Microscale Biosensors Based on Smart Hydrogels and Soft Materials
A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "B1: Biosensors".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025
Special Issue Editor
Interests: microfluidics; soft materials; flexible electronics; sensors and probes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Recent advancements in microscale biosensors have revolutionized biomedical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and personalized healthcare. Central to these breakthroughs are smart hydrogels and soft materials, which offer unparalleled versatility in sensing due to their stimuli-responsive behavior, biocompatibility, and tunable mechanical properties. This Special Issue explores cutting-edge developments in designing hydrogel-based biosensors that respond to biochemical cues (e.g., pH, temperature, enzymes, or biomarkers) and integrate seamlessly with microfluidic systems, wearable devices, or implantable platforms. Contributions highlight novel fabrication techniques—such as 3D bioprinting, molecular imprinting, and self-assembly—to engineer soft sensors with enhanced sensitivity, specificity, and miniaturization. Challenges in achieving long-term stability, real-time signal transduction, and scalable production are critically addressed, alongside emerging applications in point-of-care diagnostics, organ-on-chip systems, and bioelectronic interfaces. By bridging materials science, bioengineering, and nanotechnology, this collection aims to inspire interdisciplinary collaborations and accelerate the translation of hydrogel-driven biosensors from lab-scale innovations to real-world solutions. All research related to hydrogel sensing and flexible sensing is welcome.
Dr. Ye Tian
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. Micromachines 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 2100 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
- soft materials
- hydrogel
- biosensor
- hydrogel sensing
- flexible sensing
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
