Sensors for healthcare monitoring - Proteins, viruses and blood-group-typing

Abstract

Molecular imprinting strategies could successfully be applied to bioanalytes of different dimensions, ranging from proteins, as insulin, to picornaviruses, Human-Rhino- Virus (HRV) or Foot-Mouth-Disease-Virus (FMDV) to cells, e.g. yeast-cells or even highly flexible erythrocytes. Blood cell surface patterning of pre-polymers could be achieved via coatings with selective recognition properties. Polymer layers coupled with mass-sensitive quartz crystal micro balances (QCMs) lead to a selective sensor system concerning blood group typing. Thus, blood groups A1, A2 and B can be distinguished by the imprinted layers acting as synthetic antibodies. Further development of synthetic receptor sites were realized by generating plastic replica of immunoglobulin-Y (IgY), resulting in an antibody-like structure integrated on the polymer surface. For this purpose nano-particles from polymers were imprinted with natural immunoglobulin. After removing the template these patterned particles were pressed in a prepolymer resulting in a synthetic receptor having antibody properties. The sensitivity to the allergen sesame protein was even higher than to the natural analogue. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.