Lateral flow assays have been widely used as an effective and low-cost detection tool, which is mostly designed for qualitative and/or quantitative purposes. Recently, research in this field has acquired more advances in convenience, sensitivity, accuracy, and intelligence through effective exploration. These ongoing efforts have successfully promoted great improvements, and some methods have been accepted by the end-user in different fields, such as for mycotoxins pollution screening and SARS-CoV-2 virus detection in the agricultural and medical fields. The advancement of assays has been mainly promoted by the development of nanomaterials, artificial intelligence, and multiple target detection requirements.
As an important screening tool, lateral flow assays have shown remarkable cost advantages, comparable sensitivity, and on-site detection capability. It is important to step forward in the face of competition from the miniaturization and the wider use of other instruments on site, such as ambient ionization mass spectrometers, electrochemical devices, and spectroscopic non-destructive testing equipment. One considerable effort has been directed into the development of advancing automated digital test readers, such as Google Glass and smartphone-based readers, to perform both qualitative and quantitative analysis of lateral flow assays. Another recent technology possesses the ability to process multiple targets tests simultaneously and automatically use a single strip as a positive response for multi-target simultaneous detection requirements. Such tools will be more serviceable when advancing nanomaterial and computer technologies are combined for the development of lateral flow assays.
This article collection is devoted to publishing research that advances lateral flow / immunochromatographic assays for food safety, including detection platform design, antibody engineering, pre-treatment simplification, new tracer application, and simulation for antigen-antibody interreaction.
Changrui Xing is an Associate Professor at the Nanjing University of Finance and Economics whose research focuses on antibody production and characterization; rapid immunoassay construction for heavy metals and toxins detection; and the mechanisms of antigen-antibody reaction.
Chuanlai Xu is a full professor of Food Science and Technology at Jiangnan University, and the Editor-in-Chief of Food and Agricultural Immunology. He earned his Ph.D. in food science in 2002. His research interests include fast detection technology and food safety evaluation.
All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member). Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.
The deadline for submitting manuscripts is February 16, 2024.
