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Biosensors
Special Issues
Low-Cost Biosensors for Developing Countries
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Low-Cost Biosensors for Developing Countries

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2015) | Viewed by 95112

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Pedro Estrela

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
Interests: BioFETs; electrochemical impedance; aptamer-based sensors; label-free electrochemical arrays
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The clear need for sensors in several prospective markets globally continues to drive substantial research in the field of both chemical and biological sensors. For healthcare and environmental monitoring, for example, the enduring premise is that early detection translates into informed interventions that can have lasting value. There is a demand for both high throughput sensing in traditional laboratory based sensing instrumentation and of low cost sensing for field or personal use.

The need for low cost sensing has particular benefit to developing economies, in particular within Africa and South East Asia. These developing counties have special needs for low-cost point-of-care diagnostic and monitoring tools due to e.g., the decentralized nature of healthcare, the lack of suitable testing clinics and facilities near a large number of the population, the occurrence of diseases eradicated in the developed world and, hence, of low priority investment in most research-intensive countries, the need for on-site monitoring of treatment. The investment in pure research in sensor technology has not yet resulted in the large scale commercialization of low-cost and on-site devices worldwide.

This Special Issue is dedicated to promoting the wide range of novel technologies and devices that can lead to the development of low-cost biosensors employable in developing countries. Applications include medical diagnostics, disease treatment monitoring and environmental monitoring.

Dr. Pedro Estrela
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • low-cost biosensors
  • electrochemical sensors
  • portable instrumentation
  • diagnostics
  • environmental monitoring
  • point-of-care sensors

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Review

243 KiB  
Review
Developing Biosensors in Developing Countries: South Africa as a Case Study
by Ronen Fogel and Janice Limson
Biosensors 2016, 6(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios6010005 - 2 Feb 2016
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 10903
Abstract
A mini-review of the reported biosensor research occurring in South Africa evidences a strong emphasis on electrochemical sensor research, guided by the opportunities this transduction platform holds for low-cost and robust sensing of numerous targets. Many of the reported publications centre on fundamental [...] Read more.
A mini-review of the reported biosensor research occurring in South Africa evidences a strong emphasis on electrochemical sensor research, guided by the opportunities this transduction platform holds for low-cost and robust sensing of numerous targets. Many of the reported publications centre on fundamental research into the signal transduction method, using model biorecognition elements, in line with international trends. Other research in this field is spread across several areas including: the application of nanotechnology; the identification and validation of biomarkers; development and testing of biorecognition agents (antibodies and aptamers) and design of electro-catalysts, most notably metallophthalocyanine. Biosensor targets commonly featured were pesticides and metals. Areas of regional import to sub-Saharan Africa, such as HIV/AIDs and tuberculosis diagnosis, are also apparent in a review of the available literature. Irrespective of the targets, the challenge to the effective deployment of such sensors remains shaped by social and economic realities such that the requirements thereof are for low-cost and universally easy to operate devices for field settings. While it is difficult to disentangle the intertwined roles of national policy, grant funding availability and, certainly, of global trends in shaping areas of emphasis in research, most notable is the strong role that nanotechnology, and to a certain extent biotechnology, plays in research regarding biosensor construction. Stronger emphasis on collaboration between scientists in theoretical modelling, nanomaterials application and or relevant stakeholders in the specific field (e.g., food or health monitoring) and researchers in biosensor design may help evolve focused research efforts towards development and deployment of low-cost biosensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Biosensors for Developing Countries)
912 KiB  
Review
Point-of-Care Diagnostics in Low Resource Settings: Present Status and Future Role of Microfluidics
by Shikha Sharma, Julia Zapatero-Rodríguez, Pedro Estrela and Richard O'Kennedy
Biosensors 2015, 5(3), 577-601; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios5030577 - 13 Aug 2015
Cited by 269 | Viewed by 29116
Abstract
The inability to diagnose numerous diseases rapidly is a significant cause of the disparity of deaths resulting from both communicable and non-communicable diseases in the developing world in comparison to the developed world. Existing diagnostic instrumentation usually requires sophisticated infrastructure, stable electrical power, [...] Read more.
The inability to diagnose numerous diseases rapidly is a significant cause of the disparity of deaths resulting from both communicable and non-communicable diseases in the developing world in comparison to the developed world. Existing diagnostic instrumentation usually requires sophisticated infrastructure, stable electrical power, expensive reagents, long assay times, and highly trained personnel which is not often available in limited resource settings. This review will critically survey and analyse the current lateral flow-based point-of-care (POC) technologies, which have made a major impact on diagnostic testing in developing countries over the last 50 years. The future of POC technologies including the applications of microfluidics, which allows miniaturisation and integration of complex functions that facilitate their usage in limited resource settings, is discussed The advantages offered by such systems, including low cost, ruggedness and the capacity to generate accurate and reliable results rapidly, are well suited to the clinical and social settings of the developing world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Biosensors for Developing Countries)
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Graphical abstract

363 KiB  
Review
Water Quality Monitoring in Developing Countries; Can Microbial Fuel Cells be the Answer?
by Jon Chouler and Mirella Di Lorenzo
Biosensors 2015, 5(3), 450-470; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios5030450 - 16 Jul 2015
Cited by 124 | Viewed by 22387
Abstract
The provision of safe water and adequate sanitation in developing countries is a must. A range of chemical and biological methods are currently used to ensure the safety of water for consumption. These methods however suffer from high costs, complexity of use and [...] Read more.
The provision of safe water and adequate sanitation in developing countries is a must. A range of chemical and biological methods are currently used to ensure the safety of water for consumption. These methods however suffer from high costs, complexity of use and inability to function onsite and in real time. The microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology has great potential for the rapid and simple testing of the quality of water sources. MFCs have the advantages of high simplicity and possibility for onsite and real time monitoring. Depending on the choice of manufacturing materials, this technology can also be highly cost effective. This review covers the state-of-the-art research on MFC sensors for water quality monitoring, and explores enabling factors for their use in developing countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Biosensors for Developing Countries)
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Figure 1

551 KiB  
Review
Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance as a Biosensing Platform for Developing Countries
by Jules L. Hammond, Nikhil Bhalla, Sarah D. Rafiee and Pedro Estrela
Biosensors 2014, 4(2), 172-188; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios4020172 - 20 Jun 2014
Cited by 150 | Viewed by 30381
Abstract
The discovery of the phenomena known as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) has provided the basis for many research areas, ranging from materials science to biosensing. LSPR has since been viewed as a transduction platform that could yield affordable, portable devices for a [...] Read more.
The discovery of the phenomena known as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) has provided the basis for many research areas, ranging from materials science to biosensing. LSPR has since been viewed as a transduction platform that could yield affordable, portable devices for a multitude of applications. This review aims to outline the potential applications within developing countries and the challenges that are likely to be faced before the technology can be effectively employed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Cost Biosensors for Developing Countries)
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