A convenient renewable surface plasmon resonance chip for relative quantification of genetically modified soybean in food and feed

Novel potent heterocyclic Grb2-SH2 domain antagonists as potential anti-proliferative agents

Growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) plays a critical role in proliferative diseases by binding phosphotyrosine residues on target proteins leading to activation of key pathways. The phosphotyrosyl motif of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) has been utilized as a pharmacophore to identify small molecules that disrupt its interaction with the Grb2 Src Homology 2 (SH2) domain. In this study, we report the hit-to-lead optimization of 11,12,479 synthesizable analogs of previously identified Grb2-SH2 antagonists via virtual screening using AutoDock Vina v1.2.0. ADMET predictions were performed using SwissADME and pkCSM. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted using AMBER v18. The Grb2-SH2 domain was cloned, expressed as a GST fusion protein, and purified for in vitro analysis. Binding interactions of the top compounds were assessed using SPR spectroscopy and competitive ELISA. Five heterocyclic molecules with novel scaffolds demonstrated favorable AutoDock binding affinities, stable binding in MD simulations, and promising ADMET profiles. MMPBSA calculations indicated the strongest binding energy for DO71_2. Per residue decomposition confirmed the maximum contribution of charged pocket residues to the binding energy. SPR determined KD values in the nanomolar range, >50-fold better than the phosphorylated peptide substrate. KD value of the peptide substrate was similar to previously reported values. DO71_2 showed the best KD value (9.4 nM) in consonance with the in silico prediction. ELISA confirmed concentration-dependent, specific binding of all the five compounds to Grb2-SH2. Our findings highlight the potential of these non-peptidic, non-phosphorous-based Grb2-SH2 antagonists as therapeutic agents for proliferative diseases like cancer and cardiac hypertrophy.

Surface plasmonic biosensors: principles, designs and applications

Recently, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors have been widely used in environmental monitoring, food contamination detection and diagnosing medical conditions due to their superior sensitivity, label-free detection and rapid analysis speed. This paper briefly elaborates on the development history of SPR technology and introduces SPR signal sensing principles. A summary of recent applications of SPR sensors in different fields is highlighted, including their figures of merit and limitations. Finally, the personal perspectives and future development trends about sensor preparation and design are discussed in detail, which may be critical for improving the performance of SPR sensors.

A review on the identification of transgenic oilseeds and oils

Transgenic technology can increase the quantity and quality of vegetable oils worldwide. However, people are skeptical about the safety of transgenic oil-bearing crops and the oils they produce. In order to protect consumers' rights and avoid transgenic oils being adulterated or labeled as nontransgenic oils, the transgenic detection technology of oilseeds and oils needs careful consideration. This paper first summarized the current research status of transgenic technologies implemented at oil-bearing crops. Then, an inspection process was proposed to detect a large number of samples to be the subject rapidly, and various inspection strategies for transgenic oilseeds and oils were summarized according to the process sequence. The detection indicators included oil content, fatty acid, triglyceride, tocopherol, and nucleic acid. The detection technologies involved chromatography, spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and polymerase chain reaction. It is hoped that this article can provide crucial technical reference and support for staff engaging in the supervision of transgenic food and for researchers developing fast and efficient monitoring methods in the future.

Advances in Electrochemical Techniques for the Detection and Analysis of Genetically Modified Organisms: An Analysis Based on Bibliometrics

Since the first successful transgenic plants obtained in 1983, dozens of plants have been tested. On the one hand, genetically modified plants solve the problems of agricultural production. However, due to exogenous genes of transgenic plants, such as its seeds or pollen drift, diffusion between populations will likely lead to superweeds or affect the original traits. The detection technology of transgenic plants and their products have received considerable attention. Electrochemical sensing technology is a fast, low-cost, and portable analysis technology. This review interprets the application of electrochemical technology in the analysis and detection of transgenic products through bibliometrics. A total of 83 research articles were analyzed, spanning 2001 to 2021. We described the different stages in the development history of the subject and the contributions of countries and institutions to the topic. Although there were more annual publications in some years, there was no explosive growth in any period. The lack of breakthroughs in this technology is a significant factor in the lack of experts from other fields cross-examining the subject. Through keyword co-occurrence analysis, different research directions on this topic were discussed. The use of nanomaterials with excellent electrical conductivity allows for more sensitive detection of GM crops by electrochemical sensors. Furthermore, co-citation analysis was used to interpret the most popular reports on the topic. In the end, we predict the future development of this topic according to the analysis results.

Recent advances in Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) biosensors for food analysis: a review

Food safety is the prime area of concern that builds trust. With the prevailing advancements, it has become facile to ensure safety in almost all aspects. Technology has grown from tedious lab techniques to modern chromatographic techniques and immunoassays, progressed with more precise and rapid sensing through the advent of Biosensors. Biosensors provide an automated technology by presenting superfast, nondestructive and cost-effective detection in food analysis. SPR biosensor is an optical biosensor known for its versatility and has wider applications in food testing and analysis. It has an optical system for excitation and interrogation of surface plasmons, and a biomolecular recognition element to detect and seize the target analyte present in a sample. The optical signal detects the binding analyte, on the recognition element, which results in a change in refractive index at the surface and modifies the surface plasmons' propagation constant. SPR aids in label-free detection of various components such as adulterants, antibiotics, biomolecules, genetically modified foods, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, microorganisms and microbial toxins in food and assures safety. The distinct advancements of SPR in food analysis have been found and discussed. The review also provides knowledge on the advantages and the key challenges encountered by SPR.