“Pomegranate-like” lanthanide nanoprobes achieve record sensitivity for early cancer screening
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 4-Jun-2026 13:16 ET (4-Jun-2026 17:16 GMT/UTC)
Dendritic mesoporous silica-lanthanide fluoride (DMS-CeF3:Tb) nanocomposites with a pomegranate-like architecture have been fabricated through a facile in situ enrichment strategy. The strong single-particle luminescence and long photoluminescence lifetime of DMS-CeF3:Tb nanoprobes enabled an ultrasensitive immunoassay for prostate specific antigen (PSA) with a detection limit of 41 fg mL-1, which represents a 976-fold improvement over a commercial PSA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Validation with PCa serum samples revealed a strong correlation with the hospital’s electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, confirming the clinical applicability of the nanoprobes. Additionally, targeted imaging and in vitro detection of cervical cancer cells were realized utilizing biotinylated DMS-CeF3:Tb nanoprobes, enabling rapid cancer screening. These findings reveal the great potential of DMS-CeF3:Tb as an efficient nano-bioprobe for early cancer diagnosis.
In a new study published in China Welding, researchers have optimized pulse frequency in local dry underwater laser welding (LDU-LW) of Q355B steel. The optimized pulsed laser process significantly improves weld formation, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, offering a reliable solution for underwater repair and manufacturing of marine engineering structures.
A large-scale study with data from Brazilian Cerrado streams found that about half of the field sampling effort preserved the ability of most habitat and biological indices to distinguish stream disturbance levels, while greatly reducing time and costs. Macroinvertebrate indices remained robust under reduced sampling, and only fish richness was more sensitive to lower effort. The findings suggest that faster, more cost-effective stream assessments could support biomonitoring programs in tropical regions with limited funding.
Researchers developed an automated cold plasma and bubble system for dual modality function of treating food-industry wastewater and transforming into nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer for hydroponic farming. This automated electrified flow system runs on a low energy, reduced wastewater organic load while simultaneously improving plant growth, offering a scalable and promising route toward sustainable agriculture and water reuse.