Comparison between a LAPS and an FET-based sensor for cell-metabolism detection

Several silicon-based biosensors have been developed for various applications, such as enzymatic and immunological activity determination and cell-metabolism detection. This work describes an electrochemical characterization of ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) and light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) transducers and a test of such devices as detectors of 3T6 (Swiss albino mouse embryo, fibroblasts) metabolism. In particular, our investigation is devoted to some fundamental parameters of these transducers (e.g., pH sensitivity, drift, temperature dependence of the output signal, speed of response) for the purpose of comparing their performance related to cell-metabolism evaluation. The final goal is therefore to analyze the capabilities of these silicon-based transducers for use in a biosensing system for cell-metabolism detection.