TY - JOUR A1 - Mansurova, Maria A1 - Gotor, Raúl A1 - Johann, Sergej A1 - Neumann, Patrick P. A1 - Bartholmai, Matthias A1 - Rurack, Knut A1 - Bell, Jérémy T1 - Fluorescent Hydrophobic Test Strips with Sterically Integrated Molecular Rotors for the Detection of Hydrocarbons in Water and Soil with an Embedded Optical Read-Out N2 - Contamination of natural bodies of water or soil with oils and lubricants (or generally, hydrocarbon derivatives such as petrol, fuels, and others) is a commonly found phenomenon around the world due to the extensive production, transfer, and use of fossil fuels. In this work, we develop a simple system for the on-field detection of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in water and soil. The test is based on the measurement of the fluorescence signal emitted by the molecular rotor 2-[ethyl[4-[2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethenyl]phenyl]amino]ethanol (4-DNS-OH). This dye is embedded in a hydrophobic polymeric matrix (polyvinylidene fluoride), avoiding interactions with water and providing a robust support for use in a test strip fashion. Together with the strips, an embedded optical system was designed for fluorescence signal read-out, featuring a Bluetooth low-energy connection to a commercial tablet device for data processing and analysis. This system works for the detection and quantification of TPHs in water and soil through a simple extraction protocol using a cycloalkane solvent with a limit of detection of 6 ppm. Assays in surface and sea waters were conclusive, proving the feasibility of the method for in-the-field operation. KW - Test strip KW - Sensor KW - Smartphone KW - Fluorescence KW - Test Streifen KW - Sensoren KW - Fluoreszenz KW - Petrol KW - Öl PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.3c01175 SN - 0887-0624 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, United States AN - OPUS4-57892 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Bell, Jérémy T1 - Droplet-assisted liquid-liquid extraction of fluorescent cargo released from gated sensory nanoparticles in a microfluidic system T2 - Central European Conference on Photochemistry CECP 2014 CY - Bad Hofgastein, Austria DA - 2014-02-09 PY - 2014 N1 - Geburtsname von Buurman, Merwe: Albrecht, M. - Birth name of Buurman, Merwe: Albrecht, M. AN - OPUS4-31308 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Gawlitza, Kornelia A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Die 3D-Mikrofluidik mit molekular geprägten Polymerpartikeln eröffnet neue Möglichkeiten der selektiven Pestizid-Bestimmung in Wasser N2 - 2,4-D ist ein in der Landwirtschaft weitverbreitetes Pflanzenschutzmittel, das Grundwasser kontaminiert, sich innerhalb der Nahrungskette anreichert und Umwelt- und Gesundheitsprobleme verursachen kann. Hier stellen die Autoren ein mikrofluidisches Nachweissystem für die Echtzeitdetektion von 2,4-D in Grund- oder Oberflächenwasser vor. Es basiert auf der Kombination 2,4-D-selektiver, fluoreszierender, molekular geprägter Polymer-(MIP-)Mikropartikel mit einem 3D-mikrofluidischen Extraktions- und Detektionssystem. Messungen vor Ort sollen damit künftig möglich sein. KW - 3D-Mikrofluidik KW - Sensorpartikel KW - MIP KW - Pestizid PY - 2018 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-444781 UR - https://www.labo.de/epaper/LA0318/index.html SN - 0344-5208 IS - 3 SP - 10 EP - 13 PB - WEKA Business Medien GmbH AN - OPUS4-44478 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Gawlitza, Kornelia A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Mit Tröpfchen Spielen N2 - Mikrofluidische Systeme sind leistungsstarke analytische Tools mit attraktiven Eigenschaften wie miniaturisierter Größe, geringem Reagenzien und Probenverbrauch, schneller Ansprech- und kurzer Messzeit. Der Bedarf solcher leistungsstarken, miniaturisierten und direkt vor Ort anwendbaren Sensorsysteme steigt kontinuierlich, hauptsächlich durch das Bedürfnis der Gesellschaft, schneller, besser und umfassender über kritische Faktoren im Lebens- und Arbeitsumfeld sowie der Umwelt informiert zu sein. KW - Mikrofluidik KW - Sensorpartikel PY - 2018 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-459120 UR - https://www.git-labor.de/forschung/umwelt/mit-troepfchen-spielen VL - 8 IS - 8 SP - 2 EP - 4 PB - Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA CY - Weinheim, Deutschland AN - OPUS4-45912 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Gawlitza, Kornelia A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Playing with Droplets N2 - Microfluidic devices are powerful analytical tools with appealing features such as miniaturized size, low reagent and sample consumption, rapid response and short measurement times. As society wants to be ever better, earlier and more comprehensively informed about critical factors in life, work, and the environment, the demand for powerful measurement devices for use outside of the laboratory constantly increases. KW - Microfluidics KW - Sensory particles PY - 2018 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-459131 UR - https://www.laboratory-journal.com/ VL - 4 SP - 2 EP - 4 PB - Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA CY - Weinheim, Deutschland AN - OPUS4-45913 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Abdelshafi, Nahla A. A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Rurack, Knut A1 - Schneider, Rudolf T1 - Microfluidic electrochemical immunosensor for the trace analysis of cocaine in water and body fluids N2 - Quick but accurate testing and on‐the‐spot monitoring of cocaine in oral fluids and urine continues to be an important toxicological issue. In terms of drug testing, a number of devices have been introduced into the market in recent decades, notably for workplace inspection or roadside testing. However, these systems do not always fulfill the requirements in terms of reliability, especially when low cut‐off levels are required. With respect to surface water, the presence of anthropogenic small organic molecules such as prescription and over‐the‐counter pharmaceuticals as well as illicit drugs like cannabinoids, heroin, or cocaine, has become a challenge for scientists to develop new analytical tools for screening and on‐site analysis because many of them serve as markers for anthropogenic input and consumer behavior. Here, a modular approach for the detection of cocaine is presented, integrating an electrochemical enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) performed on antibody‐grafted magnetic beads in a hybrid microfluidic sensor utilizing flexible tubing, static chip and screen‐printed electrode (SPE) elements for incubation, recognition, and cyclic voltammetry measurements. A linear response of the sensor vs. the logarithm of cocaine concentration was obtained with a limit of detection of 0.15 ng/L. Within an overall assay time of 25 minutes, concentrations down to 1 ng/L could be reliably determined in water, oral fluids, and urine, the system possessing a dynamic working range up to 1 mg/L. KW - ELISA KW - Kokain KW - Lab-on-chip KW - Speichel KW - Urin KW - Drogenanalytik KW - Schnelltest KW - Biosensor PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.2515 SN - 1942-7611 VL - 11 IS - 3 SP - 492 EP - 500 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Hoboken, New Jersey, USA AN - OPUS4-46888 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wen, Keqing A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Schwibbert, Karin A1 - Bell, Jérémy T1 - Microfluidic platform with precisely controlled hydrodynamic parameters and integrated features for generation of microvortices to accurately form and monitor biofilms in flow N2 - Microorganisms often live in habitats characterized by fluid flow, and their adhesion to surfaces in industrial systems or clinical settings may lead to pipe clogging, microbially influenced corrosion, material deterioration, food spoilage, infections, and human illness. Here, a novel microfluidic platform was developed to investigate biofilm formation under precisely controlled (i) cell concentration, (ii) temperature, and (iii) flow conditions. The developed platform central unit is a single-channel microfluidic flow cell designed to ensure ultrahomogeneous flow and condition in its central area, where features, e.g., with trapping properties, can be incorporated. In comparison to static and macroflow chamber assays for biofilm studies, microfluidic chips allow in situ monitoring of biofilm formation under various flow regimes and have better environment control and smaller sample requirements. Flow simulations and experiments with fluorescent particles were used to simulate bacteria flow in the platform cell for calculating flow velocity and direction at the microscale level. The combination of flow analysis and fluorescent strain injection in the cell showed that microtraps placed at the center of the channel were efficient in capturing bacteria at determined positions and to study how flow conditions, especially microvortices, can affect biofilm formation. The microfluidic platform exhibited improved performances in terms of homogeneity and robustness for in vitro biofilm formation. We anticipate the presented platform to be suitable for broad, versatile, and high-throughput biofilm studies at the microscale level. KW - Topographical pattern KW - E. coli KW - Fluorescence KW - Bacteria trapping KW - Particle velocimetry PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-610450 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00101 SN - 2373-9878 VL - 10 IS - 7 SP - 4626 EP - 4634 PB - ACS Publ. CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-61045 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sun, Yijuan A1 - Pérez-Padilla, Víctor A1 - Valderrey, Virginia A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Gawlitza, Kornelia A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Ratiometric detection of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids using dual fluorescent nanoparticles and a miniaturised microfluidic platform N2 - The widespread contamination of soil and water with perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has caused considerable societal and scientific concern. Legislative measures and an increased need for remediation require effective on-site analytical methods for PFAS management. Here we report on the development of a green-fluorescent guanidine-BODIPY indicator monomer incorporated into a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the selective detection of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Complexation of PFOA by the indicator, which is mediated by concerted protonation-induced ion pairing-assisted hydrogen bonding, significantly enhances fluorescence in polar organic solvents. The MIP forms as a thin layer on silica nanoparticles doped with tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride, which provides an orange emission signal as internal reference, resulting in low measurement uncertainties. Using a liquid-liquid extraction protocol, this assay enables the direct detection of PFOA in environmental water samples and achieves a detection limit of 0.11 µM. Integration into an opto-microfluidic system enables a compact and user-friendly system for detecting PFOA in less than 15 minutes. KW - PFAS KW - Molecular imprinting KW - Microfluidics KW - Fluorescence KW - Onsite assay PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-650270 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-66872-9 SN - 2041-1723 VL - 16 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-65027 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wen, Keqing A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Schwibbert, Karin A1 - Bell, Jérémy T1 - A microfluidic platform for monitoring biofilm formation in flow under defined hydrodynamic conditions N2 - Bacterial adhesion on surfaces of medical, water and food applications may lead to infections, water or food spoilage and human illness. In comparison to traditional static and macro flow chamber assays for biofilm formation studies, microfluidic chips allow in situ monitoring of biofilm formation under various flow regimes, have better environment control and smaller sample requirements. In this work, a novel microfluidic platform is developed to investigate biofilm adhesion under precisely controlled bacteria concentration, temperature, and flow conditions. This platform central unit is a single-inlet microfluidic flow cell with a 5 mm wide chamber designed and tested to achieve ultra-homogenous flow in the central area of chamber. Within this area, defined microstructures are integrated that will disturb the homogeneity of the flow, thus changing bacterial adhesion pattern. Here we present the monitoring of bacterial biofilm formation in a microfluidic chip equipped with a microstructure known as micro-trap. This feature is based on a 3D bacteria trap designed by Di Giacomo et al. and successfully used to sequester motile bacteria. At first, fluorescent particles similar in size to Escherichia coli (E. coli) are used to simulate bacteria flow inside the flow cell and at the micro-trap. The turbulences induced by the trap are analyzed by imaging and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV). Secondly, the model strain E. coli TG1, ideal and well described for biofilm studies, is used to analyze biofilm formation in the micro-trap. Therefore, a stable fluorescent strain E. coli TG1-MRE-Tn7-141 is constructed by using Tn7 transposon mutagenesis according to the method described by Schlechter et al. Sequestering of E. coli cells within the micro-trap was followed using epifluorescence microscopy. The novel microfluidic platform shows great potential for assessment of bacterial adhesion under various flow regimes. The performance of structural feature with respect to the generation of turbulences that promote or reduce bacterial adhesion can be systematically examined. The combination of flow analysis and fluorescent strain injection into the microfluidic chip shows that the micro-trap is useful for capturing bacteria at defined positions and to study how flow conditions, especially micro-turbulences, can affect biofilm formation. It represents a powerful and versatile tool for studying the relation between topography and bacteria adhesion. T2 - International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences CY - Katowice, Poland DA - 15.10.2023 KW - Biofilm KW - E. coli KW - Microfluidics KW - Velocimetry KW - Fluorescence PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-59593 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prakash, Swayam A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Rapid Onsite Detection of Fecal Contamination in Water Using a Portable Fluorometric Assay N2 - Fecal pollution in water poses significant health risks, especially when contaminated sources are used for drinking and food production. Traditional water quality testing methods are expensive, slow, and require skilled personnel, limiting their accessibility. This work addresses these issues by developing a portable fluorometric assay for the detection of the fecal indicator pigment urobilin (UB). The assay uses silane-functionalized glass fiber strips impregnated with zinc chloride, providing a ‘drop-&-detect’ approach with enhanced fluorescence response mediated by the unique complexation properties of ZnCl2 and UB. This approach allows for the detection of UB at sub-nanomolar concentrations in less than 1 min using a 3D-printed setup with miniaturized optical components powered by a smartphone with its camera as a detector. The results validated with a benchtop fluorometer show the effectiveness of this method. The successful application of this userfriendly, rapid, and sensitive assay to real water samples from three rivers and the influx and efflux of a wastewater treatment plant advances field-based water quality monitoring, meets the WHO’s ASSURED criteria, and supports progress toward the global clean water and sanitation goals. KW - Fecal pigment KW - Fluorescence KW - Signal amplification KW - Surface chemistry KW - Water quality testing PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655543 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.5c03922 SN - 2379-3694 VL - 11 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, D.C. AN - OPUS4-65554 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hernández-García, María Amparo A1 - Rurack, Knut A1 - Bell, Jérémy T1 - Rapid fabrication of optical elements for sensing applications using a standard SLA printer N2 - The demand for compact, high-performance optical components has driven the development of increasingly sophisticated and miniaturized optical elements, often requiring complex and costly fabrication methods. In this study, we propose a cost-effective and accessible methodology for the fabrication of lenses and free-form optics using a commercially available stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer. A systematic characterisation of six transparent photopolymer resins was conducted in terms of their spectroscopic, optical, and morphological properties, i.e., surface and dimensional properties. The evaluation encompassed parameters such as transmittance, autofluorescence, refractive index, and surface roughness. A straightforward yet resilient printing and post-treatment protocol was formulated, facilitating the fabrication of optical components with over 80% transmittance, minimal intrinsic fluorescence, and surface quality that is compatible with exacting optical applications. The fabricated components demonstrated excellent dimensional fidelity to digital designs and high reproducibility. To demonstrate the versatility of this approach, aspherical, miniaturized, and freeform lenses were designed and integrated into three fluorogenic sensing systems, including oil (strip-based) and chlorine (microfluidic-based) detection platforms, as well as a smartphone-based SARS-CoV-2 biosensor. The integration of customized 3D-printed optics has been demonstrated to enhance signal collection and readout performance, thereby highlighting the potential of this approach to democratize the rapid prototyping and deployment of miniaturized optical systems. This work represents a significant advancement in the field of additive manufacturing, particularly in relation to the development of functional photonic devices. Furthermore, it opens new prospects for sensor applications in biosensing, microfluidics, imaging, and integrated optics. KW - 3D-printing KW - Free-form KW - Prototyping KW - Optical resin KW - Surface finishing KW - Fluorescence KW - Sensor PY - 2026 DO - https://doi.org/10.37188/lam.2026.024 VL - 7 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - Light Publishing Group CY - Changchun AN - OPUS4-65555 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Johann, Sergej A1 - Kohlhoff, Harald A1 - Gawlitza, Kornelia A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Mansurova, Maria A1 - Tiebe, Carlo A1 - Bartholmai, Matthias T1 - Semi-automatic Gas Measurement Device Based on Fluorescent Multi-gas Sensors N2 - This paper describes the development of a semi-automatic gas measurement device presenting potentially a broad range of applications, noteworthy in the agricultural sector. Non-reversible fluorescent molecular sensors were designed and syn-thesized. Upon, integration into a hydrogel matrix with an optimal ratio of co-solvents, the sensors reacting selectively to ammonia were illuminated by excitation light to produce a concentration-correlated fluorescence emission. An automated mechanical-elec-trical device initiates a given gas mixture and thus simulates con-centrations similar to a threshold value. The aim of this project is to develop a sensor or a low-cost method which can monitor low concentrations of harmful gases and aid in their elimination or regulation in livestock housing, barns or stables. T2 - IEEE Sensors 2019 CY - Montreal, Canada DA - 27.10.2019 KW - gas analysis KW - fluorescence KW - embedded sensor KW - spectroscopy KW - environment KW - agricultural economy PY - 2019 SN - 978-1-7281-1634-1 SP - 88 EP - 92 PB - IEEE AN - OPUS4-49506 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -