title: Smart tissue culture: in situ monitoring of the activity of protease enzymes secreted from live cells using nanostructured photonic crystals.
abstract: Monitoring enzyme secretion in tissue culture has proved challenging because to date the activity cannot be continuously measured in situ. In this Letter, we present a solution using biopolymer loaded photonic crystals of anodized silicon. Shifts in the optical response by proteolytic degradation of the biopolymer provide label-free sensing with unprecedented low detection limits (1 pg) and calculation of kinetic parameters. The enhancement in sensitivity relative to previous photonic crystal sensors constitutes a change in the sensing paradigm because here the entire pore space is responsive to the secreted enzyme rather than just the pore walls. In situ monitoring is demonstrated by detecting secretion of matrix metalloprotease 9 from stimulated human macrophages.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Kristopher A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kilian
authors.forename: Leo M H
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magenau
authors.forename: Siân
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cartland
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Böcking
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di Girolamo
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gal
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gaus
authors.forename: J Justin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gooding
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000201:enzymology; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D017785:Photons; D045663:Quantum Dots
chemical_list: D010447:Peptide Hydrolases