Original author: Ma Rongna, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, this account is authorized to publish it on behalf of others.
What do you think of when it comes to sensors? Will there be a sudden sense of strangeness? In fact, sensors are not far away from us. It can be said that each of us has a "sensor" on it! "The flowers are gradually fascinating, the faint fragrance floats at dusk, the wine is even more bitter, the tea is even more bitter, lying at night and listening to the wind and rain, and the willow wind is not cold on the face." These wonderful poems and sentences of the ancients about the five senses are all accurate interpretations of the sensor.
Biosensor is an analytical device for detecting analytes. As the name suggests, a biosensor is a device for combining biological components and physical and chemical detectors for detection and analysis (Figure 1). It is an analysis tool or system composed of immobilized biologically sensitive substances as recognition elements (including enzymes, antibodies, antigens, , microorganisms, cells, tissues, nucleic acids and other biologically active substances), appropriate physical and chemical transducers (such as oxygen electrode , photosensitive tube , field effect tube , piezoelectric crystal, etc.) and signal amplification device. The purpose is to transform the properties of species, concentration and other properties to be analyzed into quantitative data that are easily accepted by people through a series of reactions, so as to facilitate analysis.
Figure 1. The composition of biosensors
traces the past and present of biosensors and can be traced to the 17th century, when British coal miners were the first to discover a secret: canary is much more sensitive to gas concentration than humans. So when coal miners go down the mine, they often carry a bird cage with live canary to detect whether the oxygen concentration in the mine is sufficient to ensure life safety. This is considered to be the first gas sensor in human history . Until the 1960s, Leland C. Clark, the father of biosensors, proposed: Can biochemicals be measured as conveniently as the pH electrode? The first biosensor enzyme electrode sensor was successfully released. Based on its research, the glucose sensor benefited millions of diabetes patients.
For half a century, with the integration of multidisciplinary principles and technologies such as life sciences, chemistry, physics, information, materials, bionic , biosensing has developed into a multidisciplinary intersecting science and technology. Due to its good selectivity, high sensitivity, fast analysis speed, simple operation, easy automation and integration, the functional application of biosensors has expanded to live measurement, multi-index measurement, online measurement, and online measurement, showing great potential application prospects in the fields of biomedical research, environmental monitoring and protection, food inspection and quarantine, and biomarker detection.
In recent years, with the frequent emergence of major food safety issues, food safety issues have attracted more and more attention. Biosensors have played a huge role in food ingredients, quality indicators, food microorganisms, agricultural/veterinary drug residues, food additives, food freshness, hormones and non-edible chemicals detection, and have brought guarantees for food safety. For example, in the food industry, the content of glucose is a key indicator for measuring the ripening and lifespan of fruits. The enzyme electrode biosensor that has been developed can be used to analyze glucose in apple juice, jam and honey (Figure 2).
Figure 2. (a) Portable pesticide residue sensor (b) Glucose analyzer
Especially in the field of biomedical science and technology, biosensors have developed into a pioneer in biomedical science and technology, forming new development directions such as intelligence, miniaturization, multi-parameter, real-time detection and non-invasive detection, and have made a series of technological breakthroughs and are widely used. In particular, early development of portable biosensing devices has enabled them to be used in a wide range of disease diagnosis and monitoring (Figure 2).
Figure 3. Instant detection and diagnosis of commercial portable biosensors.
, for example, commercial early pregnancy test strip , is based on the principle of colorimetric to detect human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the urine of conceived women to achieve the initial screening of early pregnancy (Figure 3a).The 8-parameter urine test strip developed by Home Health UK can detect various pathological changes in the patient's urine including ketones, glucose, pH, etc. (Figure 3b). And everyone is very familiar with personal electronic blood glucose meter, and the concentration of glucose in the blood can be detected by just one drop of blood (Figure 3c). And leveraging the wide availability and low cost of pocket personal blood glucose meters and the selective binding ability of DNA aptamers, the research group of Professor Lu Yi of the University of Illinois has developed a method to quantify non-glucose targets using glucose meters, which can realize the sensing of cocaine, adenosine and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and toxic metal ions of tuberculosis (Figure 3d). In addition to the above cases, other commercial testing of E. coli O157, influenza A and B viruses, Helicobacter pylori, human immunodeficiency virus , tuberculosis and malaria have also been successful.
Figure 4. Non-invasive monitoring of sweat optical wearable biosensor.
In recent years, non-invasive monitoring has posed new challenges to the development of modern medicine. Biosensing has shined in the field of non-invasive detection. Researchers have developed wearable biosensors including urine (Figure 4) and tears (Figure 5). For example, some biosensors can read chemical information from your sweat and monitor the body's reaction after exercise. For example, electronic tattoos with the appearance of "golden barcodes" can monitor the flow of heat energy in the blood through veins to observe the blood vessels' response to temperature changes and thus monitor cardiovascular health.
Figure 5. Non-invasive monitoring of tear wearable biosensor.
Figure 5. Non-invasive monitoring of tear wearable biosensor.
The application progress of biosensing in different fields makes people wonder, what changes will happen to our lives in another ten years? Perhaps in the era of artificial intelligence 2.0, while artificial intelligence is integrated into our world with high intensity and high density, wearable devices and intelligent perception will once again push the research of "bio-sensors" to a new peak. We will really have the considerate artificial intelligence system like in the movie "Her", understand, recognize and serve your needs, and even share our delicate emotional feelings with us!
Introduction to tutor
Ma Rongna, female, doctoral, associate professor, master's supervisor, received her doctoral degree from Nanjing University in 2014. He is mainly engaged in teaching and research related to analytical chemistry , and teaches courses such as " University Chemistry ". The research work is committed to the design of novel new principles and new methods of biosensing and their precise diagnosis of diseases. He presided over and completed 5 fund projects of various types, including the National Natural Science Foundation, and won 1 third prize of science and technology in Shandong Province, 2 first prizes of natural sciences at Liaocheng University, and 2 second prizes of natural sciences at Liaocheng University. More than 30 research papers have been published in well-known domestic and foreign academic journals such as Chinese Science: Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Chemical Communication. Guide graduate students to win the National Scholarship , Shandong Science and Technology Innovation Achievement Award, Liaocheng University Outstanding Master's Thesis, Liaocheng University Outstanding Graduate, etc., and guides many undergraduate students to carry out national-level college student innovation projects research.
Enrollment major: Analytical Chemistry
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