The coupling of aptamers with the coding and amplification features of inorganic nanocrystals is shown for the first time to offer a highly sensitive and selective simultaneous bioelectronic detection of several protein targets. This is accomplished in a single-step displacement assay in connection to a self-assembled monolayer of several thiolated aptamers conjugated to proteins carrying different inorganic nanocrystals. Electrochemical stripping detection of the nondisplaced nanocrystal tracers results in a remarkably low (attomole) detection limit, that is, significantly lower than those of existing aptamer biosensors. The new device offers great promise for measuring a large panel of disease markers present at ultralow levels during early stages of the disease progress.

The diffusion of self-atoms and n-type dopants such as phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony in germanium was studied by means of isotopically controlled multilayer structures doped with carbon. The diffusion profiles reveal an aggregation of the dopants within the carbon-doped layers and a retarded penetration depth compared to dopant diffusion in high-purity natural Ge. Dopant aggregation and diffusion retardation are strongest for Sb and similar for P and As. In addition, the shape of the dopant profiles changes for dopant concentrations in the range of 10 20 cm −3 mainly due to the formation of dopant-vacancy complexes, which is more significant at high concentrations. Accurate modeling of the simultaneous self-diffusion and dopant diffusion is achieved on the basis of the vacancy mechanism and additional reactions that take into account the formation of neutral carbon-vacancy-dopant and neutral dopant-vacancy complexes. The stability of these complexes is compared to theoretical calculations published recently and to additional calculations presented in Part II. The overall consistency between the experimental and theoretical results supports the stabilization of donor-vacancy complexes in Ge by the presence of carbon and the dopant deactivation via the formation of dopant-vacancy and carbon-vacancy-dopant complexes.

The interaction between dental pulp derived mesenchymal stem cells (DP-MSCs) and three different tantalum nanotopographies with and without a fibronectin coating is examined: sputter-coated tantalum surfaces with low surface roughness <0.2 nm, hut-nanostructured surfaces with a height of 2.9 +/- 0.6 nm and a width of 35 +/- 8 nm, and dome structures with a height of 13 +/- 2 nm and a width of 52 +/- 14 nm. Using ellipsometry, the adsorption and the availability of fibronectin cell-binding domains on the tantalum surfaces were examined, as well as cellular attachment, proliferation, and vinculin focal adhesion spot assembly on the respective surfaces. The results showed the highest fibronectin mass uptake on the hut structures, with a slightly higher availability of cell-binding domains and the most pronounced formation of vinculin focal adhesion spots as compared to the other surfaces. The proliferation of DP-MSCs was found to be significantly higher on dome and hut surfaces coated with fibronectin compared to the uncoated flat tantalum surfaces. Consequently, the results presented in this study indicate that fibronectin-coated nanotopographies with a vertical dimension of less than 5 nm influence cell adhesion. This rather interesting behavior is argued to originate from the more available fibronectin cell-binding domains observed on the hut structures.

A new electrochemical DNA sensor providing detection capabilities down to 100 attomol of target DNA has been developed. The method applies CdS, ZnS, and PbS nanoparticles conjugated with short DNA sequences which are immobilized via hybridization with complementary sequences on a gold surface. When the DNA target is added, it can be identified by ousting the existing hybridization between one of the DNA-nanoparticle conjugates and the surface DNA. The nanoparticles remaining at the surface are detected by stripping voltammetry. The setup is constructed to give a signal-off response with a build-in control signal as only one of two different metal sulfide signaling probes on the surface is removed by hybridization with the DNA target. The competition assay is, in principle, label-free since no labels are required for detection after addition of DNA target. The dissociation of PbS nanoparticles from the surface after addition of the DNA target has been imaged by fluid phase AFM.