Ajeet Kaushik

Iron oxide nanoparticles–chitosan composite based glucose biosensor

Iron oxide (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles prepared using co-precipitation method have been dispersed in chitosan (CH) solution to fabricate nanocomposite film on indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass plate. Glucose oxidase (GOx) has been immobilized onto this CH-Fe(3)O(4) nanocomposite film via physical adsorption. The size of the Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles estimated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been found to be approximately 22 nm. The CH-Fe(3)O(4) nanocomposite film and GOx/CH-Fe(3)O(4)/ITO bioelectrode have been characterized using UV-visible and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, respectively. This GOx/CH-Fe(3)O(4)/ITO nanocomposite bioelectrode has response time of 5s, linearity as 10-400 mgdL(-1) of glucose, sensitivity as 9.3 microA/(mgdLcm(2)) and shelf life of about 8 weeks under refrigerated conditions. The value of Michaelis-Menten (K(m)) constant obtained as 0.141 mM indicates high affinity of immobilized GOx towards the substrate (glucose).

Zinc oxide nanoparticles-chitosan composite film for cholesterol biosensor.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (NanoZnO) uniformly dispersed in chitosan (CHIT) have been used to fabricate a hybrid nanocomposite film onto indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass plate. Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) has been immobilized onto this NanoZnO-CHIT composite film using physiosorption technique. Both NanoZnO-CHIT/ITO electrode and ChOx/NanoZnO-CHIT/ITO bioelectrode have been characterized using Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques, respectively. The ChOx/NanoZnO-CHIT/ITO bioelectrode exhibits linearity from 5 to 300 mg dl(-1) of cholesterol with detection limit as 5 mg dl(-1), sensitivity as 1.41x10(-4) A mg dl(-1) and the value of Michaelis-Menten constant (K(m)) as 8.63 mg dl(-1). This cholesterol biosensor can be used to estimate cholesterol in serum samples.

Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Nanocomposite-Based Gas Sensors for Environmental Monitoring

Environmental Monitoring Ajeet Kaushik,*,†,‡ Rajesh Kumar,*,‡,§ Sunil K. Arya, Madhavan Nair,† B. D. Malhotra, and Shekhar Bhansali‡ †Center for Personalized Nanomedicine, Institute of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, Department of Immunology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States ‡Bio-MEMS Microsystems Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33174, United States Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India Bioelectronics Program, Institute of Microelectronics, A*Star, 11 Science Park Road, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Delhi 110042, India

A nanostructured cerium oxide film-based immunosensor for mycotoxin detection

Rabbit-immunoglobulin antibodies (r-IgGs) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been immobilized onto sol-gel-derived nanostructured cerium oxide (nanoCeO(2)) film fabricated onto an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) coated glass plate to detect ochratoxin-A (OTA). Broad reflection planes obtained in x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal the formation of CeO(2) nanostructures. Electrochemical studies reveal that nanoCeO(2) particles provide an increased electroactive surface area for loading of r-IgGs with desired orientation, resulting in enhanced electron communication between r-IgGs and electrode. BSA/r-IgGs/nano CeO(2)/ITO immunoelectrode exhibits improved characteristics such as linear range (0.5-6 ng dl(-1)), low detection limit (0.25 ng dl(-1)), fast response time (30 s) and high sensitivity (1.27 microA ng(-1) dl(-1) cm(-2)). The high value of the association constant (K(a), 0.9 x 10(11) l mol(-1)) indicates the high affinity of the BSA/r-IgGs/nanoCeO(2)/ITO immunoelectrode to OTA.

Nanostructured zinc oxide platform for cholesterol sensor

Nanostructured zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) film has been fabricated onto indium tin oxide (ITO) containing preferred (002) plane and 10 nm crystallite size using sol-gel technique for immobilization of cholesterol oxidase (ChOx). Electrochemical response of ChOx/nano-ZnO/ITO bioelectrode determined as a function of cholesterol concentration using cyclic voltammetry technique reveals improved detection range (5–400 mg/dl), low detection limit (0.5 mg/dl), fast response time (10 s), sensitivity (0.059 μA/mg dl−1 cm−2), and low value (0.98 mg/dl) of Michaelis–Menten constant (Km). It is shown that nano-ZnO film provides better environment and enhanced electron transfer between ChOx and electrode.

Nanostructured zinc oxide platform for mycotoxin detection

Nanostructured zinc oxide (Nano-ZnO) film has been deposited onto indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass plate for co-immobilization of rabbit-immunoglubin antibodies (r-IgGs) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) for ochratoxin-A (OTA) detection. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies reveal the formation of Nano-ZnO with average particle size as ~5.0nm. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques have been used to characterize Nano-ZnO/ITO electrode and BSA/r-IgGs/Nano-ZnO/ITO immunoelectrode. Electrochemical impedimetric response of BSA/r-IgGs/Nano-ZnO/ITO immunoelectrode obtained as a function of OTA concentration exhibits linearity as 0.006-0.01nM/dm(3), detection limit of 0.006nM/dm(3), response time as 25s and sensitivity of 189Omega/nM/dm(3)cm(-2) with a regression coefficient of 0.997.

Zinc oxide-chitosan nanobiocomposite for urea sensor

Zinc oxide (ZnO)-chitosan (CH) nanobiocomposite film onto indium-tin-oxide (ITO) coated glass has been used to immobilize urease (Urs) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) for urea detection. The presence of ZnO nanoparticles in CH results in its increased surface area and enhanced electron transfer kinetics. The Urs-GLDH/CH-ZnO/ITO bioelectrode characterized using electrochemical, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscopy studies exhibit linearity of 5–100mg∕dl, detection limit of 3mg∕dl, response time of 10s, reproducibility as 20 times, and shelf life of 3months. The low Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) value (4.92mg∕dl) indicates enhanced affinity of enzyme with nanobiocomposite.

A low-cost miniaturized potentiostat for point-of-care diagnosis

This paper presents a novel approach of using a miniaturized potentiostat (M-P) chip (LMP91000) to perform full range cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements for the detection of biomarkers. The LMP91000 evaluation board was reconfigured to perform three-electrode CV measurements in order to achieve electrochemical cortisol immunosensing. The microelectrodes for cortisol estimation were fabricated by immobilizing monoclonal anti-cortisol antibody (Anti-M-Cab) onto self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modified Au microelectrodes. The results obtained using the M-P were compared to those obtained using a conventional potentiostat. The M-P was successful in measuring cortisol levels in the range of pM. The outcomes of the studies suggest that M-P can effectively perform biochemical measurements on three electrode systems, enabling the development of miniature systems for point-of-care (POC) diagnosis.

Towards detection and diagnosis of Ebola virus disease at point-of-care

Abstract Ebola outbreak-2014 (mainly Zaire strain related Ebola virus) has been declared most widely spread deadly persistent epidemic due to unavailability of rapid diagnostic, detection, and therapeutics. Ebola virus disease (EVD), a severe viral hemorrhagic fever syndrome caused by Ebola virus (EBOV) is transmitted by direct contact with the body fluids of infected person and objects contaminated with virus or infected animals. World Health Organization (WHO) has declared EVD epidemic as public health emergency of international concern with severe global economic burden. At fatal EBOV infection stage, patients usually die before the antibody response. Currently, rapid blood tests to diagnose EBOV infection include the antigen or antibodies capture using ELISA and RNA detection using RT/Q-PCR within 3–10 days after the onset of symptoms. Moreover, few nanotechnology-based colorimetric and paper-based immunoassay methods have been recently reported to detect Ebola virus. Unfortunately, these methods are limited to laboratory only. As state-of-the art (SoA) diagnostics time to confirm Ebola infection, varies from 6h to about 3 days, it causes delay in therapeutic approaches. Thus developing a cost-effective, rapid, sensitive, and selective sensor to detect EVD at point-of-care (POC) is certainly worth exploring to establish rapid diagnostics to decide therapeutics. This review highlights SoA of Ebola diagnostics and also a call to develop rapid, selective and sensitive POC detection of EBOV for global health care. We propose that adopting miniaturized electrochemical EBOV immunosensing can detect virus level at pM concentration within ∼40min compared to 3 days of ELISA test at nM levels.

Getting into the brain: Potential of nanotechnology in the management of NeuroAIDS

In spite of significant advances in antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, the elimination of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoirs from the periphery and the central nervous system (CNS) remains a formidable task. The incapability of ARV to go across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after systemic administration makes the brain one of the dominant HIV reservoirs. Thus, screening, monitoring, and elimination of HIV reservoirs from the brain remain a clinically daunting and key task. The practice and investigation of nanomedicine possesses potentials for therapeutics against neuroAIDS. This review highlights the advancements in nanoscience and nanotechnology to design and develop specific size therapeutic cargo for efficient navigation across BBB so as to recognize and eradicate HIV brain reservoirs. Different navigation and drug release strategies, their biocompatibility and efficacy with related challenges and future prospects are also discussed. This review would be an excellent platform to understand nano-enable multidisciplinary research to formulate efficient nanomedicine for the management of neuroAIDS.