Biosensor: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 03:01, 11 December 2024

An overview of biosensor technology and its applications in medical diagnostics.

A biosensor is an analytical device that combines a biological component with a physicochemical detector to measure the presence or concentration of chemicals, biological molecules, or pathogens. Biosensors are widely used in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, food safety, and biotechnology.

Components of a Biosensor[edit]

A typical biosensor consists of three main components:

Bioreceptor: This is the biological element that interacts with the analyte. It can be enzymes, antibodies, nucleic acids, or cells.
Transducer: This component converts the biological response into an electrical signal. Common types of transducers include electrochemical, optical, and piezoelectric.
Signal Processor: This processes the signal from the transducer and displays it in a user-friendly format.

Types of Biosensors[edit]

Biosensors can be classified based on the type of bioreceptor or the type of transducer used:

Enzyme-based biosensors: These use enzymes as the bioreceptor and are often used for glucose monitoring in diabetes management.
Immunosensors: These use antibodies as the bioreceptor and are used in detecting pathogens and toxins.
DNA biosensors: These use nucleic acids as the bioreceptor and are used in genetic testing and forensic applications.
Cell-based biosensors: These use whole cells as the bioreceptor and are used in drug screening and environmental monitoring.

Applications of Biosensors[edit]

Biosensors have a wide range of applications, including:

Medical Diagnostics: Biosensors are used for glucose monitoring, infectious disease detection, and cancer biomarker detection.
Environmental Monitoring: They are used to detect pollutants and toxins in water and air.
Food Safety: Biosensors are used to detect pathogens and contaminants in food products.
Biotechnology: They are used in the development of new drugs and therapies.

Advantages of Biosensors[edit]

Biosensors offer several advantages, such as:

High specificity and sensitivity due to the use of biological recognition elements.
Rapid and real-time analysis.
Potential for miniaturization and portability.
Ability to perform multiplexed assays.

Challenges and Future Directions[edit]

Despite their advantages, biosensors face challenges such as stability, reproducibility, and cost. Future research is focused on improving these aspects and developing new types of biosensors with enhanced capabilities.

Also see[edit]

Template:Biosensors

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Biosensors_used_for_screening_combinatorial_DNA_libraries.svg|Biosensors used for screening combinatorial DNA libraries|thumb]] [[File:Sensing_negatively_charged_exosomes_bound_a_graphene_surface.svg|Sensing negatively charged exosomes bound a graphene surface|thumb|left]] [[File:Biosensors_based_on_biotransducers.png|Biosensors based on biotransducers|thumb|left]] [[File:wiki_ics-a.jpg|wiki ics-a|thumb]] [[File:wiki_ics-b.jpg|wiki ics-b|thumb]] '''Biosensors''' are analytical devices used to detect biological molecules. They combine a biological component with a physicochemical detector component. Essentially, a biosensor converts a biological response into an electrical signal. The biological element, such as tissue, microorganisms, organelles, cell receptors, enzymes, antibodies, or nucleic acids, interacts with the analyte being tested. This interaction is then quantified and converted by the transducer into a measurable signal proportional to the concentration of the substance. Biosensors are widely used in various fields including medical diagnostics, food safety, environmental monitoring, and biotechnology.
+{{Short description|An overview of biosensor technology and its applications in medical diagnostics.}}
+[[File:Biosensors used for screening combinatorial DNA libraries.svg|thumb|Biosensors used for screening combinatorial DNA libraries.]]
+[[File:Sensing negatively charged exosomes bound a graphene surface.svg|thumb|Sensing negatively charged exosomes bound to a graphene surface.]]
+[[File:Biosensors based on biotransducers.png|thumb|Biosensors based on biotransducers.]]
+[[File:wiki ics-a.jpg|thumb|Example of a biosensor device.]]
+A '''biosensor''' is an analytical device that combines a biological component with a physicochemical detector to measure the presence or concentration of chemicals, biological molecules, or pathogens. Biosensors are widely used in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, food safety, and biotechnology.
 ==Components of a Biosensor==
-A biosensor consists of three main components:
+A typical biosensor consists of three main components:
-# '''Bioreceptor''': The bioreceptor is the element that recognizes the target analyte. The nature of the bioreceptor determines the biosensor's specificity. Common bioreceptors include enzymes, antibodies, nucleic acids, and cells.
-# '''Transducer''': The transducer converts the physical or chemical change resulting from the interaction between the analyte and bioreceptor into a measurable signal. Transducers can be optical, electrochemical, thermometric, or piezoelectric.
+* '''Bioreceptor''': This is the biological element that interacts with the analyte. It can be enzymes, antibodies, nucleic acids, or cells.
-# '''Signal Processor''': This component processes the signal from the transducer and prepares it for display. It includes amplifiers, filters, and converters.
+* '''Transducer''': This component converts the biological response into an electrical signal. Common types of transducers include electrochemical, optical, and piezoelectric.
+* '''Signal Processor''': This processes the signal from the transducer and displays it in a user-friendly format.
 ==Types of Biosensors==
-Biosensors can be classified based on their bioreceptor type or the transduction principle used. Major types include:
+Biosensors can be classified based on the type of bioreceptor or the type of transducer used:
-* '''Enzyme-based Biosensors''': Utilize enzymes as bioreceptors and are highly specific for the substrate they act upon.
-* '''Immunosensors''': Employ antibodies as the bioreceptor and are used for detecting antigens or pathogens.
+* '''Enzyme-based biosensors''': These use enzymes as the bioreceptor and are often used for glucose monitoring in diabetes management.
-* '''DNA Biosensors''': Use nucleic acid interactions to detect specific DNA or RNA sequences. They are useful in genetic testing and forensic analysis.
+* '''Immunosensors''': These use antibodies as the bioreceptor and are used in detecting pathogens and toxins.
-* '''Cell-based Biosensors''': Incorporate living cells to detect the presence of toxic substances or to monitor environmental changes.
+* '''DNA biosensors''': These use nucleic acids as the bioreceptor and are used in genetic testing and forensic applications.
+* '''Cell-based biosensors''': These use whole cells as the bioreceptor and are used in drug screening and environmental monitoring.
 ==Applications of Biosensors==
-Biosensors have a wide range of applications across various industries:
+Biosensors have a wide range of applications, including:
-* '''Medical Diagnostics''': Used for the detection of diseases and pathogens, monitoring of glucose levels in diabetes, and drug discovery.
-* '''Food Safety''': Detection of pathogens, toxins, and contaminants in food products.
-* '''Environmental Monitoring''': Monitoring pollutants, toxins, and other hazardous substances in the environment.
-* '''Biotechnology''': Used in the process monitoring of biotechnological processes.
-==Advantages and Limitations==
+* '''Medical Diagnostics''': Biosensors are used for glucose monitoring, infectious disease detection, and cancer biomarker detection.
-'''Advantages''':
+* '''Environmental Monitoring''': They are used to detect pollutants and toxins in water and air.
-* High specificity and sensitivity.
+* '''Food Safety''': Biosensors are used to detect pathogens and contaminants in food products.
+* '''Biotechnology''': They are used in the development of new drugs and therapies.
+==Advantages of Biosensors==
+Biosensors offer several advantages, such as:
+* High specificity and sensitivity due to the use of biological recognition elements.
 * Rapid and real-time analysis.
 * Potential for miniaturization and portability.
+* Ability to perform multiplexed assays.
+==Challenges and Future Directions==
+Despite their advantages, biosensors face challenges such as stability, reproducibility, and cost. Future research is focused on improving these aspects and developing new types of biosensors with enhanced capabilities.
-'''Limitations''':
+==Also see==
-* May require frequent calibration.
+* [[Bioreceptor]]
-* Potential for bioelement degradation over time, leading to reduced sensitivity.
+* [[Transducer]]
-* The need for a suitable environment to maintain the stability of the biological element.
+* [[Medical diagnostics]]
+* [[Environmental monitoring]]
+* [[Food safety]]
-==Future Directions==
+{{Biosensors}}
-The future of biosensors lies in the development of more robust, sensitive, and versatile devices. Advances in nanotechnology, materials science, and biotechnology are expected to drive the creation of next-generation biosensors with enhanced capabilities. The integration of biosensors with digital technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) is also anticipated to expand their applications, particularly in personalized medicine and environmental monitoring.
+{{Medical technology}}
-[[Category:Biotechnology]]
+[[Category:Biosensors]]
+[[Category:Medical technology]]
 [[Category:Analytical chemistry]]
-[[Category:Medical devices]]
-{{stub}}