Submit to Biosensors Review for Biosensors Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Nanomaterials for Biodetection and Drug Delivery

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2013) | Viewed by 45832

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chenxu Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
Interests: biosensors; nanotechnology; spectroscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The special issue on “Nanomaterials for Biodetection and Drug Delivery” will be a compendium of latest research on the utilization and development of nanomaterials for biodetection and drug delivery, including but not limited to developing nanotechnologies to detect and/or characterize biological and chemical agents related to plant, food, soil, animal, and human systems, and developing nanomaterials and systems for more effective and controlled delivery of therapeutic agents/drugs. On the biodetection front, we set to address biosensors based on electrochemical, optical, mass, acoustic, magnetic, and immuno-based concepts that explore nano-enabled target recognition beyond standard antibody-antigen interactions, such as aptamers, peptides, carbohydrate-lipid-based linkers are all of interest. On the drug delivery front, novel design of nano-enabled drug delivery systems and their performance evaluation and characterization will be entertained.

Dr. Chenxu Yu
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. 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

nanobiosensors
pathogens
toxin
diagnostics
biosafety and biosecurity
drug delivery
food and environmental safety

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cell Labeling for ¹⁹F MRI: New and Improved Approach to Perfluorocarbon Nanoemulsion Design

by Sravan K. Patel, Jonathan Williams and Jelena M. Janjic

Biosensors 2013, 3(3), 341-359; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/bios3030341 - 23 Sep 2013

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 10071

Abstract

This report describes novel perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanoemulsions designed to improve ex vivo cell labeling for ¹⁹F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). ¹⁹F MRI is a powerful non-invasive technique for monitoring cells of the immune system in vivo, where cells are labeled ex vivo with PFC nanoemulsions in cell culture. The quality of ¹⁹F MRI is directly affected by the quality of ex vivo PFC cell labeling. When co-cultured with cells for longer periods of time, nanoemulsions tend to settle due to high specific weight of PFC oils (1.5–2.0 g/mL). This in turn can decrease efficacy of excess nanoemulsion removal and reliability of the cell labeling in vitro. To solve this problem, novel PFC nanoemulsions are reported which demonstrate lack of sedimentation and high stability under cell labeling conditions. They are monodisperse, have small droplet size (~130 nm) and low polydispersity (<0.15), show a single peak in the ¹⁹F nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum at −71.4 ppm and possess high fluorine content. The droplet size and polydispersity remained unchanged after 160 days of follow up at three temperatures (4, 25 and 37 °C). Further, stressors such as elevated temperature in the presence of cells, and centrifugation, did not affect the nanoemulsion droplet size and polydispersity. Detailed synthetic methodology and in vitro testing for these new PFC nanoemulsions is presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biodetection and Drug Delivery)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

357 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Self-Referencing Detection of Microorganisms Using Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Nanoprobes in a Test-in-a-Tube Platform

by Nan Xiao, Chao Wang and Chenxu Yu

Biosensors 2013, 3(3), 312-326; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/bios3030312 - 13 Sep 2013

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 10245

Abstract

Anisotropic nanoparticles (i.e., silver nanocubes) were functionalized with target-specific antibodies and Raman active tags to serve as nanoprobes for the rapid detection of bacteria in a test-in-a-tube platform. A self-referencing scheme was developed and implemented in which surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) signatures of the targets were observed superimposed with the SERS signals of the Raman tags. The assessment through the dual signals (superimposed target and tag Raman signatures) supported a specific recognition of the targets in a single step with no washing/separation needed to a sensitivity of 10² CFU/mL, even in the presence of non-target bacteria at a 10 times higher concentration. The self-referencing protocol implemented with a portable Raman spectrometer potentially can become an easy-to-use, field-deployable spectroscopic sensor for onsite detection of pathogenic microorganisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biodetection and Drug Delivery)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

326 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of 3-Thiopheneacetic Acid in the Polymerization of a Conductive Electrotextile for Use in Biosensor Development

by Shannon K. McGraw, Evangelyn Alocilja, Andre Senecal and Kris Senecal

Biosensors 2013, 3(3), 286-296; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/bios3030286 - 29 Jul 2013

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5989

Abstract

Investigations were conducted to develop an electrotextile using a nonwoven polypropylene fiber platform conformally coated in a conductive, functionalized copolymer of polypyrrole and 3-thiopheneacetic acid (3TAA). The objectives of this study were to determine: (1) if the inclusion of 3TAA in the polymerization process would have an effect on the availability of binding sites in the high-surface area electrotextile for biorecognition elements and (2) how the increase in the concentration of 3TAA would affect the physical characteristics of the coating, resistivity of the sample and availability of binding sites. It was found that the addition of 3TAA to the polymerization process resulted in an increase in the size of the polypyrrole coating, as well as the material resistivity and available binding sites for biorecognition elements. These factors were used to determine which of the tested concentrations was best for biosensor development. A polymer coated membrane sample containing a concentration within the range of 10–50 mg/mL of 3TAA was selected as the best for future biosensor work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biodetection and Drug Delivery)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

480 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving the Design of a MscL-Based Triggered Nanovalve

by Irene Iscla, Christina Eaton, Juandell Parker, Robin Wray, Zoltán Kovács and Paul Blount

Biosensors 2013, 3(1), 171-184; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/bios3010171 - 19 Mar 2013

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 9185

Abstract

The mechanosensitive channel of large conductance, MscL, has been proposed as a triggered nanovalve to be used in drug release and other nanodevices. It is a small homopentameric bacterial protein that has the largest gated pore known: greater than 30 Å. Large molecules, even small proteins can be released through MscL. Although MscL normally gates in response to membrane tension, early studies found that hydrophilic or charged residue substitutions near the constriction of the channel leads to pore opening. Researchers have successfully changed the modality of MscL to open to stimuli such as light by chemically modifying a single residue, G22, within the MscL pore. Here, by utilizing in vivo, liposome efflux, and patch clamp assays we compared modification of G22 with that of another neighboring residue, G26, and demonstrate that modifying G26 may be a better choice for triggered nanovalves used for triggered vesicular release of compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biodetection and Drug Delivery)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

553 KiB

Open AccessReview

Lab-on-a-Chip Magneto-Immunoassays: How to Ensure Contact between Superparamagnetic Beads and the Sensor Surface

by Bernhard Eickenberg, Judith Meyer, Lars Helmich, Daniel Kappe, Alexander Auge, Alexander Weddemann, Frank Wittbracht and Andreas Hütten

Biosensors 2013, 3(3), 327-340; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/bios3030327 - 17 Sep 2013

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 9688

Abstract

Lab-on-a-chip immuno assays utilizing superparamagnetic beads as labels suffer from the fact that the majority of beads pass the sensing area without contacting the sensor surface. Different solutions, employing magnetic forces, ultrasonic standing waves, or hydrodynamic effects have been found over the past decades. The first category uses magnetic forces, created by on-chip conducting lines to attract beads towards the sensor surface. Modifications of the magnetic landscape allow for additional transport and separation of different bead species. The hydrodynamic approach uses changes in the channel geometry to enhance the capture volume. In acoustofluidics, ultrasonic standing waves force µm-sized particles onto a surface through radiation forces. As these approaches have their disadvantages, a new sensor concept that circumvents these problems is suggested. This concept is based on the granular giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect that can be found in gels containing magnetic nanoparticles. The proposed design could be realized in the shape of paper-based test strips printed with gel-based GMR sensors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Biodetection and Drug Delivery)

► Show Figures