Biosensor Technology

Aim

The course will give insights into the complexities involved in combining biological materials such as enzymes, antibodies and DNA with optical, electrochemical and other transducers to provide practical and easy-to-use systems. In order to integrate this knowledge and to introduce the importance of intellectual property protection, students will participate in practical classes and a group project on patent litigation at the end of the course. The overall purpose of the course is to give the student a thorough understanding of the fundamentals and applications of biosensor technology together with an appreciation of its current and future impact on society. Following the course, the student should be able to:

• design and construct a simple biosensor,
• use biosensors in the laboratory
• explain how biosensors are constructed and manufactured
• show how biosensors can be used to solve real analytical problems
• reflect on the patenting and commercialisation of a biosensor

Content

This course will provide a concise overview of biosensor technology and its application in healthcare, food safety, environmental monitoring and security. The lectures and practical exercises will focus on the construction, design and manufacture of biosensors, the principal and emerging materials and components used and three case studies of key devices. Lectures and a group project will examine some pivotal biosensor patents and an example of patent litigation. The course will conclude with a consideration of commercialisation routes, ethical issues and future perspectives. Practical exercises will focus on enzyme electrodes, bioaffinity monitoring using two examples including the BIAcore and a site visit to see the printing facilities for biosensor production in Norrköping. The group project will study a patent litigation case and will culminate in a mock court battle. The course will cover, an introduction to biosensors, applications of biosensors, transducers and sensor systems, bioreceptors and their immobilisation, synthetic receptors and nanomaterials for biosensors, design parameters for catalytic biosensors, design of affinity biosensors, microfluidics and arrays, glucose biosensors for diabetes, surface plasmon resonance for bioaffinity monitoring, electronic noses and tongues, patenting and litigation in the field of biosensors, commercialising biosensors, ethics and future prospects.