Technological watch

Several viral infectious diseases have appeared limitless since the beginning of the 21st century, expanding into pandemic lengths. Thus, there are extensive efforts to provide more efficient means of diagnosis, a better understanding of acquired immunity, and improved monitoring of inflammatory biomarkers, as these are all crucial for controlling the spread of infection while aiding in vaccine development and improving patient outcomes. In this regard, various biosensors have been developed over the last years to streamline pathogen and immune response detection by addressing the limitations of traditional methods, including isothermal amplification?based systems and lateral flow assays. This review explores state?of?the?art biosensors for detecting viral pathogens, serological assays, and inflammatory biomarkers from the material perspective, by discussing their advantages, limitations, and further potential regarding their analytical performance, clinical utility, and point?of?care adaptability. Additionally, next?generation biosensing technologies that offer better sensitivity and selectivity, and easy handling for end?users are highlighted. An emerging example of these next?generation biosensors are those powered by novel synthetic biology tools, such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) with CRISPR?associated proteins (Cas), in combination with integrated point?of?care devices. Lastly, we discuss the current challenges and provide a roadmap for furthering these advanced biosensing technologies to manage future pandemics.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved