The potential of a single molecular nanoconjugate to intersect all RNA pathways: from gene specific downregulation to silencing the silencers, i.e. siRNA and miRNA pathways, is demonstrated. Gold-nanobeacons are capable of efficiently silencing single gene expression, exogenous siRNA and endogenous miRNAs while yielding a quantifiable fluorescence signal directly proportional to the level of silencing. The silencing potential is comparable to that of traditional siRNA but the same nanoconjugates structure is also capable of reversing the effect of an exogenous siRNA. We further demonstrate the Gold-nanobeacons' efficiency at targeting and silencing miR-21, an endogenous miRNA involved in cancer development, which could become a valid nanotheranostics approach. Again, expression of miR-21 was inhibited with concomitant increase of the Au-nanobeacons' fluorescence that can be used to assess the silencing effect. This way, a single nanostructure can be used to intersect all RNA regulatory pathways while allowing for direct assessment of effective silencing and cell localization via a quantifiable fluorescence signal, making cancer nanotheranostics possible.

The effect of post-deposition annealing temperature on the pH sensitivity of room temperature RF sputtered Ta2O5 was investigated. Structural and morphological features of these films were analyzed before and after annealing at various temperatures. The deposited films are amorphous up to 600 degrees C and crystallize at 700 degrees C in an orthorhombic phase. Electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) field effect based sensors with an amorphous Ta2O5 sensing layer showed pH sensitivity above 50 mV/pH. For sensors annealed above 200 degrees C pH sensitivity decreased with increasing temperature. Stabilized sensor response and maximum pH sensitivity was achieved after low temperature annealing at 200 degrees C, which is compatible with the use of polymeric substrates and application as sensitive layer in oxides TFT-based sensors.

This protocol describes the synthesis and detailed calibration of a gold nanoparticle-based nanobeacon (Au-nanobeacon) as an innovative theranostic approach for detection and inhibition of sequence-specific DNA and RNA for in vitro and ex vivo applications. Under hairpin configuration, proximity to gold nanoparticles leads to fluorescence quenching; hybridization to a complementary target restores fluorescence emission due to the gold nanobeacons’ conformational reorganization that causes the fluorophore and the AuNP to part from each other. This concept can easily be extended and adapted to assist the in vitro evaluation of silencing potential of a given sequence to be later used for ex vivo gene silencing and RNAi approaches, with the ability to monitor real-time gene delivery action. The time range for the entire protocol is  8 days, including synthesis, functionalization and calibration of Au-nanobeacons, RNAi and gene silencing assays.

We report a method centred on gold nanoparticle-based surface-assisted laser desorption/ionisation for analysis of deoxynucleotides and alkylated nucleobases. Gold nanoparticles allow for enhanced analysis capability by eliminating undesired signature peaks; thus more elegant mass spectra can be attained that allow identification by nucleotide mass fingerprint. The resulting fingerprinting patterns on the spectra are compared and associated with the presence of different nucleotides in the sample. This method can be easily extended to modified nucleotides implicated in genome lesions due to exposure to environment chemicals, such as DNA adducts (e.g. guanine adducts). The use of gold nanoparticles for surface-assisted laser desorption/ionisation can be an useful tool to resolve common issues of background noise when analysing nucleic acids samples.

Nanotechnology has emerged as a {"}disruptive technology{"} that may provide researchers with new and innovative ways to diagnose, treat and monitor cancer. In fact, nanomedicine approaches have delivered several strategies, such as new imaging agents, real-time assessments of therapeutic and surgical efficacy, multifunctional, targeted devices capable of bypassing biological barriers to target and silence specific pathways in tumours. Of particular interest, has been the increased capability to deliver multiple therapeutic agents directly to bulk cancer cells and cancer stem cells that play a critical role in cancer growth and metastasis. These multifunctional targeted nanoconjugates are also capable of avoiding cancer resistance and monitor predictive molecular changes that open the path for preventive action against pre-cancerous cells, minimizing costs and incidence of relapses. A myriad of nanoconjugates with effective silencing and site-targeting moieties can be developed by incorporating a diverse selection of targeting, diagnostic, and therapeutic components. A discussion of the integrative effort of nanotechnology systems with recent developments of biomolecular interactions in cancer progression is clearly required. Here, we will update the state of the art related to the development and applications of nanoscale platforms and novel biomolecular players in cancer diagnosis, imaging and treatment.

Nanotechnology has emerged as a {"}disruptive technology{"} that may provide researchers with new and innovativeways to diagnose, treat and monitor cancer. In fact, nanomedicine approaches have delivered several strategies, suchas new imaging agents, real-time assessments of therapeutic and surgical efficacy, multifunctional, targeted devices capableof bypassing biological barriers to target and silence specific pathways in tumours. Of particular interest, has been theincreased capability to deliver multiple therapeutic agents directly to bulk cancer cells and cancer stem cells that play acritical role in cancer growth and metastasis. These multifunctional targeted nanoconjugates are also capable of avoidingcancer resistance and monitor predictive molecular changes that open the path for preventive action against pre-cancerouscells, minimizing costs and incidence of relapses. A myriad of nanoconjugates with effective silencing and site-targetingmoieties can be developed by incorporating a diverse selection of targeting, diagnostic, and therapeutic components. Adiscussion of the integrative effort of nanotechnology systems with recent developments of biomolecular interactions incancer progression is clearly required. Here, we will update the state of the art related to the development and applicationsof nanoscale platforms and novel biomolecular players in cancer diagnosis, imaging and treatment.