambda-phage solution on the electrodes followed by a naturally evaporation step. The deposition process is controlled by the DNA concentration within the buffer solution, the drop volume, and the electrode hydrophobicity. The suspended bundles are finally metallized with various thicknesses of titanium and gold by a PVD e-beam evaporation process. The achieved NWs have a width ranging from a few nanometers up to 100 nm. The electrical behavior of the achieved 60 and 80 nm width metallic NWs is shown to be Ohmic and their intrinsic resistance is estimated according to different geometrical models of the NW section area. For the 80 nm width NWs, a resistance of about few ohms is established, opening exploration fields for applications in microelectronics., (© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

DNA is under continuous assault by environmental and endogenous reactive oxygen and alkylating species, inducing the formation of mutagenic, toxic and genome destabilizing nucleobase lesions. Due to the implications of such genetic alterations in cell death, aging, inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, many efforts have been devoted to developing assays that aim at analyzing DNA repair activities from purified enzymes or cell extracts. The present work deals with the conception and application of a new, miniaturized and parallelized on surface-DNA biosensor to measure base excision repair (BER) activities. Such a bio-analytical tool was built by using the "click chemistry" approach to immobilize, on a glass slide, fluorescent stem-loop DNA probes, which contain a specific nucleobase lesion. The performance of this new high-throughput DNA repair analysis technology was determined by detecting uracil N-glycosylase and AP-endonuclease activities from purified enzymes or in cell extracts. The applications of this device were extended to analyze, in cell extracts, the ability of two inhibitors (Uracil glycosylase inhibitor (Ugi) and methoxyamine (MX)) to block the excision of uracil and the cleavage of AP sites, respectively. Altogether, our results show that this new fluorescent DNA microarray platform provides an easy, rapid and robust method for detecting DNA N-glycosylase and AP-endonuclease activities and evaluating the effects of BER inhibitors in a multiplexed fashion.

Current detection and identification of micro-organisms is based on either rather unspecific rapid microscopy or on more accurate but complex and time-consuming procedures. In a medical context, the determination of the bacteria Gram type is of significant interest. The diagnostic of microbial infection often requires the identification of the microbiological agent responsible for the infection, or at least the identification of its family (Gram type), in a matter of minutes. In this work, we propose to use terahertz frequency range antennas for the enhanced selective detection of bacteria types. Several microorganisms are investigated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy: a fast, contactless and damage-free investigation method to gain information on the presence and the nature of the microorganisms. We demonstrate that plasmonic antennas enhance the detection sensitivity for bacterial layers and allow the selective recognition of the Gram type of the bacteria.

A new process for preparing oligonucleotide arrays is described that uses surface grafting chemistry which is fundamentally different from the electrostatic adsorption and organic covalent binding methods normally employed. Solid supports are modified with a mixed organic/inorganic zirconium phosphonate monolayer film providing a stable, well-defined interface. Oligonucleotide probes terminated with phosphate are spotted directly on to the zirconated surface forming a covalent linkage. Specific binding of terminal phosphate groups with minimal binding of the internal phosphate diesters has been demonstrated. The mixed organic/inorganic thin films have also been extended for use arraying DNA duplex probes, and therefore represent a viable general approach to DNA-based bioarrays. Ideas for interfacing mixed organic/inorganic interfaces to other bioapplications are also discussed.

A new approach to oligonucleotide arrays is demonstrated that utilizes zirconium phosphonate-derivatized glass slides. The active slides are prepared by binding Zr(4+) to surfaces terminated with organophosphonate groups previously deposited using either Langmuir-Blodgett or self-assembled monolayer methods. Oligonucleotide probes modified with a terminal phosphate bind strongly to the active zirconium phosphonate monolayer, and arrays for detecting fluorescent targets have been prepared using commercial spotting and scanning instruments. Preferred binding to the surface of the terminal phosphate of the modified probes instead of the internal phosphate diester groups is demonstrated and shown to yield increased fluorescence intensity after hybridization with labeled targets. A significant decrease in background signal is achieved by treating the slides with bovine serum albumin after spotting and before hybridization. A further increase in fluorescence after hybridization is observed when using a poly-guanine spacer between the probe oligomer and the terminal phosphate. Combining these modifications, an intensity ratio of nearly 1000 is achieved when comparing 5'-phosphate-modified 33-mer probes with unmodified probes upon hybridization with fluorescent targets.