title: Electrochemical biosensors for environmental monitoring.
abstract: Highly sensitive electrochemical biosensors offer precision, sensitivity, rapidity, and ease of operation for on-site environmental analysis. An electrochemical biosensor is an analytical device in which a specific biological recognition element (bioreceptor) is integrated within or intimately associated with an electrode (transducer) that converts the recognition event to a measurable electrical signal for the purpose of detecting a target compound (analyte) in solution. The signal generated allows both qualitative and quantitative measurements of an analyte in real time. In most cases, a miniaturized electrochemical cell contains a low volume of analyte, which is vital when dealing with hazardous materials and makes such devices ideal for environmental monitoring. This approach not only provides the means for on-site analysis but also removes the time delay and sample alteration that can occur during transport to a centralized laboratory. We first address the basic principles of electroanalytical measurement and the merger of electrochemistry and biology into a biosensing system, and then we discuss various environmental monitoring strategies involving this technology.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel-Aviv University, IL-69978 Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rishpon
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants