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Biosensors
Special Issues
Trends in Fluorescent and Bioluminescent Biosensors
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Trends in Fluorescent and Bioluminescent Biosensors

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical and Photonic Biosensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2024) | Viewed by 10466

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Huiwang Ai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Chemistry, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Interests: fluorescent and bioluminescent biosensors; protein engineering and cell physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mingxu You

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
Interests: fluorescent and bioluminescent biosensors; DNA/RNA nanotechnology; cell imaging; cell signaling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fluorescent and bioluminescent biosensors have become important tools and made an enormous impact. These biosensors can be engineered based on a variety of design principles for target recognition, signal transduction, and the generation of optical output. For example, different proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules have been used as building blocks for the synthesis and conjugation of functional fluorescent as well as bioluminescent sensors. In addition to their broad applications for in vitro diagnostics and drug screening, many of these biosensors have now been delivered and/or genetically encoded to improve our understanding of mysterious biological processes in real living systems. This Special Issue aims to bring together scientists with diverse backgrounds in this quickly progressing research field to share their latest research and insights. It will serve as a platform for discussing some current challenges, opportunities, and advancements in the field of fluorescent and bioluminescent biosensors, with the ultimate goal of triggering broader applications of these powerful biosensing systems. We expect the Special Issue to gather original articles, reviews, and perspectives that mainly cover the following topics: biosensor development, the integration of biosensors with new instrumentation and protocols, and the applications of biosensors. Other related topics around this central concept of fluorescent and bioluminescent biosensors are also welcome. 

Dr. Huiwang Ai
Dr. Mingxu You
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. 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

  • bioimaging
  • bioluminescence
  • cellular analysis
  • diagnostics
  • fluorescent sensors
  • molecular probes

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2840 KiB  
Article
Engineering and Characterization of 3-Aminotyrosine-Derived Red Fluorescent Variants of Circularly Permutated Green Fluorescent Protein
by Hao Zhang, Xiaodong Tian, Jing Zhang and Hui-wang Ai
Biosensors 2024, 14(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14010054 - 20 Jan 2024
Viewed by 2181
Abstract
Introducing 3-aminotyrosine (aY), a noncanonical amino acid (ncAA), into green fluorescent protein (GFP)-like chromophores shows promise for achieving red-shifted fluorescence. However, inconsistent results, including undesired green fluorescent species, hinder the effectiveness of this approach. In this study, we optimized expression conditions for an [...] Read more.
Introducing 3-aminotyrosine (aY), a noncanonical amino acid (ncAA), into green fluorescent protein (GFP)-like chromophores shows promise for achieving red-shifted fluorescence. However, inconsistent results, including undesired green fluorescent species, hinder the effectiveness of this approach. In this study, we optimized expression conditions for an aY-derived cpGFP (aY-cpGFP). Key factors like rich culture media and oxygen restriction pre- and post-induction enabled high-yield, high-purity production of the red-shifted protein. We also engineered two variants of aY-cpGFP with enhanced brightness by mutating a few amino acid residues surrounding the chromophore. We further investigated the sensitivity of the aY-derived protein to metal ions, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Incorporating aY into cpGFP had minimal impact on metal ion reactivity but increased the response to RNS. Expanding on these findings, we examined aY-cpGFP expression in mammalian cells and found that reductants in the culture media significantly increased the red-emitting product. Our study indicates that optimizing expression conditions to promote a reduced cellular state proved effective in producing the desired red-emitting product in both E. coli and mammalian cells, while targeted mutagenesis-based protein engineering can further enhance brightness and increase method robustness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends in Fluorescent and Bioluminescent Biosensors)
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18 pages, 6546 KiB  
Article
Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Coated CdTe Quantum Dots for Fluorometric Detection of Sulfonamide Antibiotics in Food Samples
by Bianca Mortari, Sabir Khan, Ademar Wong and Maria Del Pilar Taboada Sotomayor
Biosensors 2023, 13(9), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13090877 - 8 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1945
Abstract
This work reports the development and application of a highly selective core@shell-based quantum dot–molecularly imprinted polymer (QD@MIP) sensor for the detection of sulfadiazine (SDZ)—an antibiotic which belongs to the sulfonamide family. The synthesis of the smart material or MIP (molecularly imprinted polymer) was [...] Read more.
This work reports the development and application of a highly selective core@shell-based quantum dot–molecularly imprinted polymer (QD@MIP) sensor for the detection of sulfadiazine (SDZ)—an antibiotic which belongs to the sulfonamide family. The synthesis of the smart material or MIP (molecularly imprinted polymer) was carried out by a precipitation method directly on the quantum dot surface, which played the role of a fluorescent probe in the optical sensor. The synthesized polymer was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Fluorescence experiments were performed in order to evaluate the effects of pH, interaction time of the QD@MIP with the analyte and SDZ concentration in different matrices. Under optimized conditions, a linear concentration range of 10.0–60.0 ppm and a limit of detection of 3.33 ppm were obtained. The repeatability and reproducibility of the proposed QD@MIP were evaluated in terms of the RSD, where RSD values of less than 5% were obtained in both tests. Selectivity studies were carried out in the presence of four possible interfering substances with quenching properties, and the signals obtained for these interferents confirmed the excellent selectivity of the proposed sensor; the imprinting factor value obtained for SDZ was 1.64. Finally, the proposed sensor was applied in real animal-based food samples using a spiked concentration of SDZ, where the recovery values obtained were above 90% (experiments were performed in triplicate). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends in Fluorescent and Bioluminescent Biosensors)
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15 pages, 7353 KiB  
Article
Bright NIR-Emitting Styryl Pyridinium Dyes with Large Stokes’ Shift for Sensing Applications
by Nirasha I. Wickramasinghe, Brian Corbin, Devni Y. Kanakarathna, Yi Pang, Chathura S. Abeywickrama and Kaveesha J. Wijesinghe
Biosensors 2023, 13(8), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13080799 - 9 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1949
Abstract
Two NIR-emitting donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) type regioisomeric styryl pyridinium dyes (1a–1b) were synthesized and studied for their photophysical performance and environment sensitivity. The two regioisomers, 1a and 1b, exhibited interesting photophysical properties including, longer wavelength excitation (λex ≈ [...] Read more.
Two NIR-emitting donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) type regioisomeric styryl pyridinium dyes (1a–1b) were synthesized and studied for their photophysical performance and environment sensitivity. The two regioisomers, 1a and 1b, exhibited interesting photophysical properties including, longer wavelength excitation (λex ≈ 530–560 nm), bright near-infrared emission (λem ≈ 690–720 nm), high-fluorescence quantum yields (ϕfl ≈ 0.24–0.72) large Stokes’ shift (∆λ ≈ 150–240 nm) and high-environmental sensitivity. Probe’s photophysical properties were studied in different environmental conditions such as polarity, viscosity, temperature, and concentration. Probes (1a–1b) exhibited noticeable changes in absorbance, emission and Stokes’ shift while responding to the changes in physical environment. Probe 1b exhibited a significant bathochromic shift in optical spectra (∆λ ≈ 20–40 nm) compared to its isomer 1a, due to the regio-effect. Probes (1a–1b) exhibited an excellent ability to visualize bacteria (Bacillus megaterium, Escherichia coli), and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) via fluorescence microscopy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends in Fluorescent and Bioluminescent Biosensors)
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Review

Jump to: Research

31 pages, 3709 KiB  
Review
Fluorescent-Based Neurotransmitter Sensors: Present and Future Perspectives
by Rajapriya Govindaraju, Saravanan Govindaraju, Kyusik Yun and Jongsung Kim
Biosensors 2023, 13(12), 1008; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13121008 - 30 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3485
Abstract
Neurotransmitters (NTs) are endogenous low-molecular-weight chemical compounds that transmit synaptic signals in the central nervous system. These NTs play a crucial role in facilitating signal communication, motor control, and processes related to memory and learning. Abnormalities in the levels of NTs lead to [...] Read more.
Neurotransmitters (NTs) are endogenous low-molecular-weight chemical compounds that transmit synaptic signals in the central nervous system. These NTs play a crucial role in facilitating signal communication, motor control, and processes related to memory and learning. Abnormalities in the levels of NTs lead to chronic mental health disorders and heart diseases. Therefore, detecting imbalances in the levels of NTs is important for diagnosing early stages of diseases associated with NTs. Sensing technologies detect NTs rapidly, specifically, and selectively, overcoming the limitations of conventional diagnostic methods. In this review, we focus on the fluorescence-based biosensors that use nanomaterials such as metal clusters, carbon dots, and quantum dots. Additionally, we review biomaterial-based, including aptamer- and enzyme-based, and genetically encoded biosensors. Furthermore, we elaborate on the fluorescence mechanisms, including fluorescence resonance energy transfer, photon-induced electron transfer, intramolecular charge transfer, and excited-state intramolecular proton transfer, in the context of their applications for the detection of NTs. We also discuss the significance of NTs in human physiological functions, address the current challenges in designing fluorescence-based biosensors for the detection of NTs, and explore their future development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trends in Fluorescent and Bioluminescent Biosensors)
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