Nanoprobes and nanoswitches

Research Topics

Mechanics and nanostructure of biomembranes / Molecular self-assembling / Electrochemical STM-STS / Nanoelectrochemistry / Optical switches and protein nanoengineering

The group’s research focuses on developing nanoscale tools to study biological systems. These tools include instrumentation based on proximity probes, such as electrochemical tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy, that we apply to investigate electron transfer in metal oxides and individual redox proteins. These studies are relevant to the development of biosensors and molecular electronics devices.

 

 

Prof. Dr. Sanz, Fausto
Group Leader


Dept. Química Física | Universitat de Barcelona | Martí i Franquès 1 | 08028 | Barcelona
Email: fsanz @ ibecbarcelona.eu

Crystal structure of redox protein azurin (Protein Data Bank entry: 1AZU) displaying its solvent accessible surface (gold) superimposed on the tertiary structure (rainbow) and a red sphere indicating the copper ion. When an atomically flat gold electrode is coated with azurin, the protein can be imaged under potentiostatic control by electrochemical tunneling microscopy (3D rendering of a 100x100nm2 area shown in blue), and its electron transfer properties can be investigated by current-distance spectroscopy (Juan Manuel Artés et al., ACS Nano 2011).

In particular, we have recently published a method to measure directly the distance decay constant that characterizes the rate of electron transfer (ET) in redox proteins, and we have reported single protein junctions consisting of azurin bridged between a gold substrate and the probe of an electrochemical tunneling microscope, which constitute a proof-of-principle of a single redox protein field-effect transistor. Another set of nanotools that we are developing is based on molecular actuators that can be switched with light, such as azobenzene, which can be chemically attached to biomolecules in order to optically control their activity.

 

 

Representation of the invasive manipulation of neuronal activity by means of a conventional glass electrode in contact with the neuron on the left, and noninvasively by means of a focalized light beam over the green neuron on the right (Photomontage: Mercè Izquierdo).








We are specifically interested in the processes of neurotransmitter secretion by exocytosis and membrane recycling by endocytosis, which are the fundamental phenomena that occur at the synaptic terminal and that participate in the communication between neurons. We have recently set up a method to control neurotransmitter exocytosis with light at the presynaptic compartment by activating a calcium-permeable, light-gated glutamate receptor (LiGluR) in cultured cells. Presynaptic expression of LiGluR in hippocampal neurons enables direct and reversible control of neurotransmission with light, and has allowed for the first time to modulate the firing rate of the postsynaptic neuron with the wavelength of illumination.

• Prof. Dr. Pau Gorostiza | Group Leader
• Prof. Dr. Fausto Sanz | Group Leader
• Dr. Ismael Díez Pérez | Senior Researcher
• Dr. Marina Ines Giannotti | Senior Researcher
• Dr. Mireia Oliva | Senior Researcher
• Dr. Kay Eckelt | Postdoctoral Researcher
• Dr. Ana Trapero | Postdoctoral Researcher
• Fernanda Andrade | PhD Student
• Antonio Bautista | PhD Student
• Albert Cortijos | PhD Student
• Javier Hoyo | PhD Student
• Mercè Izquierdo | PhD Student
• Andrés Martín Quirós | PhD Student
• Helena Masanas | PhD Student
• Anna Palacios | PhD Student
• Silvia Pittolo | PhD Student
• Marta Pozuelo | PhD Student
• Kobra Arab | Master Student
• Marcel Ferley Leyton | Master Student
• Montse López | Master Student
• Dra. Núria Camarero | Senior Technician
• Ariadna Pérez | Laboratory Technician

• Madrigal, M., Giannotti, M. I., Oncins, G., Franco, L., Armelin, E., Puiggali, J., Sanz, F., del Valle, L. & Aleman, C. (2013). Bioactive nanomembranes of semiconductor polythiophene and thermoplastic polyurethane: thermal, nanostructural and nanomechanical properties. Polym. Chem., 4, 568-583.
• Izquierdo, M., Trauner, D., Llobet, A. & Gorostiza, P. (2013). Optical modulation of neurotransmission using calcium photocurrents through the ion channel LiGluR. Front. Mol. Neurosci.
• Shan, X., Díez Pérez, I., Wang, L., Wiktor, P., Gu, Y., L., Z., W., W., Lu, J., Wang, S., Gong, Q. & Tao, N. (2012). Imaging the electrocatalytic activity of single nanoparticles. Nature Nanotechnology, epub ahead of print, 7(10), 668-672.
• Artés, J. M., Díez Pérez, I. & Gorostiza, P. (2012). Transistor-like Behavior of Single Metalloprotein Junctions. Nano Letters, 12(6), 2679–2684.
• Díez Pérez, I., Li, Z., Guo, S., Madden, C., Huang, H., Che, Y., Yang, X., Zang, L. & Tao, N. (2012). Ambipolar transport in an electrochemically gated single-molecule field-effect transistor. ACS Nano, 6(8), 7044-7052.
• Artés, J. M., Lopez-Martinez, M., Giraudet, A., Díez Pérez, I., Sanz, F. & Gorostiza, P. (2012). Current-Voltage Characteristics and Transition Voltage Spectroscopy of Individual Redox Proteins. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134(50), 20218–20221.
• Redondo, L., Oncins, G. & Sanz, F. (2012). Force Spectroscopy Reveals the Effect of Different Ions in the Nanomechanical Behavior of Phospholipid Model Membranes: The Case of Potassium Cation. Biophysical Journal, 102(1), 66-74.
• Redondo, L., Giannotti, M. I. & Sanz, F. (2012). AFM-based force-clamp monitors lipid bilayer failure kinetics. Langmuir, 28, 6403-6410.
• Redondo, L., Giannotti, M. I. & Sanz, F. (2012). Influence of Cholesterol on the Phase Transition of Lipid Bilayers: A Temperature-Controlled Force Spectroscopy Study. Langmuir, 28(35), 12851–12860.
• Caballero-Briones, F., Palacios-Padrós, A., Calzadilla, O., Moreira, I. D. & Sanz, F. (2012). Disruption of the chemical environment and electronic structure in p-type Cu2O films by alkaline doping. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 116(25), 13524-13535.
• Darwish, N., Díez Pérez, I., Guo, S., Tao, N., Gooding, J. J. & Paddon-Row, M. N. (2012). Single molecular switches: Electrochemical gating of a single anthraquinone-based norbornylogous bridge molecule. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 116(39), 21093-21097.
• Izquierdo, M., Trauner, D., Llobet, A. & Gorostiza, P. (2012). Optical control of calcium-regulated exocytosis. Biochim Biophys Acta., epub ahead of print, 1830(3), 2853–2860.
• Gorostiza, P. (2012). Control celular mediante luz. Investigación y Ciencia, 433, 11-12.
• Hoyo, J., Guaus, E., Torrent-Burgués, J. & Sanz, F. (2012). Electrochemical behaviour of mixed LB films of ubiquinone - DPPC. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 669, 6-13.
• Redondo, L., Giannotti, M. I. & Sanz, F (2012). Stability of Lipid Bilayers as Model Membranes: Atomic Force Microscopy and Spectroscopy Approach. In Baró, A. M. & Reifenberger, R. G. (editors), in Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid. Weinheim, Germany : Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.KGaA.
• Díez Pérez, I., Hihath, J., Hines, T., Wang, Z., Zhou, G., Mullen, K. & Tao, N. (2011). Controlling single-molecule conductance through lateral coupling of π orbitals. Nat Nanotechnol., 6(4), 226-31.
• C., S., Mas-Torrent, M., Crivillers, N., Lloveras, V., Artés, J. M., Gorostiza, P., Veciana, J. & Rovira, C. (2011). A robust molecular platform for non-volatile memory devices with optical and magnetic responses. Nature Chemistry, 3, 359–364.
• Artés, J. M., Díez Pérez, I., Sanz, F. & Gorostiza, P. (2011). Direct measurement of electron transfer distance decay constants of single redox proteins by electrochemical tunneling spectroscopy. ACS Nano, 5(3), 2060–2066.
• Roa, J., Oncins, G., Diaz, J., Capdevila, X., Sanz, F. & Segarra, M. (2011). Study of the friction, adhesion and mechanical properties of single crystals, ceramics and ceramic coatings by AFM. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 31(4), 429-449.
• Roa, J., Oncins, G., Diaz, J., Sanz, F. & Segarra, M. (2011). Calculation of young's modulus value by means of AFM. Recent Patents on Nanotechnology,, 5(1), 27-36.
• Gorostiza, P. & Isacoff, E (2011). Photoswitchable ligand-gated ion channels. In Chambers, J., J., Kramer & H., R. (editors), Photosensitive molecules for controlling biological function. Saskatoon, Canada, Springer.
• Giannotti, M. I., Kutnyanszky, E. & Vancso, G. J (2010). Force spectroscopy of single polymer chains with atomic force microscopy. In Goh, N. T. (editor), Scanning Probe Microscopy. World Scientific Pub Co.
• Garcia-Manyes, S., Redondo, L., Oncins, G. & Sanz, F. (2010). Nanomechanics of Lipid Bilayers: Heads or Tails?. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 132(37), 12874-86.
• Caballero-Briones, F., Palacios-Padrós, A., Calzadilla, O. & Sanz, F. (2010). Evidence and analysis of parallel growth mechanisms in Cu2O films prepared by Cu anodization. Electrochimica Acta, 55(14), 4353 - 4358.
• Garcia-Manyes, S. & Sanz, F. (2010). Nanomechanics of lipid bilayers by force spectroscopy with AFM: A perspective. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes, 1798(4), 741 - 749.
• Caballero-Briones, F., Artés, J. M., Díez-Pérez, I., Gorostiza, P. & Sanz, F. (2009). Direct Observation of the Valence Band Edge by in Situ ECSTM-ECTS in p-Type Cu2O Layers Prepared by Copper Anodization. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 113(3), 1028-1036.
• Giannotti, M. I., Shi, W., Zou, S., Schönherr, H. & Vancso, G. J (2009). Stretching and rupturing single covalent and associative macromolecules by single molecule force spectroscopy AFM. In Förch, R., Schönherr, H. & Jenkins, A. T. (editors), Surface Design: Applications in Bioscience and Nanotechnology. Wiley-VCH.
• Numano, R., Szobota, S., Lau, A. Y., Gorostiza, P., Volgraf, M., Roux, B., Trauner, D. & Isacoff, E. Y. (2009). Nanosculpting reversed wavelength sensitivity into a photoswitchable iGluR. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(16), 6814-6819.
• Gómez, M. L., Hoppe, C. E., Zucchi, I. A., Williams, R. J., Giannotti, M. I. & López-Quintela, M. A. (2009). Hierarchical Assemblies of Gold Nanoparticles at the Surface of a Film Formed by a Bridged Silsesquioxane Containing Pendant Dodecyl Chains. Langmuir, 25(2), 1210-1217.
• Nussio, M. R., Oncins, G., Ridelis, I., Szili, E., Shapter, J. G., Sanz, F. & Voelcker, N. H. (2009). Nanomechanical Characterization of Phospholipid Bilayer Islands on Flat and Porous Substrates: A Force Spectroscopy Study. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 113(30), 10339-10347.
• Oncins, G., Vericat, C. & Sanz, F. (2008). Mechanical properties of alkanethiol monolayers studied by force spectroscopy. jcp, 128(4), 044701/1-044701/9.
• Gorostiza, P. & Isacoff, E. Y. (2008). Optical Switches for Remote and Noninvasive Control of Cell Signaling. Science, 322(5900), 395-399.
• Olmedo, I., Araya, E., Sanz, F., Medina, E., Arbiol, J., Toledo, P., Álvarez-Lueje, A., Giralt, E. & Kogan, M. J. (2008). How Changes in the Sequence of the Peptide CLPFFD-NH2 Can Modify the Conjugation and Stability of Gold Nanoparticles and Their Affinity for β-Amyloid Fibrils. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 19(6), 1154-1163.
• Gorostiza, P. & Isacoff, E. Y. (2008). Nanoengineering Ion Channels for Optical Control. Physiology, 23(5), 238-247.
• Oncins, G., Torrent-Burgues, J. & Sanz, F. (2008). Nanomechanical Properties of Arachidic Acid Langmuir−Blodgett Films. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 112(6), 1967-1974.
• Arimon, M., Grimminger, V., Sanz, F. & Lashuel, H. A. (2008). Hsp104 Targets Multiple Intermediates on the Amyloid Pathway and Suppresses the Seeding Capacity of A[beta] Fibrils and Protofibrils. Journal of Molecular Biology, 384(5), 1157 - 1173.
• Caballero-Briones, F., Palacios-Padrós, A., Na, J. L. & Sanz, F. (2008). Phase tailored, potentiodynamically grown p-Cu2-xTe/Cu layers. Electrochemistry Communications, 10(11), 1684 - 1687.
• Oncins, G., Picas, L., Hernandezborrell, J., Garciamanyes, S. & Sanz, F. (2007). Thermal Response of Langmuir-Blodgett Films of Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine Studied by Atomic Force Microscopy and Force Spectroscopy. Biophysical Journal, 93, 2713-2725.
• Díez Pérez, I., Sanz, F. & Gorostiza, P. (2007). Diving in Solid/Liquid Nanointerfaces. Imaging & Microscopy, 9(1), 61-62.
• Garcia-Manyes, S., Domènech, Ò., Sanz, F., Montero, M. T. & Hernandez-Borrell, J. (2007). Atomic force microscopy and force spectroscopy study of Langmuir-Blodgett films formed by heteroacid phospholipids of biological interest. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes, 1768(5), 1190 - 1198.
• Gorostiza, P. & Isacoff, E. (2007). Optical switches and triggers for the manipulation of ion channels and pores. Mol. BioSyst., 3, 686-704.
• Garcia-Manyes, S., Bucior, I., Ros, R., Anselmetti, D., Sanz, F., Burger, M. M. & Fernández-Busquets, X. (2006). Proteoglycan Mechanics Studied by Single-molecule Force Spectroscopy of Allotypic Cell Adhesion Glycans. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 281(9), 5992-5999.
• Domènech, Ò., Sanz, F., Montero, M. T. & Hernández-Borrell, J. (2006). Thermodynamic and structural study of the main phospholipid components comprising the mitochondrial inner membrane. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes, 1758(2), 213 - 221.
• Torrent-Burgués, J., Pla-Roca, M., Escriche, L., Casabó, J., Errachid, A. & Sanz, F. (2006). Characterization of Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films of a thiomacrocyclic ionophore by surface pressure and AFM. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 301(2), 585 - 593.
• Díez Pérez, I., Sanz, F. & Gorostiza, P. (2006). Electronic barriers in the iron oxide film govern its passivity and redox behavior: Effect of electrode potential and solution pH. Electrochemistry Communications, 8(10), 1595 - 1602.
• Díez-Pérez, I., Güell, A. G., Sanz, F. & Gorostiza, P. (2006). Conductance Maps by Electrochemical Tunneling Spectroscopy To Fingerprint the Electrode Electronic Structure. Analytical Chemistry, 78(20), 7325-7329.
• Oncins, G., Torrent-Burgues, J. & Sanz, F. (2006). Lateral force microscopy study of Langmuir-Blodgett films of a macrocyclic compound. Tribology Letters, 21(3), 175-184.
• Díez Pérez, I., Vericat, C., Gorostiza, P. & Sanz, F. (2006). The iron passive film breakdown in chloride media may be mediated by transient chloride-induced surface states located within the band gap. Electrochemistry Communications, 8(4), 627 - 632.
• Ferreira, A. A., Colli, W., Alves, M. J., Oliveira, D. R., Costa, P. I., Güell, A. G., Sanz, F., Benedetti, A. V. & Yamanaka, H. (2006). Investigation of the interaction between Tc85-11 protein and antibody anti-T. cruzi by AFM and amperometric measurements. Electrochimica Acta, 51(24), 5046 - 5052.
• Díez Pérez, I., Sanz, F. & Gorostiza, P. (2006). In situ studies of metal passive films. Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science, 10(3-4), 144 - 152.
• Garcia-Manyes, S., Gorostiza, P. & Sanz, F. (2006). Titration Force Microscopy on Supported Lipid Bilayers. Analytical Chemistry, 78(1), 61-70.
• Garcia-Manyes, S., Oncins, G. & Sanz, F. (2005). Effect of Temperature on the Nanomechanics of Lipid Bilayers Studied by Force Spectroscopy. Biophysical Journal, 89(6), 4261 - 4274.
• Garcia-Manyes, S., Oncins, G. & Sanz, F. (2005). Effect of Ion-Binding and Chemical Phospholipid Structure on the Nanomechanics of Lipid Bilayers Studied by Force Spectroscopy. Biophysical Journal, 89(3), 1812 - 1826.
• Garcia-Manyes, S., Güell, A. ~., Sanz, F. & Gorostiza, P. (2005). Nanomechanics of silicon surfaces with atomic force microscopy: An insight to the first stages of plastic deformation. Journal of Chemical Physics, 123(11), 114711.
• Arimon, M., Sanz, F., Giralt, E. & Carulla, N. Template-assisted lateral growth of amyloid-beta42 fibrils studied by differential labeling with gold nanoparticles. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 23(1), 27-32.

Projects

• OPTICALBULLET Neurosecretion by Remote Control of Exocytosis and Endocytosis with Light (2008-2013) EU - Ideas - Starting Grants. Pau Gorostiza
• FOCUS: Single Molecule Activation and Computing EU - Cooperation - ICT. Pau Gorostiza (partner)
  
• Optogenetic pacemaking to rewire neural circuits Fundació La Marató TV3. Pau Gorostiza (partner)
  
• Bioelectrochemistry and Nanotechnologies (2009-SGR-277) Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR). Convocatòria d’ajuts per donar suport a les activitats dels grups de recerca de Catalunya (2009-2013). Fausto Sanz
• Single-BioET Single-molecule junction capabilities to map the electron pathways in redox bio-molecular architectures Marie Curie FP7-PEOPLE-IRG (International Re-integration Grants). Ismael Díez and Pau Gorostiza

Collaborations

• Prof. Jesús Giraldo Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona


• Prof. Francisco Ciruela ICREA and Universitat de Barcelona


• Prof. Amadeu Llebaria Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona (Spain)


• Prof. Ernest Giralt Dept. de Química Orgànica, UB (Spain)


• Prof. Miquel Àngel Pericàs Institut Català d’Investigació Química (ICIQ), Tarragona (Spain)


• Dr. Piotr Bregestovski Institut de Neurobiologie de la Mediterraneé (INMED), Marseille (France)


• Dra. Mireia Oliva Dept. Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain


• Dr. Artur Llobet Dept. Patología y Terapéutica Experimental, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain


• Dr. Joan Torrent Escola Universitària d'Òptica i Optometria de Terrassa, Spain


• Dr. Dirk Trauner Dept. Chemistry, UC Berkeley, United States


• Dr. Carles Solsona Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics Dept, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

• iMic molecular imaging system
• Electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) for molecular imaging
• Asylum Research Molecular Force Probe
• Multimode SPM Nanoscope III (SCT-UB)
• Autolab potentiostat
• Patch clamp setup with Heka EPC10 amplifier, Olymp
• Molecular Imaging Electrochemical STM with Nanotec

06/02/2013

IBEC researcher awarded prestigious ERC top-up grant

It has been announced that IBEC’s Pau Gorostiza (left, with the Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches group) is one of the researchers selected to benefit from the European Research Council (ERC)’s top-up funding scheme 'Proof of Concept'.

26/11/2012

"Control celular mediante luz"

The Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches group's research into light as a tool to manipulate biological and pharmacological processes remotely and non-invasively was featured in Investigación y Ciencia, the Spanish version of Scientific American.

17/09/2012

Imaging the electrocatalytic activity of single nanoparticles

An IBEC researcher has collaborated on a paper published in Nature Nanotechnology that outlines an effective new way to characterize and improve nanoparticle catalysts, which play essential roles in biomedicine, industry and everyday life by affecting the rate at which chemical reactions take place.

7/07/2011

"Líders en recerca: Pau Gorostiza, aportant llum a l’activitat cel·lular"

Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches group leader and ICREA professor Pau Gorostiza is featured in an interview in Recercat, the online newsletter of the Commission for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Economy and Knowledge.

28/03/2011

Two papers for Nanoprobes group

IBEC researchers have found a way to measure the rate of electron transfer (ET) – an important process which is essential in many chemical and biological processes such as cellular respiration and photosynthesis – at the single-molecule level.

02/03/2011

Electromechanics at the nanoscale

Flick a switch, turn a knob or pull a lever and you’re operating an electromechanical device, albeit a complex one. Now an IBEC researcher and his collaborators have broken new ground with a proven concept for the first such electronic component to operate using just a single-molecule electrical contact.

21/02/2011

Funding from RecerCaixa for photopharmacology project

ICREA group leader Pau Gorostiza’s project ‘Development of light-modulated ligands for remote, non-invasive regulation of neuropathic pain’ was announced today as one of the first twenty projects to be chosen for funding by a brand new programme, RecerCaixa.

13/02/2011

RecerCaixa video about photopharmacology project

Pau Gorostiza features in a short video produced by funders RecerCaixa about the project 'Development of light-modulated ligands for remote, non-invasive regulation of neuropathic pain', of which he is the coordinator.

22/10/2010

Telethon funds for collaborative project

A scientific project involving IBEC researchers has received a funding boost of €475,000 from Fundació La Marató de TV3.