Catalytic
Hairpin Assembly-Aided CRISPR/Cas-SERS for
Nucleic Acid Detection Enhanced by Multiple Catalytic Amplification
Lin LiuChengxin BaoHuimin WangFeiwu LiXiangguo LiuYuxuan HeJingjing ChangYuejia YinShuping Xu
Aug 2026· ACS Measurement Science Au· 0 citations· 22 references
TL;DR
Owing to the collateral trans-cleavage activity of Cas12a and the high peroxidase-like nanozyme activity of G4/Hemin, this method achieves the highly sensitive SERS detection of genetically modified samples without target gene preamplification.
Abstract
This study established a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection method based on the catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) reaction combined with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and its associated proteins (CRISPR/Cas), integrated with the guanine-quadruplexes/Hemin (G4/Hemin) catalytic amplification effect, which is available for identifying a typical indicator for genetically modified crops, the 35S promoter from the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV35S). Target CaMV35S-derived RNA (CaMV35S RNA) triggers the CHA reaction, yielding a double-stranded DNA product (C1/C2) that is recognized by CRISPR RNA (crRNA), thereby activating the trans-cleavage activity of Cas12a. A magnetic bead-based nanoprobe was fabricated by linking the hybridization chain reaction (HCR) product to the magnetic bead. This probe can fold into repeated G4 units under a specific potassium ion concentration to enable a high loading of Hemin, thereby providing strong peroxidase-like catalytic activity for 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). In a positive trial, the 35S RNA initiates CHA, and the CHA product activates Cas12a, disrupting the HCR products on the magnetic bead probe, preventing the G4 structure formation, accordingly yielding a weak SERS signal from TMB. In contrast, a negative trial fails to activate Cas12a, and the probe retains its nanoenzyme activity, resulting in a strong SERS signal from the produced oxTMB. Owing to the collateral trans-cleavage activity of Cas12a and the high peroxidase-like nanozyme activity of G4/Hemin, this method achieves the highly sensitive SERS detection of genetically modified samples without target gene preamplification.
This study constructed a pH-responsive P-TN/SF@Fe-Cur composite coating that demonstrated significant anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pro-angiogenic, and pro-osteogenic effects in rat subcutaneous infection and femoral defect models.
ProteinReasoner is developed, a multimodal generative protein foundation model that sequentially connects amino acid sequence, evolutionary constraints and three-dimensional structure within a shared autoregressive architecture and suggests a general route towards reasoning across interdependent representations in other scientific domains.
Chaozhong Liu, Linlin Chao, Shaomin Ji et al.· bioRxiv· 1 citation
Due to its importance and wide adoption, wheat cultivation is promptly required to shift towards sustainable practices, reducing the dependency on chemical components. Among bio-based solutions aimed at securing the sustainability of wheat cultivation, biostimulants offer a versatile platform of eco-friendly tools assuring sustainability and profitability. Microalgae present a concrete example of a biostimulant source due to their richness in metabolites and high value products. Therefore, this study evaluated the biostimulant potential of eleven eco-extracts prepared from soil-isolated microalgae strains. Eco-extracts applied via soil drench at low dose (0.1 g/L) were investigated for their biostimulant effects on wheat growth, physiology, yield, and quality under controlled conditions. Results demonstrated significant ameliorations in treated plants as compared to the control, with no phytoinhibitory effects. Remarkable enhancements were notable in growth parameters such as shoot and root lengths (+40-70%), physiological traits such as total chlorophyll and stomatal conductance (+7-52%), yield components in the example of grain number per spike and thousand grain weight (+17-103%), and grain quality namely protein and polyphenol content (+2-fold to 4-fold). Similarly, phosphorus accumulation and uptake were significantly improved, while soil physicochemical status was ameliorated, indicating enhanced fertility. Multivariate analysis and composite index ranking marked Chlorella sp. GA18, Chlorella sp. GA65, Scenedesmus sp. GA69, and Chlorococcum sp. GA63 as eco-extracts with consistent performances across all plant traits. These findings highlighted the promising potential of integrating microalgae-based eco-friendly extracts in sustainable wheat cultivation.
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HydroGym is introduced, a solver-independent reinforcement learning platform providing more than 60 validated, openly available flow control environments spanning from canonical laminar flows to complex turbulent flows, with systematic progression in the Reynolds number up to Re = 4 × 105, and Mach number variations in two and three dimensions.
Christian Lagemann, Sajeda Mokbel, Miro Gondrum et al.· Nature· 1 citation
ABSTRACT Microplastics (MPs) accumulation in ecosystem and human organs poses urgent environmental and health risks, yet few enzymes efficiently degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) under physiological conditions. We leveraged deep learning to mine unexplored sequence space across 246 million proteins, discovering AhPETase, an evolutionarily distinct hydrolase with low homology (<50% sequence identity) to known PET‐degrading enzymes. This noncanonical biocatalyst efficiently depolymerizes PET at 37°C, outperforming all typical PETases and achieving a 7.76‐fold enhancement over IsPETase, one of the most representative mesophilic PETases. Additionally, engineered variant AhPETaseM1 retains functional activity for over 20 days under physiological conditions and can degrade post‐consumer PET MPs 34‐fold faster than recombinant human‐derived enzyme MG8 (rMG8) under equal enzyme loading. Critically, it reversed PET‐induced toxicity in human lung and colon cells, establishing the first proof‐of‐concept for enzymatic MPs detoxification.
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The introduction of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators has transformed the therapeutic landscape of cystic fibrosis. CFTR modulators target specific functional defects in the CFTR protein, improving its folding, trafficking, gating, or conductance depending on mutation class. As CFTR modulators become the standard of care, emerging data highlight not only their transformative benefits but also knowledge gaps regarding long-term outcomes, variability in therapeutic response, effects on early disease, and extra-pulmonary implications for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) complications. Additionally, access, tolerability, and the needs of individuals with rare or non-modulator-responsive mutations remain important challenges. This article aims to provide a summary of recent literature pertaining to CFTR modulators. Through this summary, we seek to enhance the knowledge of the growing body of evidence guiding the next era of CF care, in which disease modification at the molecular level is increasingly achievable.
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