Biosensor

A biosensor is a device for the detection of an analyte that combines a biological component with a physicochemical detector component.

What are Biosensors?

The term “biosensor” is short for “biological sensor.” The device is made up of a transducer and a biological element that may be an enzyme, an antibody or a nucleic acid. The bioelement interacts with the analyte being tested and the biological response is converted into an electrical signal by the transducer. Depending on their particular application, biosensors are also known as immunosensors, optrodes, resonant mirrors, chemical canaries, biochips, glucometers and biocomputers.

Biosensor Applications

Biosensor Principles

Biosensors and Food Industry

Surface Attachment of Biological Elements

What are Nanoelectronic Biosensors?

Nanoelectronic Biosensor Applications in Human Diseases

Nanoelectronic Biosensor Development

Latest Biosensor News and Research

Scientists could soon develop saliva test for measuring cannabis levels in impaired drivers

In the U.S., those who consume alcohol and drive are often subjected to roadside stops, breathalyzer tests and stiff penalties if their blood alcohol content exceeds certain limits.

31 Mar 2020

New microfluidic chip can mimic hypoxic conditions after a heart attack

Researchers led by biomedical engineers at Tufts University invented a microfluidic chip containing cardiac cells that is capable of mimicking hypoxic conditions following a heart attack - specifically when an artery is blocked in the heart and then unblocked after treatment.

30 Mar 2020

New device to measure brain pH with increased spatial and temporal accuracy

Although a number of techniques are able to track changes in pH in the brain, precise measurements have not previously been possible. Now, however, researchers in Japan have developed a novel method for examining brain pH that may lead to new information about the role of pH in brain signaling.

7 Mar 2020

Novel 4D printing technology may accelerate development of new therapeutics

Researchers at the Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center, CUNY (CUNY ASRC) and Northwestern University have created a 4D printer capable of constructing patterned surfaces that recreate the complexity of cell surfaces.

6 Mar 2020

New multiplexed electrical biosensor for accurate detection of Alzheimer's disease

A research team at KAIST reported clinically accurate multiplexed electrical biosensor for detecting Alzheimer's disease by measuring its core biomarkers using densely aligned carbon nanotubes.

11 Feb 2020

New wearable patch for remote monitoring of chronic wounds

Graphene Flagship associated member, Grapheal has developed a pioneering wearable patch for the remote monitoring of chronic wounds.

5 Feb 2020

Portable optical biosensor slashes sepsis diagnosis time

Sepsis claims one life every four seconds. It is the primary cause of death in hospitals, and one of the ten leading causes of death worldwide.

23 Jan 2020

New analysis method shows how the brain regulates its signals using glutamate

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and Gothenburg University in Sweden have achieved something long thought almost impossible - counting the molecules of the neurotransmitter glutamate released when a signal is transferred between two brain cells. With a new analysis method, they showed that the brain regulates its signals using glutamate in more ways than previously realised.

21 Jan 2020

Simple, new test can detect dangerous levels of fluoride in drinking water

Northwestern University synthetic biologists developed a simple, inexpensive new test that can detect dangerous levels of fluoride in drinking water.

16 Dec 2019

KAUST researchers develop electronic biosensor powered using glucose in bodily fluids

An electronic biosensor powered using the glucose in bodily fluids has been developed by KAUST researchers. The device pairs an electron-transporting polymer with an enzyme that extracts electrons from its reaction with glucose to drive its circuitry.

16 Dec 2019

Novel nanopipette pH biosensor could help with cancer diagnosis and treatment

Nanopipettes with zwitterionic membranes may offer improved monitoring of changes in pH surrounding living cells, which can indicate traits of invasive cancer cells and their response to treatment, report researchers at Kanazawa University in Nature Communications.

6 Dec 2019

New computational method can help predict and design allosteric functions in proteins

Called the "second secret of life", allostery is one of the most fundamental processes of biology and has been a central focus among scientists across the life sciences spectrum, from fundamental biology to drug development.

3 Dec 2019

New electrochemical CRISPR biosensor can help improve diagnosis of diseases

The CRISPR/Cas technology can do more than alter genes. A research team at the University of Freiburg is using what are known as gene scissors - which scientists can use to edit genetic material - in order to better diagnose diseases such as cancer.

25 Nov 2019

Bio–nano interactions help kill deadly microbes

Nanotechnology has been part of the changing world today. Nanoparticles, for instance, can help make materials lighter and stronger. They have been widely used across several industries, such as computers and medical technology.

11 Nov 2019

CRIPSR could be used to detect disease

CRISPR could be used to establish new diagnostic blood tests by identifying viral nucleic acids, such as Parvo or HPV.

11 Nov 2019

New point-of-care medical device rapidly and accurately detects viruses

The gene-editing tool CRISPR has been heralded as a scientific miracle destined to eradicate diseases from sickle-cell anemia to cancer, or decried as "the genetic scissors that tailor the human gene pool," an ethically risky technology driving us toward a designer babies.

11 Nov 2019

Improved biosensor technology may lead to safe stem cell therapies for treating neurological disorders

A Rutgers-led team has created better biosensor technology that may help lead to safe stem cell therapies for treating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and other neurological disorders.

11 Nov 2019

Study pinpoints new weapon to fight against deadly microbes

Researchers at Monash University have gained insights into how nanoparticles could be used to identify the presence of invasive and sometimes deadly microbes, and deliver targeted treatments more effectively.

10 Nov 2019

Differences between colloidal silver and ionic silver solutions

There are many differences between colloidal silver and ionic silver solutions. Philip Marshall discusses what makes these silver solutions unique.

From Pure Colloids 6 Nov 2019

Pacifier-based biosensor could help diagnose, treat diabetes in infants

Wearable biosensors that non-invasively monitor health and fitness are growing in popularity among adults. But adapting this technology for use with babies is difficult because the devices are often bulky or have rigid surfaces that could harm infants' delicate skin.

23 Oct 2019