Human health is closely linked to agrifood products and new emerging technologies have been developed promoting a sustainable agriculture. In this context, biosensor technology is a pioneering frontier in agrifood and environmental control to ensure food quality and safety. The advantages of using biosensors to detect food components and contaminants are mainly related to high sensitivity, rapid detection and portability, short response time, and an easy technical building capacity, including modularity, integration, and automation. For these reasons, biosensors are ideal candidates for improving food diagnostics in terms of quality control, authenticity and traceability, freshness, and presence of contaminants. Moreover, recent advances in nanotechnology and material science, transduction and microfluidic systems, as well as genetic engineering and biomimetics design, are enhancing biosensor potential to reach the market (1). Our research group realized a set of portable and easy-to-use biosensors able to perform -fast and low-cost pre-screening of functional components and contaminants in water/food samples exploiting photosynthetic biorecognition elements (2). In addition, an optical-electrochemical combined transduction system was integrated in a biosensor device employing an array of different biological recognition elements, among microorganisms and enzymes, for the detection of sugars, phenols and pesticides in water and food samples (3). New micro/nanotechnology based materials were also exploited for the design of biosensor arrays for agrifood and environmental control, employing bio-hybrid carbon nanotubes screen printed electrodes (CNTs-SPEs) (4) or gold micro-electrodes arrays (MEAs) (5). Furthermore, our efforts were focused on overcoming principal limitations negatively affecting the photosynthetic biosensors performance due to inadequate stability and sensitivity of the bio-recognition element. By exploiting protein engineering techniques and computational methods, a set of mutants of the photosynthetic green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were selected for their enhanced stability, tolerance to free-radicals-associated stress and competence for herbicide perception (6). In addition, adopting a biomimetic strategy new synthetic peptides with enhanced specificity and stability were designed and realized to detect herbicides (7). Future successful biosensor commitments will be possible through an interdisciplinary approach in order to develop an "embedded system" which integrate high-density platforms, nanotechnology, microfluidics, new sensing molecules, information and communication technology. 1. A. Turner, Biosensors: then and now. Trends in Biotechnology 31 (2013) 119-120. 2. Buonasera, K., et al (2009). New Platform of Biosensors for Prescreening of Pesticide Residues To Support Laboratory Analyses. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58(10), 5982-5990. 3. Scognamiglio V. et al., (2012) Towards an integrated biosensor array for simultaneous and rapid multi-analysis of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Analytica Chimica Acta. 751: 161-70. 4. Husu I., et al. (2013). Insights into photo-electrochemical sensing of herbicides driven by Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 185:321-330 5. Scognamiglio V et al. (2012) A new embedded biosensor platform based on Micro-Electrodes array (MEA) technology. Sensors & Actuators B: Chemical. 176: 275-283. 6. Lambreva M.D. et al.. 2013. A powerful molecular engineering tool provided efficient Chlamydomonas mutants as bio-sensing elements for herbicides detection. PLoSONE 8(4): e61851. 7. Scognamiglio V, et al. (2013) Design and biophysical characterization of atrazine sensing peptides mimicking the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii plastoquinone binding niche. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15, 13108-13115
PROMOTING A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE BY INNOVATIVE BIOSENSORS DEVICES
Buonasera K;Scognamiglio V;Lambreva MD;Antonacci A;Rea G
2014
Abstract
Human health is closely linked to agrifood products and new emerging technologies have been developed promoting a sustainable agriculture. In this context, biosensor technology is a pioneering frontier in agrifood and environmental control to ensure food quality and safety. The advantages of using biosensors to detect food components and contaminants are mainly related to high sensitivity, rapid detection and portability, short response time, and an easy technical building capacity, including modularity, integration, and automation. For these reasons, biosensors are ideal candidates for improving food diagnostics in terms of quality control, authenticity and traceability, freshness, and presence of contaminants. Moreover, recent advances in nanotechnology and material science, transduction and microfluidic systems, as well as genetic engineering and biomimetics design, are enhancing biosensor potential to reach the market (1). Our research group realized a set of portable and easy-to-use biosensors able to perform -fast and low-cost pre-screening of functional components and contaminants in water/food samples exploiting photosynthetic biorecognition elements (2). In addition, an optical-electrochemical combined transduction system was integrated in a biosensor device employing an array of different biological recognition elements, among microorganisms and enzymes, for the detection of sugars, phenols and pesticides in water and food samples (3). New micro/nanotechnology based materials were also exploited for the design of biosensor arrays for agrifood and environmental control, employing bio-hybrid carbon nanotubes screen printed electrodes (CNTs-SPEs) (4) or gold micro-electrodes arrays (MEAs) (5). Furthermore, our efforts were focused on overcoming principal limitations negatively affecting the photosynthetic biosensors performance due to inadequate stability and sensitivity of the bio-recognition element. By exploiting protein engineering techniques and computational methods, a set of mutants of the photosynthetic green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were selected for their enhanced stability, tolerance to free-radicals-associated stress and competence for herbicide perception (6). In addition, adopting a biomimetic strategy new synthetic peptides with enhanced specificity and stability were designed and realized to detect herbicides (7). Future successful biosensor commitments will be possible through an interdisciplinary approach in order to develop an "embedded system" which integrate high-density platforms, nanotechnology, microfluidics, new sensing molecules, information and communication technology. 1. A. Turner, Biosensors: then and now. Trends in Biotechnology 31 (2013) 119-120. 2. Buonasera, K., et al (2009). New Platform of Biosensors for Prescreening of Pesticide Residues To Support Laboratory Analyses. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58(10), 5982-5990. 3. Scognamiglio V. et al., (2012) Towards an integrated biosensor array for simultaneous and rapid multi-analysis of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Analytica Chimica Acta. 751: 161-70. 4. Husu I., et al. (2013). Insights into photo-electrochemical sensing of herbicides driven by Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 185:321-330 5. Scognamiglio V et al. (2012) A new embedded biosensor platform based on Micro-Electrodes array (MEA) technology. Sensors & Actuators B: Chemical. 176: 275-283. 6. Lambreva M.D. et al.. 2013. A powerful molecular engineering tool provided efficient Chlamydomonas mutants as bio-sensing elements for herbicides detection. PLoSONE 8(4): e61851. 7. Scognamiglio V, et al. (2013) Design and biophysical characterization of atrazine sensing peptides mimicking the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii plastoquinone binding niche. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15, 13108-13115I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
