We describe a method for direct, quantitative, in vivo lipid profiling of oil-producing microalgae using single-cell laser-trapping Raman spectroscopy. This approach is demonstrated in the quantitative determination of the degree of unsaturation and transition temperatures of constituent lipids within microalgae. These properties are important markers for determining engine compatibility and performance metrics of algal biodiesel. We show that these factors can be directly measured from a single living microalgal cell held in place with an optical trap while simultaneously collecting Raman data. Cellular response to different growth conditions is monitored in real time. Our approach circumvents the need for lipid extraction and analysis that is both slow and invasive. Furthermore, this technique yields real-time chemical information in a label-free manner, thus eliminating the limitations of impermeability, toxicity, and specificity of the fluorescent probes common in currently used protocols. Although the single-cell Raman spectroscopy demonstrated here is focused on the study of the microalgal lipids with biofuel applications, the analytical capability and quantitation algorithms demonstrated are applicable to many different organisms and should prove useful for a diverse range of applications in lipidomics.lipid analysis | bioenergy T he global concerns surrounding unabated fossil fuel consumption and the risk of significant environmental impact caused by the associated greenhouse gas emissions, compounded by potential challenges associated with land-based biofuels, have renewed significant interest in microalgae as an alternative feedstock for the production of biodiesel and other biofuels (1). Microalgae hold considerable promise because of their ability to synthesize and store lipids, such as fatty acids and triacylglycerols (TAGs), which can be readily converted into biodiesel (fatty acid methyl or ethyl esters) through relatively simple chemical reactions (2). Small yet efficient, microalgae are attractive for many reasons, including their rapid, cost-effective, and resource-efficient production on nonarable land or photobioreactors (3), with impaired water, and for especially significant lipid production-up to 20-50% of their total dry weight, with examples of up to 80% under certain conditions reported (4). It has been estimated that lipid production of microalgae could be 30 times more efficient in terms of relative production of lipids per acre per year than any other terrestrial plant oil feedstock (2, 5).Under optimal growth conditions, microalgae synthesize fatty acids in the form of various glycerol-based membrane lipids primarily for structural and functional roles (6). In contrast, adverse environmental or metabolic stress conditions such as nutrient limitation, commonly referred to as "lipid trigger" conditions, result in an increase in carbon partitioning and accumulation of substantial proportions of neutral lipids (20-50% of dry weight), primarily in the form of TAGs. The TAGs are a form of...

We describe a method for direct, quantitative, in vivo lipid profiling of oil producing microalgae using single-cell laser-trapping Raman spectroscopy (LTRS). This approach is demonstrated in the quantitative determination of the degree of unsaturation and transition temperatures of constituent lipids within microalgae. These properties are important markers for determining engine compatibility and performance metrics of algal biodiesel. We show that these factors can be directly measured from a single living microalgal cell held in place with an optical trap while simultaneously collecting Raman data. Cellular response to different growth conditions is monitored in real time. Our approach circumvents the need for lipid extraction and analysis that is both slow and invasive. Furthermore, this technique yields real-time chemical information in a label-free manner, thus eliminating the limitations of impermeability, toxicity and specificity of the fluorescent probes used in other common protocols. Although the single-cell Raman spectroscopy demonstrated here is focused on the study of the microalgal lipids with biofuel applications, the analytical capability and quantitation algorithms demonstrated are applicable to many different organisms, and should prove useful for a diverse range of applications in lipidomics.

Detailed in this study are the results of fluorometric assays used to assess the impact of gradual nutrient limitation versus punctuated nitrate limitation on the lipid content and morphology of Neochloris oleoabundans cells in batch culture. Punctuated nitrate limitation was imposed during pre-log, log, late-log, stationary, and senescent growth phases, and the cells were analyzed by bulk fluorescence emission, flow cytometry, and hyperspectral fluorescence imaging. In addition to intrinsic spectroscopic signatures provided by scatter and endogenous fluorescence, Nile Red staining was employed to monitor relative changes in lipid concentration. Analysis of the fluorescence images and temporal data sets was performed using multivariate curve resolution and fitting to logistic growth models to extract parameters of interest. The spectral components independently isolated from the image and temporal data sets showed close agreement with one another, especially relating to chlorophylls and Nile Red in polar and neutral lipid fractions, respectively. The fastest accumulation and highest total neutral lipid per cell and per chlorophyll were obtained with punctuated nitrate limitation during log phase growth on day 4 of culture. The presence of unbound chlorophyll in the resulting lipid bodies supports a membrane recycling TAG accumulation mechanism mediated by chloropolast-ER lipid exchange. Furthermore, an increase in cell size, indicated by forward scatter, was also found to correlate with increased neutral lipid, providing a size selection mechanism for passive harvest of algal cells at peak lipid enrichment.

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC), the most common gastrointestinal cancer, is associated with high mortality rates. Enolase is a major enzyme present in the glycolytic pathway. However, the functional significance of the enolase (ENO) gene family in the pathogenesis of CRC has been unclear. Material/Methods The data associated with 438 CRC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were extracted for analysis. Survival analyses with Cox regression was performed to construct a prognostic signature. We investigated the processes that underlies the correlation between ENO genes and overall survival (OS) using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). We then developed a connectivity map to identify candidate target drugs for CRC. Results The multivariate survival analysis showed that low expression of ENO2 and ENO3 had a significant correlation with longer OS. The joint-effects survival analysis indicated that the combined low expression of ENO2 and ENO3 was highly correlated with favorable OS. As indicated by the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), the ENO gene is involved in various biological pathways and has multiple roles. Potential pharmacological targets of ENO2 and ENO3 were constructed as well. Conclusions Low expression levels of both ENO2 and ENO3 were linked to a positive prognosis for CRC. Both ENO2 and ENO3 show promise as prognostic biomarkers for colon cancer patients.

Native vesicles or "reduced protocells" derived by mechanical extrusion concentrate selected plasma membrane components, while downsizing complexities of whole cells. We illustrate this technique, characterize the physical-chemical properties of these reduced configurations of whole cells, and demonstrate their surface immobilization and patternability. This simple detergent-free vesicularized membrane preparation should prove useful in fundamental studies of cellular membranes, and may provide a means to engineer therapeutic cells and enable high-throughput devices containing near-native, functional proteolipidic assemblies.

The ability to direct proliferation and growth of living cells using chemically and topologically textured surfaces is finding many niche applications, both in fundamental biophysical investigations of cell-surface attachment as well as in developing design principles for many tissue engineering applications. Here we address cellular adhesion behavior on solid patterns of differing wettability (a static substrate) and fluid patterns of membrane topology (a dynamic substrate). We find striking differences in the cellular adhesion characteristics of lipid mono- and bilayers, despite their essentially identical surface chemical and structural character. These differences point to the importance of subtle variations in the physical properties of the lipid mono- and bilayers (e.g., membrane tension and out-of-plane undulations). Furthermore, we find that introducing phosphatidylserine into the patterned lipidic substrates causes a loss of cell-patterning capability. Implications of this finding for the mechanism by which phosphatidylserine promotes cellular adhesion are discussed.

A miniaturized hyperspectral imager is enabled with image sensor integrated with dispersing elements in a very compact form factor, removing the need for expensive, moving, bulky and complex optics that have been used in conventional hyperspectral imagers for decades. The result is a handheld spectral imager that can be installed on miniature UAV drones or conveyor belts in production lines. Eventually, small handhelds can be adapted for use in outpatient medical clinics for point-of-care diagnostics and other in-field applications.

The DNA repair genes have been indicated as candidates in the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Published data on the association between X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3), a critical member of the DNA repair genes, and HCC risk were contradictory. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the effect of XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism on HCC risk by pooling available data from published case-control studies. We calculated the pooled odds ratio (OR) with the corresponding 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) to estimate the effect. Based on the inclusion criteria, six individual studies with 2,288 cases and 3,170 controls were included into our study. Overall, significant association between the XRCC3 Thr241Met variant and HCC risk was observed under the following contrast models (OR Met vs. Thr = 1.68, 95 %CI 1.08-2.62; OR MetMet vs. ThrThr = 5.54, 95 %CI 3.09-9.94; OR MetMet vs. ThrThr + ThrMet = 5.70, 95 % CI 4.24-7.64). Besides, the pooled ORs indicated that the XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism exerted risk effect on the HCC pathogenesis among Asians. Additionally, when stratifying by the status of smoking and hepatitis B virus infection, the XRCC3 Thr241Met variant was significantly associated with HCC risk among the HBsAg (+) individuals but not the HBsAg (-) individuals, smokers, and non-smokers. The present meta-analysis suggests that the XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism is an independent risk factor for HCC, particularly among Asians and the HBsAg (+) individuals.