ADVANCED BIOSENSORS FOR ANALYTICAL CHEMICAL MEASUREMENTS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP IMPROVED AMPEROMETRIC BIOSENSORS BASED ON NEW POLYMERIC ELECTRON RELAY SYSTEMS THAT CAN ELECTROCATALYTICALLY REOXIDIZE THE NICOTINAMIDE ADENINE DINUCLEOTIDE (NAD) COFACTOR. THE NAD-DEPENDENT DEHYDROGENASES CONSTITUTE THE LARGEST GROUP OF REDOX ENZYMES KNOWN TODAY. BY USING THIS METHOD OF FACILITATING ELECTRON TRANSFER FROM THE ENZYME TO THE ELECTRODE, IT IS POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP AMPEROMETRIC BIOSENSORS FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF CLINICALLY AND INDUSTRIALLYIMPORTANT MOLECULES. THESE SENSORS SHOULD BE HIGHLY STABLE IN BOTH CONTINUOUS OPERATION AND MULTIPLE-USE APPLICATIONS. THE PHASE I WORK FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING ELECTRODES TO DETECT GLUCOSE AND ETHANOL, BASED ON THE ENZYMES GLUCOSE DEHYDROGENASE AND ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE, RESPECTIVELY; THE PHASE II WORK WILL INCORPORATE OTHER NAD-DEPENDENT ENZYMES INTO THE SENSORS. THESE BIOSENSORS HAVE WIDESPREAD TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS IN AREAS SUCH AS THE CLINICAL LABORATORY, VETERINARY HEALTH CARE, AND THE FOOD INDUSTRY.