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Micromachines
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Biosensors for Pathogen Detection 2024
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Biosensors for Pathogen Detection 2024

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "B1: Biosensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2363

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Marisa Manzano
*
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences Via Sondrio 2/A, Università degli Studi di Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
Interests: genosensors; aptasensors; molecular biology; PCR; DNA probes; aptamers
* Office +39 0432 558127 Fax +39 0432 558130
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The food industry’s demand for the elimination of diseases caused by the presence of pathogen microorganisms in food, and breeding farms’ demand for rapid diagnoses, has led to the development of detection methods mostly based on molecular biology, nanotechnology, and nanomaterials. DNA biosensors utilizing optical, electrochemical, and acoustic transducers have demonstrated their feasibility for diagnostic purposes in pathogen detection as they are rapid, specific, sensitive, and cheap. The latest advancements in oligonucleotide selection (SELEX and SAM) have established new frontiers in this field, as they allow for the direct detection of cells using a label-free method. DNA-based biosensors can recognize various pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, that can affect humans, animals, plants, food, water, and the environment; moreover, the biosensor market is growing from the 2 billion dollars it was valued at in 2016, making this sector attractive for technological industries, especially for the production of miniaturized biosensors.

This Special Issue seeks to compile new methods that can be useful in pathogen detection for the development of point-of-care (PoC) devices and for the development of simple protocols.

Authors are invited to contribute original research papers, review articles, and short communications that focus on the development and utilization of novel methods to ensure the rapid, simple, and cheap detection of pathogens in food, breeding farms, water, the environment, and also for clinical applications.

Prof. Dr. Marisa Manzano
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 2600 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

  • pathogen detection
  • DNA sensors
  • nucleic acids
  • optical biosensors
  • electrochemical biosensors
  • acoustic biosensors
  • nanomaterials
  • point of care
  • lab-on-chip

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3017 KiB  
Article
A Novel PCR-Free Ultrasensitive GQD-Based Label-Free Electrochemical DNA Sensor for Sensitive and Rapid Detection of Francisella tularensis 
by Sumeyra Savas and Melike Sarıçam
Micromachines 2024, 15(11), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15111308 - 28 Oct 2024
Viewed by 592
Abstract
Biological warfare agents are infectious microorganisms or toxins capable of harming or killing humans. Francisella tularensis is a potential bioterrorism agent that is highly infectious, even at very low doses. Biosensors for biological warfare agents are simple yet reliable point-of-care analytical tools. Developing [...] Read more.
Biological warfare agents are infectious microorganisms or toxins capable of harming or killing humans. Francisella tularensis is a potential bioterrorism agent that is highly infectious, even at very low doses. Biosensors for biological warfare agents are simple yet reliable point-of-care analytical tools. Developing highly sensitive, reliable, and cost-effective label-free DNA biosensors poses significant challenges, particularly when utilizing traditional techniques such as fluorescence, electrochemical methods, and others. These challenges arise primarily due to the need for labeling, enzymes, or complex modifications, which can complicate the design and implementation of biosensors. In this study, we fabricated Graphene Quantum dot (GQD)-functionalized biosensors for highly sensitive label-free DNA detection. GQDs were immobilized on the surface of screen-printed gold electrodes via mercaptoacetic acid with a thiol group. The single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe was also immobilized on GQDs through strong π−π interactions. The ssDNA probe can hybridize with the ssDNA target and form double-stranded DNA, leading to a decrease in the effect of GQD but a positive shift associated with the increase in DNA concentration. The specificity of the developed system was observed with different microorganism target DNAs and up to three-base mismatches in the target DNA, effectively distinguishing the target DNA. The response time for the target DNA molecule is approximately 1010 s (17 min). Experimental steps were monitored using UV/Vis spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and electrochemical techniques to confirm the successful fabrication of the biosensor. The detection limit can reach 0.1 nM, which is two–five orders of magnitude lower than previously reported methods. The biosensor also exhibits a good linear range from 105 to 0.01 nM and has good specificity. The biosensor’s detection limit (LOD) was evaluated as 0.1 nM from the standard calibration curve, with a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.9712, showing a good linear range and specificity. Here, we demonstrate a cost-effective, GQD-based SPGE/F. tularensis DNA test suitable for portable electrochemical devices. This application provides good perspectives for point-of-care portable electrochemical devices that integrate sample processing and detection into a single cartridge without requiring a PCR before detection. Based on these results, it can be concluded that this is the first enzyme-free electrochemical DNA biosensor developed for the rapid and sensitive detection of F. tularensis, leveraging the nanoenzyme and catalytic properties of GQDs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors for Pathogen Detection 2024)
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21 pages, 2698 KiB  
Article
Towards a Wearable Feminine Hygiene Platform for Detection of Invasive Fungal Pathogens via Gold Nanoparticle Aggregation
by Kimberley Clack, Mohamed Sallam, Carney Matheson, Serge Muyldermans and Nam-Trung Nguyen
Micromachines 2024, 15(7), 899; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15070899 - 10 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1483
Abstract
Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungus that becomes pathogenic and problematic under certain biological conditions. C. albicans may cause painful and uncomfortable symptoms, as well as deaths in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, early detection of C. albicans is essential. However, conventional detection methods are [...] Read more.
Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungus that becomes pathogenic and problematic under certain biological conditions. C. albicans may cause painful and uncomfortable symptoms, as well as deaths in immunocompromised patients. Therefore, early detection of C. albicans is essential. However, conventional detection methods are costly, slow, and inaccessible to women in remote or developing areas. To address these concerns, we have developed a wearable and discrete naked-eye detectable colorimetric platform for C. albicans detection. With some modification, this platform is designed to be directly adhered to existing feminine hygiene pads. Our platform is rapid, inexpensive, user-friendly, and disposable and only requires three steps: (i) the addition of vaginal fluid onto sample pads; (ii) the addition of gold nanoparticle gel and running buffer, and (iii) naked eye detection. Our platform is underpinned by selective thiolated aptamer-based recognition of 1,3-β-D glucan molecules—a hallmark of C. albicans cell walls. In the absence of C. albicans, wearable sample pads turn bright pink. In the presence of C. albicans, the wearable pads turn dark blue due to significant nanoparticle target-induced aggregation. We demonstrate naked-eye colorimetric detection of 4.4 × 106 C. albicans cells per ml and nanoparticle stability over a pH range of 3.0–8.0. We believe that this proof-of-concept platform has the potential to have a significant impact on women’s health globally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors for Pathogen Detection 2024)
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