Biology subjects

De Wael, K.

Publications and source records attributed to De Wael, K..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Clamp the LAMP: a photoelectrochemical platform for KRAS mutation detection via wild-type blocking

KRAS mutations are among the most prevalent oncogenic alterations in colorectal, lung, and pancreatic cancer, yet their detection remains analytically challenging in the presence of an overwhelming wild-type (WT) background. Here, we report a photoelectrochemical (PEC) genotyping platform that integrates clamp-inhibited loop-mediated isothermal amplification (C-LAMP) with enzyme-free singlet oxygen (1O2)-driven PEC transduction for mutation-selective KRAS detection. Locked nucleic acid (LNA) clamp probes selectively suppress WT amplification during isothermal amplification, enriching mutant alleles and enabling single-nucleotide variant (SNV) discrimination with high selectivity. Amplified products are magnetically captured and transduced into photocurrent via visible-light-induced 1O2 redox cycling, eliminating enzymatic reporters and reducing background interference. The C-LAMP/PEC platform achieves a limit of detection of 35 copies {micro}L-1 (58 aM) and a minimum detectable variant allele frequency (VAF) of 4.8% in heterogeneous mutant/WT genomic DNA mixtures. Analytical performance was validated in cancer cell lines and in patient-derived fresh frozen tissues, showing complete concordance with Nanopore sequencing and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) within the evaluated cohort (n = 16). This work introduces a robust and modular PEC biosensing strategy that combines molecular WT suppession with enzyme-free photoelectrochemistry, offering an economically competitive and instrumentation-simplified approach for clinically relevant KRAS mutation analysis toward decentralized testing.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2025

A hierarchical nickel organic framework confers high conductivity over long distances in cable bacteria

Multi-cellular cable bacteria have evolved a unique machinery that efficiently transports electrons across centimetre-scale distances. Currents flow through a parallel network of periplasmic fibres, which display an extraordinary conductivity for a biological material. However, the conduction mechanism remains elusive as the molecular structure of the fibres has not been resolved. Here, we demonstrate that each fibre embeds a bundle of intertwined nanoribbons, which are built from Nickel Bis(Dithiolene) (NiBiD) repeat units that are formed by linking nickel centres with ethenetetrathiolate ligands. The planar and conjugated NiBiD complexes are aligned and stacked to form an elongated supramolecular coordination network, thus explaining the observed organo-metal electronic properties of the fibres. Our results hence demonstrate that biology is capable of producing extensive metal organic frameworks. These structures enable highly conductive one-dimensional conduits, ensuring efficient charge transport over macroscale distances, thus providing a novel design principle for bio-based, sustainable organo-electronic materials.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Non-enzymatic isothermal strand displacement and amplification (NISDA) does not enable sensitive nucleic acid quantification.

Enzyme-free isothermal amplification methods offer a promising alternative to enzymatic assays for nucleic acid detection, particularly in low-resource settings. The nonenzymatic isothermal strand displacement and amplification (NISDA) assay was recently introduced as a highly sensitive, enzyme-free detection strategy. Here, we attempted to replicate its reported performance. Despite extensive testing, we failed to replicate the reported sensitivity and could only produce detectable signals at extremely high target concentrations ([≥]1 x 1011 copies/{micro}L). Our results highlight the critical importance of independent validation in the development of nonenzymatic diagnostic assays.

molecular biology↗