One Health Strategies in environmental monitoring: cellular biosensors as advanced surveillance systems

On November 1, at the RAISE Village, Maria Giovanna Parisi, Associate Professor at the University of Palermo, presented a talk titled “One Health Strategies in Environmental Monitoring: Cellular Biosensors as Advanced Surveillance Systems”.

Monitoring environmental pollution requires devices that are fast, reliable, cost-effective, and compact. In recent years, several innovative approaches have emerged for developing biosensors capable of detecting pollutants and identifying environmental contaminants. Among these, enzyme-based, whole-cell, antibody, aptamer, and DNA biosensors, along with biomimetic sensors, represent the latest advances in the field of biological sensors.

Various detection principles are applied in biosensor design, such as amperometry, conductometry, and luminescence. Each of these methods is characterized by specific speed, sensitivity, cost-efficiency, and design features, offering distinct levels of selectivity and detection limits depending on the sensitive element used. Biomimetic biosensors are gradually gaining the attention of researchers and users due to their advantages over traditional sensors.

“Participating in an ecosystem like RAISE offers numerous advantages on multiple levels. First and foremost, it provides us with the opportunity to enhance our scientific know-how. As I mentioned during the presentation, it allows us to engineer our biological systems, making them universal, accessible to all, and valuable for environmental monitoring. This approach helps reduce human error in biological sampling and in basic laboratory operations. From a practical standpoint, this is the first major benefit. Furthermore, RAISE facilitates interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaboration, creating connections between fields that, until now, had not had the opportunity to interact. The exchange of knowledge and skills is especially valuable, particularly for those in training in this sector, offering the opportunity to gain new experiences in diverse contexts,” commented Maria Giovanna Parisi at the end of her presentation.