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Low-Cost Chemosensors for Applications in Environment, Health, Food, and Industry Process Control, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 617

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Low-cost sensing refers to the use of affordable sensors to detect and measure the presence of chemicals. These sensors can be used in a wide variety of applications, including environmental monitoring, healthcare, food quality and safety, and industrial process control. Low-cost sensing technologies include, but are not limited to, the following: gas sensors in applications such as air quality monitoring, leak detection in industrial settings, or breath analysis in medical diagnostics; pH sensors used from water quality testing to food and beverage production; biosensors that use enzymes or antibodies to detect specific chemical compounds in medical diagnostics; colorimetric sensors that respond to a specific chemical reaction for integrated test kits; and electronic noses with an array of chemical sensors to mimic the function of the human nose, identifying complex smells and tastes for food quality control or disease diagnosis.

Low-cost sensing can democratize access to important data and enable more widespread monitoring of chemical substances. However, like other low-cost sensing technologies, they may have limitations in terms of their accuracy, sensitivity, and selectivity compared to more expensive, laboratory-grade instruments. To overcome such disadvantages, recent developments in low-cost sensing have been driven by advances in materials science, nanotechnology, and information technologies, with key trends such as nanomaterials, printed electronics, paper-based sensors, wearable devices, the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML), making sensing more accessible, affordable, and effective, opening up new possibilities for monitoring and managing chemical substances in commercial products, the environment, and our bodies.

This Special Issue will encompass original research and reviews to benefit interested readers with knowledge of the state-of-the-art in low-cost sensing.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Chemosensors.

Dr. Weiying Lu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • low-cost
  • chemosensors
  • sensors
  • food analysis
  • gas sensor
  • pH sensor
  • medical diagnostics
  • colorimetric sensors
  • electronic nose
  • healthcare
  • environmental monitoring

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2201 KB  
Article
Electrochemical Immunodetection of Bacillus anthracis Spores
by Karolina Morawska, Tomasz Sikora, Aleksandra Nakonieczna, Renata Tyśkiewicz, Monika Wiśnik-Sawka, Łukasz Osuchowski, Paulina Osuchowska, Michał Grabka and Zygfryd Witkiewicz
Sensors 2025, 25(19), 5948; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25195948 - 24 Sep 2025
Viewed by 87
Abstract
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies Bacillus anthracis as one of the most dangerous pathogens that may affect public health and national security. Due to its importance as a potential biological weapon, this bacteria has been classified in the highest [...] Read more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies Bacillus anthracis as one of the most dangerous pathogens that may affect public health and national security. Due to its importance as a potential biological weapon, this bacteria has been classified in the highest category A, together with such pathogens as variola virus or botulinum neurotoxin. Characteristic features of this pathogen that increase its military importance are the ease of its cultivation, transport, and storage and its ability to create survival forms that are extremely resistant to environmental conditions. However, beyond bioterrorism, B. anthracis is also a naturally occurring pathogen. Anthrax outbreaks occur in livestock and wildlife, particularly in spore-contaminated regions of Africa, Asia, and North America. Spores persist for decades, leading to recurrent infections and zoonotic transmission through direct contact, inhalation, or consumption of contaminated meat. This work presents a new electrochemical method for detecting and quantifying B. anthracis in spore form using a selective immune reaction. The developed method is based on the thiol-modified electrodes that constitute the sensing element of the electrochemical system. Tests with the B. anthracis spore suspension showed that the detection limit for this pathogen is as low as 103 CFU/mL. Furthermore, it was possible to quantify the analyte with a sensitivity of 11 mV/log (CFU/mL). Due to several features, such as low unit cost, portability, and minimal apparatus demands, this method can be easily implemented in field analyzers for this pathogen and provides an alternative to currently used techniques and devices. Full article
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