Publications

Ding, L, Chen, C, Shan, X, Liu, B, Wang, D, Du, Z, Zhao, G, Su, QP, Yang, Y, Halkon, B, Tran, TT, Liao, J, Aharonovich, I, Zhang, M, Cheng, F, Fu, L, Xu, X & Wang, F 2024, 'Optical Nonlinearity Enabled Super‐Resolved Multiplexing Microscopy', Advanced Materials, vol. 36, no. 2.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>

AbstractOptical multiplexing for nanoscale object recognition is of great significance within the intricate domains of biology, medicine, anti‐counterfeiting, and microscopic imaging. Traditionally, the multiplexing dimensions of nanoscopy are limited to emission intensity, color, lifetime, and polarization. Here, a novel dimension, optical nonlinearity, is proposed for super‐resolved multiplexing microscopy. This optical nonlinearity is attributable to the energy transitions between multiple energy levels of the doped lanthanide ions in upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), resulting in unique optical fingerprints for UCNPs with different compositions. A vortex beam is applied to transport the optical nonlinearity onto the imaging point‐spread function (PSF), creating a robust super‐resolved multiplexing imaging strategy for differentiating UCNPs with distinctive optical nonlinearities. The composition information of the nanoparticles can be retrieved with variations of the corresponding PSF in the obtained image. Four channels multiplexing super‐resolved imaging with a single scanning, applying emission color and nonlinearity of two orthogonal imaging dimensions with a spatial resolution higher than 150 nm (1/6.5λ), are demonstrated. This work provides a new and orthogonal dimension – optical nonlinearity – to existing multiplexing dimensions, which shows great potential in bioimaging, anti‐counterfeiting, microarray assays, deep tissue multiplexing detection, and high‐density data storage.

Ding, L, Chen, C, Shan, X, Liu, B, Wang, D, Du, Z, Zhao, G, Su, QP, Yang, Y, Halkon, B, Tran, TT, Liao, J, Aharonovich, I, Zhang, M, Cheng, F, Fu, L, Xu, X & Wang, F 2024, 'Optical Nonlinearity Enabled Super‐Resolved Multiplexing Microscopy (Adv. Mater. 2/2024)', Advanced Materials, vol. 36, no. 2.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Goss, DM, Vasilescu, SA, Vasilescu, PA, Cooke, S, Kim, SHK, Sacks, GP, Gardner, DK & Warkiani, ME 2024, 'Evaluation of an AI-facilitated sperm detection tool in azoospermic samples for use in ICSI', Reproductive BioMedicine Online, pp. 103910-103910.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Lai, N, Chang, G, Yang, Y, He, M, Tang, W, Huang, Q, Zhang, Q, Su, QP, Liao, J, Yang, Y, Wang, C & Wang, R 2024, 'CsPbX3 quantum Dots@ZIF-8 composites with enhanced luminescence emission and stability', Journal of Luminescence, vol. 266, pp. 120280-120280.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Mahmodi, H, Poulton, CG, Leslie, MN, Oldham, G, Ong, HX, Langford, SJ & Kabakova, IV 2024, 'Principal component analysis in application to Brillouin microscopy data', Journal of Physics: Photonics, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 025009-025009.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>

Abstract Brillouin microscopy has recently emerged as a new bio-imaging modality that provides information on the microscale mechanical properties of biological materials, cells and tissues. The data collected in a typical Brillouin microscopy experiment represents the high-dimensional set of spectral information, i.e. each pixel within a 2D/3D Brillouin image is associated with hundreds of points of spectral data. Its analysis requires non-trivial approaches due to subtlety in spectral variations as well as spatial and spectral overlaps of measured features. This article offers a guide to the application of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for processing Brillouin imaging data. Being unsupervised multivariate analysis, PCA is well-suited to tackle processing of complex Brillouin spectra from heterogeneous biological samples with minimal a priori information requirements. We point out the importance of data pre-processing steps in order to improve outcomes of PCA. We also present a strategy where PCA combined with k-means clustering method can provide a working solution to data reconstruction and deeper insights into sample composition, structure and mechanics.

Manandhar, B, Paudel, KR, Clarence, DD, De Rubis, G, Madheswaran, T, Panneerselvam, J, Zacconi, FC, Williams, KA, Pont, LG, Warkiani, ME, MacLoughlin, R, Oliver, BG, Gupta, G, Singh, SK, Chellappan, DK, Hansbro, PM & Dua, K 2024, 'Zerumbone-incorporated liquid crystalline nanoparticles inhibit proliferation and migration of non-small-cell lung cancer in vitro', Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, vol. 397, no. 1, pp. 343-356.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>

AbstractLung cancer is the second most prevalent type of cancer and is responsible for the highest number of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) makes up the majority of lung cancer cases. Zerumbone (ZER) is natural compound commonly found in the roots of Zingiber zerumbet which has recently demonstrated anti-cancer activity in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Despite their medical benefits, ZER has low aqueous solubility, poor GI absorption and oral bioavailability that hinders its effectiveness. Liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNs) are novel drug delivery carrier that have tuneable characteristics to enhance and ease the delivery of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to formulate ZER-loaded LCNs and investigate their effectiveness against NSCLC in vitro using A549 lung cancer cells. ZER-LCNs, prepared in the study, inhibited the proliferation and migration of A549 cells. These inhibitory effects were superior to the effects of ZER alone at a concentration 10 times lower than that of free ZER, demonstrating a potent anti-cancer activity of ZER-LCNs. The underlying mechanisms of the anti-cancer effects by ZER-LCNs were associated with the transcriptional regulation of tumor suppressor genes P53 and PTEN, and metastasis-associated gene KRT18. The protein array data showed downregulation of several proliferation associated proteins such as AXL, HER1, PGRN, and BIRC5 and metastasis-associated proteins such as DKK1, CAPG, CTSS, CTSB, CTSD, and PLAU. This study provides evidence of potential for increasing the potency and effectiveness of ZER with LCN formulation and developing ZER-LCNs as a treatment strategy for mitigation and treatment of NSCLC.

Passarelli, N, Palomba, S, Kabakova, I & de Sterke, CM 2024, 'Rational design of an integrated directional coupler for wideband operation', Applied Optics, vol. 63, no. 14, pp. D28-D28.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>

We consider a design procedure for directional couplers for which the coupling length is approximately wavelength-independent over a wide bandwidth. We show analytically that two coupled planar waveguides exhibit a maximum in the coupling strength, which ensures both wideband transmission and minimal device footprint. This acts as a starting point for mapping out the relevant part of phase space. This analysis is then generalized to the fully three-dimensional geometry of rib waveguides using an effective medium approximation. This forms an excellent starting point for fully numerical calculations and leads to designs with unprecedented bandwidths and compactness.

Razavi Bazaz, S, Sayyah, A, Hazeri, AH, Salomon, R, Abouei Mehrizi, A & Ebrahimi Warkiani, M 2024, 'Micromixer research trend of active and passive designs', Chemical Engineering Science, vol. 293, pp. 120028-120028.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Sadeghirad, H, Yaghoubi Naei, V, O’Byrne, K, Warkiani, ME & Kulasinghe, A 2024, 'In situ characterization of the tumor microenvironment', Current Opinion in Biotechnology, vol. 86, pp. 103083-103083.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Safarkhani, M, Farasati Far, B, Lima, EC, Jafarzadeh, S, Makvandi, P, Varma, RS, Huh, Y, Ebrahimi Warkiani, M & Rabiee, N 2024, 'Integration of MXene and Microfluidics: A Perspective', ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 657-676.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Stylianou, N, Sebina, I, Matigian, N, Monkman, J, Doehler, H, Röhl, J, Allenby, M, Nam, A, Pan, L, Rockstroh, A, Sadeghirad, H, Chung, K, Sobanski, T, O'Byrne, K, Almeida, ACSF, Rebutini, PZ, Machado‐Souza, C, Stonoga, ETS, Warkiani, ME, Salomon, C, Short, K, McClements, L, de Noronha, L, Huang, R, Belz, GT, Souza‐Fonseca‐Guimaraes, F, Clifton, V & Kulasinghe, A 2024, 'Whole transcriptome profiling of placental pathobiology in SARS‐CoV‐2 pregnancies identifies placental dysfunction signatures', Clinical & Translational Immunology, vol. 13, no. 2.
View/Download from: Publisher's site
View description>>

AbstractObjectivesSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) virus infection in pregnancy is associated with higher incidence of placental dysfunction, referred to by a few studies as a ‘preeclampsia‐like syndrome’. However, the mechanisms underpinning SARS‐CoV‐2‐induced placental malfunction are still unclear. Here, we investigated whether the transcriptional architecture of the placenta is altered in response to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.MethodsWe utilised whole‐transcriptome, digital spatial profiling, to examine gene expression patterns in placental tissues from participants who contracted SARS‐CoV‐2 in the third trimester of their pregnancy (n = 7) and those collected prior to the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic (n = 9).ResultsThrough comprehensive spatial transcriptomic analyses of the trophoblast and villous core stromal cell subpopulations in the placenta, we identified SARS‐CoV‐2 to promote signatures associated with hypoxia and placental dysfunction. Notably, genes associated with vasodilation (NOS3), oxidative stress (GDF15, CRH) and preeclampsia (FLT1, EGFR, KISS1, PAPPA2) were enriched with SARS‐CoV‐2. Pathways related to increased nutrient uptake, vascular tension, hypertension and inflammation were also enriched in SARS‐CoV‐2 samples compared to uninfected controls.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate the utility of spatially resolved transcriptomic analysis in defining the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of S...

Su, F, Chen, S, Liu, Y, Zhou, J, Du, Z, Luo, X, Wen, S & Jin, D 2024, 'Lanthanide Complex for Single-Molecule Fluorescent in Situ Hybridization and Background-Free Imaging', Analytical Chemistry, vol. 96, no. 11, pp. 4430-4436.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Xiang, M, Jiang, Y, Zhou, J, Bao, G, Luo, X, Zhang, L, Jin, D, Xian, Y & Zhang, C 2024, 'NIR light-controlled DNA nanodevice for amplified mRNA imaging and precise gene therapy', Nano Today, vol. 54, pp. 102110-102110.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Zhao, F, Guan, Y, Su, F, Du, Z, Wen, S, Zhang, L & Jin, D 2024, 'Lanthanide-Complex-Enhanced Bioorthogonal Branched DNA Amplification', Analytical Chemistry, vol. 96, no. 4, pp. 1556-1564.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Chen, Y-C, Fang, G, Qiao, Z, Zhu, H, Xie, J, Zhou, T, Xiong, Z & Jin, D 2024, 'Single-Cell Laser Emitting Cytometry for Label-Free Nucleolus Fingerprinting', Research Square Platform LLC.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Liu, Y, Cao, Q, Xu, H & Lin, G 2024, 'Flow Tweezing of Anisotropic Magnetic Particles in a Dynamic Magnetic Trap', Research Square Platform LLC.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Mahmodi, H, Poulton, CG, Lesley, MN, Oldham, G, Ong, HX, Langford, SJ & Kabakova, IV 2024, 'Principal Component Analysis in Application to Brillouin Microscopy Data'.

Zhang, L, Guan, Y, Cheng, YY, Cokcetin, NN, Bottomley, AL, Robinson, A, Harry, EJ, van Oijen, A, Su, QP & Jin, D 2024, 'Fast Evolution of SOS-Independent Multi-Drug Resistance in Bacteria', eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Zhang, L, Guan, Y, Cheng, YY, Cokcetin, NN, Bottomley, AL, Robinson, A, Harry, EJ, van Oijen, A, Su, QP & Jin, D 2024, 'Fast Evolution of SOS-Independent Multi-Drug Resistance in Bacteria', eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd.
View/Download from: Publisher's site