AI- and ML-Assisted Biosensing and Microfluidics Applications in Biotechnology

Dear Colleagues,

Artificial intelligence is already here. It is a powerful tool that allows us to perform tasks that traditionally require a high level of human cognition more intelligently and efficiently. By combining the precision of microfluidics with the selectivity of biodetection and the processing power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), these systems provide highly versatile and robust real-time, on-site diagnostic capabilities.

Biotechnology is a field dedicated to the development and application of technologies that harness biological systems and living organisms to create new products and processes. It is commonly classified into four major areas: medical biotechnology (red biotechnology), which includes applications such as tissue engineering and therapeutic devices; agricultural biotechnology (green biotechnology), focused on improving crops, livestock, poultry, pest control, and agro-industrial productivity; industrial biotechnology (white biotechnology); and environmental biotechnology (gray biotechnology). Biosensors and advanced microfluidic technologies offer compact, efficient, and practical solutions across all of these domains. In many cases, these technologies are still at an early stage of implementation, presenting significant opportunities for research and innovation.

The large-scale integration of modern computational methods and machine learning, together with advanced data management in both laboratory and field settings, is driving transformative progress. These advances are enhancing our ability to understand and detect plant diseases, quantify and assess contaminants in food and the environment, and identify specific biomarkers for diverse applications in medicine and beyond. Such developments have significant economic importance in agriculture and a significant social impact. The application of advanced computational tools is clearly accelerating the development of smarter, more efficient systems, enabling informed decision-making to be increasingly delegated to automated and autonomous platforms. However, there is still much to be done in combining biosensor technology, microfluidics, and this modern computer approach in biotechnology.

This Special Issue aims to attract high-quality, original research that advances the integration of artificial intelligence, biosensor technologies, and microfluidic systems across the broad landscape of biotechnology. We welcome contributions that provide fundamental insights, technological innovation, and translational perspectives, fostering interdisciplinary approaches that address current challenges and future opportunities in the field.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• AI-enabled biosensing platforms for real-time diagnostics and point-of-care applications;
• Intelligent microfluidic systems for field-deployable monitoring in agriculture, food safety, and environmental control;
• Translational strategies for integrating machine learning into clinically and industrially validated biosensor technologies;
• Data-driven early detection of plant diseases and crop stress under real field conditions;
• AI-assisted monitoring and quantification of contaminants in food and environmental matrices;
• Autonomous and self-optimizing biotechnological systems for scalable and high-throughput applications.

Dr. Rossana Madrid
Guest Editor

Dr. Katia Gianni
Dr. Carla Belén Goy
Guest Editor Assistants

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Bioengineering 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.

• artificial intelligence
• biosensors
• microfluidics
• agriculture
• food safety
• point-of-care applications