Raman Spectroscopy / Ezine
SNPs at a snip: SERS spots singles
Date: Aug 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy can be used to detect single nucleotide substitutions (the all-important SNPs of genetic variance and personalised medicine) in DNA without the need for labels or indeed any chemical modification of the oligonucleotides.
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Journal Highlight: Revealing the invisible: using SERS to identify minute remnants of color in Winslow Homer's colorless skies
Date: Jul 4, 2011
Author:
SERS spectra were recorded directly on single particles of red lake pigments from an important historical watercolor by the American master Winslow Homer that suffered some degree of fading to reveal accurate colorant identification.
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Cancer signals: Enhancing Raman endoscopy
Date: Jul 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Radioactively labelled gold nanoparticles can assist in a novel endoscopic technique using Raman spectroscopy to look at microscopic structures, including nascent tumours, deep within the body. Preclinical tests carried out using the technology shows that the gold nanoparticles can be administered safely and used to image the inside of the large intestine. The research bodes well for identification of malignant tissue in the earliest stages of colon cancer.
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Journal Highlight: Rapid detection of ricin in milk using immunomagnetic separation combined with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Date: Jun 6, 2011
Author:
A rapid method that combined immunomagnetic separation and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy has been demonstrated for the detection of ricin in whole milk, the feasibility of a portable Raman instrument showing great promise for on-site detection in a processing facility.
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Pure uranium: a Raman first
Date: Jun 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
Scientists at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Tamil Nadu have carried out the first study of "pure" uranium using Raman spectroscopy. The fundamental research offers new insights into this radioactive metal and may even have implication for developments in nuclear energy.
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Journal Highlight: Raman spectroscopic mapping of the carbon and PTFE distribution in gas diffusion layers
Date: May 2, 2011
Author:
Raman microspectroscopy was used to gather spatially resolved chemical information on the carbon and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) distribution of fuel cell gas diffusion layers.
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Sloshing charge: the origin of SERS
Date: May 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
New quantum calculations show how electrical charge can slosh from a target molecule to the metal being used to enhance Raman signals in Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The finding could finally explain the mechanism by which this technique boosts Raman spectra in terms of the chemical contribution to the effect.
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Journal Highlight: Reliable and non-destructive Raman analysis to determine the urea concentration in a cream formulation
Date: Apr 4, 2011
Author:
A reliable and nondestructive analytical method for the determination of urea concentration in a pharmaceutical cream formulation using Raman spectroscopy gave accurate results despite the spectral collection being performed through plastic bottles.
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Testing times for beta-carotene and relatives: Raman clues to cosmeceuticals
Date: Apr 1, 2011
Author: David Bradley
While cosmetic manufacturers tend to avoid producing actual medical effects in skin for fear of their products being subsumed into the pharmaceutical regulatory process, there is a need to understand how so-called "cosmeceuticals" might affect the aging process in skin. Resonance Raman spectroscopy has now been used to study non-invasively the interaction of carotenoid antioxidants with free radicals in the skin.
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Journal Highlight: Raman spectroscopy for the analysis of coal: a review
Date: Mar 7, 2011
Author:
Work published on the Raman characterization of the natural organic matter of coals has been reviewed and preliminary results of the natural inorganic matter of various South African coals were reported.
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