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A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensors and Healthcare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 33448

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kevin C. Honeychurch

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Guest Editor

School of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
Interests: screen-printed electrodes; 3D-printing; stripping voltammetry; biosensors; chromatography; environmental, health, forensic and nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Martina Piano

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Guest Editor

Institute of Bio-Sensing Technology (IBST), University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
Interests: biosensors; environmental analysis; microfluidics; antibodies; magnetic beads; enzyme stabilisation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The application of electrochemical sensors and biosensors has shown the possibility of economic, rapid, and decentralised testing of complex samples, carried out by relatively untrained individuals at the point-of-need. Analyses of food and the environment offer large potential markets and opportunities for these devices; however, there are a number of both technical and commercial issues that need to be addressed before these devices can have a significant role.

The aim of this Special Issue of Biosensors, “Sensors for Environment Monitoring and Food Safety”, is to report recent developments and advances in sensors and biosensors to meet the demands of environmental and food analysis. Its objective is to collect a series of articles which show the developments and applications of sensors and biosensors in this area. It is envisaged that this will cover a wide range of areas, including electrochemical and nonelectrochemical sensors employing both classical and advanced techniques, based on enzymes, antibodies, DNA, aptamers, molecularly imprinted polymers, and the application of nanotechnology, in the form of reviews, communications, and academic articles.

Dr. Kevin C. Honeychurch
Dr. Martina Piano
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

food
beverages
water
nanotechnology
enzymes
antibodies
DNA
aptamers
molecularly imprinted polymers
sensors
biosensors

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 189 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety

by Kevin C. Honeychurch and Martina Piano

Biosensors 2022, 12(6), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12060366 - 26 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1875

Abstract

The aim of this Special Issue of the journal Biosensors, “Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety”, was to report on the developments and advances in sensors and biosensors to meet the needs of environmental and food analysis [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)

Research

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17 pages, 3687 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Portable FRET-Based Biosensor Device for On-Site Lead Detection

by Wei-Qun Lai, Yu-Fen Chang, Fang-Ning Chou and De-Ming Yang

Biosensors 2022, 12(3), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12030157 - 02 Mar 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4130

Abstract

Most methods for measuring environmental lead (Pb) content are time consuming, expensive, hazardous, and restricted to specific analytical systems. To provide a facile, safe tool to detect Pb, we created pMet-lead, a portable fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based Pb-biosensor. The pMet-lead device comprises a 3D-printed frame housing a 405-nm laser diode—an excitation source for fluorescence emission images (YFP and CFP)—accompanied by optical filters, a customized sample holder with a Met-lead 1.44 M1 (the most recent version)-embedded biochip, and an optical lens aligned for smartphone compatibility. Measuring the emission ratios (Y/C) of the FRET components enabled Pb detection with a dynamic range of nearly 2 (1.96), a pMet-lead/Pb dissociation constant (K_d) 45.62 nM, and a limit of detection 24 nM (0.474 μg/dL, 4.74 ppb). To mitigate earlier problems with a lack of selectivity for Pb vs. zinc, we preincubated samples with tricine, a low-affinity zinc chelator. We validated the pMet-lead measurements of the characterized laboratory samples and unknown samples from six regions in Taiwan by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Notably, two unknown samples had Y/C ratios significantly higher than that of the control (3.48 ± 0.08 and 3.74 ± 0.12 vs. 2.79 ± 0.02), along with Pb concentrations (10.6 ppb and 15.24 ppb) above the WHO-permitted level of 10 ppb in tap water, while the remaining four unknowns showed no detectable Pb upon ICP-MS. These results demonstrate that pMet-lead provides a rapid, sensitive means for on-site Pb detection in water from the environment and in living/drinking supply systems to prevent potential Pb poisoning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)

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12 pages, 8676 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Paper-Based Electrodes Conjugated with Tungsten Disulfide Nanostructure and Aptamer for Impedimetric Detection of Listeria monocytogenes

by Annu Mishra, Roberto Pilloton, Swati Jain, Souradeep Roy, Manika Khanuja, Ashish Mathur and Jagriti Narang

Biosensors 2022, 12(2), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12020088 - 31 Jan 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3546

Abstract

In this study, we report on a novel aptasensor based on an electrochemical paper-based analytical device (ePAD) that employs a tungsten disulfide (WS₂)/aptamer hybrid for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is a well-known causative pathogen for foodborne diseases. The proposed aptasensor signifies many lucrative features which include simple, cost-effective, reliable, and disposable. Furthermore, the use of an aptamer added more advantageous features in the biosensor. The morphological, optical, elemental composition, and phase properties of the synthesized tungsten disulfide (WS₂) nanostructures were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), RAMAN spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), while electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was performed to corroborate the immobilization of aptamer and to assess the L. monocytogenes sensing performance. The limit of detection (LoD) and limit of quantification (LoQ) of the aptasensor was found to be 10 and 4.5 CFU/mL, respectively, within a linear range of 10¹–10⁸ CFU/mL. The proposed sensor was found to be selective solely towards Listeria monocytogenes in the presence of various bacterial species such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Validation of the aptasensor operation was also evaluated in real samples by spiking them with fixed concentrations (10¹, 10³, and 10⁵) of Listeria monocytogenes, thereby, paving the way for its potential in a point-of-care scenario. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)

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13 pages, 2510 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Voltammetric Immunosensor to Track a Major Peanut Allergen (Ara h 1) in Food Products Employing Quantum Dot Labels

by Maria Freitas, Henri P. A. Nouws and Cristina Delerue-Matos

Biosensors 2021, 11(11), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios11110426 - 29 Oct 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2026

Abstract

Tracking unreported allergens in commercial foods can avoid acute allergic reactions. A 2-step electrochemical immunosensor was developed for the analysis of the peanut allergen Ara h 1 in a 1-h assay (<15 min hands-on time). Bare screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCE) were used as transducers and monoclonal capture and detection antibodies were applied in a sandwich-type immunoassay. The short assay time was achieved by previously combining the target analyte and the detection antibody. Core/shell CdSe@ZnS Quantum Dots were used as electroactive label for the detection of the immunological interaction by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry. A linear range between 25 and 1000 ng·mL⁻¹ (LOD = 3.5 ng·mL⁻¹), an adequate precision of the method (V_x0 ≈ 6%), and a sensitivity of 23.0 nA·mL·ng⁻¹·cm⁻² were achieved. The immunosensor was able to detect Ara h 1 in a spiked allergen-free product down to 0.05% (m/m) of peanut. Commercial organic farming cookies and cereal and protein bars were tested to track and quantify Ara h 1. The results were validated by comparison with an ELISA kit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)

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13 pages, 3428 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Intracellular Structure Changes of Microcystis under Sonication Treatment by Polarized Light Scattering

by Jiajin Li, Chujun Zou, Ran Liao, Liang Peng, Hongjian Wang, Zhiming Guo and Hui Ma

Biosensors 2021, 11(8), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios11080279 - 17 Aug 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2053

Abstract

Cyanobacterial bloom is one of the most urgent global environmental issues, which eventually could threaten human health and safety. Sonication treatment (ST) is a potential effective method to control cyanobacteria blooms in the field. Currently, the bottleneck of extensive application of ST is the difficulty to estimate the ST effect on the cyanobacterial cells and then determine suitable ST times in the field. In this study, cyanobacterial Microcystis samples sonicated at different times were first measured by a spectrophotometer to calculate the removal efficiency of Microcystis cells. Additionally, they were observed by TEM to reveal the intracellular structure changes of the cells. Then the samples were measured by an experimental setup based on polarized light scattering to measure the polarization parameters. Experimental results indicated that the polarization parameters can effectively characterize the intracellular structural changes of Microcystis cells with different ST times, which is quite consistent with the results for removal efficiency and TEM images. Further, the optimal ST time can be inferred by the polarization parameters. These results demonstrate that polarized light scattering can be a potentially powerful tool to explore suitable times for sonication treatment of cyanobacteria blooms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)

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14 pages, 4149 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Sensor Designed to Record Underwater Irradiance with Concern for a Shark’s Spectral Sensitivity

by A. Peter Klimley

Biosensors 2021, 11(4), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios11040105 - 03 Apr 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1955

Abstract

To ascertain how scalloped hammerhead sharks make nightly migrations to their feeding grounds as many as 20 km from their daytime abode, a seamount, a sensor was developed that measured irradiance intensity within the spectral range and sensitivity of the vision of the species. Could the sharks guide their movements by sensing the polarity of irradiation energy radiated from the sun or moon that penetrated into the oceanic depths? Two sensory receptors, cones and rods, are present in the retina of sharks to enable them to see both during daytime and nighttime. The peak sensitivity of the cones is red-shifted due to the presence of these wavelengths during the former period, while their response is linear under the range of the high light levels also present at this time; the peak sensitivity of rods is blue-shifted due to the presence of these wavelengths during dawn, dusk, and nighttime and is linear over the complementary range of low light levels. Spectral response curves for these two receptors were determined for sharks, and an attempt was made to match those of the sensors to the shark’s wavelength perception. The first sensor was matched to the photopic range using a photocell covered with a red-shifted gel filter; the second was matched to the scotopic range using a blue-shifted gel filter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)

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21 pages, 2268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Advances in the Detection of Toxic Algae Using Electrochemical Biosensors

by Linda K. Medlin, Maria Gamella, Gerardo Mengs, Verónica Serafín, Susana Campuzano and José M. Pingarrón

Biosensors 2020, 10(12), 207; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios10120207 - 16 Dec 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3195

Abstract

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are more frequent as climate changes and tropical toxic species move northward, especially along the Iberian Peninsula, a rich aquaculture area. Monitoring programs, detecting the presence of toxic algae before they bloom, are of paramount importance to protect ecosystems, aquaculture, human health and local economies. Rapid, reliable species identification methods using molecular barcodes coupled to biosensor detection tools have received increasing attention as an alternative to the legally required but impractical microscopic counting-based techniques. Our electrochemical detection system has improved, moving from conventional sandwich hybridization protocols using different redox mediators and signal probes with different labels to a novel strategy involving the recognition of RNA heteroduplexes by antibodies further labelled with bacterial antibody binding proteins conjugated with multiple enzyme molecules. Each change has increased sensitivity. A 150-fold signal increase has been produced with our newest protocol using magnetic microbeads (MBs) and amperometric detection at screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) to detect the target RNA of toxic species. We can detect as few as 10 cells L⁻¹ for some species by using a fast (~2 h), simple (PCR-free) and cheap methodology (~2 EUR/determination) that will allow this methodology to be integrated into easy-to-use portable systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)

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Review

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26 pages, 1457 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nanosensor Applications in Plant Science

by Daniel S. Shaw and Kevin C. Honeychurch

Biosensors 2022, 12(9), 675; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12090675 - 24 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4390

Abstract

Plant science is a major research topic addressing some of the most important global challenges we face today, including energy and food security. Plant science has a role in the production of staple foods and materials, as well as roles in genetics research, environmental management, and the synthesis of high-value compounds such as pharmaceuticals or raw materials for energy production. Nanosensors—selective transducers with a characteristic dimension that is nanometre in scale—have emerged as important tools for monitoring biological processes such as plant signalling pathways and metabolism in ways that are non-destructive, minimally invasive, and capable of real-time analysis. A variety of nanosensors have been used to study different biological processes; for example, optical nanosensors based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) have been used to study protein interactions, cell contents, and biophysical parameters, and electrochemical nanosensors have been used to detect redox reactions in plants. Nanosensor applications in plants include nutrient determination, disease assessment, and the detection of proteins, hormones, and other biological substances. The combination of nanosensor technology and plant sciences has the potential to be a powerful alliance and could support the successful delivery of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. However, a lack of knowledge regarding the health effects of nanomaterials and the high costs of some of the raw materials required has lessened their commercial impact. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)

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16 pages, 2418 KiB

Open AccessReview

Electrochemical Biosensors for Tracing Cyanotoxins in Food and Environmental Matrices

by Antonella Miglione, Maria Napoletano and Stefano Cinti

Biosensors 2021, 11(9), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios11090315 - 04 Sep 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3638

Abstract

The adoption of electrochemical principles to realize on-field analytical tools for detecting pollutants represents a great possibility for food safety and environmental applications. With respect to the existing transduction mechanisms, i.e., colorimetric, fluorescence, piezoelectric etc., electrochemical mechanisms offer the tremendous advantage of being easily miniaturized, connected with low cost (commercially available) readers and unaffected by the color/turbidity of real matrices. In particular, their versatility represents a powerful approach for detecting traces of emerging pollutants such as cyanotoxins. The combination of electrochemical platforms with nanomaterials, synthetic receptors and microfabrication makes electroanalysis a strong starting point towards decentralized monitoring of toxins in diverse matrices. This review gives an overview of the electrochemical biosensors that have been developed to detect four common cyanotoxins, namely microcystin-LR, anatoxin-a, saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin. The manuscript provides the readers a quick guide to understand the main electrochemical platforms that have been realized so far, and the presence of a comprehensive table provides a perspective at a glance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)

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26 pages, 6636 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Electroanalytical Overview: Electrochemical Sensing Platforms for Food and Drink Safety

by Alejandro Garcia-Miranda Ferrari, Robert D. Crapnell and Craig E. Banks

Biosensors 2021, 11(8), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios11080291 - 23 Aug 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4721

Abstract

Robust, reliable, and affordable analytical techniques are essential for screening and monitoring food and water safety from contaminants, pathogens, and allergens that might be harmful upon consumption. Recent advances in decentralised, miniaturised, and rapid tests for health and environmental monitoring can provide an alternative solution to the classic laboratory-based analytical techniques currently utilised. Electrochemical biosensors offer a promising option as portable sensing platforms to expedite the transition from laboratory benchtop to on-site analysis. A plethora of electroanalytical sensor platforms have been produced for the detection of small molecules, proteins, and microorganisms vital to ensuring food and drink safety. These utilise various recognition systems, from direct electrochemical redox processes to biological recognition elements such as antibodies, enzymes, and aptamers; however, further exploration needs to be carried out, with many systems requiring validation against standard benchtop laboratory-based techniques to offer increased confidence in the sensing platforms. This short review demonstrates that electroanalytical biosensors already offer a sensitive, fast, and low-cost sensor platform for food and drink safety monitoring. With continued research into the development of these sensors, increased confidence in the safety of food and drink products for manufacturers, policy makers, and end users will result. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)

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