Biomimetic Sensor Research Articles

Biomimetic nanozyme-based electrochemical sensor integrated with microfluidic cell for on-site uric acid detection

Uric acid (UA) is the key indicator highly associated with gout, and on-site UA detection is of great significance for personalized health management. Herein, we propose an integrated microfluidic electrochemical sensing platform for real-time UA detection. The platform mainly consists of a biomimetic nanozyme-based electrochemical sensor and a microfluidic cell. The biomimetic nanozyme with desirable catalytic activity can effectively promote UA oxidation, and the corresponding working mechanism is clarified through density functional theory calculation. Besides, the well-designed microfluidic cell is capable of impurity removal and sample storage. Based on these designs, the whole process of sample pretreatment and target detection can all be achieved on one integrated platform, allowing for user-friendly test. This developed platform shows satisfactory sensing performance for UA with a detection limit of 4.2 μM. In addition, it is successfully applied to UA determination in artificial saliva and serum samples, showing desirable application prospects in clinical diagnosis.

Silk Flocked Flexible Sensor Capable of Wide-Range and Sensitive Pressure Perception.

In recent years, there have been advancements in high-performance soft sensors with simultaneous moderate sensitivity and wide linearity. However, it remains challenging to combine high-efficiency production and high performance for soft sensors. The skin and hair structure provide an elegantly simple sensing model, where hair acts as signal receptors and basal skin acts as signal processors. Herein, we used efficient electrostatic flocking and extrusion printing to engineer comb-shaped electrodes with conductive polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) flocked with conductive silk fibers as a biomimetic flexible sensor. The mechanical and electrical properties of modified PDMS and silk fibers were characterized to optimize the functionalization process. The sensor unit exhibited a high linear range up to 2,000 kPa and a competitively good sensitivity of 0.0285 kPa-1 in the contact mode with conductive materials, as well as good resolution in the noncontact mode. Such sensors and a sensor array demonstrated potential applications for detecting pressure disturbances from acoustic activity and for human-robot interactions. We anticipate that the straightforward design and facile fabrication of soft sensors with vertical fibrous morphology for perception will open new avenues for the next generation of high-performance soft sensors integrated with artificial intelligence.

Odorant Binding Proteins Facilitate the Gas-Phase Uptake of Odorants Through the Nasal Mucus.

Mammalian odorant binding proteins (OBPs) have long been suggested to transport hydrophobic odorant molecules through the aqueous environment of the nasal mucus. While the function of OBPs as odorant transporters is supported by their hydrophobic beta-barrel structure, no rationale has been provided on why and how these proteins facilitate the uptake of odorants from the gas phase. Here, a multi-scale computational approach validated through available high-resolution spectroscopy experiments reveals that the conformational space explored by carvone inside the binding cavity of porcine OBP (pOBP) is much closer to the gas than the aqueous phase, and that pOBP effectively manages to transport odorants by lowering the free energy barrier of odorant uptake. Understanding such perireceptor events is crucial to fully unravel the molecular processes underlying the olfactory senseand move towards the development of protein-based biomimetic sensor units that can serve as artificial noses.

Molecularly imprinted biomimetic plasmonic sensor decorated with gold nanoparticles for selective and sensitive detection of bisphenol A

Molecularly imprinted biomimetic plasmonic sensor decorated with gold nanoparticles for selective and sensitive detection of bisphenol A

Van der Waals Heterojunction Based Self-Powered Biomimetic Dual-Mode Sensor for Precise Object Identification.

The design and fabrication of materials that can concurrently respond to light and gas within the dual-modal recognition domain present a significant challenge due to contradictory structural requirements. This innovative strategy introduces a type-I heterojunction, combining the properties of Sb2Te3 and WSe2 nanosheets, to overcome these obstacles. The heterojunction is prepared through a precise stacking approach to create a single-side barrier on the valence band and a near-zero offset on the conduction band. The resulting Sb2Te3/WSe2 heterojunction demonstrates unparalleled performance, showcasing the best integrated photoelectric and gas sensing performance in a single device to date. Based on the above features, the heterojunction successfully integrates visual and olfactory sensing performance, achieving the first biomimetic visual-olfactory dual-mode recognition in a single device. This simulation increased the accuracy of distinguishing electric and fuel-powered cars from ≈50% to ≈96%. This work introduces a novel approach to creating efficient, self-powered sensing materials, paving the way for next-generation biomimetic dual-model devices with broad applications in environmental protection, medical care, and other fields.

Robust biomimetic strain sensor based on butterfly wing-derived skeleton structure

A biomimetic strain sensor was designed and constructed based on Ir nanoparticles-modified multi-wall carbon nanotubes (Ir NPs@MWCNTs) and parallel Pt layer/dragon skin with carbonized butterfly wing patterns. This sensor exhibits high gauge factor (∼515.4), extensive tensile range (0%–96%), and swift response (∼300 ms), especially remarkable stability up to 60 000 cycles. The work mechanism has been proposed based on the experimental test and finite-element method. Some important applications such as human motion and micro-expression recognition have been confirmed using 3 × 3 flexible biomimetic sensor array.

Low-tech innovation: biomimetic solid-contact potentiometric sensor for nanomolar-level atrazine detection.

Despite the fact that there are already a number of solid-contact-based ion-selective electrodes designed for atrazine detection, our ground-breaking contribution lies in introducing the first-ever atrazine potentioselectrode, enabling the ultra-sensitive detection of atrazine at nanomolar levels. Solid-contact ion-selective electrodes can offer advantages, such as improved stability, reproducibility, sensitivity, and selectivity compared to their liquid-contact counterparts. Here, a biomimetic potentiometric sensor for Atrazine was developed using economic, light weight, and flexible carbon cloth as solid-contact material. Our methodology entails the synthesis of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) through straightforward precipitation polymerization, showcasing a streamlined and efficient method for creating highly specific molecular recognition elements. The validation of template removal is confirmed via meticulous analysis employing EDX and FTIR techniques, ensuring the efficacy of our methodology. The resulting sensing membrane are casted by dispersing the MIP in 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether plasticizer and embedding it within a PVC matrix containing sodium tetraphenyl borate as a lipophilic additive. The developed sensor responds to atrazine in the pH range of 2.8-3.3 over a wide concentration range of 1 × 10-8M to 1 × 10-5M & 1 × 10-5M to 1 × 10-1M with respective slopes of 29.2 mv & 58.7mV and a limit of detection of 1 × 10-9M. An impressive feature of this sensor lies in its swift response time, registering a rapid reaction within a mere 10s. Emphasize the sensor's commendable attributes of reproducibility, selectivity, and sensitivity underscoring its successful application in field monitoring.

Construction of a thermoresponsive molecularly imprinted biomimetic hydrogel-based virus sensor and non-invasive cyclable detection of EV71.

Athermoresponsive molecularly imprinted hydrogel sensor was constructed for the specific selective recognition of enterovirus 71 (EV71). Due to the introduction of thethermosensitive monomer N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), when the imprinted hydrogel is incubated with the virus at 37℃, the surface specific imprinting cavity will specifically recognize and capture the target virus EV71. When the temperature rises to 45℃, the combined EV71 is rapidly released due to changes in the shape and function of the imprinted sites. The MIP hydrogel-based viral sensor developed recognized, captured, and released the target virus in a non-invasive way. The imprinting factor of the target virus was 5.2, suggesting high selectivity, and the detection limit was 7.1 fM, suggesting high sensitivity. Detection was rapid, as adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 30 min. This method provides a new sustainable avenue for the simple and rapid detection of viruses.

High Spatiotemporal Resolution Biomimetic Thermoreceptors Realizing by Jointless p‐n Integration Thermoelectric Composites

AbstractHuman body temperature is a critical physiological indicator, reflecting metabolism and temperature regulation. Biomimetic temperature sensors with high temporal and spatial resolution are highly desired to emulate human skin's temperature perception capabilities. Here, a selective filtration method is proposed to fabricate a jointless p‐n thermoelectric module, integrating p‐type and n‐type materials with minimal interfacial barriers. The structure enables rapid response, minimal signal variation, and a robust linear relationship between open circuit voltage and temperature difference, making it suitable as a biomimetic thermoreceptor for enhancing humanoid robots with intelligent sensing capabilities. A smart thermoelectric sensing system with a high temporal and spatial resolution is developed using with jointless p‐n module as the sensing element. In temporal thermal sensing, the sensing system can timely and effectively identify the heat source, with a fast response time of <0.1 s. In addition, in spatial thermal sensing, the system reliably detects thermal stimuli within discrete regions of each measuring area of <1 × 1 cm2. This study provides an effective strategy for temperature sensors in thermoelectric sensing and biomimetic thermoreceptor applications.

A biomimetic skin microtissue biosensor for the detection of fish parvalbumin

In this paper, a biomimetic skin microtissue biosensor was developed based on three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting to precisely and accurately determine fish parvalbumin (FV). Based on the principle that allergens stimulate cells to produce ONOO− (peroxynitrite anion), a screen-printed electrode for the detection nanomolar level ONOO− was innovatively prepared to indirectly detect FV based on the level of ONOO− release. Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), RBL-2H3 cells, and MS1 cells were used as bio-ink for 3D bioprinting. The high-throughput and standardized preparation of skin microtissue was achieved using stereolithography 3D bioprinting technology. The printed skin microtissues were put into the self-designed 3D platform that integrated cell culture and electrochemical detection. The experimental results showed that the sensor could effectively detect FV when the optimized ratio of RBL-2H3 to MS1 cells and allergen stimulation time were 2:8 and 2 h, respectively. The linear detection range was 0.125–3.0 μg/mL, and the calculated lowest detection limit was 0.122 μg/mL. In addition, the sensor had excellent selectivity, specificity, stability, and reliability. Thus, this study successfully constructed a biomimetic skin microtissue electrochemical sensor for PV detection.

Skin-inspired multimodal tactile sensor aiming at smart space extravehicular multi-finger operations

Tactile sensing of skin shapes the interactions between hand and the surrounding world, owing to the remarkable natural sensory system. But for astronauts, tactile feedback cannot be obtained biologically due to the very thick protective gloves, which seriously hinders the flexibility of the extravehicular activity. In this work, inspired by human skin, we develop a biomimetic multi-layer tactile sensor (BMLTS) that can work like the fast adaptive and slow adaptive receptors of fingertip to achieve the multimodal tactile perception based on the fusion of thermosensitive, piezoelectric, triboelectric and piezoresistive materials. Based on the BMLTS, the tactile perception for temperature, surface roughness discrimination and smart object grasping is successfully achieved, which fully simulates the basic tactile perceptions in typical extravehicular operations. Furthermore, by the combination of BMLTS and deep learning, a biomimetic intelligent perception system (BIPS) that can make decisions to the tactile signal just like human brain is constructed, which can provide real-time tactile information for astronauts. Intelligent real-time object material identification, writing and recording are conducted using BIPS, reaching the recognition accuracy rate higher than 95%. This work lays the foundation for the systematization and integration of tactile sensors, and paves the way for the development of dexterous tactile perception for smart extravehicular activities of astronauts.

Biomimetic Hydrodynamic Sensor with Whisker Array Architecture and Multidirectional Perception Ability.

The rapid development of ocean exploration and underwater robot technology has put forward new requirements for underwater sensing methods, which can be used for hydrodynamic characteristics perception, underwater target tracking, and even underwater cluster communication. Here, inspired by the specialized undulated surface structure of the seal whisker and its ability to suppress vortex-induced vibration, a multidirectional hydrodynamic sensor based on biomimetic whisker array structure and magnetic 3D self-decoupling theory is introduced. The magnetic-based sensing method enables wireless connectivity between the magnetic functional structures and electronics, simplifying device design and endowing complete watertightness. The 3D self-decoupling capability enables the sensor, like a seal or other organisms, to perceive arbitrary whisker motions caused by the action of water flow without complex calibration and additional sensing units. The whisker sensor is capable of detecting a variety of hydrodynamic information, including the velocity (RMSE<0.061ms-1) and direction of the steady flow field, the frequency (error<0.05Hz) of the dynamic vortex wake, and the orientation (error<7°) of the vortex wake source, demonstrating its extensive potential for underwater environmental perception and communication, especially in deep sea conditions.

Biomimetic three-dimensional microchannel non-destructive self-healing flexible strain sensor based on liquid metal-polydimethylsiloxane elastomer

Flexible strain sensors (FSS) have garnered widespread attention due to their immense potential in wearable electronics, motion health monitoring, artificial electronic skin, and soft robotics. However, FSSs are susceptible to mechanical damage such as wear, cracks or breaks during long-term use, which diminish their reliability and service life. Inspired by the self-healing dual-phase structure of human skin and vascular networks, this study proposes a biomimetic three-dimensional microchannel non-destructive self-healing flexible strain sensor (B-TMN-SHFSS) based on the liquid metal-polydimethylsiloxane (LM-PDMS) elastomer. The B-TMN-SHFSS employs a layered design, layer-by-layer fabrication, and interlayer self-healing techniques to construct the microchannel within the self-healing PDMS elastomer (SPE), with the liquid metal (LM) being injected into the microchannel using a negative pressure injection method. Based on the modified protective layer design of the biomimetic three-dimensional microchannel, the high self-healing efficiency of the SPE and the fluidity of the LM, the B-TMN-SHFSS is able to restore the initial sensing performance after self-healing, while maintaining the integrity of the 3D microchannels with an electrical healing efficiency (EHE) of 100 %. Additionally, the B-TMN-SHFSS features high sensitivity (GFmax = 3.464) and a wide measurement range (0 to 216.68 %), making it suitable for human motion detection.

Emerging Designs and Applications for Biomembrane Biosensors.

Nature has inspired the development of biomimetic membrane sensors in which the functionalities of biological molecules, such as proteins and lipids, are harnessed for sensing applications. This review provides an overview of the recent developments for biomembrane sensors compatible with either bulk or planar sensing applications, namely using lipid vesicles or supported lipid bilayers, respectively. We first describe the individual components required for these sensing platforms and the design principles that are considered when constructing them, and we segue into recent applications being implemented across multiple fields. Our goal for this review is to illustrate the versatility of nature's biomembrane toolbox and simultaneously highlight how biosensor platforms can be enhanced by harnessing it.

Erratum to: A Comprehensive Review: Recent Developments of Biomimetic Sensors

Erratum to: A Comprehensive Review: Recent Developments of Biomimetic Sensors

Engineered Leukocyte Biomimetic Colorimetric Sensor Enables High-Efficient Detection of Tumor Cells Based on Bioorthogonal Chemistry.

Accurate detection of heterogeneous circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is critical as they can make tumor cells more aggressive, drug-resistant, and metastasizing. Although the leukocyte membrane coating strategy is promising in meeting the challenge of detecting heterogeneous CTCs due to its inherent antiadhesive properties, it is still limited by the reduction or loss of expression of known markers. Bioorthogonal glycol-metabolic engineering is expected to break down this barrier by feeding the cells with sugar derivatives with a unique functional group to establish artificial targets on the surface of tumor cells. Herein, an engineered leukocyte biomimetic colorimetric sensor was accordingly fabricated for high-efficient detection of heterogeneous CTCs. Compared with conventional leukocyte membrane coating, the sensor could covalently bound to the heterogeneous CTCs models fed with Ac4ManNAz in vitro through the synergy of bioorthogonal chemistry and metabolic glycoengineering, ignoring the phenotypic changes of heterogeneous CTCs. Meanwhile, a sandwich structure composed of leukocyte biomimetic layer/CTCs/MoS2 nanosheet was formed for visual detection of HeLa cells as low as 10 cells mL-1. Overall, this approach can overcome the dependence of conventional cell membrane biomimetic technology on specific cell phenotypes and provide a new viewpoint to highly efficiently detect heterogeneous CTCs.

A bioinspired triboelectric wireless anemometer with low cut-in wind speed for meteorological UAVs

Currently, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play a pivotal role in meteorological wind speed measurements. Nevertheless, existing anemometers exhibit notable issues, including excessive weight, high cost and high cut-in wind speed. This investigation introduces a biomimetic owl wing airfoil wind speed sensor utilizing the principles of the triboelectric nanogenerator (BOW-TENG) designed for UAV applications. Inspired by owl wings, an airfoil configuration with superior aerodynamic characteristics is ascertained, subsequently fabricating it into an impeller, and a wind speed sensor with low weight, low cost and low cut-in wind speed is developed. Experimental results affirm the BOW-TENG’s precision in depicting wind speed across the range of 1.6–10.7 m/s, featuring a sensitivity of 21.893 Hz/(m·s−1), a goodness of fit R2 of 0.9995, and a remarkable resolution of 0.057 m/s. The sensor weighs only 30 g. Furthermore, a cost-effective triboelectric signal processing system is devised for integrating the BOW-TENG into the UAV, as well as the optimal positioning for BOW-TENG on the UAV is identified through simulations. The relative wind direction can be calculated from signals of the BOW-TENGs on the four arms of the UAV. Ultimately, application experiments demonstrate the feasibility of employing BOW-TENG for wireless wind speed transmission from UAVs. This work incorporates bionics and proposes a practical application of triboelectric sensors for UAVs, as well as a solution for developing wind speed sensors in the field of meteorological UAV detection.

Development of Bio-Voltage Operated Humidity-Sensory Neurons Comprising Self-Assembled Peptide Memristors.

Biomimetic humidity sensors offer a low-power approach for respiratory monitoring in early lung-disease diagnosis. However, balancing miniaturization and energy efficiency remains challenging. This study addresses this issue by introducing a bioinspired humidity-sensing neuron comprising a self-assembled peptide nanowire (NW) memristor with unique proton-coupled ion transport. The proposed neuron shows a low Ag+ activation energy owing to the NW and redox activity of the tyrosine (Tyr)-rich peptide in the system, facilitating ultralow electric-field-driven threshold switching and a high energy efficiency. Additionally, Ag+ migration in the system can be controlled by a proton source owing to the hydrophilic nature of the phenolic hydroxyl group in Tyr, enabling the humidity-based control of the conductance state of the memristor. Furthermore, a memristor-based neuromorphic perception neuron that can encode humidity signals into spikes is proposed. The spiking characteristics of this neuron can be modulated to emulate the strength-modulated spike-frequency characteristics of biological neurons. A three-layer spiking neural network with input neurons comprising these highly tunable humidity perception neurons shows an accuracy of 92.68% in lung-disease diagnosis. This study paves the way for developing bioinspired self-assembly strategies to construct neuromorphic perception systems, bridging the gap between artificial and biological sensing and processing paradigms.

The role of neuromorphic and biomimetic sensors

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide details of biomimetic and neuromorphic sensor research and developments and discuss their applications in robotics.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a short introduction, this first provides examples of recent biomimetic gripping and sensing skin research and developments. It then considers neuromorphic vision sensing technology and its potential robotic applications. Finally, brief conclusions are drawn.FindingsBiomimetics aims to exploit mechanisms, structures and signal processing techniques which occur in the natural world. Biomimetic sensors and control techniques can impart robots with a range of enhanced capabilities such as learning, gripping and multidimensional tactile sensing. Neuromorphic vision sensors offer several key operation benefits over conventional frame-based imaging techniques. Robotic applications are still largely at the research stage but uses are anticipated in enhanced safety systems in autonomous vehicles and in robotic gripping.Originality/valueThis illustrates how tactile and imaging sensors based on biological principles can contribute to imparting robots with enhanced capabilities.

A novel biomimetic nanoplasmonic sensor for rapid and accurate evaluation of checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) emerged as promising immunotherapies for cancer treatment, harnessing the patient's immune system to fight and eliminate tumor cells. However, despite their potential and proven efficacies, checkpoint inhibitors still face important challenges such as the tumor heterogeneity and resistance mechanisms, and the complex in vitro testing, which limits their widespread applicability and implementation to treat cancer. To address these challenges, we propose a novel analytical technique utilizing biomimetic label-free nanoplasmonic biosensors for rapid and reliable screening and evaluation of checkpoint inhibitors. We have designed and fabricated a low-density nanostructured plasmonic sensor based on gold nanodisks that enables the direct formation of a functional supported lipid bilayer, which acts as an artificial cell membrane for tumor ligand immobilization. With this biomimetic scaffold, our biosensing approach provides real-time, highly sensitive analysis of immune checkpoint pathways and direct assessment of the blocking effects of monoclonal antibodies in less than 20min/test. We demonstrate the accuracy of our biomimetic sensor for the study of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) checkpoint pathway, achieving a limit of detection of 6.7ng/mL for direct PD1/PD-L1 interaction monitoring. Besides, we have performed dose-response inhibition curves for an anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody, obtaining a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.43nM, within the same range than those obtained with conventional techniques. Our biomimetic sensor platform combines the potential of plasmonic technologies for rapid label-free analysis with the reliability of cell-based assay in terms of ligand mobility. The biosensor is integrated in a compact user-friendly device for the straightforward implementation in biomedical and pharmaceutical laboratories.