Special Issue "State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in the UK"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Nicholas Dale
Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Warwick Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
E-Mail:

The aim of this special issue is to provide a comprehensive view on the state-of-the-art sensors technology in the UK. Research articles are solicited which will provide a consolidated state-of-the-art in this area. The Special Issue will publish those full research, review and high rated manuscripts addressing the above topic.

Submission

• biosensors
• chemical sensors
• physical sensors
• remote sensing sensors

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Recent developments in oil reserve monitoring applications using fibre-optic sensing networks
Author: Jolly De Freitas
Affiliation: QinetiQ Ltd, Winfrith Technology Centre, Winfrith, Dorchester DT2 8XJ, UK; E-Mail: jdefreitas@QinetiQ.com
Abstract: This review intends to look at recent developments in fossil fuel oil reserve monitoring using fibre-optic sensing networks. The first section will focus on state-of-the-art fibre optic sensors for seismic applications, and state-of-the-art metrology aspects of the sensor related to the measurement of sensitivity, noise and cross-axis performance.The second section will focus on interrogation systems. Two main phase-based competing systems have emerged over the last two decades for seismic applications; these will be compared for seismic applications. Intensity based-methods are considered less sensitive but appear to be competitive on cost; we will focus on the challenges of this technique.The last section aims to look at the engineering problem from a sensing network perspective as a whole. Sensor network study is an emerging field in itself and much can be borrowed from wireless communications systems. This subsection is designed to stimulate further work in this area.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Oxidant Sensing by Protein Kinases A and G Enables Integration of Cell Redox State with Phosphoregulation
Authors: Philip Eaton and Joseph Burgoyne
Affiliation: Vascular Biology Unit, Boston University Medical Center, 650 Albany Street, X720 Boston, MA 02118, USA; E-Mails: philip.eaton@kcl.ac.uk, joseph.burgoyne@kcl.ac.uk
Abstract: The control of vascular smooth muscle contractility enables regulation of vasotone, which is paramount in physiological adaptation to environmental challenges. Maintenance of stable blood pressure is crucial for health with deregulation (caused by high or low blood pressure) leading to disease progression. Vasotone is principally mediated by the cyclic nucleotide dependent protein kinases A and G, which regulate intracellular calcium and contractile protein calcium sensitivity. The pathways leading to and the mechanism of classical activation of these two kinases are well established and involve the formation of specific cyclic nucleotides. Recently we reported that both PKA and PKG can be regulated independently of respective cyclic nucleotides via a mechanism whereby the kinases sense cellular oxidant production using redox active thiols. This novel redox regulation of these kinases is potentially of great physiological importance, and may synergise with the classical regulatory mechanism.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Carbon Nanostructure Based Label-Free Transistor Sensors
Authors: PingAn Hu^1,2,William O’Neil³ and Pedro Estrela⁴
Affiliations: ¹ Key Lab of Microsystem and Microstructure ( Harbin Institute of Technology)，Ministry of Education, No. 2 YiKuang Street, Harbin 150080, P. R. China; E-Mail: hupa@hit.edu.cn
² Research Centre for Micro/nanotechnology, Harbin Institute of Technology , No. 2 YiKuang Street, Harbin 150080, P. R. China
³ Centre for Industrial Photonics, Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 17 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB3 0FS, UK
⁴ Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
Abstract: Over past decade, electrical detection of chemical and biological species using novel nanostructure based devices have attracted significant attention for genomics, biomedical diagnostics, and drug discovery. The application of nanostructure devices in chemical/biological sensors in place of conventional sensing technologies have advantages of high sensitivity, low decreased energy consumption and potentially highly miniaturized integration. Owing to the particular structure, excellent electrical property and high chemical stability, Carbon Nanotube (CNT) and Graphene based electrical devices have been widely developed for high performance chemical/biological sensor without any labels such as fluorescent tags etc. Here, we review the latest developments of carbon nanostructure-based transistor sensors in ultrasensitive detection of chemical/biological entities, such as poisonous gas, nucleic acids, proteins and cell.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Sensors for Medical Imaging
Author: Gary Royle
Affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University College London, UK; E-Mail: groyle@medphys.ucl.ac.uk
Abstract: Imaging sensors are fundamental to medical diagnosis and treatment, and yet clinical demands are proving challenging for digital sensor technology. Despite that significant advances are being made and recent years have seen the advent of, for example, large area, high resolution imagers, energy resolving pixellated detectors and dosimetric imaging sensors. Such technological advances can not only replace existing devices, such as radiographic film, but usher in new techniques with improved diagnostic capability. This paper will discuss the clinical requirements of imaging sensors for x-radiography, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy, explore the technological advances in these areas, and consider the clinical benefits of future technologies.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Microfluidic Systems (MFS) for Biosensing
Authors: 1Kuo-Kang Liu, 2Ren-Guei Wu, 3Yun-Ju Chuang, 2Hwa-Seng Khoo, 4Shih-Hao Huang, and 2,5 Fan-Gang Tseng
Affiliations: 1School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL UK (Email: I.K.Liu@warwick.ac.uk), 2Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (email: Fangang@ess.nthu.edu.tw), 3Biomedical Engineering Department, Ming-Chuan University, , Taoyuan County 333, Taiwan ROC, 4Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202-24, Taiwan ROC, 5Division of Mechanics, Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
Abstract: In the past two decades, Micro Fluidic Systems (MFS) has emerged as a powerful tool for biosensing, particular in enriching and purifying molecules and cells in biological samples. Distinctive advantages of using MSF for biomedical applications include ultra-high sensitivity, higher throughput, in-situ monitoring and lower cost, compared with conventional sensing techniques. This review aims to summarize the recent advancements in two major types of micro fluidic systems, continuous and discrete MFS, as well as their biomedical applications. The state-of-the-art of either active or passive mechanisms of fluid manipulation for mixing, separation, purification and concentration will also be elaborated. Future trends of employing MFS in molecular or cellular level detection, especially in stem cell therapy, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, are prospected.