BIOSENSORS - FUNDAMENTALS, APPLICATIONS AND TRENDS

Enzyme electrodes and optical immunosensors are at the leading edge of the biosensor field. The sensitivity of multienzyme electrodes is shifted to the subnanomolar concentration range. With monoenzyme sensors, several thousand samples per hour are measurable. Direct as well as enzyme-labelled immunosensors nowadays reach the sensitivity of immunoassays. The effect of non-specific binding is the biggest challenge for further improvement. Using multi-enzyme systems or intact cells, biologically related parameters, e.g., taste, odour, fatigue substances, mutagenicity, allergenicity and biological oxygen demand are quantifiable. Further progress is expected by applying tailor-made enzymes, antibodies and neuronal networks.