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Biosensors
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Biosensors State-of-the-Art in Italy
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Biosensors State-of-the-Art in Italy

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 21143

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ivo Rendina

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Guest Editor
Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council, Via Pietro Castellino n.111, 80131 Napoli, Italy
Interests: optical biosensors; bio/non-bio interfaces; lab-on-chip; nanophotonics
Dr. Luca De Stefano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NanoBioSystems Group, Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council, Via Pietro Castellino n.111, 80131 Napoli, Italy
Interests: optical biosensors; bio/non-bio interfaces; optical sensors; plasmonic substrates
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Emanuela Esposito

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
Interests: nanophotonics, plasmonics, surface enhanced spectroscopy, optical biosensors, lab-on-fiber and lab-on-chip devices, superconducting devices, nanofabrication
Dr. Antonino S. Fiorillo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
BATS Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: discrete and silicon micro and nanosensors based on ferroelectric and conducting polymers (ultrasonic transducers, pyroelectric sensors; electronic interfaces; field effect based sensors), as well as nanoporous materials, for an application in the fields of robotics and medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Salvatore Pullano

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Guest Editor
Biomedical Applications Technologies & Sensors (BATS) Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: sensors; biomedical signal processing; ion-sensitive field-effect transistors; PH sensors; sensing; wearable medical devices; electrocardiography; electrodes; textiles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In Italy, biosensors are fast moving from the laboratory stage to the market due to efforts in both the academic and industrial fields. Moreover, the evolution of nanotechnology and nanoscience has played a key role in the design and development of novel nanomaterials and nanodevices that can be applied to the field of biosensors. In this context, the combination of nanotechnology with biochemistry represents an efficient tool in the design of highly sensitive and highly specific biochemical sensors. Such systems enable the recognition and the quantification of an analyte of interest through different transduction mechanisms in complex matrices such as human body fluids. Among them, optical, electrical, electrochemical, piezoelectric, and their combination are the most studied and promising, since they can be easily integrated with microelectronics in portable biosensing devices that have found applications in medical diagnostics, theranostic systems, environmental monitoring, and food quality control.

This Special Issue focuses on recent progress in the design, fabrication, and applications of biosensors and biosensing technologies in Italy. The aim is not only to summarize the current realities but also to increase the network connections of research groups both in the academic and industrial fields. Contributions about original research activities and review articles on recent results are solicited.

A non-exclusive list of topic areas is listed below:

  • Novel and/or hybrid nanomaterials, nanocomposites, and nano-devices in biosensing;
  • Nanotechnologies for the fabrication of highly specific biomolecular probes;
  • Chemical modification of nanomaterials and nanodevices’ surfaces;
  • Nano-bio-systems, biochips, and lab-on-chips for sensing applications;
  • Quantum technologies applied to biosensing.

Prof. Dr. Ivo Rendina
Dr. Luca De Stefano
Dr. Emanuela Esposito
Dr. Antonino S. Fiorillo
Dr. Salvatore Pullano
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

  • biosensors
  • biosensing
  • quantum biosensing
  • Lab-on-Chip
  • Lab-on-Fiber
  • bioprobes
  • plasmonics and metamaterials
  • nanotechnologies
  • nanomaterials
  • nanodevices
  • nanocomposites
  • Point-of-Care systems
  • health care 
  • diagnostics 
  • immunosensors
  • biomarkers detection
  • RNA and DNA sensors
  • environmental monitoring
  • agri-food quality and security control
  • pesticides and contaminants detection

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  • 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.
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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 3600 KiB  
Communication
Flexible Passive Sensor Patch with Contactless Readout for Measurement of Human Body Temperature
by Marco Zini, Marco Baù, Alessandro Nastro, Marco Ferrari and Vittorio Ferrari
Biosensors 2023, 13(6), 572; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13060572 - 23 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1955
Abstract
A passive flexible patch for human skin temperature measurement based on contact sensing and contactless interrogation is presented. The patch acts as an RLC resonant circuit embedding an inductive copper coil for magnetic coupling, a ceramic capacitor as the temperature-sensing element and an [...] Read more.
A passive flexible patch for human skin temperature measurement based on contact sensing and contactless interrogation is presented. The patch acts as an RLC resonant circuit embedding an inductive copper coil for magnetic coupling, a ceramic capacitor as the temperature-sensing element and an additional series inductor. The temperature affects the capacitance of the sensor and consequently the resonant frequency of the RLC circuit. Thanks to the additional inductor, the dependency of the resonant frequency from the bending of the patch has been reduced. Considering a curvature radius of the patch of up to 73 mm, the maximum relative variation in the resonant frequency has been reduced from 812 ppm to 7.5 ppm. The sensor has been contactlessly interrogated by a time-gated technique through an external readout coil electromagnetically coupled to the patch coil. The proposed system has been experimentally tested within the range of 32–46 °C, giving a sensitivity of −619.8 Hz/°C and a resolution of 0.06 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors State-of-the-Art in Italy)
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16 pages, 2293 KiB  
Article
Wearable Multisensor Ring-Shaped Probe for Assessing Stress and Blood Oxygenation: Design and Preliminary Measurements
by Simone Valenti, Gabriele Volpes, Antonino Parisi, Daniele Peri, Jinseok Lee, Luca Faes, Alessandro Busacca and Riccardo Pernice
Biosensors 2023, 13(4), 460; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13040460 - 5 Apr 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3736
Abstract
The increasing interest in innovative solutions for health and physiological monitoring has recently fostered the development of smaller biomedical devices. These devices are capable of recording an increasingly large number of biosignals simultaneously, while maximizing the user’s comfort. In this study, we have [...] Read more.
The increasing interest in innovative solutions for health and physiological monitoring has recently fostered the development of smaller biomedical devices. These devices are capable of recording an increasingly large number of biosignals simultaneously, while maximizing the user’s comfort. In this study, we have designed and realized a novel wearable multisensor ring-shaped probe that enables synchronous, real-time acquisition of photoplethysmographic (PPG) and galvanic skin response (GSR) signals. The device integrates both the PPG and GSR sensors onto a single probe that can be easily placed on the finger, thereby minimizing the device footprint and overall size. The system enables the extraction of various physiological indices, including heart rate (HR) and its variability, oxygen saturation (SpO2), and GSR levels, as well as their dynamic changes over time, to facilitate the detection of different physiological states, e.g., rest and stress. After a preliminary SpO2 calibration procedure, measurements have been carried out in laboratory on healthy subjects to demonstrate the feasibility of using our system to detect rapid changes in HR, skin conductance, and SpO2 across various physiological conditions (i.e., rest, sudden stress-like situation and breath holding). The early findings encourage the use of the device in daily-life conditions for real-time monitoring of different physiological states. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors State-of-the-Art in Italy)
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16 pages, 3052 KiB  
Article
Disposable Voltammetric Immunosensor for D-Dimer Detection as Early Biomarker of Thromboembolic Disease and of COVID-19 Prognosis
by Cristina Tortolini, Valeria Gigli, Antonio Angeloni, Luciano Galantini, Federico Tasca and Riccarda Antiochia
Biosensors 2023, 13(1), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13010043 - 28 Dec 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2545
Abstract
In this work, we report on the development of a simple electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of D-dimer protein in human plasma samples. The immunosensor is built by a simple drop-casting procedure of chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) as biocompatible support, Protein A (PrA), to [...] Read more.
In this work, we report on the development of a simple electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of D-dimer protein in human plasma samples. The immunosensor is built by a simple drop-casting procedure of chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) as biocompatible support, Protein A (PrA), to facilitate the proper orientation of the antibody sites to epitopes as a capture biomolecule, and the D-dimer antibody onto a carboxyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes screen printed electrode (MWCNTs-SPE). The CSNPs have been morphologically characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) techniques. Successively, the electrochemical properties of the screen-printed working electrode after each modification step have been characterized by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The resulting MWCNTs-CSNPs-PrA-D-dimer Ab immunosensor displays an optimal and promising platform for antibody immobilization and specific D-dimer detection. DPV has been used to investigate the antigen/antibody interaction at different D-dimer concentrations. The proposed voltammetric immunosensor allowed a linear range from 2 to 500 μg L−1 with a LOD of 0.6 μg L−1 and a sensitivity of 1.3 μA L μg−1 cm−2. Good stability and a fast response time (5 s) have been reported. Lastly, the performance of the voltammetric immunosensor has been tested in human plasma samples, showing satisfactory results, thus attesting to the promising feasibility of the proposed platform for detecting D-dimer in physiological samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors State-of-the-Art in Italy)
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15 pages, 4017 KiB  
Article
Comparison between Chest-Worn Accelerometer and Gyroscope Performance for Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate Monitoring
by Chiara Romano, Emiliano Schena, Domenico Formica and Carlo Massaroni
Biosensors 2022, 12(10), 834; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12100834 - 6 Oct 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4470
Abstract
The demand for wearable devices to simultaneously monitor heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) values has grown due to the incidence increase in cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The use of inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors, embedding both accelerometers and gyroscopes, may ensure [...] Read more.
The demand for wearable devices to simultaneously monitor heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) values has grown due to the incidence increase in cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The use of inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors, embedding both accelerometers and gyroscopes, may ensure a non-intrusive and low-cost monitoring. While both accelerometers and gyroscopes have been assessed independently for both HR and RR monitoring, there lacks a comprehensive comparison between them when used simultaneously. In this study, we used both accelerometers and gyroscopes embedded in a single IMU sensor for the simultaneous monitoring of HR and RR. The following main findings emerged: (i) the accelerometer outperformed the gyroscope in terms of accuracy in both HR and RR estimation; (ii) the window length used to estimate HR and RR values influences the accuracy; and (iii) increasing the length over 25 s does not provide a relevant improvement, but accuracy improves when the subject is seated or lying down, and deteriorates in the standing posture. Our study provides a comprehensive comparison between two promising systems, highlighting their potentiality for real-time cardiorespiratory monitoring. Furthermore, we give new insights into the influence of window length and posture on the systems’ performance, which can be useful to spread this approach in clinical settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors State-of-the-Art in Italy)
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15 pages, 3156 KiB  
Article
FBG-Based Soft System for Assisted Epidural Anesthesia: Design Optimization and Clinical Assessment
by Francesca De Tommasi, Chiara Romano, Daniela Lo Presti, Carlo Massaroni, Massimiliano Carassiti and Emiliano Schena
Biosensors 2022, 12(8), 645; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12080645 - 16 Aug 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2242
Abstract
Fiber Bragg grating sensors (FBGs) are considered a valid sensing solution for a variety of medical applications. The last decade witnessed the exploitation of these sensors in applications ranging from minimally invasive surgery to biomechanics and monitoring physiological parameters. Recently, preliminary studies investigated [...] Read more.
Fiber Bragg grating sensors (FBGs) are considered a valid sensing solution for a variety of medical applications. The last decade witnessed the exploitation of these sensors in applications ranging from minimally invasive surgery to biomechanics and monitoring physiological parameters. Recently, preliminary studies investigated the potential impact of FBGs in the management of epidural procedures by detecting when the needle reaches the epidural space with the loss of resistance (LOR) technique. In this article, we propose a soft and flexible FBG-based system capable of detecting the LOR, we optimized the solution by considering different designs and materials, and we assessed the feasibility of the optimized soft sensor (SS) in clinical settings. The proposed SS addresses some of the open challenges in the use of a sensing solution during epidural punctures: it has high sensitivity, it is non-invasive, the sensing element does not need to be inserted within the needle, and the clinician can follow the standard clinical practice. Our analysis highlights how the material and the design impact the system response, and thus its performance in this scenario. We also demonstrated the system’s feasibility of detecting the LOR during epidural procedures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors State-of-the-Art in Italy)
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12 pages, 2467 KiB  
Article
A Miniaturized Silicon Lab-on-Chip for Integrated PCR and Hybridization Microarray for High Multiplexing Nucleic Acids Analysis
by Giorgio Ventimiglia, Massimiliano Pesaturo, Alastair Malcolm and Salvatore Petralia
Biosensors 2022, 12(8), 563; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12080563 - 25 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2592
Abstract
A silicon lab-on-chip, for the detection of nucleic acids through the integrated PCR and hybridization microarray, was developed. The silicon lab-on-chip manufactured through bio-MEMS technology is composed of two PCR microreactors (each volume 11.2 µL) and a microarray-hybridization microchamber (volume 30 µL), fluidically [...] Read more.
A silicon lab-on-chip, for the detection of nucleic acids through the integrated PCR and hybridization microarray, was developed. The silicon lab-on-chip manufactured through bio-MEMS technology is composed of two PCR microreactors (each volume 11.2 µL) and a microarray-hybridization microchamber (volume 30 µL), fluidically connected by buried bypass. It contains heaters and temperature sensors for the management and control of the temperature cycles during the PCR amplification and hybridization processes. A post-silicon process based on (i) plasmo-O2 cleaning/activation, (ii) vapor phase epoxy silanization, (iii) microarray fabrication and (iv) a protein-based passivation step was developed and fully characterized. The ssDNA microarray (4 rows × 10 columns) composed of 400 spots (spot size—70 ± 12 µm; spot-to-spot distance—130 ± 13 µm) was manufactured by piezo-dispense technology. A DNA microarray probe density in the range of 1310 to 2070 probe µm−2 was observed, together with a limit of detection of about 19 target µm−2. The performances of the silicon lab-on-chip were validated by the detection of the beta-globin gene directly from human blood. Remarkable sensitivity, multiplexing analysis and specificity were demonstrated for the detection of beta-globin and mycobacterium tuberculosis sequences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors State-of-the-Art in Italy)
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12 pages, 1724 KiB  
Perspective
Future Prospects of Luminescent Silicon Nanowires Biosensors
by Maria Josè Lo Faro, Antonio Alessio Leonardi, Francesco Priolo, Barbara Fazio and Alessia Irrera
Biosensors 2022, 12(11), 1052; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12111052 - 21 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2225
Abstract
In this paper, we exploit the perspective of luminescent Si nanowires (NWs) in the growing field of commercial biosensing nanodevices for the selective recognition of proteins and pathogen genomes. We fabricated quantum confined fractal arrays of Si NWs with room temperature emission at [...] Read more.
In this paper, we exploit the perspective of luminescent Si nanowires (NWs) in the growing field of commercial biosensing nanodevices for the selective recognition of proteins and pathogen genomes. We fabricated quantum confined fractal arrays of Si NWs with room temperature emission at 700 nm obtained by thin-film, metal-assisted, chemical etching with high production output at low cost. The fascinating optical features arising from multiple scattering and weak localization of light promote the use of Si NWs as optical biosensing platforms with high sensitivity and selectivity. In this work, label-free Si NW optical sensors are surface modified for the selective detection of C-reactive protein through antigen–gene interaction. In this case, we report the lowest limit of detection (LOD) of 1.6 fM, fostering the flexibility of different dynamic ranges for detection either in saliva or for serum analyses. By varying the NW surface functionalization with the specific antigen, the luminescence quenching of NW biosensors is used to measure the hepatitis B-virus pathogen genome without PCR-amplification, with an LOD of about 20 copies in real samples or blood matrix. The promising results show that NW optical biosensors can detect and isolate extracellular vesicles (EV) marked with CD81 protein with unprecedented sensitivity (LOD 2 × 105 sEV/mL), thus enabling their measurement even in a small amount of blastocoel fluid. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors State-of-the-Art in Italy)
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