We developed a ratiometric optical oxygen nanosensor using a near-infrared oxygen indicator and a stable reference dye. We demonstrated its applicability through a microwell plate assay in which we observed oxygen consumption in brewing yeast.
Flash nanoprecipitation
(FNP) is an efficient and scalable nanoparticle
synthesis method that has not previously been applied to nanosensor
fabrication. Current nanosensor fabrication methods have traditionally
exhibited poor replicability and consistency resulting in high batch-to-batch
variability, highlighting the need for a more tunable and efficient
method such as FNP. We used FNP to fabricate nanosensors to sense
oxygen based on an oxygen-sensitive dye and a reference dye, as a
tool for measuring microbial metabolism. We used fluorescence spectroscopy
to optimize nanosensor formulations, calibrate the nanosensors for
oxygen concentration determination, and measure oxygen concentrations
through oxygen-sensitive dye luminescence. FNP provides an effective
platform for making sensors capable of responding to oxygen concentration
in gas-bubbled solutions as well as in microbial environments. The
environments we tested the sensors in are
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa
biofilms and
Saccharomyces
cerevisiae
liquid cultures—both settings where
oxygen concentration is highly dependent on microbial activity. With
FNP now applied to nanosensor fabrication, future nanosensor applications
can take advantage of improved product quality through better replicability
and consistency while maintaining the original function of the nanosensor.
A method utilizing oxygen-sensitive nanosensor technology to monitor the oxygen consumption dynamics of living biofilms as they are exposed to antibiotics. This method provides information on the MBIC as well as kinetic response.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.