Biorecognition elements aptamers

The use of aptamers as biorecognition element in piezoelectric biosensors will be here reported with particular application to the detection of thrombin. 

With the piezoelectric transduction, an RNA aptamer has been used as biorecognition element to develop an aptasensor for the detection of Tat (trans-activator of transcription) protein [9]. 

Comparison of the developed aptasensor with other Tat detection methods is very difficult since most of the published papers on this subject deal with Tat-derived peptides and not with the full length protein. Anyway, the results demonstrated that the use of a biosensor with a specific aptamer as biorecognition element could be an interesting approach in the detection of proteins, which has been examined here considering a model system. 

Molecular recognition is central to biosensor technology. Receptors, enzymes, antibodies, aptamers, molecular beacons, and nucleic acids are mainly used as molecular recognition elements in biosensor development (Chambers etal., 2008). Since 1990, nucleic acids, especially deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) have been used as biorecognition elements in biosensor technology. These biosensors are named as DNA-based biosensors. 

It remains speculative as to the potential impact on biotin analysis that may result from current innovations in the field of biosensor technologies. New alternatives to classical biorecognition elements will include artificial receptors such as molecularly imprinted polymers and aptamers, which promise increased stability. Although they are currently not widely utilized in commercial biosensors, such biosensor innovations are likely to offer future advantages. 

Optical aptasensors include label-based aptamers (using fluorophore, luminophore, enzyme, nanoparticles) or label-free detection systems (e.g. surface plasmon resonance). Aptamers have also been widely used as biorecognition elements in... 

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