An electrochemical genosensor based on Zinc oxide/platinum-palladium (ZnO/Pt-Pd) modified fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass plate was fabricated for detection of consensus DNA sequence of Dengue virus (DENV) using methylene blue (MB) as an intercalating agent. To achieve it, probe DNA (PDNA) was immobilized on the surface of ZnO/Pt-Pd nanocomposites modified FTO electrode. The synthesized nano-composites were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy. This PDNA modified electrode (PDNA/ZnO/Pt-Pd/FTO) served as a signal amplification platform for the detection of the target hybridized DNA (TDNA). The hybridization between PDNA and TDNA was detected by reduction in current, generated by interaction of anionic mediator, i.e., methylene blue (MB) with free guanine (3\'G) of ssDNA. The sensor showed a dynamic linear range of 1 × 10-6M to 100 × 10-6M with LOD as 4.3 × 10-5 M and LOQ as 9.5 × 10-5 M. Till date, majorly serotype specific biosensors for dengue detection have been developed. The genosensor reported here eliminates the possibility of false result as in case of serotype specific DNA sensor. This is the report where conserved sequences present in all the serotypes of Dengue virus has been employed for fabrication of a genosensor.

In aquatic toxicity testing of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) the process of agglomeration is very important as it may alter bioavailability and toxicity. In the present study, we aimed to identify test conditions that are favorable for maintaining stable ENP suspensions. We evaluated the influence of key environmental parameters: pH (2-12) and ionic strength using M7, Soft EPA (S EPA) medium, and Very Soft EPA (VS EPA) medium; and observed the influence of these parameters on zeta potential, zeta average, and acute immobilization of Daphnia magna for three different ENPs. Despite being sterically stabilized, test suspensions of silver (Ag) ENPs formed large agglomerates in both VS EPA and M7 media; and toxicity was found to be higher in VS EPA medium due to increased dissolution. Low-agglomerate suspensions for zinc oxide (ZnO) could be obtained at pH 7 in VS EPA medium, but the increase in dissolution caused higher toxicity than in M7 medium. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) ENPs had a point of zero charge in the range of pH 7-8. At pH 7 in VS EPA, agglomerates with smaller hydrodynamic diameters (~200nm) were present compared to the high ionic strength M7 medium where hydrodynamic diameters reached micrometer range. The stable suspensions of TiO2 ENPs caused immobilization of D. magna, 48-h EC50 value of 13.7mgL(-1) (95% CI, 2.4mg-79.1mgL(-1)); whereas no toxicity was seen in the unstable, highly agglomerated M7 medium suspensions, 48-h EC50 >100mgL(-1). The current study provides a preliminary approach for methodology in testing and assessing stability and toxicity of ENPs in aquatic toxicity tests of regulatory relevance.

The present study investigated changes in suspension stability and ecotoxicity of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) by addition of Suwannee River natural organic matter and aging of stock and test suspensions prior to testing. Acute toxicity tests of silver (Ag), zinc oxide (ZnO), and titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) ENPs with Daphnia magna were carried out following Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development test guidelines. Daphnia magna was found to be very sensitive to Ag ENPs (48-h 50% effective concentration 33 μg L(-1) ), and aging of the test suspensions in M7 medium (up to 48 h) did not decrease toxicity significantly. Conversely, the presence of Suwannee River natural organic matter (NOM; 20 mg L(-1) ) completely alleviated Ag ENP toxicity in all testing scenarios and did not aid in stabilizing suspensions. In contrast, addition of Suwannee River NOM stabilized ZnO ENP suspensions and did not decrease toxicity. Aging for 48 h generated monotonous concentration-response curves in the presence and absence of Suwannee River NOM. At concentrations up to 100 mg L(-1) TiO2 ENPs did not cause immobilization of D. magna under any of the tested conditions. Presence of Suwannee River NOM caused agglomeration in stock suspensions. The authors\' results suggest that aging and presence of Suwannee River NOM are important parameters in standard toxicity testing of ENPs, which in some cases may aid in gaining better control over the exposure conditions but in other cases might contribute to agglomeration or elimination of ENP toxicity. Therefore, modifications to the current guidelines for testing ENPs should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:497-506. © 2014 SETAC.

Nanometals are manufactured to particle sizes with diameters in the nanometer range and are included in a variety of consumer and health products. There is a lack of information regarding potential effects of these materials on aquatic organisms. Amphibians are regarded as environmental sentinels and demonstrate an exquisite sensitivity to thyroid hormone action, a hormone that is essential for human health. This present study assessed the effect of exposure to nanometals on stress and thyroid hormone signaling in frog tissue using a cultured tail fin biopsy (C-fin) assay derived from Rana catesbeiana tadpoles. The C-fin assay maintains tissue complexity and biological replication while multiple chemical responses can be assessed from the same individual. We tested the ability of nanosilver (0.06 μg/L-5.5 mg/L), quantum dots (0.25 μg/L-22 mg/L), and nanozinc oxide (0.19-10 mg/L) to alter gene expression in the presence or absence of 3,3\',5\'-triiodothyronine (T(3)) using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results were compared to exposure to micrometer-silver, silver nitrate, and micrometer-cadmium telluride. Nanosilver (≥2.75 mg/L) and quantum dots (≥0.22 mg/L) altered the expression of transcripts linked to T(3)- and stress-mediated pathways, while nanozinc oxide had no effect. Lower concentrations of nanosilver (0.6 to 550 μg/L) perturbed T(3)-mediated signaling while not inducing cell stress. The observed effects were orders of magnitude below acute toxicity levels and occurred at or below the current North American water quality guidelines for metals, underscoring the need for evaluating nanoparticles separately from their constituent chemicals.