Biosensor and Bioanalytical Microtechniques in Environmental, Food & Clinical Analysis

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2018) | Viewed by 80277

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Istituto di Cristallografia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Salaria Km 29.3, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
Interests: electrochemistry; environmental analytical chemistry; biosensors; sensors and sensing; continuous flow monitoring; immobilization techniques; enzyme inhibitors; lab on a chip; nanostructured electrodes; screen-printed electrodes
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Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Interests: food quality; food safety; food shelf-life extension; food characterization; biosensors; immunosensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A selection of the best works presented during the 12th International Workshop on Biosensors and BioAnalytical Microtechniques for Environmental, Food and Clinical Analyses (BBMEC12) will be collected in this Special Issue. The workshop, held in Rome on 25–29 September, 2017, has evolved since its inception in 1994, from a mainly European-based biosensor conference to a truly international world-wide gathering of our premier biosensor researchers. It ranks among the most important biosensor conferences world-wide. Researches from over 20 countries and typically all major regions of the world, including the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe gather here. In general, the conference is designed with single sessions, and targets the participation of about 150 researchers to provide good bases for in-depth discussions and networking, similar to the Gordon Conferences. BBMEC started in 1994 in Paris and was organized by Marie-Claire Hennion. It was held three times in North America (Las Vegas in 1998, Ithaca in 2001 and Montreal in 2009) and once in India (in 2007). Its associated organization is the International Association of Environmental Analytical Chemistry (IAEAC):


Historical Snapshot of location and chairs of BBMEC conferences

Year

Location

Chair

1994

Paris, France

Marie-Claire Hennion

1996

Lund, Sweden

Jenny Emneus, Lo Gorton

1998

Las Vegas, NV, USA

Jeannette van Emon

1999

Mao, Menorca, Spain

Damian Barcelo

2001

Ithaca, NY, USA

Antje J. Baeumner, Richard Durst

2004

Rome, Italy

Roberto Pilloton

2006

Kusadasi, Turkey

Azmi Telefoncu, Dieter Klockow

2007

Goa, India

Sunil Bhand, Roberto Pilloton

2009

Montreal, Canada

Jean-Francois Masson, Kevin Wilkinson

2011

Weimar, Germany

Karl-Heinz Feller

2015

Regensburg, Germany

Antje J. Bäumner

As for the previous edition in Regesburg (2015), the goal for the 2017 conference is to further develop the successful BBMEC series and implement valuable features from other conferences in order to further increase the conference’s quality and attractiveness. The 12th BBMEC features, thus, include:

Many Invited and Keynote lectures by renowned researchers
Increases the impact on the presentation of cutting-edge ideas
Discussion of unpublished data is mandatory
Increases the importance and urgency of data provided
Increases the need and desire of lively discussions with audience
Increasing the prominence and importance of the poster session
Enables all attendees to prominently discuss their research
Best posters will be selected for prizes
A pre-conference graduate student/postdoc symposium is organized

Enables many young scientists to give oral presentations and discuss among their peers

Keywords: Novel Concepts in Biorecognition, Biosensors, Screening, Array Technology, Imaging, On-site Analysis, Label-free, Application to clinical, food, environmental challenges.

Dr. Roberto Pilloton
Prof. Donatella Albanese
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1680 KiB  
Article
Towards Simazine Monitoring in Agro-Zootechnical Productions: A Yeast Cell Bioprobe for Real Samples Screening
by Gerardo Grasso, Ludovico Caracciolo, Giulia Cocco, Chiara Frazzoli and Roberto Dragone
Biosensors 2018, 8(4), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios8040112 - 15 Nov 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4678
Abstract
Simazine is an herbicide that is able to contaminate surface waters, ground waters, and milk/dairy products, thus posing concerns in both environmental health and food safety. A yeast-based bioprobe was utilized to detect simazine in spiked real samples of livestock drinking water and [...] Read more.
Simazine is an herbicide that is able to contaminate surface waters, ground waters, and milk/dairy products, thus posing concerns in both environmental health and food safety. A yeast-based bioprobe was utilized to detect simazine in spiked real samples of livestock drinking water and raw cow’s milk. Yeast aerobic respiration was taken as short-term toxicological endpoint. We carried out comparative measures of yeast oxygen consumption between simazine-spiked samples and blank samples. Percentage interference (%ρ) on yeast aerobic respiration was calculated through the comparison of aerobic respiration of simazine-exposed and non-exposed yeast cells. The method was optimized for raw cow’s milk samples by using boric acid as fungistatic agent in order to avoid cellular proliferation. Overall, the results have shown that simazine can be detected up to concentrations five times below the EU legal concentration limits for drinking water (0.02 ppb) and cow’s milk (2 ppb) (%ρ values of 18.53% and 20.43% respectively; %RSD ≤ 15%). Dose-effect relationships of simazine were assessed. The findings of the bioassays match reasonably well with known mechanisms of toxicity and intracellular detoxification in yeast. A correlation between fat content in milk samples and analytical performance of the bioprobe was established. Results suggest the involvement of a matrix effect, presumably due to lipid sequestration of simazine. The yeast-based bioprobe has proved to be sensitive and suitable for the detection of simazine in real samples in concentrations of interest. Full article
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11 pages, 3975 KiB  
Article
Development of MoSe2 Nano-Urchins as a Sensing Platform for a Selective Bio-Capturing of Escherichia coli Shiga Toxin DNA
by Jagriti Narang, Annu Mishra, Roberto Pilloton, Alekhya VV, Shikha Wadhwa, Chandra Shekhar Pundir and Manika Khanuja
Biosensors 2018, 8(3), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios8030077 - 14 Aug 2018
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5908
Abstract
The present study was aimed to develop “fluorine doped” tin oxide glass electrode with a MoSe2 nano-urchin based electrochemical biosensor for detection of Escherichia coli Shiga toxin DNA. The study comprises two conductive electrodes, and the working electrodes were drop deposited using [...] Read more.
The present study was aimed to develop “fluorine doped” tin oxide glass electrode with a MoSe2 nano-urchin based electrochemical biosensor for detection of Escherichia coli Shiga toxin DNA. The study comprises two conductive electrodes, and the working electrodes were drop deposited using MoSe2 nano-urchin, and DNA sequences specific to Shiga toxin Escherichia coli. Morphological characterizations were performed using Fourier transforms infrared spectrophotometer; X-ray diffraction technique and scanning electron microscopy. All measurements were done using methylene blue as an electrochemical indicator. The proposed electrochemical geno-sensor showed good linear detection range of 1 fM–100 µM with a low detection limit of 1 fM where the current response increased linearly with Escherichia coli Shiga toxin dsDNA concentration with R2 = 0.99. Additionally, the real sample was spiked with the dsDNA that shows insignificant interference. The results revealed that the developed sensing platform significantly improved the sensitivity and can provide a promising platform for effective detection of biomolecules using minute samples due to its stability and sensitivity. Full article
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11 pages, 7963 KiB  
Article
Development of a β-Lactoglobulin Sensor Based on SPR for Milk Allergens Detection
by Jon Ashley, Roberta D’Aurelio, Monika Piekarska, Jeff Temblay, Mike Pleasants, Linda Trinh, Thomas L. Rodgers and Ibtisam E. Tothill
Biosensors 2018, 8(2), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios8020032 - 27 Mar 2018
Cited by 55 | Viewed by 9193
Abstract
A sensitive and label-free surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based sensor was developed in this work for the detection of milk allergens. β-lactoglobulin (BLG) protein was used as the biomarker for cow milk detection. This is to be used directly in final rinse samples [...] Read more.
A sensitive and label-free surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based sensor was developed in this work for the detection of milk allergens. β-lactoglobulin (BLG) protein was used as the biomarker for cow milk detection. This is to be used directly in final rinse samples of cleaning in-place (CIP) systems of food manufacturers. The affinity assay was optimised and characterised before a standard curve was performed in pure buffer conditions, giving a detection limit of 0.164 µg mL−1 as a direct binding assay. The detection limit can be further enhanced through the use of a sandwich assay and amplification with nanomaterials. However, this was not required here, as the detection limit achieved exceeded the required allergen detection levels of 2 µg mL−1 for β-lactoglobulin. The binding affinities of the polyclonal antibody for BLG, expressed by the dissociation constant (KD), were equal to 2.59 × 10−9 M. The developed SPR-based sensor offers several advantages in terms of label-free detection, real-time measurements, potential on-line system and superior sensitivity when compared to ELISA-based techniques. The method is novel for this application and could be applied to wider food allergen risk management decision(s) in food manufacturing. Full article
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12 pages, 6319 KiB  
Article
Ultrasensitive Determination of Malathion Using Acetylcholinesterase Immobilized on Chitosan-Functionalized Magnetic Iron Nanoparticles
by Núbia Fernanda Marinho Rodrigues, Sakae Yotsumoto Neto, Rita De Cássia Silva Luz, Flávio Santos Damos and Hideko Yamanaka
Biosensors 2018, 8(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios8010016 - 13 Feb 2018
Cited by 51 | Viewed by 6936
Abstract
A renewable, disposable, low cost, and sensitive sensor for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides was constructed by immobilizing the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE), via glutaraldehyde, on magnetic iron nanoparticles (Fe3O4) previously synthesized and functionalized with chitosan (CS). The sensor was [...] Read more.
A renewable, disposable, low cost, and sensitive sensor for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides was constructed by immobilizing the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE), via glutaraldehyde, on magnetic iron nanoparticles (Fe3O4) previously synthesized and functionalized with chitosan (CS). The sensor was denoted AChE/CS/Fe3O4. The magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Acetylthiocholine (ATCh) was incubated with AChE/CS/Fe3O4 and attached to a screen-printed electrode using a magnet. The oxidation of thiocholine (from ATCh hydrolysis) was monitored at an applied potential of +0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl(KClsat) in 0.1 mol L−1 phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.5) as the supporting electrolyte. A mixture of the pesticide malathion and ATCh was investigated using the same procedure, and the results were compared and expressed as inhibition percentages. For determination of malathion, the proposed sensor presented a linear response in the range from 0.5 to 20 nmol L−1 (R = 0.9942). The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.3 and 0.8 nmol L−1, respectively. Real samples were also investigated, with recovery values of 96.0% and 108.3% obtained for tomato and pond water samples, respectively. The proposed sensor is a feasible option for malathion detection, offering a linear response, good sensitivity, and a low detection limit. Full article
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18 pages, 8241 KiB  
Article
A Low-Cost Inkjet-Printed Aptamer-Based Electrochemical Biosensor for the Selective Detection of Lysozyme
by Niazul Islam Khan, Alec G. Maddaus and Edward Song
Biosensors 2018, 8(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios8010007 - 15 Jan 2018
Cited by 55 | Viewed by 13201
Abstract
Recently, inkjet-printing has gained increased popularity in applications such as flexible electronics and disposable sensors, as well as in wearable sensors because of its multifarious advantages. This work presents a novel, low-cost immobilization technique using inkjet-printing for the development of an aptamer-based biosensor [...] Read more.
Recently, inkjet-printing has gained increased popularity in applications such as flexible electronics and disposable sensors, as well as in wearable sensors because of its multifarious advantages. This work presents a novel, low-cost immobilization technique using inkjet-printing for the development of an aptamer-based biosensor for the detection of lysozyme, an important biomarker in various disease diagnosis. The strong affinity between the carbon nanotube (CNT) and the single-stranded DNA is exploited to immobilize the aptamers onto the working electrode by printing the ink containing the dispersion of CNT-aptamer complex. The inkjet-printing method enables aptamer density control, as well as high resolution patternability. Our developed sensor shows a detection limit of 90 ng/mL with high target selectivity against other proteins. The sensor also demonstrates a shelf-life for a reasonable period. This technology has potential for applications in developing low-cost point-of-care diagnostic testing kits for home healthcare. Full article
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Review

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34 pages, 8042 KiB  
Review
Biosensors for Sustainable Food Engineering: Challenges and Perspectives
by Suresh Neethirajan, Vasanth Ragavan, Xuan Weng and Rohit Chand
Biosensors 2018, 8(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios8010023 - 12 Mar 2018
Cited by 133 | Viewed by 19949
Abstract
Current food production faces tremendous challenges from growing human population, maintaining clean resources and food qualities, and protecting climate and environment. Food sustainability is mostly a cooperative effort resulting in technology development supported by both governments and enterprises. Multiple attempts have been promoted [...] Read more.
Current food production faces tremendous challenges from growing human population, maintaining clean resources and food qualities, and protecting climate and environment. Food sustainability is mostly a cooperative effort resulting in technology development supported by both governments and enterprises. Multiple attempts have been promoted in tackling challenges and enhancing drivers in food production. Biosensors and biosensing technologies with their applications, are being widely applied to tackling top challenges in food production and its sustainability. Consequently, a growing demand in biosensing technologies exists in food sustainability. Microfluidics represents a technological system integrating multiple technologies. Nanomaterials, with its technology in biosensing, is thought to be the most promising tool in dealing with health, energy, and environmental issues closely related to world populations. The demand of point of care (POC) technologies in this area focus on rapid, simple, accurate, portable, and low-cost analytical instruments. This review provides current viewpoints from the literature on biosensing in food production, food processing, safety and security, food packaging and supply chain, food waste processing, food quality assurance, and food engineering. The current understanding of progress, solution, and future challenges, as well as the commercialization of biosensors are summarized. Full article
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18 pages, 2400 KiB  
Review
Enzymatic Fuel Cells: Towards Self-Powered Implantable and Wearable Diagnostics
by Carla Gonzalez-Solino and Mirella Di Lorenzo
Biosensors 2018, 8(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios8010011 - 29 Jan 2018
Cited by 99 | Viewed by 11605
Abstract
With the rapid progress in nanotechnology and microengineering, point-of-care and personalised healthcare, based on wearable and implantable diagnostics, is becoming a reality. Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) hold great potential as a sustainable means to power such devices by using physiological fluids as the [...] Read more.
With the rapid progress in nanotechnology and microengineering, point-of-care and personalised healthcare, based on wearable and implantable diagnostics, is becoming a reality. Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) hold great potential as a sustainable means to power such devices by using physiological fluids as the fuel. This review summarises the fundamental operation of EFCs and discusses the most recent advances for their use as implantable and wearable self-powered sensors. Full article
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502 KiB  
Review
Fluorescence-Free Biosensor Methods in Detection of Food Pathogens with a Special Focus on Listeria monocytogenes
by Rajeswaran Radhakrishnan and Palmiro Poltronieri
Biosensors 2017, 7(4), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios7040063 - 20 Dec 2017
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 7523
Abstract
Food pathogens contaminate food products that allow their growth on the shelf and also under refrigerated conditions. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to lower the limit of detection (LOD) of the method used and to obtain the results within hours to few [...] Read more.
Food pathogens contaminate food products that allow their growth on the shelf and also under refrigerated conditions. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to lower the limit of detection (LOD) of the method used and to obtain the results within hours to few days. Biosensor methods exploit the available technologies to individuate and provide an approximate quantification of the bacteria present in a sample. The main bottleneck of these methods depends on the aspecific binding to the surfaces and on a change in sensitivity when bacteria are in a complex food matrix with respect to bacteria in a liquid food sample. In this review, we introduce surface plasmon resonance (SPR), new advancements in SPR techniques, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), as fluorescence-free biosensing technologies for detection of L. monocytogenes in foods. The application of the two methods has facilitated L. monocytogenes detection with LOD of 1 log CFU/mL. Further advancements are envisaged through the combination of biosensor methods with immunoseparation of bacteria from larger volumes, application of lab-on-chip technologies, and EIS sensing methods for multiplex pathogen detection. Validation efforts are being conducted to demonstrate the robustness of detection, reproducibility and variability in multi-site installations. Full article
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