Advanced Fluorescence Biosensors

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 2980

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
“Nello Carrara” Institute of Applied Physics, IFAC-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, I-50019 Firenze, Italy
Interests: optical bio-chip; fluorescence detection of biomarkers; lab-on-chip and point-of-care devices

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Guest Editor
“Nello Carrara” Institute of Applied Physics, IFAC-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Firenze, Italy
Interests: optics; optical sensors; fibre optic sensors; point of care testing (POCT)
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the context of the technological development of sensors, the advent of biosensors has represented the keystone towards the creation of integrated, low-cost, user-friendly, and high-performance devices, capable of detecting the presence of chemical/biochemical agents in a wide range of matrices (i.e., from biological samples to environmental ones to food). This has allowed for a reduction in both costs and response times linked to the use of conventional analysis centers. When compared with similar integrated devices based on other transduction mechanisms, optical biosensors present a higher value of the signal-to-noise ratio by virtue of their complete immunity to any electro-magnetic interference coming from the external environment and high intrinsic safety thanks to the dielectric nature of the measurement probe.

Among the approaches used by optical biosensors, those that make use of fluorescent markers have acquired progressive and growing interest over the last few decades thanks to the possibility of obtaining operationally simple devices, capable of providing a fast response and high performance. In the race towards ever greater sensitivity and lower detection limits, different strategies—based on the amplification and optimization of the fluorescence signal collection and the mitigation of noise—are becoming progressivey more established.

The aim of this Special Issue is to host innovative and perspective contributions regarding these advanced strategies for the development of increasingly high-performance fluorescence biosensors.

Original research and review papers in this wide field will be considered, including but not limited to:

  • Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-based fluorescence biosensors;
  • Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensors;
  • Metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF)-based biosensors;
  • Optical biosensors based on nanomaterials for fluorophores/quenchers;
  • Upconversion-based fluorescence biosensors;
  • Fluorescence-based Point of Care Testing (POCT) and Lab on Chip (LoC) devices for biosensing;
  • Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) phenomenon for improving fluorescence signal collection in optical biosensors;
  • Optical/optofluidic microcavities for fluorescence biosensing;
  • Optical fiber-based fluorescence biosensors.

Dr. Simone Berneschi
Dr. Cosimo Trono
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. Biosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • fluorescence
  • biosensors
  • label-based biosensors
  • förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)
  • metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)
  • total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF)
  • nanomaterials
  • upconversion
  • optical microcavities
  • optical fibers

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2541 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Target Detection: A Fluorescence-Based Streptavidin-Bead Displacement Assay
by Sireethorn Tungsirisurp and Nunzianda Frascione
Biosensors 2024, 14(10), 509; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14100509 - 17 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 937
Abstract
Fluorescence-based aptasensors have been regarded as innovative analytical tools for the detection and quantification of analytes in many fields, including medicine and therapeutics. Using DNA aptamers as the biosensor recognition component, conventional molecular beacon aptasensor designs utilise target-induced structural switches of the DNA [...] Read more.
Fluorescence-based aptasensors have been regarded as innovative analytical tools for the detection and quantification of analytes in many fields, including medicine and therapeutics. Using DNA aptamers as the biosensor recognition component, conventional molecular beacon aptasensor designs utilise target-induced structural switches of the DNA aptamers to generate a measurable fluorescent signal. However, not all DNA aptamers undergo sufficient target-specific conformational changes for significant fluorescence measurements. Here, the use of complementary ‘antisense’ strands is proposed to enable fluorescence measurement through strand displacement upon target binding. Using a published target-specific DNA aptamer against the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, we designed a streptavidin-aptamer bead complex as a fluorescence displacement assay for target detection. The developed assay demonstrates a linear range from 50 to 800 nanomolar (nM) with a limit of detection calculated at 67.5 nM and a limit of quantification calculated at 204.5 nM. This provides a ‘fit-for-purpose’ model assay for the detection and quantification of any target of interest by adapting and functionalising a suitable target-specific DNA aptamer and its complementary antisense strand. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Fluorescence Biosensors)
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17 pages, 4503 KiB  
Article
Fluorescence Multi-Detection Device Using a Lensless Matrix Addressable microLED Array
by Victor Moro, Joan Canals, Sergio Moreno, Steffen Higgins-Wood, Oscar Alonso, Andreas Waag, J. Daniel Prades and Angel Dieguez
Biosensors 2024, 14(6), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14060264 - 22 May 2024
Viewed by 1567
Abstract
A Point-of-Care system for molecular diagnosis (PoC-MD) is described, combining GaN and CMOS chips. The device is a micro-system for fluorescence measurements, capable of analyzing both intensity and lifetime. It consists of a hybrid micro-structure based on a 32 × 32 matrix addressable [...] Read more.
A Point-of-Care system for molecular diagnosis (PoC-MD) is described, combining GaN and CMOS chips. The device is a micro-system for fluorescence measurements, capable of analyzing both intensity and lifetime. It consists of a hybrid micro-structure based on a 32 × 32 matrix addressable GaN microLED array, with square LEDs of 50 µm edge length and 100 µm pitch, with an underneath wire bonded custom chip integrating their drivers and placed face-to-face to an array of 16 × 16 single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) CMOS. This approach replaces instrumentation based on lasers, bulky optical components, and discrete electronics with a full hybrid micro-system, enabling measurements on 32 × 32 spots. The reported system is suitable for long lifetime (>10 ns) fluorophores with a limit of detection ~1/4 µM. Proof-of-concept measurements of streptavidin conjugate Qdot™ 605 and Amino PEG Qdot™ 705 are demonstrated, along with the device ability to detect both fluorophores in the same measurement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Fluorescence Biosensors)
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