{
  "abstract": "Aptamer-based biosensors (aptasensors) are widely explored for analytical and diagnostic applications because aptamers combine molecular recognition with scalable chemical synthesis. Yet aptasensors have achieved limited translational impact, motivating scrutiny of development practices. Critical reviews emphasize verifying target binding of the aptamer construct by determining its equilibrium dissociation constant ( K d , a standard measure of binding strength) prior to aptasensor development to avoid interface-contingent artifacts. We refer to this pre-development requirement as the K d gate: an auditable, construct-matched determination of K d in homogeneous, non-denaturing solution under sensing-relevant conditions. Here, we assess compliance with the K d gate by analyzing 209 aptasensor publications spanning six targets. Only 20 of 209 papers reported any solution-phase verification assay, and only one passed the K d gate; among the remaining numeric K d reports, the reported values were weakly constrained or format-contingent and therefore not auditable. As a result, reported sensor-performance claims often cannot be interpreted, transferred, or optimized on a fully rational basis. Although practical feasibility varies across constructs and targets, the observed pattern indicates that technical difficulty alone does not explain the persistent omission. We conclude that voluntary recommendations have not, in practice, functioned as an effective gate and that passing the K d gate should become a mandatory reporting requirement, supported by an auditable checklist for editors and reviewers.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada; Department of Chemistry, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada. Electronic address: skrylov@yorku.ca",
    "Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada; Department of Chemistry, York University, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada",
    "Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA",
    "Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, 130022, China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, No. 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China",
    "A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, Moscow, 119071, Russia",
    "Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada",
    "Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University, IQ-UNESP, Araraquara, 14800-060, Brazil",
    "Department of Chemistry, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 2R1, Canada",
    "Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Center (ABIC), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China",
    "State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China",
    "School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China",
    "Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Science, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, P.O. Box 17011, Johannesburg, 2028, South Africa",
    "Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 1590-14, Aarhus, DK-8000, Denmark"
  ],
  "article_type": "review",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 19,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sergey N. Krylov",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3270-2130"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Svetlana M. Krylova",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3291-6721"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "An Thi Hoai Le"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Philip E. Johnson",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5573-4891"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ryan Hili",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8933-970X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Derek J. Wilson",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7012-6085"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "S. Brian Kim",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2560-8931"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Gwendolyn M. Stovall",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7525-9733"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Guobao Xu",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9747-0575"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Boris Borisovich Dzantiev",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4008-4918"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Maria C. DeRosa",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1868-6357"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Paulo R. Bueno",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2827-0208"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Philippe Dauphin‐Ducharme",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0490-7115"
    },
    {
      "name": "Julian A. Tanner",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5459-1526"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "William L. Whitehouse",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2168-1648"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Qiang Zhao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "Jun‐Jie Zhu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8201-1285"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11
      ],
      "name": "Anine Crous",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7581-7731"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        12
      ],
      "name": "Elena E. Ferapontova",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1177-3204"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bv3wgq2wg66v9.bib",
  "cited_by": 15,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.bios.2026.118807",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "bv3wgq2wg66v9",
  "issns": [
    "0956-5663",
    "1873-4235"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2026.118807",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
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      "openalex",
      "1312|Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques"
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  "openalex": "W7161302278",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": "42150253",
  "published": "2026-05-15",
  "publisher": "Elsevier BV",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bv3wgq2wg66v9.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:26:46Z",
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      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2026.118807"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1312|Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
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  ],
  "title": "Widespread omission of aptamer-target binding verification in aptasensor development: Consequences for sensor performance and the need for a Kd gate",
  "title_text": "Widespread omission of aptamer-target binding verification in aptasensor development: Consequences for sensor performance and the need for a Kd gate",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:05Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bv3wgq2wg66v9",
  "venue": "Biosensors and Bioelectronics",
  "versions": []
}