Optical and Electrochemical Biosensors for Biological, Environmental, and Food Analysis

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 4350

Special Issue Editor

College of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: biosensors; functional nanomaterials; food safety; anlytical techniques; food analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we delve into the innovative world of optical and electrochemical biosensors, focusing on their applications in biological, environmental, and food analyses. These biosensors represent a convergence of interdisciplinary sciences, leveraging principles from chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering to provide the rapid, accurate, and sensitive detection of various analytes.

Optical and electrochemical biosensors are at the forefront of technological advancements in analytical sciences. Their applications in biological, environmental, and food analyses are pivotal in addressing global challenges related to health, environment, and food safety. As we continue to innovate and explore the potential of biosensors, their impact on society, industry, and research will undoubtedly expand, offering new solutions to age-old and emerging challenges.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest research advances in optical and electrochemical biosensors to explore the real analysis potential and inspire researchers to identify prospective and more interesting directions for its further development and application. We accept original, technical, or review papers on (but not limited to) the following topics:

  1. Investigation of potential molecular mechanisms and interactions of optical and electrochemical biosensors;
  2. Development of devices for various sensing platforms, including microsystem technologies, miniaturized devices, microelectrodes, etc.;
  3. Active material exploration for enhancing the analytical performance of optical and electrochemical systems, including nanomaterials, novel semiconductor materials, microelectrode materials, etc.;
  4. Advances and perspectives in design devices and fabrication technologies for optical and electrochemical biosensors;
  5. Application of optical and electrochemical biosensors in biological, environmental sciences, and food analyses.

Dr. Long Wu
Guest Editor

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.

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.

Keywords

  • electrode materials
  • substrate materials
  • spectroelectrochemical technique
  • miniaturization
  • environmental monitoring
  • biological analysis
  • food analysis

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2412 KiB  
Article
Electroanalytical Platform for Rapid E. coli O157:H7 Detection in Water Samples
by Kundan Kumar Mishra, Vikram Narayanan Dhamu, Chesna Jophy, Sriram Muthukumar and Shalini Prasad
Biosensors 2024, 14(6), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14060298 - 7 Jun 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1891
Abstract
There is a pressing need to enhance early detection methods of E. coli O157:H7 to mitigate the occurrence and consequences of pathogenic contamination and associated outbreaks. This study highlights the efficacy of a portable electrochemical sensing platform that operates without faradaic processes towards [...] Read more.
There is a pressing need to enhance early detection methods of E. coli O157:H7 to mitigate the occurrence and consequences of pathogenic contamination and associated outbreaks. This study highlights the efficacy of a portable electrochemical sensing platform that operates without faradaic processes towards detecting and quantifying E. coli O157:H7. It is specifically tailored for quick identification in potable water. The assay processing time is approximately 5 min, addressing the need for swift and efficient pathogen detection. The sensing platform was constructed utilizing specific, monoclonal E. coli antibodies, based on single-capture, non-faradaic, electrochemical immunoassay principles. The E. coli sensor assay underwent testing over a wide concentration range, spanning from 10 to 105 CFU/mL, and a limit of detection (LoD) of 1 CFU/mL was demonstrated. Significantly, the sensor’s performance remained consistent across studies, with both inter- and intra-study coefficients of variation consistently below 20%. To evaluate real-world feasibility, a comparative examination was performed between laboratory-based benchtop data and data obtained from the portable device. The proposed sensing platform exhibited remarkable sensitivity and selectivity, enabling the detection of minimal E. coli concentrations in potable water. This successful advancement positions it as a promising solution for prompt on-site detection, characterized by its portability and user-friendly operation. This study presents electrochemical-based sensors as significant contributors to ensuring food safety and public health. They play a crucial role in preventing the occurrence of epidemics and enhancing the supervision of water quality. Full article
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13 pages, 4915 KiB  
Article
A Multienzyme Reaction-Mediated Electrochemical Biosensor for Sensitive Detection of Organophosphorus Pesticides
by Chengzhen Ji, Xuemei Tang, Ruiming Wen, Chengdong Xu, Jing Wei, Bingjun Han and Long Wu
Biosensors 2024, 14(2), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14020062 - 24 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2050
Abstract
Ethephon (ETH), a commonly employed growth regulator, poses potential health risks due to its residue in fruits and vegetables, leading to both acute and subchronic toxicity. However, the detection accuracy of ETH is compromised by the color effects of the samples during the [...] Read more.
Ethephon (ETH), a commonly employed growth regulator, poses potential health risks due to its residue in fruits and vegetables, leading to both acute and subchronic toxicity. However, the detection accuracy of ETH is compromised by the color effects of the samples during the detection process. In this work, a multienzyme reaction-mediated electrochemical biosensor (MRMEC) was developed for the sensitive, rapid, and color-interference-resistant determination of ETH. Nanozymes Fe3O4@Au–Pt and graphene nanocomplexes (GN–Au NPs) were prepared as catalysts and signal amplifiers for MRMEC. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), acetylcholine (ACh), and choline oxidase (CHOx) form a cascade enzyme reaction to produce H2O2 in an electrolytic cell. Fe3O4@Au–Pt has excellent peroxidase-like activity and can catalyze the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethvlbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2, resulting in a decrease in the characteristic peak current of TMB. Based on the inhibitory effect of ETH on AChE, the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) current signal of TMB was used to detect ETH, offering the limit of detection (LOD) of 2.01 nmol L−1. The MRMEC method effectively analyzed ETH levels in mangoes, showing satisfactory precision (coefficient of variations, 2.88–15.97%) and recovery rate (92.18–110.72%). This biosensor holds promise for detecting various organophosphorus pesticides in food samples. Full article
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