Carbohydrate recognition: a nascent technology for the detection of bioanalytes

Detection, identification and characterisation of biological material, for example micro-organisms, toxins and viruses, occupy an important position in industrial, medical and environmental analysis. Bioanalytes may be investigated by one of numerous analytical techniques available, however, the recognition principle often utilises either antibodies, an alternative protein recognition principle, or nucleic acid probes. Common techniques include ELISA, surface plasmon resonance and other evanescent wave detectors, flow cytometry, immunofluoresence microscopy, and PCR-based assays. Even though antibodies are the most successfully employed recognition component for identifying bioanalytes, they have a number of intrinsic negative aspects to their application. Up until now however, a suitable alternative has not been identified. Carbohydrate recognition is a mechanism by which a high proportion of biological molecules first come into contact with each other in the process of cellular adhesion. This article will discuss the possibility of using this principle as a biosensor recognition element, and will review the current situation. Crown Copyright (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.