Development of biosensors for the rapid and low-cost analysis of industrial by-products and wastewater with a circular economy vision

Biosensors have emerged as essential tools in addressing critical global challenges, offering real-time, cost-effective, and user-friendly analytical capabilities that contribute to social progress. By integrating biological recognition elements, such as enzymes, proteins, and cells, these devices play an essential role in different fields, from environmental monitoring and food safety to healthcare in detecting specific analytes with high sensitivity and specificity. Thanks to the advances in fabrication techniques, sustainable materials, and portable detection systems have further enhanced their practicality, aligning with global sustainability goals. During my Ph.D. research, I focused the attention on the development of bioluminescent and colorimetric sensing systems integrated with fabrication techniques like wax printing, 3D printing, and CNC milling. These methods facilitated the creation of simple devices capable of detecting pollutants, monitoring toxicological effects, and assessing food freshness with minimal infrastructure. In addition, nanomaterials have been coupled with advanced bioluminescent proteins to significantly enhance the analytical performance of biosensors in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and stability. Portable detection systems like smartphones and cost-effective optical detectors were explored to ensure economical accessibility, suitability, and field applicability. This work focuses on portable and low-cost biosensing devices for bioactivity and toxicity evaluation, emphasizing the importance of sustainability in biosensor design, which contributes to the development of tools that address global needs while minimizing environmental impact. Future work aims to translate these advancements into paper-based multiplexed sensing platforms for the simultaneous detection of multiple analytes. Efforts will also focus on improving the shelf-life of these systems to ensure robustness and applicability in different conditions.