Tissue and Bacteria Electrodes

3 Tissue and Bacteria Electrodes The limited stability of isolated enzymes, and the fact that some enzymes are expensive or even not available in the pure state, has prompted the use of cellular materials (plant tissues, bacterial cells, etc.) as a source of enzymatic activity (48). For example, the banana tissue (which is rich with polyphenol oxidase) can be incorporated by mixing within the carbon paste matrix to yield a fast-responding and sensitive dopamine sensor (Fig. 6.14). These biocatalytic electrodes function in a manner similar to that for conventional enzyme electrodes (i.e., enzymes present in the tissue or cell produce or consume a detectable species). 

Other useful sensors rely on the coupling of microorganisms and electrochemical transducers. Changes in the respiration activity of the microorganism, induced by the target analyte, result in decreased surface concentration of electroactive metabolites (e.g., oxygen), which can be detected by the transducer. 

Measured Species Enzyme Detected Species Type of sensing Reference 

FIGURE 6-12 The mixed tissue (banana) carbon-paste sensor for dopamine. PPO = polyphenol oxidase. (Reproduced with permission from reference 36.) 

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