Electrochemical Biosensors for Point-of-care Applications

Biosensor refers to powerful and innovative analytical tool involving biological sensing element and transducer with broad range of applications, such as diagnosis, drug discovery, biomedicine, food safety' and processing, environmental monitoring, security and defense. Recent advances in the field of biotechnology, microelectronics, and nanotechnology have improved the development of biosensors. Glucometers utilizing the electrochemical determination of oxygen or hydrogen peroxide employing immobilised glucose oxidase electrode seeded the discovery and development of biosensors. Molecular recognition based on geometry and forces of interaction play an important role in the biosensor development. The advent of nanotechnology led to highly efficient and sensitive biosensors. They also provide an effective immobilisation matrix for the various bioreceptors. Enzymatic and their mimetic (metalloporphyrin)-based biosensors for reactive oxygen, nitrogen species and cytochrome c will also be discussed. The role of antibodies and their applications in immunosensors development for cytochrome c and superoxide dismutase will be highlighted. The electrochemical biosensors are less expensive, miniaturised and used for point-of-care applications. Further, the fabrication of labVIEW based virtual biosensor instrumentation and microcontroller based portable biosensor for wide variety of applications also devices will be presented.