Biosensors (part 4)

Current research trends, future challenges and limitations of biosensor technology

Ending. The beginning of the article is here.

Integrated strategies using a variety of technologies, ranging from electrochemical, electromechanical and fluorescent-optical biosensors to genetically modified microorganisms, are modern methods of biosensor development (Table 1). Some of these biosensors have extensive application prospects for use in the diagnosis of diseases and medicine in general (Table 2). The need to use biosensors for rapid economically feasible analysis requires bio-production, which will allow recording biological activity at different levels, ranging from cellular to the level of a living organism, with high accuracy and a limit of sensitivity, tending to individual molecules. In addition, biosensors must function in difficult conditions. In this situation, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional detection is required using complex converters for identification and quantitative evaluation of the analytes under study. In this regard, several landmark discoveries have been made in the field of contact and contactless structuring at different levels. The goal of the next level of development should be to create more stable regenerating biosensors for long-term use. If this happens, it will be possible to create new diagnostic biosensors that will help doctors and patients in their long-standing desire for a more integrative understanding of the mechanisms of disease development and the effects of therapy. From this point of view, a biosensor based on resonant fluorescence energy transfer provides an excellent diagnostic procedure for evaluating the effectiveness of imatinib therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia. The modern use of aptamers, affodies, peptide matrices and polymers with molecular imprints are classic examples of prospective research approaches in this field. Some progress has also been made with a number of potential molecules for the delivery of new drugs, including antibiotics. Developments in this field have led to the emergence of electrochemical biosensors, which are reliable analytical devices for detecting the virus-the causative agent of the so-called avian influenza in complex environments. More recent publications describe the potential use of affinity-based biosensors in sports medicine and doping control. Also, not so long ago, the possibilities of using wearable electrochemical biosensors for noninvasive screening of electrolytes and metabolites in body fluids in real time to assess human health were analyzed in detail. Another interesting area of application is the assessment of the quality of meat and fish products using hypoxanthine biosensors. The development of biosensors for the detection of biological weapons agents, such as bacteria, viruses and toxins, is carried out using various technologies, including electrochemical, nucleic acids, optical and piezoelectric, which will allow them to be actively used not only in the military and healthcare, but also in the field of defense and security. In general, it can be said that the combination of nanomaterials and polymers with various types of biosensors will allow the development of hybrid devices for effective use in the industries listed above. In addition, scientific achievements in the development of microbial biosensors using synthetic biology technology will make a great contribution to environmental monitoring. The authors of this article especially emphasize the importance of using microbiological fuel cells in the development of purification methods and as an energy source for sensors used in environmental monitoring. In a broader sense, the authors describe various types of biosensors, their potential applications and characteristics, such as the ability to register an analyte, analysis time, portability, cost and adaptability (Table 3).

Table 1. List of biosensors, principles of their operation and areas of application

Table 2. The use of biosensors in the diagnosis of diseases

Table 3. Types of biosensors, their applications and characteristics

The development of biosensors is mainly aimed at ensuring sensitivity, specificity, absence of toxicity, the possibility of detecting small molecules and economic efficiency. These characteristics will eventually allow us to achieve the required critical parameters and eliminate the main limitations of biosensor technology. Some achievements, as can be seen from the combination of electrochemical sensors with nanomaterials, lead to the emergence of new types of biosensors. From this point of view, it should be noted the invention of "electronic skin", which consists in applying electrochemical biosensors to the skin surface in the form of a temporary tattoo to determine the content of chemical compounds in the body. In general, a more effective combination of biosensory research and bio-production with synthetic biology methods based on the use of electrochemical, optical or bioelectronic principles or a combination of them is the key to the successful development of powerful biosensors for modern life.

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