ReviewRecent advances in biosensor techniques for environmental monitoring
Introduction
Monitoring of contaminants in the air, water and soil is an instrumental component in understanding and managing risks to human health and the environment. Given this requirement as well as the time and cost involved in traditional analytical chemical analysis of environmental samples, there is an expanding need for simple, rapid, cost-effective and field portable screening methods. Biosensors and bioanalytical methods appear well suited to complement standard analytical methods for a number of environmental monitoring applications.
The definition for a biosensor is generally accepted in the literature as a self contained integrated device consisting of a biological recognition element (enzyme, antibody, receptor or microorganism) which is interfaced to a chemical sensor (i.e., analytical device) that together reversibly respond in a concentration-dependent manner to a chemical species [1] (Fig. 1).
Although the generally accepted definition of a biosensor requires a direct interface between the biological recognition element and signal transducer, a wide range of bioassay formats including genetically engineered microorganisms that respond in observable ways to target analytes are frequently referred to in the literature as bioreporters or biosensors. Because many of these bioassays show the potential for development as biosensors, these techniques will be included for the purpose of the present discussion.
The use of biosensors for environmental applications has been reviewed in considerable detail [2]. In addition, biosensor technology has been recently reviewed from the perspectives of agricultural monitoring [3], ground water screening [4], ocean monitoring [5] and global environmental monitoring [1]. The intention of this article is to discuss recent advances and trends in the use of biosensors and related bioanalytical assays for environmental monitoring applications. The trends and areas of advancement for various biorecognition elements are summarized in Table 1.
Section snippets
Enzyme-based biosensors
A wide range of biomolecular recognition elements have been used for biosensors for potential environmental applications. These can be organized by structural (e.g., enzyme, antibodies or microorganisms) or functional (e.g., catalytic, affinity or complex cellular functions) characteristics. Enzymes were historically the first molecular recognition elements included in biosensors and continue to be the basis for a significant number of publications reported for biosensors in general as well as
Antibody-based biosensors
Antibody-based biosensors (immunosensors) are inherently more versatile than enzyme-based biosensors in that antibodies have been generated which specifically bind to individual compounds or groups of structurally related compounds with a wide range of affinities. There are, however, several limitations in the use of antibody-based biosensors for environmental monitoring applications. These limitations include the complexity of assay formats and the number of specialized reagents (e.g.,
Cell-based biosensors
Cell-based biosensors for environmental applications can be organized according to cell type. For example, bacteria, yeast, algae and tissue culture cells. Although there are numerous examples of genetic modification to these cell types, genetically engineered bacteria (GEMs) are most often reported in cell-based biosensors [43]. Bacteria have been genetically engineered to construct gene fusions typically composed of a regulatory system (i.e., native promoter) linked to a reporter(s) genes.
DNA biosensors
Due to their wide range of physical, chemical and biological activities, nucleic acids have been incorporated into a wide range of biosensors and bioanalytical assays, many of which show the potential for adaptation to environmental applications. More specifically, as previously mentioned in this review DNA has been used to measure Pb2+ by virtue of its catalytic activity [25], [26]. DNA and PNA have also been used to link immunochemicals to specific locations in DNA chip arrays by means of
Receptor-based biosensors
Receptor-based biosensor systems have the inherent advantage in that any detrimental environmental pollutant that will bind to the receptor at physiologically relevant concentrations can potentially be measured. Thus, these systems can be used to screen for a wide range structurally divers pollutants with a similar mechanism of toxicity.
Recent advances for receptor-based biosensors for environmental applications have focused on the human estrogen receptor-α. Development of these assay systems
Future directions
Biosensors for potential environmental applications continue to show advances in areas such as genetic modification of enzymes and microorganisms, improvement of recognition element immobilization and sensor interfaces, and introduction of improved operational formats and unique environmental applications. The use of genetically modified AChE in biosensors has significantly increased their sensitivity to inhibition by OP pesticides [6], [7], [8]. Furthermore, genetic modification shows the
Acknowledgement
The United States Environmental Protection Agency through its Office of Research and Development has funded and managed the research described here.
References (90)
- et al.
Talanta
(2005) - et al.
Biosyst. Eng.
(2003) - et al.
Trends Anal. Chem.
(2005) - et al.
Trends Biotechnol.
(2005) - et al.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
(2004) - et al.
Anal. Chim. Acta
(2005) - et al.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
(2004) - et al.
Anal. Chim. Acta
(2003) - et al.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
(2004) - et al.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
(2004)
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Anal. Chim. Acta
Biosens. Bioelectron.
Anal. Chim. Acta
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Anal. Biochem.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Biosens. Bioelectron.
Anal. Biochem.
Anal. Chim. Acta
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Anal. Chim. Acta
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Anal. Chim. Acta
J. Microbiol. Methods
Biochem. Bioeng. J.
Anal. Biochem.
Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.
Anal. Biochem.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Anal. Chim. Acta
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Anal. Biochem.
Chemosphere
Soil Biol. Biochem.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Water Res.
Biosens. Bioeletron.
Cited by (240)
Cumulative dose sensing of malathion using a biocatalytic liquid crystal elastomer with chemical memory
2024, Sensors and Actuators B: ChemicalFundamentals of bio-electrochemical sensing
2023, Chemical Engineering Journal AdvancesSimulated sunlight irradiation of cefuroxime axetil: Identification of photoproducts by UPLC-MS/MS and testing their potential ecotoxicity
2023, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry