Commercial Biosensors and Their Applications

Clinical, Food, and Beyond

Mustafa Kemal Sezgintürk

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9780128196854
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Analytic Chemistry

Commercial Biosensors and Their Applications: Clinical, Food, and Beyond offers professionals an in-depth look at some of the most significant applications of commercially available biosensor-based instrumentation in the clinical, food quality control, bioprocess monitoring, and bio threat fields. Featuring contributions by an international team of scientists, this book provides readers with an unparalleled opportunity to see how their colleagues around the world are using these powerful tools. This book is an indispensable addition to the reference libraries of biosensor technologists, analytical chemists, clinical chemists, biochemists, physicians, medical doctors, engineers, and clinical biochemists.

The book discusses the need for portable, rapid, and smart biosensing devices and their use as cost-effective, in situ, real-time analytical tools in a variety of fields.

• Devotes several chapters to applications of biosensors to clinical samples, exploring how biosensors are currently used for in-home diabetes monitoring, point-of-care diagnostics, non-invasive sensing, and biomedical research
• Includes a section on food applications covering how biosensors can detect genetically modified organisms, toxins, allergens, hormones, microorganisms, species-specificity, pesticides, insecticides, and related components
• Discusses nanobiosensor and applications, including a chapter on nanotechnological approaches and materials in commercial biosensors

Chapter One

Introduction to commercial biosensors

Mustafa Kemal Sezgintürk Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Engineering, Bioengineering Department, Çanakkale, Turkey

Abstract

Biosensing-based analysis technologies are very important because of their incontrovertible advantages such as high sensitivity and selectivity, low cost, suitable for miniaturization, and applicable to use in the field. The demand for analysis of different molecules which could be important for health, food, environment, and other areas renders the biosensor technologies more indispensable. Consequently, biosensors are the strongest candidates to meet the criteria expected from an analytical device such as to analyze different kinds of samples collected from different areas. In this chapter, first, a detailed discussion on biosensors and their biorecognition elements and transducers is given. Then, an introductory information on commercial biosensors is presented. The future prospects of commercially available biosensing technologies are also given finally.

Keywords

Biosensing technology; Biosensor; Commercial biosensors; Glucose analyzers; Immunosensors

1. Introduction

Since the existence of human history, humankind has always had a single goal: To live longer! Societies ceaselessly fought each other to reach this goal; new societies and civilizations emerged as a result of these wars. People of modern century are the products of these wars. The motivation of advances in science owes a lot to the questions like “how can stronger armies be built?” or “How can stronger weapons be developed?” Fortunately, modern humankind's civilization phenomenon is more advanced than ever. Battles fought for the sake of living longer are replaced by scientific and technological developments made through the collaboration of medicine, basic sciences, and engineering sciences. New technologies, personal treatment methods, stem cell applications, and even genetically modified people for a longer and healthier life are becoming more and more present in the global agenda. In this context, new necessities have started to emerge as the consciousness level of human beings increases. Simple analyzers, especially suitable for personal use, have begun to draw great deal of attention in every area. The analysis of simple analytes in the blood, urine, and even sweat has become an important habit in terms of improving the quality of life. Another factor that gives impetus to technology is the ingredients of food additives. Toxicological threats can be determined at home by practical tests, which have been met with great interest. As is well known, the most remarkable progress in this field is glucose analyzers that make life easier for diabetes patients. In fact, the story began exactly 65 years ago when Professor Leland C. Clark Jr. discovered the first oxygen electrode. The first system had a quite simple working electrode. However, after more than a half-century has passed, glucose analyzers can now achieve quite sensitive and accurate measurements and have become so cheap that everyone can afford to get. As a result, glucose analyzers dominate the 80% of the world market in biosensors. Not only glucose analyzers but also various proteins, DNA, cancer biomarkers, and other small metabolites such as fructose, galactose, lactate, and glutamate have been commercialized in the field of health. In addition to this, there are various commercial biosensor systems in food, environment, defense, and bioprocess monitoring applications and improvements are still ongoing. In this section, firstly information on the definition and classification of biosensors will be given. Then, brief descriptions of commercial biosensor types used in various technological areas will be made.

2. What is a biosensor?

Biosensors are successfully used in many areas because of their important advantages. Because they are less expansive compared with other methods and have the properties such as adaptability to different analytes and high selectivity, they have been used in every area in recent years. Their suitability for the integration into miniaturization also makes biosensors essential tools for the field and on-site measurements. The need for simple analysis of all kinds of chemicals that might be necessary for health, food, environment, and other areas to improve the quality of life is increasing day by day. Biosensors are the strongest candidate with the potential to meet this need. The basis of the development of biosensors is the sensing and response mechanisms of living beings. The definition of biosensors according to “International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry” (IUPAC) is that “devices that convert the biological response to optical thermal or electrical signals” [1]. Therefore, biosensors are analytical devices that consist of a recognition probe (bioreceptor) of biological origin with high affinity and a transducer that converts chemical signals into electrical or optical outputs. A diagram on the operation of a general biosensor and the miniaturization step necessary for commercialization is shown in Fig. 1.1.

Biosensor-based devices have been implemented to identify existing approaches that offer a variety of advantages to the target such as high sensitivity and selectivity, fast processing time, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. All biosensors are mainly designed to achieve one or more of the detection limits, parallel detection of multiple analytes or signals (multiplexing), and signal amplification targets.

Figure 1.1 Working principle of a biosensor and general strategy scheme required for commercialization.
Reprinted with permission D. Liu, J. Wang, L. Wu, Y. Huang, Y. Zhang, M. Zhu and C. Yang, Trends in miniaturized biosensors for point-of-care testing, TrAc Trends Anal. Chem. 2019, 115701.

3. Bioreceptors and transducers used in biosensors

3.1. Bioreceptors

Bioreceptor molecules, which have key role in improving and diversifying the biosensor technology, are the molecules that interact with the specific analyte of interest. These highly sensitive bioreceptor molecules can be biological molecules such as enzymes, antibodies, nucleic acids, and proteins or biological systems such as tissues, microorganisms, and cells. For some molecules or systems to be bioreceptors, they need to have distinctive features such as specificity to the desired molecule and high binding capacity. Bioreceptors are important components of biosensors because of their role in recognizing target analytes. Therefore, the choice of bioreceptor entirely depends on the target analyte, and the high binding affinity and stability of the recognition element to the target is paid attention. Antibodies, DNA/RNA, enzymes, cells, and aptamers, which have become highly popular over recent years, are the most fr...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Chapter One. Introduction to commercial biosensors
• Chapter Two. Personal blood glucose analyzers
• Chapter Three. Electrochemical affinity biosensors for hormones and related biomarkers: from laboratory to commercial point-of-care testing
• Chapter Four. Overview to recent commercial biosensors for diagnosis of cancers, cardiac diseases, and other diseases
• Chapter Five. Commercial sensors for pathogen detection
• Chapter Six. Paper-based devices
• Chapter Seven. Noninvasive biosensors for diagnostic biomarkers
• Chapter Eight. Commercial biosensors for detection of food additives, contaminants, and pathogens
• Chapter Nine. Bioassays and biosensors for food analysis: focus on allergens and food packaging
• Chapter Ten. Bioprocess monitoring by biosensor-based technologies
• Chapter Eleven. Biosensors commercial off the shelf in biological warfare attack
• Chapter Twelve. Nanotechnological approaches and materials in commercial biosensors
• Index