The development of taste transduction and taste chip technology

Taste is one of important sensations. The primary taste sensations commonly are categorized as sweet, acid, bitter, salty and umami, of which various tastes are composed. The sensation of taste is initiated by the interaction of tas- tants with receptors and ion channels in the apical micro- villi of taste receptor cells (TRCs) when some sapid molecules (tastants) dissolve in saliva. Subsequently, through a cellular signaling pathway (TRC depolarization and Ca2+ release) gustatory signals a…     

Computational design of receptor and sensor proteins with novel functions

The formation of complexes between proteins and ligands is fundamental to biological processes at the molecular level. Manipulation of molecular recognition between ligands and proteins is therefore important for basic biological studies and has many biotechnological applications, including the construction of enzymes, biosensors, genetic circuits, signal transduction pathways and chiral separations. The systematic manipulation of binding sites remains a major challenge. Computational design offers enormous generality for engineering protein structure and function. Here we present a structure-based computational method that can drastically redesign protein ligand-binding specificities. This method was used to construct soluble receptors that bind trinitrotoluene, l-lactate or serotonin with high selectivity and affinity. These engineered receptors can function as biosensors for their new ligands; we also incorporated them into synthetic bacterial signal transduction pathways, regulating gene expression in response to extracellular trinitrotoluene or l-lactate. The use of various ligands and proteins shows that a high degree of control over biomolecular recognition has been established computationally. The biological and biosensing activities of the designed receptors illustrate potential applications of computational design.     

Nanostructured ZnO for biosensing applications

Based on the unique properties, nanostructured ZnO could provide a stable immobilization for biomolecules retaining their biological activity. It has been recently developed as a nice candidate for the construction of biosensors with enhanced analytical performance. In this paper, we reviewed the progress in adapting nanostructured ZnO for several predominantly in biosensing applications based on enzymic reaction, immunoreaction, and molecular compitation. We also described several important considerations when working with nanostructured ZnO mainly centered on the fabrications of ZnO and appropriate strategies for biosensor construction (e.g. modified electrodes and multilayered immobilization).     

New advances in virtual plant research

Virtual plants are computer simulations of the growth, development and deployment of plants in a three-dimensional space. Over the past 20 years, significant progress has been made in virtual plant modeling corresponding to the rapid advances in information technology. Virtual plant research has broad applications in agronomy, forestry, ecology, and remote sensing areas. In this review, we attempt to introduce the significance, modeling methodology, and main advances in virtual plant research and applications. The challenges associated with virtual plant modeling in agronomy applications, including the interaction mechanism between plant and environment and root system modeling, are also discussed. Insights into applications of virtual plants in agronomy are given in the areas of performing virtual experiments to accurately quantify the utilization of soil water and nutrients, to design crop ideotype on computers, and to improve crop planting.     

碳点的制备及其生物成像与生物检测应用

碳点(CDs)作为一种新的含碳荧光纳米粒子,由于其良好的生物相容性引起了广泛的关注。碳点不仅被用于生物成像探针,还被用来作为生物传感探针。目前,碳点的合成、结构与性质、荧光机理以及对生物相容性和生物应用的评价等方面都有了很大的进展。从碳点的合成方法、荧光性质以及在生物成像和生物检测应用方面进行了概述,重点阐述了碳点用于荧光比率传感的设计与构建,并对碳点研究的发展方向和应用前景进行了评述与展望。     

Development of planar patch clamp technology and its application in the analysis of cellular electrophysiology

A patch clamp chip, as a novel cell-based chip for electrophysiological recordings, has many prominent advantages such as high resolution, accuracy, high throughput and automation. It can be used to perform multivariate and real-time measurements of cell networks in situ. Therefore, this technology will dramatically promote the research on ionic channels, neuronal networks and the application of this technology in drug screening. This paper reviews the development of planar patch clamp technology and its applications in detail. The latest progress in the research of taste cells electrophysiology and taste transduction is also presented. Finally, this paper analyzes the methodology of neural chips. Based on the current research of our laboratory, the prospective applications of a patch clamp chip in the research of taste sensation and transduction mechanisms at molecular and cellular levels are discussed.     

酶生物传感器的研究进展

简要介绍了酶生物传感器的工作原理、分类以及酶生物传感器在环境监测、食品分析、生物医学等方面的应用,探讨了影响酶传感器研究进展的瓶颈,并展望了其应用前景.     

Cell-based biosensors: Towards the development of cellular monitoring

Cell-based biosensors (CBBs), a research hotspot of biosensors, which treat living cells as sensing elements, can detect the functional information of biologically active analytes. They characterize with high sensitivity, excellent selectivity and rapid response, and have been applied in many fields, such as biomedicine, environmental monitoring and pharmaceutical screening. Recently cell-cultured technology, silicon microfabrication technology and genetic technology have promoted exploration of CBBs dramatically. To elucidate the novel research findings and applications of cell-based biosensors, this paper summarizes various research approaches, presents some challenges and proposes the research trends.     

Ten years＇ venturing in ZnO nanostructures： from discovery to scientific understanding and to technolosy applications

Zinc oxide is a unique material that exhibits semiconducting, piezoelectric and pyroelectric multiple properties. Nanostructures of ZnO are equally important as carbon nanotubes and silicon nanowires （NWs） for nanotechnology, and have great potential applications in nano-electronics, optoelectronics, sensors, field emission, light emitting diodes, photocatalysis, nanogenerators, and nanopiezotronics. Ever since the discovery of nanobelts （NBs） in 2001 by my group, a world wide research in ZnO has been kicked off. This review introduces my group＇s experience in venturing the discovery, understanding and applications of ZnO NWs and NBs. The aim is to introduce the progress made in my research in the last 10 years in accompany to the huge social advances and economic development taking place in China in the last 10 years.     

基于超球覆盖仿生模式识别的指纹点名系统

超球覆盖仿生模式识别方法具有识别速度快、误识率低、易于实现等特点,特别适合于一些实用性较强的应用领域使用.研究了一种基于超球串覆盖的仿生模式识别方法,并应用于指纹点名系统.在对实际教学需求分析的基础上,设计了完整的指纹点名系统软硬件,通过指纹传感器对指纹数据进行采集、预处理、用超球串覆盖算法对指纹图像进行了识别,在嵌入式系统STM32中实现了指纹注册、班级选择、指纹签到、签到次数记录等功能,实验结果显示系统达到预期的效果,解决了课堂实时点名问题.超球串覆盖仿生模式识别方法适用于众多应用领域,通过示例,可以举一反三,将方法复制到其他应用场合.     

Advances in research of mammalian vomeronasal pheromone perception and genetic components unique to vomeronasal signal transduction pathway

The recognition and perception of chemical signals from environments are very important for the survival of organisms. In mammals, general chemical signals are mainly detected by the main olfactory system (MOS), while pheromones are primarily perceived by the vomeronasal system (VNS). Pheromones are chemicals released and recognized by individuals within the same species, which then induce physiological and behavioral changes in social and sexual activities. In this review, we focus on the recent advances on research in mammalian vomeronasal pheromone perception and those genetic components unique to vomeronasal signal transduction pathway, including vomeronasal receptor V1R and V2R gene families as well as transient receptor potential channel 2 gene (TRPC2), trying to shed light on further study of the molecular mechanisms of mammalian pheromone perception.     

光敏异构化智能生物开关

引出光敏异构化智能生物开关的概念，介绍了可逆光敏异构化生物物质的机制和特点，并结合这个领域的研究和发展成果对它作出较全面的讨论，还探讨了可逆我化开关物质在光记忆、电化学控制、生物传感器等方面的应用，并对它的未来前景作出展望。     

酵母耐高温分子机制的研究进展

耐高温是酵母在工业生产中的重要特性之一.近年来,人们对耐高温酵母的应用研究日益重视并取得较大的进展,但其耐高温分子机制尚未明确.目前的研究结果表明,酵母耐高温机制涉及代谢网络调控、信号转导途径及多基因/蛋白共同作用等方面.本文从代谢途径、基因表达、酶活特性和蛋白质相互作用等4个方面综述当前酵母耐高温分子机制的研究进展,...     

量子点在定量分析中的应用研究综述

量子点因其独特而优良的可见区荧光性质已在生物和医学的研究及应用方面取得了很大进展.近年来,量子点的应用已扩展至重金属离子、无机有机分子及药物的定量分析方面.分析和综述了量子点在上述3方面的生物连接方法及定量分析方面的应用,预测了未来发展的方向.     

基于脉冲控制的多智能体系统协同问题研究综述

脉冲控制因其具有鲁棒性强、易实现以及收敛速度快等优点而受到广大研究者的青睐,并广泛应用于多智能体系统协同控制领域。文章对基于脉冲控制策略的多智能体系统协同控制的研究进展进行较为详细的综述,着重介绍脉冲控制协议的设计及脉冲序列生成机制;此外,对多智能体脉冲协同控制理论在实际中的应用进行了相应的介绍;最后,指出多智能体系统脉冲协同控制中几个亟待解决的问题,并对其理论及应用进行了展望。     

Present status and development on biological nitrogen fixation research in China

This presentation introduces the advances in biological nitrogen fixation research abroad, in particular,describes the great progress and achievements on its research in China as follows: collection of rhizobial resources and establishment of the largest database of Rhizobium in China, correction and development of Rhizobium taxonomy in international; discovery of a couple of nif genes, identification and unification of linkage among the nif gene operons of Klebsiella pneumoniae, finding of regulative mechanism of positive regulation nif gene and its sensitivity to oxygen,temperature; finding of the activity of nodulation gene nodD3 product in Sinorhizobium meliloti which is not controlled by flavonoid produced from its host alfalfa; finding of the association between expression of genes coding the products for carbon utilization and nitrogen metabolism and their regulations; chemical synthesis of nodulation factor of Sinorhizobium meliloti; constructions of engineered nitrogen fixers and utilization in practice based on the research of gene expression and regulation; chemical simulation of the structure and function of nitrogenase and bringing forward the model of nitrogenase active center for the first time in international and synthesis of model compounds which were paid attention by colleagues abroad. Finally, the development of nitrogen fixation research in China in future has been put forward, suggesting that the nif gene regulation and its role in providing crops with nitrogen element, signal transduction and molecular interactions between Rhizobium and legume, coupling between carbon and nitrogen metabolisms, nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis, and functional genomics of nitrogen-fixing nodule symbiosis, etc., would be actively worked on.     

Primary structure and functional expression of a cyclic nucleotide-activated channel from olfactory neurons.

Odorant signal transduction occurs in the specialized cilia of the olfactory sensory neurons. Considerable biochemical evidence now indicates that this process could be mediated by a G protein-coupled cascade using cyclic AMP as an intracellular second messenger. A stimulatory G protein alpha subunit is expressed at high levels in olfactory neurons and is specifically enriched in the cilia, as is a novel form of adenylyl cyclase. This implies that the olfactory transduction cascade might involve unique molecular components. Electrophysiological studies have identified a cyclic nucleotide-activated ion channel in olfactory cilia. These observations provide evidence for a model in which odorants increase intracellular cAMP concentration, which in turn activates this channel and depolarizes the sensory neuron. An analogous cascade regulating a cGMP-gated channel mediates visual transduction in photoreceptor cells. The formal similarities between olfactory and visual transduction suggest that the two systems might use homologous channels. Here we report the molecular cloning, functional expression and characterization of a channel that is likely to mediate olfactory transduction.     

森林叶面积指数遥感研究进展

介绍了叶面积指数(LAI)的不同定义,论述了LAI遥感定量估算的经验模型和物理模型.分析了森林LAI遥感定量反演和LAI多尺度问题的国内外研究进展.针对目前的研究进展和存在问题,就森林LAI遥感定量反演的研究趋势和方向进行了展望.     

Comparative chemosensation from receptors to ecology

Odour perception is initiated by specific interactions between odorants and a large repertoire of receptors in olfactory neurons. During the past few years, considerable progress has been made in tracing olfactory perception from the odorant receptor protein to the activity of olfactory neurons to higher processing centres and, ultimately, to behaviour. The most complete picture is emerging for the simplest olfactory system studied--that of the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. Comparison of rodent, insect and nematode olfaction reveals surprising differences and unexpected similarities among chemosensory systems.     

纳米电化学与生物传感器的研究进展

纳米材料的介入为传感器的发展提供了无穷的想象空间,由于其量子尺寸效应和表面效应,可把传感器的性能提高到新水平,使其不仅体积小,而且速度快、精度高、可靠性好,还能实现多功能化和选择检测．目前,纳米材料传感器已成为一个研究亮点,备受瞩目．该文主要就金利通课题组近年来在纳米电化学与生物传感器方面开展的工作进行介绍并对该领域的发展作一展望．