Applications

There are many potential applications of biosensors of various types. The main requirements for a biosensor approach to be valuable in terms of research and commercial applications are the identification of a target molecule, availability of a suitable biological recognition element, and the potential for disposable portable detection systems to be preferred to sensitive laboratory-based techniques in some situations. Some examples are given below:

Glucose monitoring in diabetes patients < historical market driver
Other medical health related targets
Environmental applications e.g. the detection of pesticides and river water contaminants
Remote sensing of airborne bacteria e.g. in counter-bioterrorist activities
Detection of pathogens
Determining levels of toxic substances before and after bioremediation
Detection and determining of organophosphate
Routine analytical measurement of folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid as an alternative to microbiological assay
Determination of drug residues in food, such as antibiotics and growth promoters, particularly meat and honey.
Drug discovery and evaluation of biological activity of new compounds.
Protein engineering in biosensors
Detection of toxic metabolites such as mycotoxins

Glucose monitoring

Commercially available gluocose monitors rely on amperometric sensing of glucose by means of glucose oxidase, which oxidises glucose producing hydrogen peroxide which is detected by the electrode. To overcome the limitation of ameperometric sensors, a flurry of research is present into novel sensing methods, such as fluorescent glucose biosensors.