Advanced Strategies for the Recognition, Enrichment and Detection of Low Abundance Target Bioanalytes

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About this Research Topic

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Background

Biosensors and bioassays provide important analysis capabilities for many biological, medical and environmental applications. The last decade has witnessed great advances in biosensors and bioassays, owing to active and creative exploration of emerging materials, devices and methods. These techniques make the detection more sensitive, rapid, accessible and intelligent. For an effective biosensor or bioassay, the strategies for recognition, enrichment and detection of target analytes, especially at low abundance, are always the key factors determining its performance. In recent years, more and more advanced strategies are being developed across disciplines including biophysics, biochemistry, electrochemistry, optics, magnetics, microfluidics and other single or multiple mechanisms, making continuous improvements in the field of biodetection.

Biosensors and bioassays are tasked with identifying and quantifying target analytes in practical matrices containing complex mixtures of homologous analytes. The greatest roadblock to successful detection is the low abundance presence of target analytes, which is fairly common in the early stage of various diseases, disorders or contaminations. Detection strategies often affect the limit of detection, the response time and the linear range. Various sample enrichment and signal amplification approaches are often adopted in co-ordination with detection strategies to attain satisfactory limit of detection, specificity and turnaround time. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a forum sharing recent research and novel ideas on strategies for target analyte recognition, enrichment and detection based on advanced materials, devices and methods. Besides the mentioned aspects, this Topic also focuses on other key techniques in biosensor/bioassay development, optimization and application.

Types of manuscripts include Original Research, Review, Mini-Reviews and Perspective articles. Themes to be investigated may include, but are not limited to:
 Bio-probe and chem-probe synthesis, isolation and evaluation
 Strategies for target analyte enrichment and concentration
 Advanced signal amplification and transduction strategies
 Biosensor construction with novel materials and structures
 High sensitive biosensors with different signal read-out
 CRISPR/Cas powered biosensors

Keywords: Analytes, Low Abundance, Biosensors, Biodetection, Analyte Enrichment, Analyte Concentration

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