Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 34538

Special Issue Editors

Environment and People, A Center for Scientific Research and Innovation, Kerala, India
Interests: optical biosensors; microfluidics; nanostructuring; SERS
State Key Laboratory of Applied Optics, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033, China
Interests: plasmonic nano-optics devices; optical fiber biosensor; optical super-resolution imaging; single molecule detection and molecular detection
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biosensors are analytical devices employed to detect, identify and quantify numerous biological, chemical and other target analytes with the assistance of a biological recognition element. Advancement in the field of biosensing technology is vital as these biological tools have potential applications in diverse fields such as healthcare and medicine, food industry, chemical industry, agriculture, environmental monitoring etc. The distinct advantages offered by optical biosensors, such as rapidity of detection, real-time operation, efficacy, label-free detection, and robustness,  make them a promising biosensing method in comparison to many other conventional biosensing techniques. An optical biosensor integrates a biorecognition element with an optical transducer, and it analyses the change in properties of light that results from the interaction of the biorecognition element with the analyte. Based on different principles of operation, there are several types of optical biosensors (surface-plasmon-resonance-based, Raman, FTIR, optical waveguide, optical resonator, interferometric, photonic crystals, optical-fibers-based, etc.). Developing efficient and high-precision biosensors with the required specificity and sensitivity is of paramount importance, and the growing demand for such effective biosensors in the day-to-day life makes research and advancement in biosensing technology crucial. Nevertheless, innovating reliable biosensors with high accuracy, stability, cost-effectiveness and reproducibility is challenging.

In this Special Issue of Biosensors, we invite you to contribute high-quality research on recent advances in optical biosensing technology for various applications, including healthcare and pharmaceuticals, environment, food quality and packaging industry, chemical industry, etc. We welcome a range of contributions, covering both experimental and theoretical works on the latest developments in the field of optical biosensors. Original research articles, research notes, and comprehensive reviews on topics related to biosensing technology can be submitted to this Special Issue. 

Dr. Pinkie Jacob Eravuchira
Dr. Wenchao Zhou
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

  • optical biosensors
  • rapid detection
  • lab-on-a-chip
  • machine learning
  • microfluidics
  • healthcare
  • environmental monitoring
  • point-care-devices
  • Raman
  • SPR
  • optical fiber

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

10 pages, 4044 KiB  
Communication
Functionalization of a Fully Integrated Electrophotonic Silicon Circuit for Biotin Sensing
by Oscar Pérez-Diaz, Denise Estrada-Wiese, Mariano Aceves-Mijares and Alfredo A. González-Fernández
Biosensors 2023, 13(3), 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13030399 - 18 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1295
Abstract
Electrophotonic (EPh) circuits are novel systems where photons and electrons can be controlled simultaneously in the same integrated circuit, attaining the development of innovative sensors for different applications. In this work, we present a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible EPh circuit for biotin sensing, in [...] Read more.
Electrophotonic (EPh) circuits are novel systems where photons and electrons can be controlled simultaneously in the same integrated circuit, attaining the development of innovative sensors for different applications. In this work, we present a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible EPh circuit for biotin sensing, in which a silicon-based light source is monolithically integrated. The device is composed of an integrated light source, a waveguide, and a p–n photodiode, which are all fabricated in the same chip. The functionalization of the waveguide’s surface was investigated to biotinylate the EPh system for potential biosensing applications. The modified surfaces were characterized by AFM, optical microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, as well as by photoluminescence measurements. The changes on the waveguide’s surface due to functionalization and biotinylation translated into different photocurrent intensities detected in the photodiode, demonstrating the potential uses of the EPh circuit as a biosensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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12 pages, 4925 KiB  
Communication
A Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Based on Cladding Mode Resonance for Label-Free Biosensing
by Shimeng Chen, Chao Zhang, Jiahui Wang, Na Li, Yongxin Song, Haojun Wu and Yun Liu
Biosensors 2023, 13(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13010097 - 06 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1890
Abstract
A fiber-optic biosensing platform based on ultra-narrowband cladding mode resonances was developed on a high-reflectivity fiber Bragg grating (FBG) for targeting biomolecular detection. The multiple cladding modes with a high sensitivity to the refractive index (RI) were excited in the FBG by coupling [...] Read more.
A fiber-optic biosensing platform based on ultra-narrowband cladding mode resonances was developed on a high-reflectivity fiber Bragg grating (FBG) for targeting biomolecular detection. The multiple cladding modes with a high sensitivity to the refractive index (RI) were excited in the FBG by coupling between the forward-propagating guided core mode of the multimode fiber and the backward-propagating guided cladding mode of the FBG without any damage to the fiber structure or any change to the standard FBG manufacturing process. The full width at half maximum and the Q-factor of the typical cladding mode resonance operation of the proposed sensor are 80 pm and 19,270, respectively, which are better than those of most fiber-optic biosensors reported to date. In addition, the FBG sensor demonstrated a high sensitivity in protein detection and a high selectivity in serum sample assays. The sensitivity of this sensor was further increased simply by coating it with graphene oxide (GO) sheets on the sensing surface without using a signal amplification strategy. Furthermore, an ultra-low limit of detection (LOD) of 32 pM was obtained by the GO-coated FBG sensor for IgG detection. The proposed FBG sensor provides a competitive fiber-optic platform for biomolecular detection. It has a great potential for applications in label-free biosensing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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13 pages, 5058 KiB  
Article
Design and Detection of Cyanide Raman Tag pH-Responsive SERS Probes
by Jingjing Shen, Guan Liu, Wen Zhang, Wenwen Shi, Yang Zhou, Zejie Yu, Qunbo Mei, Lei Zhang and Wei Huang
Biosensors 2023, 13(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13010021 - 25 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1828
Abstract
As one of the most important parameters of biochemical analysis and detection, the pH value plays a very important role in cell function, food preservation and production, soil and water sources, and other applications. This makes it increasingly important to explore pH detection [...] Read more.
As one of the most important parameters of biochemical analysis and detection, the pH value plays a very important role in cell function, food preservation and production, soil and water sources, and other applications. This makes it increasingly important to explore pH detection methods in depth. In this paper, a pH-responsive SERS probe based on the cyano Raman Tag was designed to realize pH sensing detection through the influence of the pH value of analytes on the displacement of the cyano Raman peak in the SERS probe. This cyano Raman tag exhibited not only excellent sensitivity in the liner range of pH 3.0–9.0 with a limit of detection (LOD) of pH 0.33, but also the anti-interference performance and stability (the relative standard deviation (RSD) was calculated to be 6.68%, n = 5). These results indicated that this pH SERS probe with the Raman cyano tag can provide new research ideas for future biological detection, bioimaging, and environmental detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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14 pages, 3983 KiB  
Communication
Development and Application of an SPR Nanobiosensor Based on AuNPs for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 on Food Surfaces
by Leticia Tessaro, Adriano Aquino, Pedro Panzenhagen, Alan Clavelland Ochioni, Yhan S. Mutz, Paulo A. Raymundo-Pereira, Italo Rennan Sousa Vieira, Natasha Kilsy Rocha Belem and Carlos Adam Conte-Junior
Biosensors 2022, 12(12), 1101; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12121101 - 01 Dec 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1873
Abstract
A new transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 through food was recently considered by the World Health Organization (WHO), and, given the pandemic scenario, the search for fast, sensitive, and low-cost methods is necessary. Biosensors have become a viable alternative for large-scale testing because they [...] Read more.
A new transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 through food was recently considered by the World Health Organization (WHO), and, given the pandemic scenario, the search for fast, sensitive, and low-cost methods is necessary. Biosensors have become a viable alternative for large-scale testing because they overcome the limitations of standard techniques. Herein, we investigated the ability of gold spherical nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with oligonucleotides to detect SARS-CoV-2 and demonstrated their potential to be used as plasmonic nanobiosensors. The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique was used to amplify the viral genetic material from the raw virus-containing solution without any preparation. The detection of virus presence or absence was performed by ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption spectroscopy, by monitoring the absorption band of the surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) of the AuNPs. The displacement of the peak by 525 nm from the functionalized AuNPs indicated the absence of the virus (particular region of gold). On the other hand, the region ~300 nm indicated the presence of the virus when RNA bound to the functionalized AuNPs. The nanobiosensor system was designed to detect a region of the N gene in a dynamic concentration range from 0.1 to 50 × 103 ng·mL−1 with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 ng·mL−1 (2.7 × 103 copy per µL), indicating excellent sensitivity. The nanobiosensor was applied to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the surfaces of vegetables and showed 100% accuracy compared to the standard quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) technique. Therefore, the nanobiosensor is sensitive, selective, and simple, providing a viable alternative for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in ready-to-eat vegetables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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15 pages, 5867 KiB  
Article
Demonstrating a Filter-Free Wavelength Sensor with Double-Well Structure and Its Application
by Yong-Joon Choi, Kakeru Nakano, Tomoya Ide, Tsugumi Sakae, Ryosuke Ichikawa, Takeshi Hizawa, Daisuke Akai, Kazuhiro Takahashi, Toshihiko Noda and Kazuaki Sawada
Biosensors 2022, 12(11), 1033; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12111033 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1867
Abstract
This study proposed a filter-free wavelength sensor with a double-well structure for detecting fluorescence without an optical filter. The impurity concentration was optimized and simulated to form a double-well-structured sensor, of which the result was consistent with the fabricated sensor. Furthermore, we proposed [...] Read more.
This study proposed a filter-free wavelength sensor with a double-well structure for detecting fluorescence without an optical filter. The impurity concentration was optimized and simulated to form a double-well-structured sensor, of which the result was consistent with the fabricated sensor. Furthermore, we proposed a novel wavelength detection method using the current ratio based on the silicon absorption coefficient. The results showed that the proposed method successfully detected single wavelengths in the 460–800 nm range. Additionally, we confirmed that quantification was possible using the current ratio of the sensor for a relatively wide band wavelength, such as fluorescence. Finally, the fluorescence that was emitted from the reagents ALEXA488, 594, and 680 was successfully identified and quantified. The proposed sensor can detect wavelengths without optical filters, which can be used in various applications in the biofield, such as POCT as a miniaturized wavelength detection sensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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12 pages, 4126 KiB  
Article
Reversibly Migratable Fluorescent Probe for Precise and Dynamic Evaluation of Cell Mitochondrial Membrane Potentials
by Guofen Song, Haiwei He, Wanling Chen, Yuanliang Lv, Paul K. Chu, Huaiyu Wang and Penghui Li
Biosensors 2022, 12(10), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12100798 - 27 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1511
Abstract
The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨmito) provides the charge gradient required for mitochondrial functions and is a key indicator of cellular health. The changes in MMP are closely related to diseases and the monitoring of MMP is thus vital for pathological [...] Read more.
The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨmito) provides the charge gradient required for mitochondrial functions and is a key indicator of cellular health. The changes in MMP are closely related to diseases and the monitoring of MMP is thus vital for pathological study and drug development. However, most of the current fluorescent probes for MMP rely solely on the cell fluorescence intensity and are thus restricted by poor photostability, rendering them not suitable for long-term dynamic monitoring of MMP. Herein, an MMP-responsive fluorescent probe pyrrolyl quinolinium (PQ) which is capable of reversible migration between mitochondria and nucleolus is developed and demonstrated for dynamic evaluation of MMP. The fluorescence of PQ translocates from mitochondria to nucleoli when MMP decreases due to the intrinsic RNA-specificity and more importantly, the translocation is reversible. The cytoplasm to nucleolus fluorescence intensity ratio is positively correlated with MMP so that this method avoids the negative influence of photostability and imaging parameters. Various situations of MMP can be monitored in real time even without controls. Additionally, long-term dynamic evaluation of MMP is demonstrated for HeLa cells using PQ in oxidative environment. This study is expected to give impetus to the development of mitochondria-related disease diagnosis and drug screening. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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9 pages, 2934 KiB  
Communication
Detection of S2 in Water by a Glucose Enhanced Water-Soluble Fluorescent Bioprobe
by Xingwang An, Yi Wang, Jiahui Li, Zhichao Pei and Yuxin Pei
Biosensors 2022, 12(8), 600; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12080600 - 04 Aug 2022
Viewed by 1518
Abstract
That sulfide anions (S2−) in aquatic environments are produced by microorganisms through degrading sulfur-containing proteins and other organics are harmful to human health. Thus, it is of significance to develop a convenient method for the detection of S2− in water. [...] Read more.
That sulfide anions (S2−) in aquatic environments are produced by microorganisms through degrading sulfur-containing proteins and other organics are harmful to human health. Thus, it is of significance to develop a convenient method for the detection of S2− in water. Small molecular fluorescent probes are very popular for their advantages of visualization, real-time, high sensitivity, and convenience. However, low solubility in water limits the application of existing S2− probes. In this work, we found that our previously developed water-soluble glycosylated fluorescent bioprobe Cu[GluC] can achieve detection of S2− in water. Cu[GluC] can restore fluorescence within 20 s when it encounters S2− and shows good sensitivity towards S2− with a detection limit of 49.6 nM. Besides, Cu[GluC] derived fluorescent test strips were obtained by immersion and realized conveniently visual S2− detection in water by coupling with a UV lamp and a smartphone app. This work provides a fluorescent bioprobe with good water solubility as well as its derived fluorescent test strip for sensitive and simple detection of S2− in water, which shows good prospects in on-site water quality monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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11 pages, 3385 KiB  
Article
The Unexpected Selectivity Switching from Mitochondria to Lysosome in a D-π-A Cyanine Dye
by Chathura S. Abeywickrama, Hannah J. Baumann, Keti A. Bertman, Brian Corbin and Yi Pang
Biosensors 2022, 12(7), 504; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12070504 - 10 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1622
Abstract
Two interesting benzothizolium-based D-π-A type hemicyanine dyes (3a3b) with a diphenylamine (-NPh2) donor group were evaluated for fluorescence confocal microscopy imaging ability in live cells (MO3.13, NHLF). In sharp contrast to previously reported D-π-A dyes with alkyl [...] Read more.
Two interesting benzothizolium-based D-π-A type hemicyanine dyes (3a3b) with a diphenylamine (-NPh2) donor group were evaluated for fluorescence confocal microscopy imaging ability in live cells (MO3.13, NHLF). In sharp contrast to previously reported D-π-A dyes with alkyl amine donor (-NR2) groups (1), 3a and 3b exhibited significantly different photophysical properties and organelle selectivity. Probes 3a and 3b were nearly non-fluorescent in many polar and non-polar solvents but exhibited a bright red fluorescence (λem ≈ 630–640 nm) in stained MO3.13 and NHLF with very low probe concentrations (i.e., 200 nM). Fluorescence confocal microscopy-based co-localization studies revealed excellent lysosome selectivity from the probes 3a3b, which is in sharp contrast to previously reported D-π-A type benzothiazolium dyes (1) with an alkyl amine donor group (-NR2) (exhibiting selectivity towards cellular mitochondria). The photostability of probe 3 was found to be dependent on the substituent (R’) attached to the quaternary nitrogen atom in the cyanine dye structure. The observed donor-dependent selectivity switching phenomenon can be highly useful in designing novel organelle-targeted fluorescent probes for live-cell imaging applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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12 pages, 2515 KiB  
Article
A Dual-Band High-Sensitivity THz Metamaterial Sensor Based on Split Metal Stacking Ring
by Xuejing Lu, Hongyi Ge, Yuying Jiang and Yuan Zhang
Biosensors 2022, 12(7), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12070471 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1700
Abstract
Terahertz (THz)-detection technology has been proven to be an effective and rapid non-destructive detection approach in biomedicine, quality control, and safety inspection, among other applications. However, the sensitivity of such a detection method is limited due to the insufficient power of the terahertz [...] Read more.
Terahertz (THz)-detection technology has been proven to be an effective and rapid non-destructive detection approach in biomedicine, quality control, and safety inspection, among other applications. However, the sensitivity of such a detection method is limited due to the insufficient power of the terahertz source and the low content, or ambiguous characteristics, of the analytes to be measured. Metamaterial (MM) is an artificial structure in which periodic sub-wavelength units are arranged in a regular manner, resulting in extraordinary characteristics beyond those possessed by natural materials. It is an effective method to improve the ability of terahertz spectroscopy detection by utilizing the metamaterial as a sensor. In this paper, a dual-band, high-sensitivity THz MM sensor based on the split metal stacking ring resonator (SMSRR) is proposed. The appliance exhibited two resonances at 0.97 and 2.88 THz in the range of 0.1 to 3 THz, realizing multi-point matching between the resonance frequency and the characteristic frequency of the analytes, which was able to improve the reliability and detection sensitivity of the system. The proposed sensor has good sensing performance at both resonant frequencies and can achieve highest sensitivities of 304 GHz/RIU and 912 GHz/RIU with an appropriate thickness of the analyte. Meanwhile, the advantage of multi-point matching of the proposed sensor has been validated by distinguishing four edible oils based on their different refractive indices and demonstrating that the characteristics obtained in different resonant frequency bands are consistent. This work serves as a foundation for future research on band extension and multi-point feature matching in terahertz detection, potentially paving the way for the development of high-sensitivity THz MM sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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Review

Jump to: Research

29 pages, 12462 KiB  
Review
Recent Advancements of LSPR Fiber-Optic Biosensing: Combination Methods, Structure, and Prospects
by Hongxin Zhang, Xue Zhou, Xuegang Li, Pengqi Gong, Yanan Zhang and Yong Zhao
Biosensors 2023, 13(3), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13030405 - 20 Mar 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3213
Abstract
Fiber-optic biosensors based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) have the advantages of great biocompatibility, label-free, strong stability, and real-time monitoring of various analytes. LSPR fiber-optic biosensors have attracted extensive research attention in the fields of environmental science, clinical medicine, disease diagnosis, and [...] Read more.
Fiber-optic biosensors based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) have the advantages of great biocompatibility, label-free, strong stability, and real-time monitoring of various analytes. LSPR fiber-optic biosensors have attracted extensive research attention in the fields of environmental science, clinical medicine, disease diagnosis, and food safety. The latest development of LSPR fiber-optic biosensors in recent years has focused on the detection of clinical disease markers and the detection of various toxic substances in the environment and the progress of new sensitization mechanisms in LSPR fiber-optic sensors. Therefore, this paper reviews the LSPR fiber-optic sensors from the aspects of working principle, structure, and application fields in biosensors. According to the structure, the sensor can be divided into three categories: traditional ordinary optical fiber, special shape optical fiber, and specialty optical fiber. The advantages and disadvantages of existing and future LSPR fiber-optic biosensors are discussed in detail. Additionally, the prospect of future development of fiber-optic biosensors based on LSPR is addressed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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28 pages, 3142 KiB  
Review
Recent Development of Advanced Fluorescent Molecular Probes for Organelle-Targeted Cell Imaging
by Sha Lu, Zhiqi Dai, Yunxi Cui and De-Ming Kong
Biosensors 2023, 13(3), 360; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13030360 - 08 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2673
Abstract
Fluorescent molecular probes are very powerful tools that have been generally applied in cell imaging in the research fields of biology, pathology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and medical science. In the last couple of decades, numerous molecular probes endowed with high specificity to particular organelles [...] Read more.
Fluorescent molecular probes are very powerful tools that have been generally applied in cell imaging in the research fields of biology, pathology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and medical science. In the last couple of decades, numerous molecular probes endowed with high specificity to particular organelles have been designed to illustrate intracellular images in more detail at the subcellular level. Nowadays, the development of cell biology has enabled the investigation process to go deeply into cells, even at the molecular level. Therefore, probes that can sketch a particular organelle’s location while responding to certain parameters to evaluate intracellular bioprocesses are under urgent demand. It is significant to understand the basic ideas of organelle properties, as well as the vital substances related to each unique organelle, for the design of probes with high specificity and efficiency. In this review, we summarize representative multifunctional fluorescent molecular probes developed in the last decade. We focus on probes that can specially target nuclei, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulums, and lysosomes. In each section, we first briefly introduce the significance and properties of different organelles. We then discuss how probes are designed to make them highly organelle-specific. Finally, we also consider how probes are constructed to endow them with additional functions to recognize particular physical/chemical signals of targeted organelles. Moreover, a perspective on the challenges in future applications of highly specific molecular probes in cell imaging is also proposed. We hope that this review can provide researchers with additional conceptual information about developing probes for cell imaging, assisting scientists interested in molecular biology, cell biology, and biochemistry to accelerate their scientific studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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40 pages, 9374 KiB  
Review
Novel Optical Fiber-Based Structures for Plasmonics Sensors
by Zhi Wang, Wen Zhang, Xuecheng Liu, Muyang Li, Xianzheng Lang, Ragini Singh, Carlos Marques, Bingyuan Zhang and Santosh Kumar
Biosensors 2022, 12(11), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12111016 - 14 Nov 2022
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5144
Abstract
Optical fiber sensors based on surface plasma technology have many unique advantages in specific applications such as extreme environmental monitoring, physical parameter determination, and biomedical indicators testing. In recent decades, various kinds of fiber probes with special structures were developed according to special [...] Read more.
Optical fiber sensors based on surface plasma technology have many unique advantages in specific applications such as extreme environmental monitoring, physical parameter determination, and biomedical indicators testing. In recent decades, various kinds of fiber probes with special structures were developed according to special processing such as tapering, splicing, etching, fiber balls, grating etc. In this paper, the fabrication technology, characteristics, development status and application scenarios of different special optical fiber structures are briefly reviewed, including common processing equipment. Furthermore, many special novel optical fiber structures reported in recent years are summarized, which have been used in various kinds of plasmonic sensing work. Then, the fiber-plasmonic sensors for practical applications are also introduced and examined in detail. The main aim of this review is to provide guidance and inspiration for researchers to design and fabricate special optical fiber structures, thus facilitating their further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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25 pages, 16736 KiB  
Review
Electrochemiluminescence Systems for the Detection of Biomarkers: Strategical and Technological Advances
by Seung-Min Yoo, Yong-Min Jeon and Seo-Young Heo
Biosensors 2022, 12(9), 738; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12090738 - 07 Sep 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2947
Abstract
Electrochemiluminescence (ECL)-based sensing systems rely on light emissions from luminophores, which are generated by high-energy electron transfer reactions between electrogenerated species on an electrode. ECL systems have been widely used in the detection and monitoring of diverse, disease-related biomarkers due to their high [...] Read more.
Electrochemiluminescence (ECL)-based sensing systems rely on light emissions from luminophores, which are generated by high-energy electron transfer reactions between electrogenerated species on an electrode. ECL systems have been widely used in the detection and monitoring of diverse, disease-related biomarkers due to their high selectivity and fast response times, as well as their spatial and temporal control of luminance, high controllability, and a wide detection range. This review focuses on the recent strategic and technological advances in ECL-based biomarker detection systems. We introduce several sensing systems for medical applications that are classified according to the reactions that drive ECL signal emissions. We also provide recent examples of sensing strategies and technologies based on factors that enhance sensitivity and multiplexing abilities as well as simplify sensing procedures. This review also discusses the potential strategies and technologies for the development of ECL systems with an enhanced detection ability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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28 pages, 12133 KiB  
Review
Advances in Waveguide Bragg Grating Structures, Platforms, and Applications: An Up-to-Date Appraisal
by Muhammad A. Butt, Nikolay L. Kazanskiy and Svetlana N. Khonina
Biosensors 2022, 12(7), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12070497 - 08 Jul 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4261
Abstract
A Bragg grating (BG) is a one-dimensional optical device that may reflect a specific wavelength of light while transmitting all others. It is created by the periodic fluctuation of the refractive index in the waveguide (WG). The reflectivity of a BG is specified [...] Read more.
A Bragg grating (BG) is a one-dimensional optical device that may reflect a specific wavelength of light while transmitting all others. It is created by the periodic fluctuation of the refractive index in the waveguide (WG). The reflectivity of a BG is specified by the index modulation profile. A Bragg grating is a flexible optical filter that has found broad use in several scientific and industrial domains due to its straightforward construction and distinctive filtering capacity. WG BGs are also widely utilized in sensing applications due to their easy integration and high sensitivity. Sensors that utilize optical signals for sensing have several benefits over conventional sensors that use electric signals to achieve detection, including being lighter, having a strong ability to resist electromagnetic interference, consuming less power, operating over a wider frequency range, performing consistently, operating at a high speed, and experiencing less loss and crosstalk. WG BGs are simple to include in chips and are compatible with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) manufacturing processes. In this review, WG BG structures based on three major optical platforms including semiconductors, polymers, and plasmonics are discussed for filtering and sensing applications. Based on the desired application and available fabrication facilities, the optical platform is selected, which mainly regulates the device performance and footprint. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Optical Biosensors)
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