Advances in DNA Nanotechnology-Enabled Biosensing

Dear Colleagues,

DNA nanotechnology is rapidly redefining what biosensors can achieve in both fundamental research and translational medicine. DNA-based nanostructures offer molecular programmability, biocompatibility, and addressability that are difficult to match with traditional materials, positioning them as powerful platforms for point-of-care diagnostics, non-invasive live-cell sensing, artificial receptors, and disease-specific nucleic-acid detection. This Special Issue focuses on how rationally designed DNA systems are transforming biosensing from static readouts into dynamic, context-aware molecular devices.​

DNA-based point-of-care diagnostic platforms exploit the predictable base-pairing, modular assembly, and isothermal amplification capabilities of nucleic acids to create portable, low-cost assays with high sensitivity and specificity. Integrating DNA circuits, aptamers, and nanoarchitectures with microfluidics and paper- or chip-based formats enables rapid sample-to-answer workflows suitable for resource-limited settings and bedside testing. We welcome contributions that advance the device engineering, analytical performance, and clinical validation of DNA nanotechnology, as well as its integration with digital health or smartphone-based readouts.​

Non-invasive biosensing in live cells harnesses DNA probes, nanodevices, and dynamic assemblies to monitor ions, metabolites, nucleic acids, and signaling states with spatiotemporal precision while minimizing perturbation to native physiology. DNA-based tools can be employed to target membranes, organelles, or specific molecular complexes and can be programmed to undergo conformational changes or reaction cascades upon binding their targets, generating optical, electrical, or mechanical signals in real time. This Special Issue seeks studies that push the boundaries of live-cell compatibility, signal-to-noise, multiplexing, and long-term monitoring in complex cellular and tissue environments.​

DNA-based artificial receptors emulate and extend natural recognition systems by using nucleic acids as scaffolds to arrange binding motifs, catalytic groups, or synthetic ligands with nanoscale precision. Such receptors can be embedded in membranes, immobilized on solid substrates, or assembled into higher-order networks, enabling programmable recognition of proteins, small molecules, and biomarkers with tunable affinity and specificity. We encourage the submission of papers that explore receptor design principles, structure–function relationships, integration with signaling cascades or synthetic cells, and applications in sensing, actuation, and therapeutic monitoring.​

Disease-specific nucleic-acid sensing remains at the core of many diagnostic workflows, and DNA nanotechnology offers powerful strategies for detecting genomic mutations, pathogen sequences, microRNAs, and other RNA/DNA biomarkers with exceptional sensitivity and selectivity. Innovations such as strand-displacement circuits, hybridization chain reaction, DNA origami-based signal amplifiers, and multiplexed barcoding schemes enable robust detection across diverse sample types, from blood and saliva to complex clinical specimens. This Special Issue welcomes contributions ranging from fundamental mechanism and assay design to translational studies demonstrating clinical utility, including point-of-care implementation, non-invasive sampling, and personalized-medicine applications.​

We welcome original research articles, reviews, communications, and perspectives spanning material design, molecular mechanisms, sensing strategies, device integration, and translational pathways for DNA-powered biosensing. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, DNA-based point-of-care diagnostic platforms; live-cell and in vivo DNA nanodevices; DNA aptamers and receptors for molecular recognition; nucleic-acid and signal amplification schemes; integration with microfluidics, lab-on-chip, and wearable formats; multiplexed and high-throughput DNA biosensing; and applications in infectious disease, cancer, neurology, and immune monitoring. By gathering studies demonstrating advances across these topics, this Special Issue aims to highlight emerging paradigms in DNA-enabled biosensing and catalyze the development of next-generation diagnostics and analytical tools.

Dr. Ranjan Sasmal
Dr. Despina P. Kalogianni
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 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-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 2200 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.

• DNA-based point-of-care diagnosis
• non-invasive biosensing in live cells
• DNA-based artificial receptors
• disease-specific nucleic-acid sensing