Interreg POCTEFA EFA 099/01. NanoLyme: Toward a new diagnosis of Lyme disease through nanotechnology, atomic spectrometry and artificial intelligence artificial

@article{nokey,

title = {Ions with Ions, Entities with Entities: A Proof-of-Concept Study Using the SELM-1 Yeast Certified Reference Material for Intra- and Extracellular Se Quantification via Single-Cell ICP-Mass Spectrometry},

author = {Antonio Bazo and Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez and Ana Rua-Ibarz and Maite Aramendía and Martín Resano},

url = {https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c01588},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c01588},

issn = {1520-6882},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-06-07},

urldate = {2025-06-07},

journal = {Anal. Chem.},

abstract = {In this work, two novel nanoparticle (NP)-based calibration strategies, external calibration and a relative method, have been explored for single-cell ICP-mass spectrometry (SC-ICP-MS) analysis. The fundamental principle of these methods is to rely on individual entities (well-characterized NPs of the target analyte) for calibration rather than on ionic standard solutions. The performance of the NP-based calibration approaches has been compared to that of the reference method (particle size with AuNP standards). In addition to the intracellular Se content (mass per individual cell), the extracellular Se (dissolved fraction) was also determined directly and simultaneously using the average background from the SC-ICP-MS time-resolved signal. The figures-of-merit of the methods developed have been evaluated by relying on the analysis of the SELM-1 cell-certified reference material, consisting of Se-enriched yeast cells, and certified for its total Se content (intracellular + extracellular Se). All methods successfully determined the Se elemental contents, but an improvement in accuracy and precision was observed for the NP-based methods compared to the reference one. Furthermore, the NP-based methods were found to be less time-consuming, more straightforward, and more user-friendly in terms of calculations. These results open new avenues for calibration in quantitative SC-ICP-MS analysis and call for a fundamental change in the methodology, where the determination of ionic contents is based on the use of ionic standard solutions for calibration, while the determination of elemental contents in discrete micro/nanoentities, such as cells, should ideally be based on calibration using standard entities, thus avoiding the need to calculate a transport efficiency coefficient.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{NAKADI2025127920,

title = {LAMIS in the gas phase: A new approach for obtaining Ca elemental and isotopic information via CaF molecule formation},

author = {Flávio V. Nakadi and Alicia Garcia-Garcia and Ana Rua-Ibarz and Martín Resano},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039914025004102},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2025.127920},

issn = {0039-9140},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

urldate = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Talanta},

volume = {292},

pages = {127920},

abstract = {This work introduces a novel method for generating the calcium monofluoride (CaF) diatomic molecule by adding the molecule-forming reagent in the gaseous phase (a methyl fluoride-argon mixture), in order to perform laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS) measurements. By optimizing the instrumental parameters, CaF molecule formation was successfully achieved within the plasma plume, upon ablation of dried liquid samples. The isotopic shift for the X2Σ→A2Π (0,1) CaF vibronic transition at 583.0 nm was calculated to be 292.3 pm. The method proved capable of providing quantitative information for determining calcium concentrations in real samples, such as tap water and skimmed milk, using internal standardization (with Sr as internal standard; limit of detection, LOD, 20 mg L−1) and isotope dilution (which can be applied from 400 mg L−1on), respectively. Partial least squares regression (PLS) analysis was employed to enhance the quality of the isotopic data. The Ca concentration found in the tap water was 47 ± 16 mg L−1 (reference flame atomic absorption spectrometry, FAAS, value: 59 ± 0.2 mg L−1), and 1100 ± 140 mg L−1 for the skimmed milk (reference FAAS value: 1240 ± 120 mg L−1). No significant difference between LIBS and FAAS results could be established using a t-test at the 95% confidence level. Overall, this novel approach allows for the determination of calcium in terms of both the elemental concentration and the isotopic composition, thus broadening the applicability of LIBS (e.g., for tracer experiments, besides the already mentioned application of isotope dilution).},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{BAZO2024343305,

title = {Intensity- and time-based strategies for micro/nano-sizing via single-particle ICP-mass spectrometry: A comparative assessment using Au and SiO2 as model particles},

author = {Antonio Bazo and Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez and Ana Rua-Ibarz and Maite Aramendía and Martín Resano},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003267024011061},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2024.343305},

issn = {0003-2670},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

urldate = {2024-01-01},

journal = {Analytica Chimica Acta},

volume = {1331},

pages = {343305},

abstract = {Background 

Single-particle ICP-mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) is a powerful method for micro/nano-particle (MNP) sizing. Despite the outstanding evolution of the technique in the last decade, most studies still rely on traditional approaches based on (1) the use of integrated intensity as the analytical signal and (2) the calculation of the transport efficiency (TE). However, the increasing availability of MNP standards and advancements in hardware and software have unveiled new venues for MNP sizing, including TE-independent and time-based approaches. This work systematically examines these different methodologies to identify and summarize their strengths and weaknesses, thus helping to determine their preferred application areas. 

Results 

Different SP-ICP-MS methods for MNP sizing were assessed using AuNPs (20–70 nm) and SiO2MNPs (100–1000 nm). Among TE-dependent approaches, the particle frequency method was characterized by larger uncertainties than the particle size method. The results of the latter were dependent on the appropriate selection of the reference MNP, making the use of multiple reference MNPs recommended. TE-independent methods were based on external (linear and polynomial) calibrations and a relative approach. These methods exhibited the lowest uncertainties of all the strategies evaluated. External calibrations benefited from simpler calculations, but their application could be hindered by a lack of reference MNPs within the desired size range or by the need for interpolations outside the calibration range. Finally, transit time signals are directly proportional to the MNP size rather than its mass. The time-based method demonstrated adequate performance for sizing AuNPs but failed when sizing the largest SiO2MNPs (1000 nm). 

Significance and novelty 

This work provides further insights into the application of different SP-ICP-MS methodologies for MNP sizing. Both TE-independent approaches and the monitoring of the transit time as the analytical signal are underused strategies; in this context, a Python script was developed for accurate transit time measurement. After 20 years of development, a quantitative comparison of the different methodologies, including the most novel approaches, is deemed necessary for further growth on solid theoretical ground.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}