An insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) is a label-free method that has been extensively utilized for manipulation of nanoparticles, cells, and biomolecules. Here, we present a new iDEP approach that can rapidly trap nanoparticles at the close proximity of a glass nanopipette’s tip by applying 10 V/cm direct current (DC) across the pipette’s length. The trapping mechanism was systemically studied using both numerical modeling and experimental observations. The results showed that the particle trapping was determined to be controlled by three dominant electrokinetic forces including dielectrophoretic, electrophoretic and electroosmotic force. Furthermore, the effect of the ionic strength, the pipette’s geometry, and the applied electric field on the entrapment efficiency was investigated. To show the application of our device in biomedical sciences, we demonstrated the successful entrapment of fluorescently tagged liposomes and unlabeled plasma-driven exosomes from the PBS solution. Also, to illustrate the selective entrapment capability of our device, 100 nm liposomes were extracted from the PBS solution containing 500 nm polystyrene particles at the tip of the pipette as the voltage polarity was reversed.

We report the use of silk fibroin as the gate dielectric material in solution-processed organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as the semiconducting layer. Such OFETs exhibit a low threshold of −0.77 V and a low-operating voltage (0 to −3 V) compatible with the voltage level commonly-used in current electronic industry. The carrier mobility of such OFETs is as high as 0.21 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ in the saturation regime, comparable to the best value of P3HT-based OFETs with dielectric layer that is not solution-processed. The high-performance of this kind of OFET is related with the high content of β strands in fibroin dielectric which leads to an array of fibers in a highly ordered structure, thus reducing the trapping sites at the semiconductor/dielectric interface.

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) pose a significant threat to public health. Effective surveillance and early warning systems that monitor EIDs in a timely manner are crucial for their control. Given that more than half of EIDs are zoonotic, traditional integrated surveillance systems remain inadequate. Despite recent advances in integrated systems in China, there are few systemic reviews on the integrated surveillance and early warning system of EIDs at community level, particularly under the One Health framework. Here, this systematic review summarizes the current status of surveillance advances in China, including the multi-trigger integrated monitor system. It also highlights the mechanisms for embedding the One Health approach into local policy and practice, while identifying challenges and opportunities for improvement. Additionally, guidelines and recommendations are proposed to optimize the integration of multi-sectoral, multi-level and interdisciplinary cooperation at the human-animal-environment interface.

Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) has been widely used as a label-free and rapid characterization method for the analysis of cells in clinical research. However, the related work on exosomes (40–150 nm) and the particles of similar size has not yet been reported. In this study, we developed a new Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) device to rapidly entrap a cluster of sub-micron particles, including polystyrene beads, liposomes, and small extracellular vesicles (exosomes), utilizing an insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) scheme followed by measuring their impedance utilizing an integrated electrical impedance sensor. This technique provides a label-free, fast, and non-invasive tool for the detection of bionanoparticles based on their unique dielectric properties. In the future, this device could potentially be applied to the characterization of pathogenic exosomes and viruses of similar size, and thus, be evolved as a powerful tool for early disease diagnosis and prognosis.