Themed collection 2025 Sensors & Diagnostics Emerging Investigators

This collection showcases research carried out by internationally recognised, up-and-coming scientists in the early stage of their independent careers who are making outstanding contributions to their respective fields.

This article profiles the early career researchers whose work features in the Sensors & Diagnostics Emerging Investigators Collection 2025.

Medical robotic sensing is a developing field that combines mechanical technology with medical engineering.

This review highlights important biomarkers in blood and dermal fluids, i.e. sweat and interstitial fluid, and envisions non-invasive monitoring of dermal fluids in critical health concerns and drug therapy suitable for remote ambulatory monitoring.

I-Sense is taken up by the cell and exhibits decreased fluorescence in the presence of iodide, serving as an intercellular iodide indicator for monitoring CFTR activity.

An optimised protocol for quantitative profiling of EVs at the single-particle level by fluorescent nanoparticle tracking analysis, which enables precise quantification of EV concentration, size distribution, and surface immunophenotype.

In this study, we used carbon nanotubes and a ssDNA aptamer to design a fluorescent sensor to detect cortisol, which we showed we could do in a selective manner compared to estradiol and could do in artificial cerebrospinal fluid.

High-wavenumber Raman spectroscopy enables reagent-free optical detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human saliva samples at a physiologically-relevant concentration.

A salphen-conjugated microporous polymer shows both fluorescence and colorimetric changes to nanomolar Cu²⁺ and is used for tandem detection of cysteine.

A digital, multi-layer nonenzymatic nucleic acid amplification assay (SENA) was developed for quantifying miRNA expression levels in diluted human serum samples.

WPCB-derived carbon nanozymes exhibit selective catalytic inhibition in response to pyrophosphate, enabling sensitive colorimetric detection without external recognition elements.

Experimental set-up: (a) magnified image, (b) schematic diagram, (c) top view, (d) side view, (e) bottom view of the PLA holder and top view of this holder on (f) a wooden surface without a loading arm and (g) a skin surface with a loading arm.

LEAFS (a low-cost electrochemical analyzer of foliage stress) measures SA, a biomarker for plant stress, in a blended leaf mixture or can be inserted directly in the plant leaf or stem for continuous monitoring.

A dual-functional fluorescent nanosensor to monitor lysosomal Cl⁻ and HClO concentration changes is presented here for the first time.

Peptide-based passivation strategies were developed to prevent the unintended conjugation of his-tagged enzymes to quantum dot (QD) biosensors, enabling the application of QD biosensors in complex assays such as CRISPR-based diagnostics.