ELECTROCHEMICAL ENZYME IMMUNOASSY FOR DETECTION OF TOXINS

THERE IS A NEED FOR SENSORS THAT PROVIDE DIRECT, REAL-TIME MEASUREMENT OF TOXINS TO SOLVE MAJOR PROBLEMS IN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND SAFETY. WE PROPOSE TO EVALUATE AND DEVELOP A NEW BIOSENSOR DESIGN THAT COMBINES ADVANTAGES OF IMMUNOASSAY WITH ELECTROCHEMICAL RESPONSE. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE PHASE I WORK IS TO PROVE THE PRINCIPLE OF ELECTROCHEMICAL ENZYME IMMUNOSENSORS TO DETECT SMALL MOLECULES IN BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES. THE PROPOSED BIOSENSOR CONSISTS OF THREE MAJOR ELEMENTS: AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING LAYER HAVING IMMOBILIZED ENZYME; A GEL LAYER CONTAINING POLYCLONAL OR MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY AND OTHER NECESSARY REAGENTS; AND THE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS USED IN THE READOUT OF THE SIGNAL. THE EXPECTED RESULTS OF THIS WORK ARE AN AMPEROMETRIC ENZYME IMMUNOELECTRODE FOR IMMUNOASSAYS OF SMALL CHEMICAL MOLECULES, BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF COUPLING THE IMMUNOCHEMICAL REACTION TO THE ELECTRODE RESPONSE BY USING A SOLUBLE ELECTROCHEMICALLY ACTIVE MEDIATOR. THE THREE RESEARCHERS SUBMITTING THIS PROPOSAL HAVE COLLABORATED SUCCESSFULLY TO DEVELOP PROTOTYPE ENZYME-BASED BIOSENSOR TECHNOLOGY WHICH WILL BE A CRUCIAL COMPONENT FOR THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DESCRIBED IN THIS PROPOSAL. PRACTICAL ELECTROCHEMICAL SENSORS THAT EMPLOY IMMUNOCHEMICAL DETECTION WILL HAVE BROAD COMMERCIAL VIABILITY FOR APPLICATIONS IN THE FIELDS OF CLINICAL CHEMISTRY, VETERINARY MEDICINE, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING.