Nanomaterial-based Biosensors Research Articles

Carbon Nanotube-Based Biosensors Using Fusion Technologies with Biologicals & Chemicals for Food Assessment.

High-sensitivity sensors applied in various diagnostic systems are considered to be a promising technology in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. Biosensors that can quickly detect the presence and concentration of specific biomaterials are receiving research attention owing to the breakthroughs in detection technology. In particular, the latest technologies involving the miniaturization of biosensors using nanomaterials, such as nanowires, carbon nanotubes, and nanometals, have been widely studied. Nano-sized biosensors applied in food assessment and in in vivo measurements have the advantages of rapid diagnosis, high sensitivity and selectivity. Nanomaterial-based biosensors are inexpensive and can be applied to various fields. In the present society, where people are paying attention to health and wellness, high-technology food assessment is becoming essential as the consumer demand for healthy food increases. Thus, biosensor technology is required in the food and medical fields. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are widely studied for use in electrochemical biosensors. The sensitive electrical characteristics of CNTs allow them to act as electron transfer mediators in electrochemical biosensors. CNT-based biosensors require novel technologies for immobilizing CNTs on electrodes, such as silicon wafers, to use as biosensor templates. CNT-based electrochemical biosensors that serve as field-effect transistors (FET) increase sensitivity. In this review, we critically discuss the recent advances in CNT-based electrochemical biosensors applied with various receptors (antibodies, DNA fragments, and other nanomaterials) for food evaluation, including pathogens, food allergens, and other food-based substances.

Advancement in COVID-19 detection using nanomaterial-based biosensors.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exemplified how viral growth and transmission are a significant threat to global biosecurity. The early detection and treatment of viral infections is the top priority to prevent fresh waves and control the pandemic. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified through several conventional molecular methodologies that are time-consuming and require high-skill labor, apparatus, and biochemical reagents but have a low detection accuracy. These bottlenecks hamper conventional methods from resolving the COVID-19 emergency. However, interdisciplinary advances in nanomaterials and biotechnology, such as nanomaterials-based biosensors, have opened new avenues for rapid and ultrasensitive detection of pathogens in the field of healthcare. Many updated nanomaterials-based biosensors, namely electrochemical, field-effect transistor, plasmonic, and colorimetric biosensors, employ nucleic acid and antigen-antibody interactions for SARS-CoV-2 detection in a highly efficient, reliable, sensitive, and rapid manner. This systematic review summarizes the mechanisms and characteristics of nanomaterials-based biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Moreover, continuing challenges and emerging trends in biosensor development are also discussed.

Novel insights into versatile nanomaterials integrated bioreceptors toward zearalenone ultrasensitive discrimination

Detrimental contamination of zearalenone (ZEN) in crops and foodstuffs has drawn intensive public attention since it poses an ongoing threat to global food security and human health. Highly sensitive and rapid response ZEN trace analysis suitable for complex matrices at different processing stages is an indispensable part of food production. Conventional detection methods for ZEN encounter many deficiencies and demerits such as sophisticated equipment and heavy labor intensity. Alternatively, the nanomaterial-based biosensors featured with high sensitivity, portability, and miniaturization are springing up and emerging as superb substitutes to monitor ZEN in recent years. Herein, we predominantly devoted to overview the progress in the fabrication strategies and applications of various nanomaterial-based biosensors, highlighting rationales on sensing mechanisms, response types, and practical analytical performance. Synchronously, the versatile nanomaterials integrating with diverse recognition elements for augmenting sensing capabilities are emphasized. Finally, critical challenges and perspectives to expedite ZEN detection are outlooked.

Recent Progress in Nanomaterial-Based Biosensors and Theranostic Nanomedicine for Bladder Cancer.

Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most expensive and common malignancies in the urinary system due to its high progression and recurrence rate. Although there are various methods, including cystoscopy, biopsy, and cytology, that have become the standard diagnosis methods for BCa, their intrinsic invasive and inaccurate properties need to be overcome. The novel urine cancer biomarkers are assisted by nanomaterials-based biosensors, such as field-effect transistors (FETs) with high sensitivity and specificity, which may provide solutions to these problems. In addition, nanomaterials can be applied for the advancement of next-generation optical imaging techniques and the contrast agents of conventional techniques; for example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of BCa. Regarding BCa therapy, nanocarriers, including mucoadhesive nanoparticles and other polymeric nanoparticles, successfully overcome the disadvantages of conventional intravesical instillation and improve the efficacy and safety of intravesical chemotherapy for BCa. Aside from chemotherapy, nanomedicine-based novel therapies, including photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), chemodynamic therapy (CDT), sonodynamic therapy (SDT), and combination therapy, have afforded us new ways to provide BC therapy and hope, which can be translated into the clinic. In addition, nanomotors and the nanomaterials-based solid tumor disassociation strategy provide new ideas for future research. Here, the advances in BCa diagnosis and therapy mentioned above are reviewed in this paper.

Nanomaterial-based biosensors for the detection of foodborne bacteria: a review.

Ensuring food safety is a critical concern for the development and well-being of humanity, as foodborne illnesses caused by foodborne bacteria have increasingly become a major public health concern worldwide. Traditional food safety monitoring systems are expensive and time-consuming, relying heavily on specialized equipment and operations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop low-cost, user-friendly and highly sensitive biosensors for detecting foodborne bacteria. In recent years, the combination of nanomaterials with optical biosensors has provided a prospective future platform for the detection of foodborne bacteria. By harnessing the unique properties of nanomaterials, such as their high surface area-to-volume ratio and exceptional sensitivity, in tandem with the precision of optical biosensing techniques, a new prospect has opened up for the rapid and accurate identification of potential bacterial contaminants in food. This review focuses on recent advances and new trends of nanomaterial-based biosensors for the detection of foodborne pathogens, which mainly include noble metal nanoparticles (NMPs), metal organic frameworks (MOFs), graphene nanomaterials, quantum dot (QD) nanomaterials, upconversion fluorescent nanomaterials (UCNPs) and carbon dots (CDs). Additionally, we summarized the research progress of color indicators, nanozymes, natural enzyme vectors and fluorescent dye biosensors, focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of nanomaterial-based biosensors and their development prospects. This review provides an outlook on future technological directions and potential applications to help identify the most promising areas of development in this field.

Diagnosis of cancer using carbon nanomaterial-based biosensors

Basic principle of sensing technique of various carbon nanomaterial-based biosensors.

Recent advancement in sensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen using nanomaterials based immunosensors

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a prominent cancer biomarker that allows for early diagnosis of various cancers. Present immunoassays techniques help quantify such target molecules in test samples via anti-antibody reaction. Despite their rapid usage, conventional immunoassay techniques demonstrate several limitations that can be easily overcome by employing nanomaterials in sensing assays. Thus, nanomaterial-based immunosensors have gained steady attention from the scientific community owing to their high specificity and low detection limit. Various nanomaterials like platinum, gold, silver and carbon exhibit exceptional properties have allowed promising results in the detection and diagnostics of CEA. Thus, the present review aims to explore the significance and the recent developments of nanomaterial-based biosensors for detecting CEA biomarkers with high sensitivity, selectivity, and specificity. After a brief introduction, we discussed the fundamentals of immunosensors immobilization strategies and common nanomaterials. In the next section, we highlighted the recent advances in the common immunosensors detection approaches for CEA alone and simultaneous detection of CEA with other biomarkers detection. Finally, we concluded the review by discussing the future perspectives of this promising field of biomarkers detection.

Occurrence and transport of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater streams and its detection and remediation by chemical-biological methods

This paper explains the transmission of SARS-CoV and influences of several environmental factors in the transmission process. The article highlighted several methods of collection, sampling and monitoring/estimation as well as surveillance tool for detecting SARS-CoV in wastewater streams. In this context, WBE (Wastewater based epidemiology) is found to be the most effective surveillance tool. Several methods of genomic sequencing are discussed in the paper, which are applied in WBE, like qPCR-based wastewater testing, metagenomics-based analysis, next generation sequencing etc. Additionally, several types of biosensors (colorimetric biosensor, mobile phone-based biosensors, and nanomaterials-based biosensors) showed promising results in sensing SARS-CoV in wastewater. Further, this review paper outlined the gaps in assessing the factors responsible for transmission and challenges in detection and monitoring along with the remediation and disinfection methods of this virus in wastewater. Various methods of disinfection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater are discussed (primary, secondary, and tertiary phases) and it is found that a suite of disinfection methods can be used for complete disinfection/removal of the virus. Application of ultraviolet light, ozone and chlorine-based disinfectants are also discussed in the context of treatment methods. This study calls for continuous efforts to gather more information about the virus through continuous monitoring and analyses and to address the existing gaps and identification of the most effective tool/ strategy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Wastewater surveillance can be very useful in effective surveillance of future pandemics and epidemics caused by viruses, especially after development of new technologies in detecting and disinfecting viral pathogens more effectively.

Development of nanobiosensors for human immunodeficiency virus detection—a mini review

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a global disease caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). About 50 million people have died worldwide due to HIV-1 infection alone. HIV is a primary sexually transmitted infection but can also spread via breastfeeding, blood transfer, organ transfer, etc. Early detection with the maintenance of the disease is the only way to reduce the spread and severity of the disease. There are many conventional techniques for the detection of the virus. Still, recently nano-based diagnostic method remains a little ahead of these techniques due to advancements in nanotechnology. Nanomaterial-based biosensors constitute a significant part of the discussion because of their high sensitivity and accuracy. Nanobiosensors like electronic nano biosensors, quantum dot (QD)-based biosensors, optical biosensors, electronic biosensors, electrochemiluminescence nanosensors, field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors, surface acoustic wave (SAW) biosensors, graphene-based biosensors, etc. have been widely used for detecting HIV in human blood samples. All these biosensors offer promising results in the detection of the virus. In this article, different types of nanobiosensors and their application in the field of diagnosis and maintenance of HIV was reviewed.

Advances in upconversion luminescence nanomaterial-based biosensor for virus diagnosis.

Various infectious viruses have been posing a major threat to global public health, especially SARS-CoV-2, which has already claimed more than six million lives up to now. Tremendous efforts have been made to develop effective techniques for rapid and reliable pathogen detection. The unique characteristics of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) pose numerous advantages when employed in biosensors, and they are a promising candidate for virus detection. Herein, this Review will discuss the recent advancement in the UCNP-based biosensors for virus and biomarkers detection. We summarize four basic principles that guide the design of UCNP-based biosensors, which are utilized with luminescent or electric responses as output signals. These strategies under fundamental mechanisms facilitate the enhancement of the sensitivity of UCNP-based biosensors. Moreover, a detailed discussion and benefits of applying UCNP in various virus bioassays will be presented. We will also address some obstacles in these detection techniques and suggest routes for progress in the field. These progressions will undoubtedly pose UCNP-based biosensors in a prominent position for providing a convenient, alternative approach to virus detection.

Advances in Nanomaterial-based Biosensors for Determination of Glycated Hemoglobin.

Diabetes is a major public health burden whose prevalence has been steadily increasing over the past decades. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is currently the gold standard for diagnostics and monitoring of glycemic control in diabetes patients. HbA1c biosensors are often considered to be cost-effective alternatives for smaller testing laboratories or clinics unable to access other reference methods. Many of these sensors deploy nanomaterials as recognition elements, detection labels, and/or transducers for achieving sensitive and selective detection of HbA1c. Nanomaterials have emerged as important sensor components due to their excellent optical and electrical properties, tunable morphologies, and easy integration into multiple sensing platforms. In this review, we discuss the advantages of using nanomaterials to construct HbA1c sensors and various sensing strategies for HbA1c measurements. Key gaps between the current technologies with what is needed moving forward are also summarized.

A Review of the Construction of the Nanomaterial & Nanocomposite Based Biosensor for Different Applications

Abstract: The heightened attention to food and health safety has prompted researchers to conduct extensive research on biosensors that quickly detect foodborne microbial toxins and pathogens. Biosensors are a blessing due to their simple, cost-effective technique, but there are still some drawbacks with detection time, detection limit, and resilience. Incorporating functionalized nanomaterials into developing biosensors as catalytic tools, immobilization platforms, or optical or electroactive labels has added a new dimension to addressing these challenges. This review paper aims to discuss the construction of different types of nanomaterial-based biosensors in food safety, exosome detection and finally, cancer detection, as well as highlights the advantages of these biosensors over traditional techniques. In addition, a comparative study between the nanomaterial-based biosensors taking into account the linear range and limits of detectionin these mentioned applications was also conducted. Hence, this paper provides key insights into designing and fabricating biosensors utilizing nanomaterials and opens new avenues in disease and food safety research.

Recent Advances in Nanomaterial-Based Biosensors for Pesticide Detection in Foods.

Biosensors are a simple, low-cost, and reliable way to detect pesticides in food matrices to ensure consumer food safety. This systematic review lists which nanomaterials, biorecognition materials, transduction methods, pesticides, and foods have recently been studied with biosensors associated with analytical performance. A systematic search was performed in the Scopus (n = 388), Web of Science (n = 790), and Science Direct (n = 181) databases over the period 2016–2021. After checking the eligibility criteria, 57 articles were considered in this study. The most common use of nanomaterials (NMs) in these selected studies is noble metals in isolation, such as gold and silver, with 8.47% and 6.68%, respectively, followed by carbon-based NMs, with 20.34%, and nanohybrids, with 47.45%, which combine two or more NMs, uniting unique properties of each material involved, especially the noble metals. Regarding the types of transducers, the most used were electrochemical, fluorescent, and colorimetric, representing 71.18%, 13.55%, and 8.47%, respectively. The sensitivity of the biosensor is directly connected to the choice of NM and transducer. All biosensors developed in the selected investigations had a limit of detection (LODs) lower than the Codex Alimentarius maximum residue limit and were efficient in detecting pesticides in food. The pesticides malathion, chlorpyrifos, and paraoxon have received the greatest attention for their effects on various food matrices, primarily fruits, vegetables, and their derivatives. Finally, we discuss studies that used biosensor detection systems devices and those that could detect multi-residues in the field as a low-cost and rapid technique, particularly in areas with limited resources.

Nanomaterial-based single-molecule optical immunosensors for supersensitive detection

Unlike bulk materials, nanomaterials have unique properties that make them suitable for biosensor applications. Nanomaterial-based biosensors have a series of advantages that can help realize high throughput and ultrasensitive detection. In recent years, considerable research has been performed on integrating nanomaterials and single-molecule immunosensors. This review provides an overview on the various types of nanomaterials used for signal amplification in single-molecule immunosensors, with a focus on the development of optics-based immunosensors using precious plasmonic noble metals (e.g., gold, silver), magnetic beads, quantum dots, upconversion nanoparticles, and nanocomposites. In particular, an approach is presented of using single-molecule immunosensors to detect and quantify biomolecular interactions (e.g., antibody–antigen). Integrating supersensitive bio-devices and nanomaterials is expected to offer significant advantages for trace element diagnosis and early diagnosis.

Vertically Oriented Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Based Electrolyte-Gated Field-Effect Transistor for High-Performance Glucose Sensing.

Nanomaterial-based biosensors are a promising fit for portable and field-deployable diagnosis sensor devices due to their mass production, miniaturization, and integration capabilities. However, the fabrication of highly stable and reproducible biosensor devices is challenging. In this work, we grow a vertically oriented architecture of zinc oxide nanorods onto the active working area (i.e., the channel between the source and drain) of a field-effect transistor (FET) using a low-temperature hydrothermal method. The glucose oxidase enzyme was immobilized on the zinc oxide nanorod surface by a physical adsorption method to fabricate the electrolyte-gated FET-based glucose biosensor. The electrical properties of the electrolyte-gated FET biosensor were measured with different glucose concentrations. We found a linear increase in current up to 80 mM glucose concentration with high sensitivity (74.78 μA/mMcm2) and a low detection limit (∼0.05 mM). We illustrate a highly reproducible fabrication process of zinc oxide nanorod-based FETs, where vertically grown nanorods with a higher surface-to-volume ratio enhance the enzyme immobilization, provide a microenvironment for longer enzyme activity, and translate to better glucose sensing parameters. Additionally, our electrolyte-gated FET biosensor showed promising application in freshly drawn mouse blood samples. These findings suggest a great opportunity to translate into practical high-performance biosensors for a broad range of analytes.

Nanomaterial-based optical- and electrochemical-biosensors for urine glucose detection: A comprehensive review

Urine glucose detection is an important diagnostic tool for screening and early diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Detection of urine glucose has many advantages over blood glucose, such as non-invasive, easy-to-detect, simple sampling and being well accepted by patients. Therefore, it is commonly used to monitor diabetes progression, assist in therapeutic intervention as well as in point-of-care testing (POCT). In recent years, with the development of material science, electrochemistry and miniaturization technology, novel applications of natural enzymes, nanozymes as well as nanomaterials, such as metal (Au, Pt, Ni, Co, etc.), alloy, grapheme, in the analysis of urine glucose level have been increasing sharply. In particular, different types of nanozymes-based biosensors, inspired by natural enzymes, have been developed with improved characteristics of being low-cost, stable, and mass-produced. On the other hand, making use of portable devices, such as smartphones and microfluidic paper-based analytical devices, has facilitated on site accurate urine glucose monitoring in real time. All these rapid advancements in nanotechnologies and devices have contributed greatly to the development of cost effective, highly sensitive, user friendly urine glucose biosensors. This review summarizes the most recent improvements in two major types of urine glucose biosensors: the optical- and electrochemical-biosensors. We also discuss the limitations, challenges and perspectives of these biosensors. Finally, we propose future research directions, development trends and potential clinical applications of nanomaterial-based biosensors developed for urine glucose detection.

Recent Advances in Nanomaterial-based Optical Biosensors as Potential Point-of-Care Testing (PoCT) Probes in Carcinoembryonic Antigen Detection.

For the past decades, several cancer biomarkers have been exploited for rapid and accurate prognosis or diagnosis purposes. In this review, the optical biosensor is targeted for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) detection. The CEA level is a prominent parameter currently used in clinical cases for the prognosis of cancer-related diseases. Many nanomaterial-based biosensors are invented as alternatives for the commonly used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) immunoassay method in CEA detection as the traditional approach. But they possess certain drawbacks such as tedious procedure, high technical demand, and costly. Nevertheless, the effort appears to be wasted as none of them are being actualised. Generally, the sensor function was carried out by converting bio-signals generated upon the interface of the receptor into light signals. These sensors were popular due to specific advantages such as sensitivity, being free from chemical and electromagnetic interferences, wide dynamic range, and being easy to be monitored. The features of PoC diagnostics are discussed and associated to the various applications of colorimetric-based and chemiluminescent-based biosensors. The roles of nanomaterials in each application were also summarised by comparing the modification, incubation period, lowest detection limit (LOD) and linear range of detection amount. The challenges and future perspectives were highlighted as well at the end of the review.

A Short Review on Detection of Antibiotics in Milk Using Nanomaterial-Based Biosensor

A Short Review on Detection of Antibiotics in Milk Using Nanomaterial-Based Biosensor

Plasmonic nanosensors for point-of-care biomarker detection.

Advancement of materials along with their fascinating properties play increasingly important role in facilitating the rapid progress in medicine. An excellent example is the recent development of biosensors based on nanomaterials that induce surface plasmon effect for screening biomarkers of various diseases ranging from cancer to Covid-19. The recent global pandemic re-confirmed the trend of real-time diagnosis in public health to be in point-of-care (POC) settings that can screen interested biomarkers at home, or literally anywhere else, at any time. Plasmonic biosensors, thanks to its versatile designs and extraordinary sensitivities, can be scaled into small and portable devices for POC diagnostic tools. In the meantime, efforts are being made to speed up, simplify and lower the cost of the signal readout process including converting the conventional heavy laboratory instruments into lightweight handheld devices. This article reviews the recent progress on the design of plasmonic nanomaterial-based biosensors for biomarker detection with a perspective of POC applications. After briefly introducing the plasmonic detection working mechanisms and devices, the selected highlights in the field focusing on the technology's design including nanomaterials development, structure assembly, and target applications are presented and analyzed. In parallel, discussions on the sensor's current or potential applicability in POC diagnosis are provided. Finally, challenges and opportunities in plasmonic biosensor for biomarker detection, such as the current Covid-19 pandemic and its testing using plasmonic biosensor and incorporation of machine learning algorithms are discussed.

Diagnostic assay and technology advancement for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infections causing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-caused COVID-19 pandemic has transmitted to humans in practically all parts of the world, producing socio-economic turmoil. There is an urgent need for precise, fast, and affordable diagnostic testing to be widely available for detecting SARS-CoV-2 and its mutations in various phases of the disease. Early diagnosis with great precision has been achieved using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and similar other molecular methods, but theseapproaches are costly and involve rigorous processes that are not easily obtainable. Conversely, immunoassays that detect a small number of antibodies have been employed for quick, low-cost tests, but their efficiency in diagnosing infected people has been restricted. The use of biosensors in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 is vital for the COVID-19 pandemic’s control. This review gives an overview of COVID-19 diagnostic approaches that are currently being developed as well as nanomaterial-based biosensor technologies, to aid future technological advancement and innovation. These approaches can be integrated into point-of-care (POC) devices to quickly identify a large number of infected patients and asymptomatic carriers. The ongoing research endeavors and developments in complementary technologies will play a significant role in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and fill the knowledge gaps in current diagnostic accuracy and capacity.Graphical abstract