GrapheneBiosensor SIGNED

Project "GrapheneBiosensor" data sheet

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 Project objective

Episodes of harmful blue algae blooms and the associated algal toxin microcystin-LR (MC-LR) occur frequently in bodies of water worldwide as consequences of eutrophication resulting from anthropogenic activities such as agricultural run-off, urban waste, and manufacturing of detergents and global warming. It had been confirmed that microcystins were responsible for some poisonings of animals and humans where water sources contained toxic cyanobacteria blooms. Microcystins were potent and specific in inhibiting protein phosphatases 1 and 2A (PPl, PP2A). Acute or prolonged exposure to microcystins would cause liver damage, followed by a massive intrahepatic hemorrhage and probably leading to death. In 1998, the provisional guideline concentration limit of 1 μg/L MC-LR in drinking water was assigned by the World Health Organization (WHO). The development of reliable methods for monitoring MC-LR in water resources is of great interest to determine the occurrence and to prevent exposure to the toxin. Several methods have been developed to detect MC-LR, such as high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) , bio-, biochemical- and immune-assays, which require long processing times, sophisticated instruments, complex procedures, or high processing cost and are in general used in the laboratory, not in situ. A sensitive, specific, simple, and rapid method for monitoring MC-LR could help to prevent exposure to the toxin. The unique physical and electrochemical properties (e.g., high electrical conductivity, ease of functionalization, high electrochemically active surface area, and broad range of working potentials in aqueous solutions) of graphene make them a candidate material for developing novel and fit-for-purpose electrochemical biosensors/immunosensors as alternatives to the time-consuming, expensive, non-portable and often skills-demanding conventional methods of analysis involved in water quality assessment.

 Publications