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Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 39852

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Prof. Dr. Silvana Andreescu

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Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY 13699-5810, USA
Interests: biomolecular recognition of nanoscale materialstechnologies for the immobilization of enzymes and biomolecular receptors; single-molecule electrochemistry; microelectrochemical probes for investigations of molecular mechanisms in biological systems; portable nanoparticle-based assays for food analysis and environmental monitoring; printable paper-based biosensors and field portable instrumentation
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Dr. Alina Vasilescu

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International Centre of Biodynamics, 1B Intrarea Portocalelor, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: analytical chemistry; biosensors; electrochemical sensors; aptamers; wine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty, a tireless researcher and a pioneer in the field of biosensors for pesticides and micotoxines, who retired in 2019 from his position as Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Perpignan, France. To honor his enthusiasm and endless energy, the Special Issue will gather contributions from collaborators, former students and scientists working on research areas most impacted by Professor Marty’s work, more broadely described by the topic Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring.

In this Special Issue we invite articles devoted to high performing nanomaterial-enabled biosensors for the detection of food and environmental contaminants. Works exploring: (i) novel nanomaterials with controllable characteristics such as functional groups, size, shape etc and their effect on sensor performance, (ii) novel biorecognition elements, immobilization strategies and bio-nanointerfaces, (iii) biomimetic nanomaterials, (iv) sensing mechanisms and signal amplification schemes are welcome, as are reports that emphasize examples of real samples analysis and validation of the proposed biosensors versus established methods, addressing challenging issues such as matrix effects and sample preparation, calibration and on site analysis.

Both research papers and review articles are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Silvana Andreescu
Dr. Alina Vasilescu
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. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2600 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.

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 21307 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Mobile Device for Monitoring the Biological Purity of Air and Liquid Samples

by Tomasz Sikora, Karolina Morawska and Wiesław Lisowski

Sensors 2021, 21(10), 3570; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21103570 - 20 May 2021

Viewed by 1848

Abstract

A detector for identifying potential bacterial hazards in the air was designed and created in the Military Institute of Chemistry and Radiometry in the framework of the project FLORABO. The presence of fungi and bacteria in the air can affect the health of people in a given room. The need to control the amount of microorganisms, both in terms of quantity and quality, applies to both hospitals and offices. The device is based on the fluorescence spectroscopy analysis of the sample and then these results were compared to the resulting spectrogram database, which includes the standard curves obtained in the laboratory for selected bacteria. The measurements provide information about the presence, the type, and the approximate concentration of bacteria in the sample. The spectra were collected at different excitation wavelengths, and the waveforms are specific for each of the strains. It also takes under analysis the signal intensities of the different spectra (not only shape a maximum of the peak) so that the concentration of bacteria in the sample being tested can be determined. The device was tested in the laboratory with concentrations ranging from 10 to 10⁸ cells/mL. Additionally, the detector can distinguish between the vegetative forms of spores of the bacteria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty)

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17 pages, 3013 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Novel Electrochemical Biosensor Based on Carbon Nanofibers–Gold Nanoparticles–Tyrosinase for the Detection of Ferulic Acid in Cosmetics

by Alexandra Virginia Bounegru and Constantin Apetrei

Sensors 2020, 20(23), 6724; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20236724 - 24 Nov 2020

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 3955

Abstract

The present paper deals with the electrochemical behavior of three types of sensors based on modified screen-printed electrodes (SPEs): a sensor based on carbon nanofibers (CNF/SPE), a sensor based on nanofibers of carbon modified with gold nanoparticles (CNF-GNP/SPE) and a biosensor based on nanofibers of carbon modified with gold nanoparticles and tyrosinase (CNF-GNP-Ty/SPE). To prepare the biosensor, the tyrosinase (Ty) was immobilized on the surface of the electrode already modified with carbon nanofibers and gold nanoparticles, by the drop-and-dry technique. The electrochemical properties of the three electrodes were studied by cyclic voltammetry in electroactive solutions, and the position and shape of the active redox peaks are according to the nature of the materials modifying the electrodes. In the case of ferulic acid, a series of characteristic peaks were observed, the processes being more intense for the biosensor, with the higher sensitivity and selectivity being due to the immobilization of tyrosinase, a specific enzyme for phenolic compounds. The calibration curve was subsequently created using CNF-GNP-Ty/SPE in ferulic acid solutions of various concentrations in the range 0.1–129.6 μM. This new biosensor allowed low values of the detection threshold and quantification limit, 2.89 × 10⁻⁹ mol·L⁻¹ and 9.64 × 10⁻⁹ mol·L⁻¹, respectively, which shows that the electroanalytical method is feasible for quantifying ferulic acid in real samples. The ferulic acid was quantitatively determined in three cosmetic products by means of the CNF-GNP-Ty/SPE biosensor. The results obtained were validated by means of the spectrometric method in the infrared range, the differences between the values of the ferulic acid concentrations obtained by the two methods being under 5%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty)

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17 pages, 3108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impedimetric Determination of Kanamycin in Milk with Aptasensor Based on Carbon Black-Oligolactide Composite

by Tatiana Kulikova, Vladimir Gorbatchuk, Ivan Stoikov, Alexey Rogov, Gennady Evtugyn and Tibor Hianik

Sensors 2020, 20(17), 4738; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20174738 - 21 Aug 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2531

Abstract

The determination of antibiotics in food is important due to their negative effect on human health related to antimicrobial resistance problem, renal toxicity, and allergic effects. We propose an impedimetric aptasensor for the determination of kanamycin A (KANA), which was assembled on the glassy carbon electrode by the deposition of carbon black in a chitosan matrix followed by carbodiimide binding of aminated aptamer mixed with oligolactide derivative of thiacalix[4]arene in a cone configuration. The assembling was monitored by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In the presence of the KANA, the charge transfer resistance of the inner interface surprisingly decreased with the analyte concentration within 0.7 and 50 nM (limit of detection 0.3 nM). This was attributed to the partial shielding of the negative charge of the aptamer and of its support, a highly porous 3D structure of the surface layer caused by a macrocyclic core of the carrier. The use of electrostatic assembling in the presence of cationic polyelectrolyte decreased tenfold the detectable concentration of KANA. The aptasensor was successfully tested in the determination of KANA in spiked milk and yogurt with recoveries within 95% and 115%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty)

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16 pages, 4604 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemical Sensor Based on a Carbon Veil Modified by Phytosynthesized Gold Nanoparticles for Determination of Ascorbic Acid

by Khiena Z. Brainina, Maria A. Bukharinova, Natalia Yu. Stozhko, Sergey V. Sokolkov, Aleksey V. Tarasov and Marina B. Vidrevich

Sensors 2020, 20(6), 1800; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20061800 - 24 Mar 2020

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4333

Abstract

An original voltammetric sensor (Au-gr/CVE) based on a carbon veil (CV) and phytosynthesized gold nanoparticles (Au-gr) was developed for ascorbic acid (AA) determination. Extract from strawberry leaves was used as source of antioxidants (reducers) for Au-gr phytosynthesis. The sensor was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electrochemical methods. Optimal parameters of AA determination were chosen. The sensor exhibits a linear response to AA in a wide concentration range (1 μM–5.75 mM) and a limit of detection of 0.05 μM. The developed sensor demonstrated a high intra-day repeatability of 1 μM AA response (RSD = 1.4%) and its stability during six weeks, selectivity of AA determination toward glucose, sucrose, fructose, citric, tartaric and malic acids. The proposed sensor based on Au-gr provides a higher sensitivity and a lower limit of AA detection in comparison with the sensor based on gold nanoparticles synthesized by the Turkevich method. The sensor was successfully applied for the determination of AA content in fruit juices without samples preparation. The recovery of 99%–111% and RSD no more than 6.8% confirm the good reproducibility of the juice analysis results. A good agreement with the potentiometric titration data was obtained. A correlation (r = 0.9867) between the results of AA determination obtained on the developed sensor and integral antioxidant activity of fruit juices was observed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty)

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Review

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39 pages, 4266 KiB

Open AccessReview

Two-Dimensional Nanostructures for Electrochemical Biosensor

by Reem Khan, Antonio Radoi, Sidra Rashid, Akhtar Hayat, Alina Vasilescu and Silvana Andreescu

Sensors 2021, 21(10), 3369; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21103369 - 12 May 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5691

Abstract

Current advancements in the development of functional nanomaterials and precisely designed nanostructures have created new opportunities for the fabrication of practical biosensors for field analysis. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) nanomaterials provide unique hierarchical structures, high surface area, and layered configurations with multiple length scales and porosity, and the possibility to create functionalities for targeted recognition at their surface. Such hierarchical structures offer prospects to tune the characteristics of materials—e.g., the electronic properties, performance, and mechanical flexibility—and they provide additional functions such as structural color, organized morphological features, and the ability to recognize and respond to external stimuli. Combining these unique features of the different types of nanostructures and using them as support for bimolecular assemblies can provide biosensing platforms with targeted recognition and transduction properties, and increased robustness, sensitivity, and selectivity for detection of a variety of analytes that can positively impact many fields. Herein, we first provide an overview of the recently developed 2D nanostructures focusing on the characteristics that are most relevant for the design of practical biosensors. Then, we discuss the integration of these materials with bio-elements such as bacteriophages, antibodies, nucleic acids, enzymes, and proteins, and we provide examples of applications in the environmental, food, and clinical fields. We conclude with a discussion of the manufacturing challenges of these devices and opportunities for the future development and exploration of these nanomaterials to design field-deployable biosensors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty)

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36 pages, 3134 KiB

Open AccessReview

Addressing the Selectivity of Enzyme Biosensors: Solutions and Perspectives

by Bogdan Bucur, Cristina Purcarea, Silvana Andreescu and Alina Vasilescu

Sensors 2021, 21(9), 3038; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21093038 - 26 Apr 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4453

Abstract

Enzymatic biosensors enjoy commercial success and are the subject of continued research efforts to widen their range of practical application. For these biosensors to reach their full potential, their selectivity challenges need to be addressed by comprehensive, solid approaches. This review discusses the status of enzymatic biosensors in achieving accurate and selective measurements via direct biocatalytic and inhibition-based detection, with a focus on electrochemical enzyme biosensors. Examples of practical solutions for tackling the activity and selectivity problems and preventing interferences from co-existing electroactive compounds in the samples are provided such as the use of permselective membranes, sentinel sensors and coupled multi-enzyme systems. The effect of activators, inhibitors or enzymatic substrates are also addressed by coupled enzymatic reactions and multi-sensor arrays combined with data interpretation via chemometrics. In addition to these more traditional approaches, the review discusses some ingenious recent approaches, detailing also on possible solutions involving the use of nanomaterials to ensuring the biosensors’ selectivity. Overall, the examples presented illustrate the various tools available when developing enzyme biosensors for new applications and stress the necessity to more comprehensively investigate their selectivity and validate the biosensors versus standard analytical methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty)

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24 pages, 2818 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biosensors Based on Isothermal DNA Amplification for Bacterial Detection in Food Safety and Environmental Monitoring

by Sandra Leonardo, Anna Toldrà and Mònica Campàs

Sensors 2021, 21(2), 602; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21020602 - 16 Jan 2021

Cited by 52 | Viewed by 6868

Abstract

The easy and rapid spread of bacterial contamination and the risk it poses to human health makes evident the need for analytical methods alternative to conventional time-consuming laboratory-based techniques for bacterial detection. To tackle this demand, biosensors based on isothermal DNA amplification methods have emerged, which avoid the need for thermal cycling, thus facilitating their integration into small and low-cost devices for in situ monitoring. This review focuses on the breakthroughs made on biosensors based on isothermal amplification methods for the detection of bacteria in the field of food safety and environmental monitoring. Optical and electrochemical biosensors based on loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), rolling circle amplification (RCA), recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), helicase dependent amplification (HDA), strand displacement amplification (SDA), and isothermal strand displacement polymerisation (ISDPR) are described, and an overview of their current advantages and limitations is provided. Although further efforts are required to harness the potential of these emerging analytical techniques, the coalescence of the different isothermal amplification techniques with the wide variety of biosensing detection strategies provides multiple possibilities for the efficient detection of bacteria far beyond the laboratory bench. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty)

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21 pages, 3983 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances in Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Detection of Endocrine Disruptors

by Lucian-Gabriel Zamfir, Mihaela Puiu and Camelia Bala

Sensors 2020, 20(22), 6443; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20226443 - 11 Nov 2020

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 4717

Abstract

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are contaminants that may mimic or interfere with the body’s hormones, hampering the normal functions of the endocrine system in humans and animals. These substances, either natural or man-made, are involved in development, breeding, and immunity, causing a wide range of diseases and disorders. The traditional detection methods such as enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and chromatography are still the golden techniques for EDs detection due to their high sensitivity, robustness, and accuracy. Nevertheless, they have the disadvantage of being expensive and time-consuming, requiring bulky equipment or skilled personnel. On the other hand, early stage detection of EDs on-the-field requires portable devices fulfilling the Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Rapid and Robust, Equipment free, Deliverable to end users (ASSURED) norms. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-based sensors can be easily implemented in fully automated, sample-to-answer devices by integrating electrodes in microfluidic chips. The latest achievements on EIS-based sensors are discussed and critically assessed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty)

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28 pages, 5428 KiB

Open AccessReview

Electrochemical Affinity Biosensors Based on Selected Nanostructures for Food and Environmental Monitoring

by Susana Campuzano, Paloma Yáñez-Sedeño and José M. Pingarrón

Sensors 2020, 20(18), 5125; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20185125 - 08 Sep 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4168

Abstract

The excellent capabilities demonstrated over the last few years by electrochemical affinity biosensors should be largely attributed to their coupling with particular nanostructures including dendrimers, DNA-based nanoskeletons, molecular imprinted polymers, metal-organic frameworks, nanozymes and magnetic and mesoporous silica nanoparticles. This review article aims to give, by highlighting representative methods reported in the last 5 years, an updated and general overview of the main improvements that the use of such well-ordered nanomaterials as electrode modifiers or advanced labels confer to electrochemical affinity biosensors in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, stability, conductivity and biocompatibility focused on food and environmental applications, less covered in the literature than clinics. A wide variety of bioreceptors (antibodies, DNAs, aptamers, lectins, mast cells, DNAzymes), affinity reactions (single, sandwich, competitive and displacement) and detection strategies (label-free or label-based using mainly natural but also artificial enzymes), whose performance is substantially improved when used in conjunction with nanostructured systems, are critically discussed together with the great diversity of molecular targets that nanostructured affinity biosensors are able to quantify using quite simple protocols in a wide variety of matrices and with the sensitivity required by legislation. The large number of possibilities and the versatility of these approaches, the main challenges to face in order to achieve other pursued capabilities (development of antifouling, continuous operation, wash-, calibration- and reagents-free devices, regulatory or Association of Official Analytical Chemists, AOAC, approval) and decisive future actions to achieve the commercialization and acceptance of these devices in our daily routine are also noted at the end. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors for Food and Environmental Monitoring: A Themed Issue Dedicated to Professor Jean-Louis Marty)

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