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Highly efficient and multidimensional extraction of targets from complex matrices using aptamer-driven recognition

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Abstract

Adsorbents are widely employed in both fundamental and applied research areas such as separation technology, biotechnology, and environmental science. Selectivity and reusability are two most important requirements for adsorbents. Aptamers exhibit perfect selectivity and easy regeneration, which make them uniquely effective adsorption materials. Herein, we have rationally designed novel aptamer-based adsorbents and investigated their performance in extraction/separation of targets from an aqueous solution. These adsorbents can selectively extract targets from complicated sample matrices containing background compounds. Moreover, they can also be easily recycled without a significant loss of adsorption capacity. Notably, the adsorbents did not affect the activity of isolated biological samples, revealing their potential for the purification/separation of biomolecules. Composite adsorbents were constructed using aptamer-based adsorbents and a porous polymer, displaying highly efficient target separation from aqueous solution. Finally, separation columns were constructed, and targets in the aqueous solution were efficiently separated by these columns. The aptamerbased adsorbents described here exhibit great promise for potential applications in separation technology, biotechnology, and environment-related areas.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51272186 and 21422105), “A Foundation for the Author of National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation of P. R. China” (No. 201220), and Ten Thousand Talents Program for Young Talents. Q. Y. thanks for large-scale instrument and equipment sharing foundation of Wuhan University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Jie Wang, Haijing Shen, Chi Huang, Qinqin Ma, Yaning Tan, Fenglei Jiang & Quan Yuan

  2. Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China

    Chao Ma

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  1. Jie Wang
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  3. Chi Huang
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  8. Quan Yuan
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Correspondence to Quan Yuan.

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Wang, J., Shen, H., Huang, C. et al. Highly efficient and multidimensional extraction of targets from complex matrices using aptamer-driven recognition. Nano Res. 10, 145–156 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1273-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1273-9

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