Point of care (PoC) diagnostics are at the focus of government initiatives, NGOs and fundamental research alike. In high-income countries, the hope is to streamline the diagnostic procedure, minimize costs and make healthcare processes more efficient and faster, which, in some cases, can be more a matter of convenience than necessity. However, in resource-limited settings such as low-income countries, PoC-diagnostics might be the only viable route, when the next laboratory is hours away. Therefore, it is especially important to focus research into novel diagnostics for these countries in order to alleviate suffering due to infectious disease. In this review, the current research describing the use of PoC diagnostics in resource-limited settings and the potential bottlenecks along the value chain that prevent their widespread application is summarized. To this end, we will look at literature that investigates different parts of the value chain, such as fundamental research and market economics, as well as actual use at healthcare providers. We aim to create an integrated picture of potential PoC barriers, from the first start of research at universities to patient treatment in the field. Results from the literature will be discussed with the aim to bring all important steps and aspects together in order to illustrate how effectively PoC is being used in low-income countries. In addition, we discuss what is needed to improve the situation further, in order to use this technology to its fullest advantage and avoid “leaks in the pipeline”, when a promising device fails to take the next step of the valorization pathway and is abandoned.

• The review aims to summarize recent commercially interesting innovations in MIP-based sensor design. • In addition to sensors, commercially viable assays based on MIPs are analysed and recent advances are summarized and discussed. • The review also analyses how commercial MIP companies could contribute to a next step in the commercialization of MIP-based detection systems. • The review contains a critical analysis and discussion on MIP-based sensors and assay commercialization as well as an outlook/recommendation for the future.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global health, powered by pathogens that become increasingly proficient at withstanding antibiotic treatments. This review introduces the factors contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), highlighting the presence of antibiotics in different environmental and biological matrices as a significant contributor to the resistance. It emphasizes the urgent need for robust and effective detection methods to identify these substances and mitigate their impact on AMR. Traditional techniques, such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and immunoassays, are discussed alongside their limitations. The review underscores the emerging role of biosensors as promising alternatives for antibiotic detection, with a particular focus on electrochemical biosensors. Therefore, the manuscript extensively explores the principles and various types of electrochemical biosensors, elucidating their advantages, including high sensitivity, rapid response, and potential for point-of-care applications. Moreover, the manuscript investigates recent advances in materials used to fabricate electrochemical platforms for antibiotic detection, such as aptamers and molecularly imprinted polymers, highlighting their role in enhancing sensor performance and selectivity. This review culminates with an evaluation and summary of commercially available and spin-off sensors for antibiotic detection, emphasizing their versatility and portability. By explaining the landscape, role, and future outlook of electrochemical biosensors in antibiotic detection, this review provides insights into the ongoing efforts to combat the escalating threat of AMR effectively.

This paper introduces a novel bacterial identification assay based on thermal wave analysis through surface-imprinted polymers (SIPs). Aluminum chips are coated with SIPs, serving as synthetic cell receptors that have been combined previously with the heat-transfer method (HTM) for the selective detection of bacteria. In this work, the concept of bacterial identification is extended toward the detection of nine different bacterial species. In addition, a novel sensing approach, thermal wave transport analysis (TWTA), is introduced, which analyzes the propagation of a thermal wave through a functional interface. The results presented here demonstrate that bacterial rebinding to the SIP layer resulted in a measurable phase shift in the propagated wave, which is most pronounced at a frequency of 0.03 Hz. In this way, the sensor is able to selectively distinguish between the different bacterial species used in this study. Furthermore, a dose–response curve was constructed to determine a limit of detection of 1 × 10⁴ CFU mL^–1, indicating that TWTA is advantageous over HTM in terms of sensitivity and response time. Additionally, the limit of selectivity of the sensor was tested in a mixed bacterial solution, containing the target species in the presence of a 99-fold excess of competitor species. Finally, a first application for the sensor in terms of infection diagnosis is presented, revealing that the platform is able to detect bacteria in clinically relevant concentrations as low as 3 × 10⁴ CFU mL^–1 in spiked urine samples.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), synthetic polymeric receptors, have been combined successfully with thermal transducers for the detection of small molecules in recent years. However, up until now they have been combined with planar electrodes which limits their use for in vivo applications. In this work, a new biosensor platform is developed by roll-coating MIP particles onto thermocouples, functionalized with polylactic acid (PLLA). As a first proof-of-principle, MIPs for the neurotransmitter dopamine were incorporated into PLLA-coated thermocouples. The response of the synthetic receptor layer to an increasing concentration of dopamine in buffer was analyzed using a homemade heat-transfer setup. Binding of the template to the MIP layer blocks the heat transport through the thermocouple, leading to less heat loss to the environment and an overall higher temperature in the measuring chamber. The measured temperature increase is correlated to the neurotransmitter concentration, which enables measurement of dopamine levels in the micromolar regime. To demonstrate the general applicability of the proposed biosensor platform, thermocouples were functionalized with similar MIPs for cortisol and serotonin, indicating a similar response and limit-of-detection. As the platform does not require planar electrodes, it can easily be integrated in, e.g., a catheter. In this way, it is an excellent fit for the current niche in the market of therapeutics and diagnostics. Moreover, the use of a biocompatible and disposable PLLA-layer further illustrates its potential for in vivo diagnostics.