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Biosensors
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Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety
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Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Biosensors and Biosensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 7065

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jing Wei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Instrument for Life Science, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Interests: biosensor; mesoporous materials; polyphenol; catalysis; environmental monitoring; food safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bingxi Feng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Instrument for Life Science, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Interests: biosensor; nanomaterials; metal oxide; environmental monitoring; food safety

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the need for accurate, real-time monitoring of environmental and food safety has become increasingly critical. The rise in global population, industrialization, and agricultural activities has led to heightened concerns about pollution, foodborne illnesses, and the integrity of our food supply chains. Traditional analytical methods, while effective, often fall short in providing the rapid and on-site analysis required to address these challenges promptly. Biosensors, which integrate biological recognition elements with physicochemical transducers, have emerged as powerful tools to meet these demands. Their unique ability to offer high sensitivity, specificity, and rapid response times makes them indispensable in detecting contaminants, pathogens, and other harmful agents in both environmental and food matrices. The aim of this Special Issue is to report on the developments and advances in biosensors to meet the needs of environmental and food analysis. For this Special Issue, we invite the submission of original research articles or reviews reporting on current advances in the design of various biosensors and their applications in environmental monitoring and food safety.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Innovative biosensor design and fabrication;
  • The application of biosensors in environmental monitoring;
  • The application of biosensors in food safety;
  • Integration of biosensors and digital technology;
  • Regulatory and practical considerations for biosensors.

Prof. Dr. Jing Wei
Dr. Bingxi Feng
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 2200 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
  • nanozyme
  • nanomaterials
  • metal oxide
  • catalysis
  • environmental monitoring
  • food safety

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

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 1866 KB  
Article
Development of Freshness Indicator (FI) for Skate Sashimi (Zearaja chilensis) to Detect Trimethylamine Content During Storage
by Kyung-Jik Lim, Yoon-Gil Kim, Yu-Jin Heo and Han-Seung Shin
Biosensors 2025, 15(10), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15100659 - 2 Oct 2025
Viewed by 422
Abstract
The seafood industry is increasingly adopting intelligent packaging to preserve product quality and improve freshness transparency. This study developed and evaluated a pH-sensitive freshness indicator (FI) for skate sashimi (Zearaja chilensis). This product is consumed at varying stages of fermentation. The [...] Read more.
The seafood industry is increasingly adopting intelligent packaging to preserve product quality and improve freshness transparency. This study developed and evaluated a pH-sensitive freshness indicator (FI) for skate sashimi (Zearaja chilensis). This product is consumed at varying stages of fermentation. The FI incorporated bromothymol blue (BTB) and bromocresol purple (BCP) in a polymer matrix. It targeted volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) compounds, with trimethylamine (TMA) as the primary marker. As freshness declined, VBN compounds accumulated in the package headspace and caused a gradual FI color change from yellow to blue through pH variation. ΔE increased from 7.72 on day 2 to 23.52 on day 3. This marked the onset of visible color change and the FI reached full blue by day 7. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC-FID) quantified monomethylamine (MMA), dimethylamine (DMA) and TMA throughout storage. ΔE correlated strongly with total bacterial count (TBC, r = 0.978), pH (r = 0.901) and TMA (r = 0.888). These results indicate that microbial growth, alkalinity increase and amine production were closely associated with color transitions. The FI reliably tracked freshness loss in skate sashimi. It has potential to enhance consumer transparency and strengthen quality control in the seafood supply chain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)
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19 pages, 3335 KB  
Article
CH3COOAg with Laccase-like Activity for Differentiation and Detection of Aminoglycoside Antibiotics
by Huan Zhu, Tong-Qing Chai, Jia-Xin Li, Jing-Jing Dai, Lei Xu, Wen-Ling Qin and Feng-Qing Yang
Biosensors 2025, 15(9), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15090570 - 1 Sep 2025
Viewed by 618
Abstract
Aminoglycoside antibiotics (AGs) are widely used in medicine and animal husbandry, but they pose significant risks due to residual toxicity and antibiotic resistance. In this study, a novel chemical sensor based on the laccase-like activity of CH3COOAg was developed for the [...] Read more.
Aminoglycoside antibiotics (AGs) are widely used in medicine and animal husbandry, but they pose significant risks due to residual toxicity and antibiotic resistance. In this study, a novel chemical sensor based on the laccase-like activity of CH3COOAg was developed for the selective detection of AGs. CH3COOAg exhibited varying degrees of laccase-like activity in different buffers (MES, HEPES, and NaAc) and H2O, and five AGs showed distinct intensities of the inhibitory effect on the laccase-like activity of CH3COOA in different buffers and H2O. Therefore, a four-channel colorimetric sensor array was constructed in combination with the use of principal component analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) for the efficient identification of five AGs (0.02–0.3 μM) in environment samples like tap and lake water. In addition, a colorimetric method was developed for kanamycin (KAN) detection in a honey sample with a linear range of 10–100 nM (R2 = 0.9977). The method has excellent sensitivity with a limit of detection of 3.99 nM for KAN. This work not only provides a rapid and low-cost detection method for AG monitoring but also provides a reference for the design of non-copper laccase mimics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)
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12 pages, 2162 KB  
Article
Development of Immunoassays for Foodborne Pathogenic Bacteria Detection Using PolyHRP for Signal Enhancement
by Yijia Zhang, Junkang Pan, Qiyi He, Zhihao Xu, Bruce D. Hammock and Dongyang Li
Biosensors 2025, 15(5), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15050318 - 15 May 2025
Viewed by 973
Abstract
The rapid and accurate detection of foodborne pathogens is essential for ensuring food safety. Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) and Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) are major foodborne pathogenic bacteria that pose significant public health risks, highlighting the need for [...] Read more.
The rapid and accurate detection of foodborne pathogens is essential for ensuring food safety. Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) and Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) are major foodborne pathogenic bacteria that pose significant public health risks, highlighting the need for effective detection methods. In this study, highly sensitive double-antibody sandwich-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were developed for the rapid detection of E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium, utilizing a streptavidin-polymerized horseradish peroxidase (SA-PolyHRP)-based signal enhancement system. Systematic optimization was performed on key parameters, including the capture antibody concentration, detection antibody, and blocking agent. Compared to the method using SA-HRP, substitution with SA-PolyHRP significantly improved detection sensitivity, achieving limits of detection (LODs) of 1.4 × 104 CFU/mL for E. coli O157:H7 and 6.0 × 103 CFU/mL for S. Typhimurium, with sensitivity enhancements of 7.86-fold and 1.83-fold, respectively. Specificity tests confirmed no cross-reactivity with non-target or closely related pathogenic strains. The matrix effect was effectively mitigated through 10-fold and 100-fold dilutions for E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium, respectively. Both pathogens were successfully detected in beef samples spiked with 5 CFU after 5 h of incubation. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of PolyHRP-based signal enhancement for the highly sensitive and specific detection of foodborne pathogens, offering a promising approach for rapid food safety monitoring and public health protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)
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Review

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36 pages, 4151 KB  
Review
Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Biosensors for Enhanced Detection of Foodborne Pathogens
by Riza Jane S. Banicod, Nazia Tabassum, Du-Min Jo, Aqib Javaid, Young-Mog Kim and Fazlurrahman Khan
Biosensors 2025, 15(10), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15100690 - 12 Oct 2025
Viewed by 663
Abstract
Foodborne pathogens remain a significant public health concern, necessitating the development of rapid, sensitive, and reliable detection methods for various food matrices. Traditional biosensors, while effective in many contexts, often face limitations related to complex sample environments, signal interpretation, and on-site usability. The [...] Read more.
Foodborne pathogens remain a significant public health concern, necessitating the development of rapid, sensitive, and reliable detection methods for various food matrices. Traditional biosensors, while effective in many contexts, often face limitations related to complex sample environments, signal interpretation, and on-site usability. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into biosensing platforms offers a transformative approach to address these challenges. This review critically examines recent advancements in AI-assisted biosensors for detecting foodborne pathogens in various food samples, including meat, dairy products, fresh produce, and ready-to-eat foods. Emphasis is placed on the application of machine learning and deep learning to improve biosensor accuracy, reduce detection time, and automate data interpretation. AI models have demonstrated capabilities in enhancing sensitivity, minimizing false results, and enabling real-time, on-site analysis through innovative interfaces. Additionally, the review highlights the types of biosensing mechanisms employed, such as electrochemical, optical, and piezoelectric, and how AI optimizes their performance. While these developments show promising outcomes, challenges remain in terms of data quality, algorithm transparency, and regulatory acceptance. The future integration of standardized datasets, explainable AI models, and robust validation protocols will be essential to fully harness the potential of AI-enhanced biosensors for next-generation food safety monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)
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21 pages, 2902 KB  
Review
Tailoring Carbon Quantum Dots via Precursor Engineering for Fluorescence-Based Biosensing of E. coli
by Maryam Nazari, Alireza Zinatizadeh, Parviz Mohammadi, Soheila Kashanian, Mandana Amiri, Nona Valipour, Yvonne Joseph and Parvaneh Rahimi
Biosensors 2025, 15(10), 635; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15100635 - 24 Sep 2025
Viewed by 616
Abstract
Rapid and accurate bacteria identification, particularly Escherichia coli (E. coli), is essential in the monitoring of health, environment, and food safety. E. coli, a prevalent pathogenic bacterium, serves as a key indicator of food and water contamination. Carbon quantum dots [...] Read more.
Rapid and accurate bacteria identification, particularly Escherichia coli (E. coli), is essential in the monitoring of health, environment, and food safety. E. coli, a prevalent pathogenic bacterium, serves as a key indicator of food and water contamination. Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have appeared as promising fluorescent probes because of their small size, ease of synthesis, low toxicity, and tunable fluorescence using different carbon-rich precursors. Advances in both bottom-up and top-down synthesis procedures have enabled precise control over CQD properties and surface functionalities, enhancing their capabilities in biosensing. Among the critical factors influencing CQD performance is the strategic selection of precursors, which determines the surface chemistry and recognition potential of the resulting nanodots. The integration with other nanomaterials and the surface modification of CQDs with specific functional groups or recognition elements further improves their sensitivity and selectivity toward E. coli. This review summarizes recent progress in the modification of CQDs for the fluorescent detection of E. coli, highlighting relevant sensing mechanisms and the influence of different precursors, such as antibiotics and sugars, as well as various functionalization and surface modification strategies. The aim is to provide insight into the rational design of efficient, selective, and cost-effective CQD-based biosensors for bacterial detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)
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20 pages, 4215 KB  
Review
Pioneering Role of Nanopore Single-Molecule Sensing in Environmental and Food Surveillance
by Wenqiang Tian, Xu Wang, Yan Zhang, Ting Weng, Tlili Chaker, Xiaohan Chen, Qingke Kong and Deqiang Wang
Biosensors 2025, 15(1), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15010041 - 13 Jan 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2776
Abstract
In recent years, environmental and food safety have garnered substantial focus due to their intimate connection with human health. Numerous biosensors have been developed for identifying deleterious compounds; however, these biosensors reveal certain limitations. Nanopore sensors, featuring nano-scaled pore size, have demonstrated outstanding [...] Read more.
In recent years, environmental and food safety have garnered substantial focus due to their intimate connection with human health. Numerous biosensors have been developed for identifying deleterious compounds; however, these biosensors reveal certain limitations. Nanopore sensors, featuring nano-scaled pore size, have demonstrated outstanding performance in terms of rapidity, sensitivity, and selectivity as a single-molecule technique for environmental and food surveillance. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of nanopore applications in these two fields. To elucidate the pioneering roles of nanopores, analytes are categorized into three distinct groups, including metal ions, synthetic contaminants, and biotoxins. Moreover, a variety of strategies are involved, such as the coalescence with ligand probes, the implementation of chemical reactions, the functionalization of nanopores, etc. These scientific studies showcase the versatility and diversity of the nanopore technique, paving the way for further developments of nanopore technology in environmental and food safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring and Food Safety)
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