Biosensor- working and applications of
biosensors in pharmaceutical industries.
Dr. S. Jayaprakash
Professor
Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
MNR College of Pharmacy, Sangareddy.
Biosensor
• A biosensor is an analytical device which
converts a biological response into an
electrical signal.
• Professor Leland C Clark is the father of
Biosensor
A good biosensor
• It should provide accurate, precise, reproducible
results.
• It should be free from electrical noise.
• It should be cheap, small, portable and capable of
being used by semi-skilled operators.
• The reaction should be independent from physical
parameters (stirring, pH and temperature)
Working of biosensors
• The preferred biological material like enzyme is preferred for conventional
methods like physical or membrane entrapment and noncovalent or covalent
binding.
• The preferred biological material is in contact with the transducer.
• To produce a bound analyte through the analyte binds to the biological
material which produces the electrical response to be measured.
• In some cases, the analyte changed to a product and have some probability to
associate with the release of heat, gases like oxygen, electrons or hydrogen
ions.
Part of biosensor
• Bioreceptors
• Transducer
• Signal processor
Bioreceptors
• The bioreceptor is a biologically derived material
such as tissue, microorganisms,
organelles, cell receptors, enzymes, antibodies,
nucleic acids, etc.
or
Biomimetic component that binds or recognizes the
analyte of interest.
Transducer
• When the analyte interacts with the
bioreceptor, change in biological signals such
as change in temperature, electrical charge
occurs.
• The transducer transforms these signal into
another signal which is easily measured and
quantified.
Types of Biosensors
• Based on the type of transducer the Biosensor are classified as-
1) Electrochemical 6) Thermometric Biosensor
Biosensor 7) Optical Biosensors
2) Amperometric Biosensor 8) Fiber Optic Lactate
3) Blood Glucose Biosensor Biosensor
4) Potentiometric Biosensor 9) Optical Biosensors for
Blood Glucose
5) Conductometric
10) Piezoelectric Biosensors
Biosensor 11) Immuno–Biosensors
Electrochemical biosensor
• Electrochemical Biosensor is a simple
device. It measures the measurement
of electronic current, ionic or by
conductance changes carried by
bioelectrodes.
Amperometric Biosensor
• The Biosensors are based on the movement of the electron, i.e. electronic current determination as a reaction of the enzyme-
catalyzed redox reaction.
• Generally, a normal contact voltage passes through the electrodes to analyze.
• In the enzymatic reaction which produces the substrate or product can transfer the electrons with the surface of electrodes to be
reduced. As a result, an alternate current flow can be measured.
• The substrate concentration is directly proportional to the magnitude of the current.
• The reduction of oxygen is acquired through the oxygen electrodes and it is a simple way to form an Amperometric biosensor.
• The example is the determination of glucose by glucose.
• The above description is about the first generation of Amperometric biosensor and it has a direct transfer of electrons that are
released from the electrodes are having some difficulties.
• The second-generation Amperometric biosensors are developed in a mediator takes the electrons and transfer to the electrodes.
Blood glucose biosensor
• Blood glucose Biosensors are used widely throughout the world
for diabetic patients.
• It has a single-use disposable electrode with glucose oxide and
derivatives of a mediator (Ferrocene) and the shape of the blood
glucose Biosensor looks like a watch pen.
• With the help of hydrophilic mesh, electrodes are converted.
• Blood glucose Biosensor is a good example of an Amperometric
Biosensor.
Potentiometric biosensor
• In this type of Biosensors changes the concentration of ionic is determined by the ion-selective
electrodes in this pH electrodes are used most commonly.
• Hence a large amount of enzymatic reactions is involved in the release of hydrogen ions.
• Ammonia-selective and Corbondioxide selective electrodes are some other important
electrodes.
• The Potentiometric electrode and the reference electrode can be measured with the help of
potential difference and it is directly proportional to the substrate concentration.
• The Potentiometric Biosensors is the sensitivity of enzymes to ionic concentration like H+ and
NH+4
• The ion-selective field-effect transistors are lower-price devices. It can be used in the
miniaturization of Potentiometric Biosensors.
• An example of the ISFET Biosensor is to monitor intra-myocardial for open-heart surgery.
Conductometric Biosensor
• In the biological system, there are several reactions
that change the ionic species.
• The electronic conductivity can be measured with
the help of anionic species.
• The example of the conductometric Biosensor is the
urea
• Biosensor which utilizing the immobilized areas.
Thermometric Biosensors
• There are many more biological
reactions are connected with the
production of heat and it forms the
basis of thermometric Biosensors.
Optical Biosensors
• The optical Biosensor is a device, it utilizes the principle of optical
measurements like fluorescence, absorbance and etc.
• They used in fiber optics and Optoelectronic transducers.
• The optical Biosensors are safe for non-electrical remote sensing of materials.
• In the transducer elements, primarily optical Biosensors involves in the
enzymes and antibodies.
• Usually, the Biosensors is not required any reference sensors and the
comparative signals are generated by using the sampling sensor.
Fibre optic lactate biosensor
• The working of the fiber optic lactate
Biosensor is based on the measurement of
change in oxygen concentration,
molecular by identifying the effects of
oxygen in the fluorescent dye.
Optical biosensors for blood
glucose
• The enzyme glucose oxiadase is used by blood glucose biosensor to
break down of blood glucose.
• First it oxidizes glucose and uses two electrons to reduce the FAD (a
component of the enzyme) to FADH2 which in turn is oxidized by the
electrode in a number of steps.
• The resulting current is a measure of the concentration of glucose.
• In this case, the electrode is the transducer and the enzyme is the
bioreceptor.
Piezoelectric biosensors
• The principle of piezoelectric Biosensor is used in sound vibrations, hence it
is called acoustic Biosensors.
• The basics of the Biosensors are formed by the piezoelectric crystals and the
characteristic frequencies are trembling with the crystals of positive and
negative charge.
• By using the electronic devices we can measure the certain molecules on the
crystal surface and alters the response frequencies using these crystals we
can attaché the inhibitors.
• The Biosensors for cocaine in the gas phase have been developed by
attaching the antibodies cocaine to the surface of the crystal.
Immuno-biosensors
• The immune Biosensors work on
the principle of immunological
specificity and mostly coupled with
measurement on the Potentiometric
Biosensors.
Application of biosensors
• Food analysis
• Study of Biomolecules and their interactions
• Drug development, crime detection
• Medical diagnosis
• Environmental field monitoring
• Industrial process control
• Manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and replacement of organs