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Biosensors
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Advanced Biosensors Based on Molecular Recognition
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Advanced Biosensors Based on Molecular Recognition

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensor Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 1083

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Wentao Xu

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Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: nucleic acid detection technology; nanomaterial-enhanced biosensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jianlong Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, 22 Xinong Road, Xianyang 712100, China
Interests: rapid identification and control of food safety factors; selection of antibodies for food factors; biosensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yingwang Ye

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
Interests: biosensors; foodborne pathogen detection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yangzi Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: nucleic acid detection technology; nanomaterial-enhanced biosensing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, “Advanced Biosensors Based on Molecular Recognition”, is dedicated to the rapidly evolving multidisciplinary intersection where highly specific molecular recognition elements meet next-generation transduction and signal output technologies. We welcome original research, reviews, and short communications that advance the design, fabrication, and real-world deployment of biosensors driven by molecular recognition elements such as aptamers, DNAzymes, antibodies, peptides, CRISPR complexes, molecularly imprinted polymers, engineered phages, and biomimetic receptors. Contributions covering innovative integration with electrochemical, optical, SERS, photonic crystal, paper-based, microfluidic, or smartphone-readout platforms are especially encouraged.

The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following: ultrasensitive detection of pathogens, toxins, pesticides, antibiotics, heavy metals, allergens, and plant hormones; single-cell or single-molecule analysis; wearable, implantable, or field-deployable devices; and AI-assisted signal processing. We are particularly interested in studies that demonstrate clear pathways from development to application in agriculture, food safety, environmental monitoring, and biomedical diagnostics.

Prof. Dr. Wentao Xu
Prof. Dr. Jianlong Wang
Prof. Dr. Yingwang Ye
Dr. Yangzi Zhang
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 2200 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

  • aptamer
  • DNAzyme
  • antibodies
  • peptide probe
  • CRISPR-based detection
  • molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP)
  • phage display
  • food safety
  • environmental monitoring
  • clinic diagnostics
  • lab-on-a-chip
  • point-of-care testing

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2075 KB  
Article
An Immunochromatographic Test Strip and Its Application in Rapid Screening of Pepper Mild Mottle Virus
by Xin Yang, Kelei Han, Wenyao Zhang, Chen Zhang, Rui Fan, Tingtao Chen, Yan Jin, Jiashuo An, Zichen Zhu, Xiaolong Shao, Guoliang Qian, Dankan Yan and Limin Wang
Biosensors 2026, 16(3), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16030135 - 25 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1
Abstract
The quality and productivity of peppers have been severely impacted by the pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV). To effectively control the transmission and damage caused by PMMoV, it is crucial to establish a simple, rapid, and field-applicable detection method. In this study, the [...] Read more.
The quality and productivity of peppers have been severely impacted by the pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV). To effectively control the transmission and damage caused by PMMoV, it is crucial to establish a simple, rapid, and field-applicable detection method. In this study, the coat protein of PMMoV was induced expression as an immunogen. After cell fusion and subcloning, a total of 10 hybridoma cell lines that stably secrete the PMMoV monoclonal antibody were screened. Through antibody pairing and screening, using monoclonal antibody 4D7 as the capture antibody and 3B9 as the detection antibody, an immunochromatographic test strip for PMMoV was established. Under ideal conditions, the test strip’s color development indicated that its detection limit for the target protein was 1 ng/mL, and the result was obtained in 10 min. The findings of field testing and specific detection demonstrated that this test strip could reliably identify PMMoV and it is capable of distinguishing between different disease samples collected in this study. It is anticipated that this test strip will be able to offer services for PMMoV field detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors Based on Molecular Recognition)
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18 pages, 2478 KB  
Article
Rapid Detection of Fumonisin B1 Using a Fluorescent Aptasensor with Plasmon-Modified Graphene Oxide as a Quencher
by Yi Jiao, Xiaoqing Yang, Junping Hao, Yuhang Wen, Shanshan Wang, Jingbo Zhang, Hengchao E, Zhiyong Zhao, Jianhua Wang and Xianli Yang
Biosensors 2026, 16(2), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16020133 - 22 Feb 2026
Viewed by 217
Abstract
Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a secondary metabolite produced by Fusarium species, exhibiting strong toxicity and classified as a Group 2B carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It poses a significant threat to both human and animal health. Therefore, developing a [...] Read more.
Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a secondary metabolite produced by Fusarium species, exhibiting strong toxicity and classified as a Group 2B carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It poses a significant threat to both human and animal health. Therefore, developing a simple and reliable method for FB1 detection and analysis is imperative. In this study, a biosensor based on nucleic acid aptamers was developed, utilizing plasma-modified graphene oxide (mGO) as a fluorescence quencher for FB1 detection. This system leverages the interaction between mGO and FAM-APT (a nucleic acid aptamer labeled with 5-carboxyfluorescein, FAM), achieving fluorescence quenching through fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) under excitation at 490 nm and emission at 520 nm. In the presence of FB1, FAM-APT specifically binds to FB1 and dissociates from the mGO surface, resulting in fluorescence recovery. Quantitative detection of FB1 was achieved by measuring the differential fluorescence intensity. The biosensor demonstrated excellent linearity over a concentration range of 10 to 5 × 106 ng/L, with a detection limit (LOD) as low as 0.16 μg/L. Additionally, the sensor exhibited high specificity for FB1 among six common mycotoxins. In practical sample analysis, recovery rates ranged from 95.8% to 104.7% in corn samples and from 89.3% to 94.5% in rice samples. This aptamer-based biosensor features a simple structure, high sensitivity, and a wide detection range, providing important technical support for advancing mycotoxin research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors Based on Molecular Recognition)
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14 pages, 1814 KB  
Article
Development of a Gold Nanoparticle-Based Amplification-Free Nanobiosensor for Rapid DNA Detection Supported by Machine Learning
by Yunus Aslan, Yeşim Taşkın Korucu, Brad Day and Remziye Yılmaz
Biosensors 2026, 16(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16020128 - 20 Feb 2026
Viewed by 235
Abstract
The global expansion of genetically modified (GM) crop cultivation has increased the demand for analytical platforms that can provide rapid, reliable, and cost-effective detection of GM-derived ingredients to support traceability, regulatory compliance, and accurate labeling. Conventional molecular assays such as polymerase chain reaction [...] Read more.
The global expansion of genetically modified (GM) crop cultivation has increased the demand for analytical platforms that can provide rapid, reliable, and cost-effective detection of GM-derived ingredients to support traceability, regulatory compliance, and accurate labeling. Conventional molecular assays such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and isothermal amplification are highly sensitive and specific but depend on sophisticated instrumentation and trained personnel, limiting their applicability in field settings. Here, we present a label-free and amplification-free nanobiosensor based on citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the direct colorimetric detection of the Cry1Ac gene associated with the MON87701 soybean event, without the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or any enzymatic nucleic acid amplification step. The assay relies on the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of AuNPs, which induces a red-to-purple color transition upon hybridization between complementary DNA strands. Critical reaction parameters, including NaCl concentration, AuNP size, and ionic strength, were optimized to enable selective and reproducible aggregation. Integration with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm enabled automated spectral classification and semi-quantitative discrimination of GM content levels. The optimized AuNP–SVM system achieved high sensitivity (limit of detection ≈ 2.5 ng μL−1, depending on nanoparticle batch), strong specificity toward Cry1Ac-positive sequences, and reproducible classification accuracies exceeding 90%. By eliminating enzymatic amplification steps, the proposed platform significantly reduces assay time, operational complexity, and instrumentation requirements, making it suitable for rapid on-site GMO screening. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors Based on Molecular Recognition)
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15 pages, 1772 KB  
Article
Polystyrene Microsphere-Labeled Lateral Flow Assay for the Visual Detection of Foodborne Pathogens
by Lingmei Zhang, Wanwei Qiu, Lu Lu, Jinghui Liu, Zhipeng Zou, Litao Yang and Haobo Sun
Biosensors 2026, 16(2), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16020114 - 10 Feb 2026
Viewed by 279
Abstract
With the increasing emphasis on food safety and health, it has become particularly important to develop rapid, sensitive and low-cost detection methods for foodborne pathogens. Lateral flow assay (LFA) has shown great potential in the field of point-of-care testing (POCT) due to its [...] Read more.
With the increasing emphasis on food safety and health, it has become particularly important to develop rapid, sensitive and low-cost detection methods for foodborne pathogens. Lateral flow assay (LFA) has shown great potential in the field of point-of-care testing (POCT) due to its rapidity, portability and low cost. However, traditional gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-labeled LFAs face challenges such as insufficient signal strength when detecting nucleic acids. In this study, LFA labeled with polystyrene microspheres was constructed targeting the specific nuc gene of Staphylococcus aureus for the detection of double-stranded PCR products. Unlike traditional AuNPs that pair antibodies through physical adsorption, polystyrene microspheres adopt a covalent coupling strategy, significantly enhancing probe stability and signal strength. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit was calculated to be 7.28 × 102 CFU/mL, which was approximately 10 times higher than that of the AuNP-based strip. This method demonstrated excellent specificity, reproducibility (RSD < 5%) and stability. In the practical application of artificially contaminated milk samples, the detection performance of polystyrene microsphere-based strips was better than that of AuNP-based strips. This study provides an efficient and easy-to-operate solution for the visual detection of foodborne pathogens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biosensors Based on Molecular Recognition)
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