About this Research Topic

Background

Biosensors represent an important tool for qualitative and quantitative biosample analysis, clinical diagnosis as well as fundamental biological research. With the rapid development of biomaterial and nanotechnology, micro/nano biosensors have gained tremendous interest, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with the advantages of miniaturization, high sensitivity, cost-effectiveness, and the potential for compatible fabrication by semiconductor manufacturing processes. In particular, recent research advances in two-dimensional (2D) nano-bio interfaces, such as 2D materials, metasurfaces, and nanopore membranes, have paved the way toward new paradigms of electrochemical and optical biosensing, imaging and diagnostic platforms. These 2D surfaces can be further integrated with electronic, microfluidic and mechanical components for broad applications. The microfluidic chip-based format allows lateral flow assays, multiplexed assays, and easy washing during analytical procedures, which are suitable for lab-on-a-chip and point-of-care devices. The integration with micro/nano systems such as MEMS also enables wearable and endoscopic devices for diagnostics.

Accordingly, this research topic focuses on the development of advanced nano-bio interfaces for biomedical applications including biosensing, bioimaging and disease diagnostics. The goal is to foster the next generation of biosensors based on novel nano-bio interfaces, including 2D materials, metasurfaces, nanopore membranes, etc., and their intergradation with specific biofunctionalization and diverse platforms, including microfluidics, wearable devices and micro/nano systems, etc. The new sensing mechanisms will improve the sensing performance, and push the limit of detection down to the molecular level. The system integration will enable point-of-care and wearable devices for continuous health monitoring and personalized healthcare, as well as implantable and endoscopic devices for in vivo diagnostics. Notably, the rapidly growing research in this field since COVID-19 has been helping with the worldwide demand for affordable, portable, user-friendly diagnostics for the ongoing and potential future pandemics. Overall, we wish to use this opportunity to provide the latest advances to a broad readership, with the hope to motivate interdisciplinary collaborations among researchers of many fields.

The fields of biosensors and nano-bio interfaces are exceptionally diverse. With this in mind, we welcome submissions that demonstrated novelty in all aspects of biosensing such as new sensing mechanisms and nanomaterials, new target analytes and biorecognition, new device structure, fabrication, functionalization and integration. However, we are particularly interested in work that demonstrates novel nano-bio interfaces to improve or enable biosensing or diagnostic applications, as well as the integration of point-of-care, wearable or endoscopic devices.
Areas accepted in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Nanomaterials and nano-bio interfaces for biosensing and diagnostics
• Electrochemical sensors for biomedical applications
• Field effect transistor devices for biomedical applications
• Optical sensors for biomedical applications
• Metasurfaces, plasmonics, and nanophotonics for biosensing or bioimaging
• BioMEMS, micro/nano systems for biomedical applications
• Integrated or multiplexed biosensors for diseases diagnostics
• Portable, wearable, lab-on-a-chip, lab-on-fiber, point-of-care, or endoscopic devices

Keywords: Biosensors, Nanomaterials, Metasurfaces, Electrochemistry, Nanophotonics, Lab-on-a-chip, Point-of-care, Wearable, Endoscopy

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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