CARRAGEENAN-STABILIZED COLLOIDAL GOLD BIOSENSOR ELECTRODES

A GROWING NEED EXISTS FOR NEW AND IMPROVED SECOND-GENERATIONELECTROCHEMICAL BIOSENSORS CAPABLE OF RELIABLY DETECTING, MONITORING, AND ANALYZING A VARIETY OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL COMPOUNDS IN THE ENVIRONMENT, IN PROCESS STREAMS,AND IN BODY FLUIDS. SUCH SENSORS WOULD FIND EXTENSIVE APPLICATIONS IN THE PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT OF MANY DISEASES; HOWEVER, IN THE UNITED STATES, ELECTROCHEMICAL BIOSENSOR-BASED ANALYZERS HAVE BEEN COMMERCIALIZED FOR ONLY 11 SUBSTANCES. MAJOR PROBLEMS IN CURRENT COMMERCIAL BIOSENSOR DESIGN ARISE FROM INSTABILITY, SLOW RESPONSE, AND LACK OF DIRECT, EFFICIENT ELECTRICAL COUPLING BETWEEN THE ACTIVE BIOMOLECULE AND THE ELECTRONIC DEVICE. THE SUCCESSFUL TECHNOLOGY OF THE ENZYME TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP, INC. IN PREPARING CARRAGEENAN-BASED SUPPORT MATERIALSOFFERS A VIABLE ROUTE TO A NEW BIOSENSOR ELECTRODE MATRIX. IN THIS PROPOSAL, THE GOAL IS FEASIBILITY RESEARCH ON THE PRODUCTION OF A NOVEL CARRAGEENAN-STABILIZED, COLLOIDAL GOLD ELECTRODE THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF SECOND-GENERATION BIOSENSOR DESIGN. THE WORK WILL INVOLVE INVESTIGATION OF THE NEW BIOSENSOR ELECTRODE MATRIX BY PHYSICAL, BIOCHEMICAL,AND ELECTROCHEMICAL MEANS. IF THIS RESEARCH IS SUCCESSFUL, BIOELECTRODES FOR ADVANCED, SECOND-GENERATION BIOSENSORS THAT WILL HAVE GOOD RELIABILITY, FAST RESPONSE, AND DIRECT, EFFICIENT ELECTRICAL COUPLING BETWEEN THE ACTIVE BIOMOLECULEAND THE ELECTRODE WILL BE CREATED. THESE IMPROVED SENSORS CAN BE USED IN THE MEDICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND PROCESS-ENGINEERING FIELDS.