Calorimetric biosensors

The principle of calorimetry is very interesting for biological applications. Calorimetric biosensors are based on the detection of the heat production of biological reactions which is caused by enthalpy changes. The micro calorimetric sensing principle is very versatile because of the exothermic nature of nearly all enzymatic reactions [8] and was introduced as a conventionally constructed device very early [9] ... 

Conventional calorimetric biosensors with thermistors as the transducer were invented early by proposing a thermal biosensor in a flow stream [10]. So far the design of enzyme thermistors does not entirely match the market demand well, but it seems well suited for special applications [10,11]. A number of devices have utilized discrete pairs of thermistors for differential measurements with immobilized enzymes or with separate enzyme columns [9,10,11],... 

Kroger, S. Danielsson, B., Calorimetric biosensors, In Handbook of Biosensors and Electronic Noses. Medicine, Food, and the Environment, Kress-Rogers, E., Ed. CRC Boca Raton, FL, 1997 279-298... 

Thermometric sensors are based on the measurement of the heat effects of a specific chemical reaction or an adsorption process that involves the analyte. In this group of sensors the heat effects may be measured in various ways, for example in catalytic sensors the heat of a combustion reaction or an enzymatic reaction is measured by use of a thermistor. Calorimetric biosensors detect variations of heat during a biological reaction. 

Hundeck HG, Weifl M, Scheper T, Schubert F (1993) Calorimetric biosensor for the detection and determination of enantiomeric excesses in aqueous and organic phases. Biosens Bioelectron 8 205-208... 

Fig. 4. Simple calorimetric biosensors. (Redrawn from Danielsson et al., 1981).

MEMS-Based Biosensor, Fig. 3 Calorimetric biosensor with integrated microfluidic channels [5]... 

Zhang Y, Tadigadapa S (2004) Calorimetric biosensors with integrated microfluidic chaimels. Biosens Bioelectron 19 1733-1743... 

A FI calorimetric biosensor was developed for the determination of dichlorvos (Zheng et al., 2006). The enzyme chicken liver esterase was used as the biorecognition element and acetyl-l-naphthol as the substrate. This enzyme was immobilized on an ion exchange resin, which was then packed in the enzyme reaction cell. The reference cell was filled with the same batch of the resin, but with a completely inactivated enzyme. As a result, the enzymatic reaction occurred in the enzyme reaction cell, but not in the reference cell and there was a temperature difference at the outlets of the two cells. The detection was based on the inhibition of the enzyme by the analyte, measuring the difference of the signal obtained with and without inhibition. 

Zheng, Y. H., T. C. Hua, D. W. Sun et al. 2006. Detection of dichlorvos residue by flow injection calorimetric biosensor based on immobilized chicken liver. Food Eng. 74 24-29. 

At the present time, transducers are most often electrochemical converters electrodes (ammeter, pH meter and conductometers), various optical, calorimetric and acoustic converters. The existing variety in biosensor types is formed by varying bioselective structures with different transducers. Note that enzyme and cell biosensors are the most widespread. 

Danielsson B, Mosbach K(1987) Theory and application of calorimetric sensors. In Turner A, Karube PF, Wilson IG (eds) Biosensors, Fundamentals and Applications. Oxford University Press, pp 575-595... 

The reaction between the analjrte and the bioreceptor produces a physical or chemical output signal normally relayed to a transducer, which then generally converts it into an electrical signal, providing quantitative information of analytical interest. The transducers can be classified based on the technique utilized for measurement, being optical (absorption, luminescence, surface plasmon resonance), electrochemical, calorimetric, or mass sensitive measurements (microbalance, surface acoustic wave), etc. If the molecular recognition system and the physicochemical transducer are in direct spatial contact, the system can be defined as a biosensor [76]. A number of books have been published on this subject and they provide details concerning definitions, properties, and construction of these devices [77-82]. 

An enzyme biosensor consists of an enzyme as a biological sensing element and a transducer, which may be amperometric, potentiometric, conductimetric, optical, calorimetric, etc. Enzyme biosensors have been applied to detecting various substrates (Table 3.1), which are selectively oxidized or reduced in enzyme-catalyzed processes depending on the nature of substrates and enzymes used (oxidases or reductases) to construct sensors. 

A biosensor is a device that combines a biological component a recognition layer) and a physico-chemical detector component (a transducer). The transduction unit can be electrochemical, optical, piezoelectric, magnetic, or calorimetric (1). Two groups of recognition molecules form the majority of biosensors affinity-based and catalytic-based biosensors. Affinity-based biosensors are used to bind molecular species of interest, irreversibly and noncatalytically. Examples include antibodies, nucleic acids, and... 

There are numerous ways to exploit the calorimetric detection principle in combination with biological materials, not only in metabolite assays, but also for analyses of proteins and other macromolecules as well as for whole cells. These include metabolite determination, bioprocess monitoring, measurements of enzymic activities in separation procedures, determinations in organic solvents, and miniaturized thermal biosensors. 

Decristoforo G and Danielsson B 1984 Flow injection analysis with enzyme thermistor detector for automated detection of -lactams Anal. Chem. 56 263-8 Danielsson B, Mattiasson B and Mosbach K 1981 Enzyme thermistor devices and their analytical applications Appl. Biochem. Bioeng. 3 97-143 Mattiasson B and Danielsson B 1982 Calorimetric analysis of sugars and sugar derivatives with aid of an enzyme thermistor Carbohydr. Res. 102 273-82 Kirstein D, Danielsson B, Scheller F and Mosbach K 1989 Highly sensitive enzyme thermistor determination of ADP and ATP by multiple recycling enzyme systems Biosensors 4 231-9... 

Satoh I, Akahane M and Matsumoto K 1991 Analytical applications of immobilized acid urease for urea in flow streams Sensors Actuators B 5 241 Danielsson B 1995 Handbook of Analytical Sciences (London Academic) at press Xie B, Hedberg (Harbom) U, Mecklenburg M and Danielsson B 1993 Fast determination of whole blood glucose with a calorimetric micro-biosensor Sensors Actuators B 15-16 141-4... 

S19, V9, Wll), fluorimetric (e.g., S4, K45), radiometric (e.g., 12), calorimetric (K29), polarographic (F4), enzymatic (Al, 12), and others such as near-infrared spectroscopy (D20). These methods are also suitable for the detection of cholinesterase inhibitors using biosensors (B35, C9, D12) or immunochemical assay for detection of chemical warfare agents (L7). 

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