Research review paperBetter together: Strategies based on magnetic particles and quantum dots for improved biosensing

•Quantum dots and magnetic beads simultaneously used for bioassay development.•Approach successfully applied in biomedical, environmental and agrifood analyses.•Difficult transition of biodevices from laboratory to commercialization.•Emphasis needed on affordability, reusability and application in real-world samples.•Innovative approaches, including multimodal nanoparticles, must be explored.

Novel technologies and strategies for sensitive detection of biological responses in healthcare, food and environmental monitoring continue to be a priority. The present review focuses on bioassay development based on the simultaneous use of quantum dots and magnetic beads. Due to the outstanding characteristics of both particles for biosensing applications and the large number of publications using a combined approach, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature on different bioassays, the most recent advances and innovative strategies on the topic, together with an analysis of the main drawbacks encountered and potential solutions offered, with a special emphasis on the requirements that the transfer of technologies from the laboratory to the market will demand for future commercialization of biodevices. Several procedures used in immunoassays and nucleic acid-based bioassays for the detection of pathogens and biomarkers are discussed. The improvement of current approaches together with novel multiplex detection systems and nanomaterials-based research, including the use of multimodal nanoparticles, will contribute to simpler and more sensitive bioanalyses.