Physical Biosensors

A new field of research at the Department for Integrated Sensor Systems is the development of physical biosensors. These electrochemical sensors incorporate the general components of a biosensor: two closely associated elements, a biological recognition element that interacts with the analyte of interest, and a transducer which further receives and delivers the measured signal.

Physical biosensors, including potentiometry, amperometry, and conductometry, are self-contained integrated devices that are based on the measurement of the current resulting from the oxidation or reduction of an electroactive biological substance. The determination of analytes and their concentrations are essential for a wide range of applications, including environmental monitoring, drug screening, disease diagnosis, treatment and quality control. Since the last century electrochemical biosensors have been widely used to detect analytes and determine their concentrations. The relatively simple setup, the high sensitivity and selectivity as well as the small size and price of these sensor devices make them ideal for research and commercial applications (e.g. Glucose-biosensor).

Furthermore, the usage of screen-printed electrodes combined with a great variety of available electrode modifications for the analyte detection offer many possibilities for environmental monitoring. The research focus at DISS is on the development of voltammetric biosensors for the quantification of specific microorganisms, chemical compounds (e.g. pesticides, herbicides, etc.) as well as hormones in the field of water economics.

Contact: Martin Brandl