Membrane Protein Based Biosensors 2016

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is dedicated to past and future developments in the field of biosensors whose receptive elements comprise either of (modified) membrane-active peptides, or of native or genetically engineered membrane-associated, as well as (trans)membrane proteins. The design of smart lipid membrane platforms is crucial for the functioning of membrane-active peptides and proteins, and can either be implemented by liposomal architectures, free-standing lipid bilayers, or planar lipid membranes attached to porous or solid supports. The single-molecule selectivity and specificity of the binding process, together with the expected intrinsic gain factor obtained when utilizing flow through a channel, pore or receptor have attracted the attention of scientists working in multidisciplinary fields. However, for the development of implementable biosensors, lab-on-a-chip and microfluidic devices challenging technical problems such as the fabrication of stable lipid membranes, the incorporation of a functional enzyme or receptor into these architectures, and the marriage of the modified membrane to a physical transducer need to be solved. Recently critical endeavours and new discoveries in this scientific field have been achieved and thus, highly sensitive membrane protein-based biosensors are having an increasing impact on drug screening, modern medical care and diagnostics, food safety, environmental monitoring, and biowarfare control.

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schuster
Guest Editor

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