A Pedagogical Introduction to Biomarker Detection in Surface-Based Biosensors

Abstract

The field of biosensors is a burgeoning area of research and employs a large number of chemistry graduates. The impact of strip tests in detecting coronavirus was palpable during the recent COVID-19 pandemic and will further drive the biosensor industry. Despite their common usage, a coherent introduction to the basics of sensing remains missing from the chemistry curriculum. Through this work, key concepts of transport and noise interference in molecular sensing aimed at upper-level coursework are introduced. Exercises including teamwork activities are proposed for teaching and inquiry-based learning. The presented approach was effective in solidifying the concepts of molecular transport and competing binding kinetics. Furthermore, students are introduced to an online database on biomarkers and open-source binding affinity resources. The material can be seamlessly integrated into the existing coursework by expanding discussions on binding kinetics and equilibrium.

Electrochemical Nucleic Acid Biosensor on a Microfluidic Chip to Understand the Coupling between Electrochemistry and Microfluidics

“…There are many reports of biosensing’s teaching discussing extensively their main features such as molecular transport, binding kinetics, miniaturization, selectivity, specificity, and calibration curve . This laboratory experiment uses the example of a DNA biosensor to explain the coupling between electrochemistry and microfluidics through two main electrochemical techniques, CV and EIS.…”