journal article·2026-05Open access

SERS‐Based Nano‐ and Microsystems Toward Biomedical Applications

Gohar Soufi, Tijana Maric, Isidro Badillo‐Ramírez, Juliane Fjelrad Christfort, Matteo Tollemeto, Carmen Milan Guimera, Casper Nisula, Giulia Zappalá, Laura De Vittorio, Marta Rubio‐Huertas, Sungyeong Kim, Ziqiao Li, Morten Bo Søndergaard Svendsen, Zhongyang Zhang, Anja Boisen

Small· Volume 22· Issue 28

Abstract

ABSTRACT Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a transformative analytical technique for biomedical and bioanalytical sensing, offering molecular specificity and single‐molecule sensitivity in biological environments. Recent advances in plasmonic nanomaterials, precision fabrication, and compact optical instrumentation have accelerated the development of SERS platforms with expanding potential toward biomedical applications. Despite extensive studies, clinical translation remains limited, underscoring the need for a systematic evaluation of SERS nanomaterials and device architectures under biomedically relevant conditions. This review provides a current overview of nano‐ and microscale SERS‐based devices reported since 2020, encompassing all aspects from material design to practical applications. We highlight controlled SERS‐active architectures, including patterned substrates, nanorods, microspheres, micromotors, and microneedles, as well as combinations of these microfluidic systems. We summarize key studies showing fabrication strategies, instrumentation, and analytical performance with an emphasis on platform capabilities. We present the first focused discussion on static and dynamic SERS platforms for direct, on‐site molecular detection in model biological environments, and outline key challenges for biomedical translation, including reproducibility, sample handling, standardization, and integration. This review provides a practical guide for designing SERS‐based nano‐ and microsystems toward biomedical sensing applications, while clarifying current limitations and future opportunities for translation.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications · Spectroscopy Techniques in Biomedical and Chemical Research · Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Center For Intelligent Drug Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN) Department of Health Technology Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby Kongens Denmark

Funding

Danmarks Grundforskningsfond · Villum Fonden · European Research Council

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