Christopher D. Spicer

Palladium-mediated cell-surface labeling.

Benign C-C bond formation at various sites in cell-surface channels has been achieved through Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of genetically positioned unnatural amino acids containing aryl halide side chains. This enabled site-selective cell surface manipulation of Escherichia coli ; the phosphine-free catalyst caused no cell death at required Pd loadings, suggesting future in vivo application of catalytic metal-mediated bond formation in more complex organisms.

Enhanced articular cartilage by human mesenchymal stem cells in enzymatically mediated transiently RGDS–functionalized collagen–mimetic hydrogels

Graphical abstract

Selective etching of injection molded zirconia-toughened alumina: Towards osseointegrated and antibacterial ceramic implants

Due to their outstanding mechanical properties and excellent biocompatibility, zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) ceramics have become the gold standard in orthopedics for the fabrication of ceramic bearing components over the last decade. However, ZTA is bioinert, which hampers its implantation in direct contact with bone. Furthermore, periprosthetic joint infections are now the leading cause of failure for joint arthroplasty prostheses. To address both issues, an improved surface design is required: a controlled micro- and nano-roughness can promote osseointegration and limit bacterial adhesion whereas surface porosity allows loading and delivery of antibacterial compounds. In this work, we developed an integrated strategy aiming to provide both osseointegrative and antibacterial properties to ZTA surfaces. The micro-topography was controlled by injection molding. Meanwhile a novel process involving the selective dissolution of zirconia (selective etching) was used to produce nano-roughness and interconnected nanoporosity. Potential utilization of the porosity for loading and delivery of antibiotic molecules was demonstrated, and the impact of selective etching on mechanical properties and hydrothermal stability was shown to be limited. The combination of injection molding and selective etching thus appears promising for fabricating a new generation of ZTA components implantable in direct contact with bone. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) is the current gold standard for the fabrication of orthopedic ceramic components. In the present work, we propose an innovative strategy to provide both osseointegrative and antibacterial properties to ZTA surfaces: we demonstrate that injection molding allows a flexible design of surface micro-topography and can be combined with selective etching, a novel process that induces nano-roughness and surface interconnected porosity without the need for coating, avoiding reliability issues. These surface modifications have the potential to improve osseointegration. Furthermore, our results show that the porosity can be used for drug delivery and suggest that the etched surface could reduce bacterial adhesion.

Facet-Dependent Interactions of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide with Gold Nanoparticles: Implications for Fibril Formation and Peptide-Induced Lipid Membrane Disruption

A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of interaction between proteins or peptides and nanomaterials is crucial for the development of nanomaterial-based diagnostics and therapeutics. In this work, we systematically explored the interactions between citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), a 37-amino acid peptide hormone co-secreted with insulin from the pancreatic islet. We utilized diffusion-ordered spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, localized surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to systematically elucidate the underlying mechanism of the IAPP–AuNP interactions. Because of the presence of a metal-binding sequence motif in the hydrophilic peptide domain, IAPP strongly interacts with the Au surface in both the monomeric and fibrillar states. Circular dichroism showed that AuNPs triggered the IAPP conformational transition from random coil to ordered structures (α-helix and β-sheet), and TEM imaging suggested the acceleration of IAPP fibrillation in the presence of AuNPs. MD simulations revealed that the IAPP–AuNP interactions were initiated by the N-terminal domain (IAPP residues 1–19), which subsequently induced a facet-dependent conformational change in IAPP. On a Au(111) surface, IAPP was unfolded and adsorbed directly onto the Au surface, while for the Au(100) surface, it interacted predominantly with the citrate adlayer and retained some helical conformation. The observed affinity of AuNPs for IAPP was further applied to reduce the level of peptide-induced lipid membrane disruption.

Electrospun aniline-tetramer-co-polycaprolactone fibers for conductive, biodegradable scaffolds

Conjugated polymers have been proposed as promising materials for scaffolds in tissue engineering applications. The restricted processability and biodegradability of conjugated polymers limit their use for biomedical applications however. Here we synthesised a block-co-polymer of aniline tetramer and PCL (AT-PCL), and processed it into fibrous non-woven scaffolds by electrospinning. We showed that fibronectin (Fn) adhesion was dependant on the AT-PCL oxidative state, with a reduced Fn unfolding length on doped membranes. Furthermore, we demonstrated the cytocompatibility and potential of these membranes to support the growth and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 over 21 days.

Synthesis of Hetero-bifunctional, End-Capped Oligo-EDOT Derivatives.

Summary Conjugated oligomers of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) are attractive materials for tissue engineering applications and as model systems for studying the properties of the widely used polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). We report here the facile synthesis of a series of keto-acid end-capped oligo-EDOT derivatives (n = 2–7) through a combination of a glyoxylation end-capping strategy and iterative direct arylation chain extension. Importantly, these structures not only represent the longest oligo-EDOTs reported but are also bench stable, in contrast to previous reports on such oligomers. The constructs reported here can undergo subsequent derivatization for integration into higher-order architectures, such as those required for tissue engineering applications. The synthesis of hetero-bifunctional constructs, as well as those containing mixed-monomer units, is also reported, allowing further complexity to be installed in a controlled manner. Finally, we describe the optical and electrochemical properties of these oligomers and demonstrate the importance of the keto-acid in determining their characteristics.

Achieving Controlled Biomolecule–Biomaterial Conjugation

The conjugation of biomolecules can impart materials with the bioactivity necessary to modulate specific cell behaviors. While the biological roles of particular polypeptide, oligonucleotide, and glycan structures have been extensively reviewed, along with the influence of attachment on material structure and function, the key role played by the conjugation strategy in determining activity is often overlooked. In this review, we focus on the chemistry of biomolecule conjugation and provide a comprehensive overview of the key strategies for achieving controlled biomaterial functionalization. No universal method exists to provide optimal attachment, and here we will discuss both the relative advantages and disadvantages of each technique. In doing so, we highlight the importance of carefully considering the impact and suitability of a particular technique during biomaterial design.

Duplex-Specific Nuclease-Amplified Detection of MicroRNA Using Compact Quantum Dot–DNA Conjugates

Advances in nanotechnology have provided new opportunities for the design of next-generation nucleic acid biosensors and diagnostics. Indeed, combining advances in functional nanoparticles, DNA nanotechnology, and nuclease-enzyme-based amplification can give rise to new assays with advantageous properties. In this work, we developed a microRNA (miRNA) assay using bright fluorescent quantum dots (QDs), simple DNA probes, and the enzyme duplex-specific nuclease. We employed an isothermal target-recycling mechanism, where a single miRNA target triggers the cleavage of many DNA signal probes. The incorporation of DNA-functionalized QDs enabled a quantitative fluorescent readout, mediated by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based interaction with the DNA signal probes. Our approach splits the reaction in two, performing the enzyme-mediated amplification and QD-based detection steps separately such that each reaction could be optimized for performance of the active components. Target recycling gave ca. 3 orders of magnitude amplification, yielding highly sensitive detection with a limit of 42 fM (or 1.2 amol) of miR-148, with excellent selectivity versus mismatched sequences and other miRNAs. Furthermore, we used an alternative target (miR-21) and FRET pair for direct and absolute quantification of miR-21 in RNA extracts from human cancer and normal cell lines.

Probing amylin fibrillation at an early stage via a tetracysteine-recognising fluorophore

Amyloid fibrillation is a nucleation-dependent process known be involved in the development of more than 20 progressive and chronic diseases. The detection of amyloid formation at the nucleation stage can greatly advance early diagnoses and treatment of diseases. In this work, we developed a new assay for the early detection of amylin fibrillation using the biarsenical dye 4,5-bis(1,3,2-dithiarsolan-2-yl)fluorescein (FlAsH), which could recognise tetracysteine motifs and transform from non-fluorescent form into strongly fluorescent complexes. Due to the close proximity of two cysteine residues within the hydrophilic domain of amylin, a non-contiguous tetracysteine motif can form upon amylin dimerisation or oligomerisation, which can be recognised by FlAsH and emit strong fluorescence. This enables us to report the nucleation-growth process of amylin without modification of the protein sequence. We showed that the use of this assay not only allowed the tracking of initial nucleation events, but also enabled imaging of amyloid fibrils and investigation of the effects of amyloid inhibitor/modulator toward amylin fibrillation.