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Molecular Biosensing: From Theory to Point of Care Analytical Device

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biophysics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 12443

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Viviana Scognamiglio

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Guest Editor

Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, AdR1, Montelibretti, Italy
Interests: algal biosensors; optical and electrochemical sensing; nanomaterials; environmental monitoring; medical diagnostics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Amina Antonacci

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Guest Editor

Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, AdR1, Montelibretti, Italy
Interests: algal biosensors; microalgae; polysaccharides-based supports; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Maria Teresa Giardi

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Guest Editor

1. Biosensor Srl, Via Degli Olmetti 44, Formello, 00060 Rome, Italy
2. Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, AdR1, Montelibretti, Italy
Interests: sensor prototyping; nanomaterials; green materials; biodevices for environmental, agrifood, and health monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Molecular sensors, also known as biosensors, chemical sensors, or chemosensors, have been applied in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and agrifood control. Over the last few years, novel generations of sensing systems have been designed based on the convergence of diverse science branches and technologies, from rational design to nanotechnology, paper-based biosensors, and microfluidics, showing improved analytical performance in terms of sensitivity, stability, and repeatability, among other things. For this reason, molecular sensors are becoming essential devices for emerging diagnostics and play crucial roles in the global health of both humans and ecosystems, reducing healthcare costs and increasing worldwide response towards pandemics and pollution.

Leading by Dr. Viviana Scognamiglio, Dr. Amina Antonacci, Dr. Maria Teresa Giardi and assisting by our our Editorial Board Member Dr. Luca De Stefano (Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council, AdR1 Napoli, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131, Italy), this Special Issue “Molecular biosensing: from theory to point of care analytical devices” aims to highlight the latest trends in molecular sensing devices to be applied for the detection of bioclinical markers, as well as agrifood contaminants and environmental pollutants. Research on various aspects of biosensing is encouraged, including molecular interactions and conformational switches, optical and electrochemical transduction, nanotechnology, paper-based biosensors, and microfluidics. This Special Issue invites researchers to contribute original research as well as review articles.

We hope this Special Issue works as a roadmap for all researchers and end-users of molecular biosensing technologies.

Dr. Viviana Scognamiglio
Dr. Amina Antonacci
Dr. Maria Teresa Giardi
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 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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

molecular interaction in biosensing and conformational switch biosensors
advanced artificial molecules
next-generation materials for molecule immobilization
electrochemical biosensors
optical biosensors
nanobiosensors
paper-based devices
microfluidics

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

20 pages, 18036 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Linkers’ Influence on Peptide-Based Piezoelectric Biosensors’ Sensitivity to Aldehydes in the Gas Phase

by Tomasz Wasilewski, Damian Neubauer, Marek Wojciechowski, Bartosz Szulczyński, Jacek Gębicki and Wojciech Kamysz

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(13), 10610; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241310610 - 25 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1296

Abstract

Recent findings qualified aldehydes as potential biomarkers for disease diagnosis. One of the possibilities is to use electrochemical biosensors in point-of-care (PoC), but these need further development to overcome some limitations. Currently, the primary goal is to enhance their metrological parameters in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. Previous findings indicate that peptide OBPP4 (KLLFDSLTDLKKKMSEC-NH₂) is a promising candidate for further development of aldehyde-sensitive biosensors. To increase the affinity of a receptor layer to long-chain aldehydes, a structure stabilization of the peptide active site via the incorporation of different linkers was studied. Indeed, the incorporation of linkers improved sensitivity to and binding of aldehydes in comparison to that of the original peptide-based biosensor. The tendency to adopt disordered structures was diminished owing to the implementation of suitable linkers. Therefore, to improve the metrological characteristics of peptide-based piezoelectric biosensors, linkers were added at the C-terminus of OBPP4 peptide (KLLFDSLTDLKKKMSE-linker-C-NH₂). Those linkers consist of proteinogenic amino acids from group one: glycine, L-proline, L-serine, and non proteinogenic amino acids from group two: β-alanine, 4-aminobutyric acid, and 6-aminohexanoic acid. Linkers were evaluated with in silico studies, followed by experimental verification. All studied linkers enhanced the detection of aldehydes in the gas phase. The highest difference in frequency (60 Hz, nonanal) was observed between original peptide-based biosensors and ones based on peptides modified with the GSGSGS linker. It allowed evaluation of the limit of detection for nonanal at the level of 2 ppm, which is nine times lower than that of the original peptide. The highest sensitivity values were also obtained for the GSGSGS linker: 0.3312, 0.4281, and 0.4676 Hz/ppm for pentanal, octanal, and nonanal, respectively. An order of magnitude increase in sensitivity was observed for the six linkers used. Generally, the linker’s rigidity and the number of amino acid residues are much more essential for biosensors’ metrological characteristics than the amino acid sequence itself. It was found that the longer the linkers, the better the effect on docking efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biosensing: From Theory to Point of Care Analytical Device)

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12 pages, 2403 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An All-Green Photo-Electrochemical Biosensor Using Microalgae Immobilized on Eco-Designed Lignin-Based Screen-Printed Electrodes to Detect Sustainable Nanoherbicides

by Amina Antonacci, Valeria Frisulli, Lucas Bragança Carvalho, Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto, Bruno Miranda, Luca De Stefano, Udo Johanningmeier, Maria Teresa Giardi and Viviana Scognamiglio

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(12), 10088; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241210088 - 13 Jun 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1457

Abstract

Herein, a novel completely green biosensor was designed exploiting both the biological and instrumental components made of eco-friendly materials for the detection of herbicides encapsulated into biodegradable nanoparticles for a sustainable agriculture. Similar nanocarriers, indeed, can deliver herbicides to the correct location, reducing the amount of active chemicals deposited in the plant, impacting the agricultural and food industries less. However, handling measurements of nanoherbicides is crucial to provide comprehensive information about their status in the agricultural fields to support farmers in decision-making. In detail, whole cells of the unicellular green photosynthetic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii UV180 mutant were immobilized by a green protocol on carbonized lignin screen-printed electrodes and integrated into a photo-electrochemical transductor for the detection of nanoformulated atrazine. Specifically, atrazine encapsulated into zein and chitosan doped poly-ε-caprolactone nanoparticles (atrazine-zein and atrazine-PCL-Ch) were analyzed following the current signals at a fixed applied potential of 0.8 V, in a range between 0.1 and 5 µM, indicating a linear relationship in the measured dose-response curves and a detection limit of 0.9 and 1.1 nM, respectively. Interference studies resulted in no interference from 10 ppb bisphenol A, 1 ppb paraoxon, 100 ppb arsenic, 20 ppb copper, 5 ppb cadmium, and 10 ppb lead at safety limits. Finally, no matrix effect was observed on the biosensor response from wastewater samples and satisfactory recovery values of 106 ± 8% and 93 ± 7% were obtained for atrazine-zein and atrazine-PCL-Ch, respectively. A working stability of 10 h was achieved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biosensing: From Theory to Point of Care Analytical Device)

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14 pages, 3401 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemical Immunosensor for the Determination of Antibodies against Prostate-Specific Antigen Based on ZnO Nanostructures

by Viktorija Liustrovaite, Dovydas Karoblis, Benediktas Brasiunas, Anton Popov, Arturas Katelnikovas, Aivaras Kareiva, Arunas Ramanavicius, Roman Viter, Maria Teresa Giardi, Donats Erts and Almira Ramanaviciene

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5803; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065803 - 18 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1486

Abstract

In this study, ZnO nanostructures with different types of morphologies and particle sizes were evaluated and applied for the development of an immunosensor. The first material was composed of spherical, polydisperse nanostructures with a particle size in the range of 10–160 nm. The second was made up of more compact rod-like spherical nanostructures with the diameter of these rods in the range of 50–400 nm, and approximately 98% of the particles were in the range of 20–70 nm. The last sample of ZnO was made up of rod-shaped particles with a diameter of 10–80 nm. These ZnO nanostructures were mixed with Nafion solution and drop-casted onto screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCE), followed by a further immobilization of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The affinity interaction of PSA with monoclonal antibodies against PSA (anti-PSA) was evaluated using the differential pulse voltammetry technique. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of anti-PSA were determined as 1.35 nM and 4.08 nM for compact rod-shaped spherical ZnO nanostructures, and 2.36 nM and 7.15 nM for rod-shaped ZnO nanostructures, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biosensing: From Theory to Point of Care Analytical Device)

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Review

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26 pages, 2573 KiB

Open AccessReview

Updates on the Biofunctionalization of Gold Nanoparticles for the Rapid and Sensitive Multiplatform Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 Virus and Its Proteins: From Computational Models to Validation in Human Samples

by Rodica Elena Ionescu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(11), 9249; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119249 - 25 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2060

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the pandemic respiratory virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), academic communities and governments/private companies have used several detection techniques based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). In this emergency context, colloidal AuNPs are highly valuable easy-to-synthesize biocompatible materials that can be used for different functionalization strategies and rapid viral immunodiagnosis. In this review, the latest multidisciplinary developments in the bioconjugation of AuNPs for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus and its proteins in (spiked) real samples are discussed for the first time, with reference to the optimal parameters provided by three approaches: one theoretical, via computational prediction, and two experimental, using dry and wet chemistry based on single/multistep protocols. Overall, to achieve high specificity and low detection limits for the target viral biomolecules, optimal running buffers for bioreagent dilutions and nanostructure washes should be validated before conducting optical, electrochemical, and acoustic biosensing investigations. Indeed, there is plenty of room for improvement in using gold nanomaterials as stable platforms for ultrasensitive and simultaneous “in vitro” detection by the untrained public of the whole SARS-CoV-2 virus, its proteins, and specific developed IgA/IgM/IgG antibodies (Ab) in bodily fluids. Hence, the lateral flow assay (LFA) approach is a quick and judicious solution to combating the pandemic. In this context, the author classifies LFAs according to four generations to guide readers in the future development of multifunctional biosensing platforms. Undoubtedly, the LFA kit market will continue to improve, adapting researchers’ multidetection platforms for smartphones with easy-to-analyze results, and establishing user-friendly tools for more effective preventive and medical treatments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biosensing: From Theory to Point of Care Analytical Device)

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25 pages, 2265 KiB

Open AccessReview

Coelenterazine-Type Bioluminescence-Induced Optical Probes for Sensing and Controlling Biological Processes

by Tianyu Jiang, Jingwen Song and Youming Zhang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5074; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065074 - 7 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2174

Abstract

Bioluminescence-based probes have long been used to quantify and visualize biological processes in vitro and in vivo. Over the past years, we have witnessed the trend of bioluminescence-driven optogenetic systems. Typically, bioluminescence emitted from coelenterazine-type luciferin–luciferase reactions activate light-sensitive proteins, which induce downstream events. The development of coelenterazine-type bioluminescence-induced photosensory domain-based probes has been applied in the imaging, sensing, and control of cellular activities, signaling pathways, and synthetic genetic circuits in vitro and in vivo. This strategy can not only shed light on the mechanisms of diseases, but also promote interrelated therapy development. Here, this review provides an overview of these optical probes for sensing and controlling biological processes, highlights their applications and optimizations, and discusses the possible future directions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biosensing: From Theory to Point of Care Analytical Device)

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20 pages, 2939 KiB

Open AccessReview

Fluorescence Imaging of Cell Membrane Potential: From Relative Changes to Absolute Values

by Dmitrii M. Nikolaev, Vladimir N. Mironov, Andrey A. Shtyrov, Iaroslav D. Kvashnin, Andrey S. Mereshchenko, Andrey V. Vasin, Maxim S. Panov and Mikhail N. Ryazantsev

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2435; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032435 - 26 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2941

Abstract

Membrane potential is a fundamental property of biological cells. Changes in membrane potential characterize a vast number of vital biological processes, such as the activity of neurons and cardiomyocytes, tumorogenesis, cell-cycle progression, etc. A common strategy to record membrane potential changes that occur in the process of interest is to utilize organic dyes or genetically-encoded voltage indicators with voltage-dependent fluorescence. Sensors are introduced into target cells, and alterations of fluorescence intensity are recorded with optical methods. Techniques that allow recording relative changes of membrane potential and do not take into account fluorescence alterations due to factors other than membrane voltage are already widely used in modern biological and biomedical studies. Such techniques have been reviewed previously in many works. However, in order to investigate a number of processes, especially long-term processes, the measured signal must be corrected to exclude the contribution from voltage-independent factors or even absolute values of cell membrane potential have to be evaluated. Techniques that enable such measurements are the subject of this review. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biosensing: From Theory to Point of Care Analytical Device)

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