Biosensors For Environmental Monitoring

During recent years both research activity and the number of reports on biosensor systems applied to environmental analysis have increased significantly. Compounds present in the environment have increasingly been shown to have effects on biological systems such as cells, enzymes, binding proteins, and DNA. In order to deal with the increasing demand for information about possible pollution of the environment there is need for improvements to analytical methods. Thus, biochemistry-based analytical methods should offer the possibility of monitoring these effects. This text provides an overview of existing biosensor principles, commercially available instruments, and related biochemical assays which have been developed and applied to environmental monitoring. Providing the reader with detailed information on methodology and a description of the practical application of selected sensors, this text also includes reports on established chemical methods for comparison. This volume presents fundamental principles together with examples of applications and discussion of drawbacks, and future developments. Of interest to all in the field of environmental analysis and biosensor technology, this text provides a comprehensive treatise on the latest research and developments in the field.

Real-time and reliable detection of molecular compounds and bacteria is essential in modern environmental monitoring. For rapid analyses, biosensing devices combining high selectivity of biomolecular recognition and sensitivity of modern signal-detection technologies offer a promising platform. Biosensors allow rapid on-site detection of pollutants and provide potential for better understanding of the environmental processes, including the fate and transport of contaminants.This book, including 12 chapters from 37 authors, introduces different biosensor-based technologies applied for environmental analyses.

Biosensors offer clear and distinct advantages over standard analytical methods for the direct monitoring of environmental pollutants in the field, such as real-time detection with minimum sample preparation and handling. The present book highlights recent advantages that will be of great value to a range of scientists, researchers and students dealing with analytical and environmental chemistry and biosensor technology. It presents recent trends in analytical methodology for the determination of indoor and outdoor pollutants, advances in DNA, biological and recognition-based sensors, examples of biosensors for use in field and water analysis, biosensors based on non-aqueous systems, and recent advances in the miniaturisation and micromachining of biosensors.

This book discusses recent advances in the use of nucleic acid based biosensors and related bioanalytical assays for environmental monitoring.

This book reflects the current knowledge and trends in the field of biosensors for environmental monitoring. Biosensors combine the power of microelectronics with the selectivity and sensitivity of biological components to detect individual substances or groups of substances in the environment. Biosensors can also be used for recognizing biological effects such as genotoxicity, immunotoxicity and endocrine responses. For this purpose, components of biological origin such as microorganisms, enzymes, receptors or specific nucleic acid sequences are applied for the recognition and combined with a transducer system to provide toxicologic or pharmacologic data within seconds. This approach is expected not only to provide a significant contribution to measurement technology but also a basis for competent political decisions.

Nowadays, the implementation of novel technological platforms in biosensor-based developments is primarily directed to the miniaturization of analytical systems and lowering the limits of detection. Rapid scientific and technological progress enables the application of biosensors for the online detection of minute concentrations of different chemical compounds in a wide selection of matrixes and monitoring extremely low levels of biomarkers even in living organisms and individual cells. This book, including 16 chapters, characterizes the present state of the art and prospective options for micro and nanoscale activities in biosensors construction and applications.

Electrochemical Nano-biosensors: Applications in Diagnostics, Therapeutics, Environment, and Food Management features a critical overview of different, recently reported nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensing and biosensing strategies. It is based on various analytical approaches for the point-of-care or POC healthcare related diagnostics, evaluation of contaminants, additives and adulterants in foods and environment management. Each section under the topic is discussed in its exhaustive detail, incorporating significant literature reviews spanning over two decades. The book critically analyzes issues and challenges for its applications in real world settings, universal applicability in resource limited sets-ups of remote areas, ease of integration with other sensing platforms, portability/miniaturization, and more. Takes account of the fact that nanomaterials are increasingly favored as labels for electrochemical immunoassay protocols for the development of highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensing device Refines biosensors for real-world settings, academicians, healthcare professionals and industrialist who need to team up for the successful realization of POCT/LOCT devices Contains focused and targeted research coupled with other technological advances to help in the development of cutting-edge nanomaterial based electrochemical immunoassays with features of test-strip technology and lateral flow