Biosensors offer clear and distinct advantages over standard analytical methods for the direct monitoring of environmental pollutants in the field, such as real-time detection with minimum sample preparation and handling. The present book highlights recent advantages that will be of great value to a range of scientists, researchers and students dealing with analytical and environmental chemistry and biosensor technology. It presents recent trends in analytical methodology for the determination of indoor and outdoor pollutants, advances in DNA, biological and recognition-based sensors, examples of biosensors for use in field and water analysis, biosensors based on non-aqueous systems, and recent advances in the miniaturisation and micromachining of biosensors.

On May 4-8, 1987, a NATO Advanced Research Workshop on the Analytical Uses of Immobilized Biological Compounds was held in Florence, Italy. The Director of the Workshop was Professor George G. Guilbault of the University of New Orleans, and the Co-Director was Professor Marco Mascini of the University of Florence It vas the purpose of this meeting to assemble scientists from all NATO Countries with an interest in immobilized biological compounds. to discuss - methods of immobilization - properties of immobilized compounds - enzyme electrodes and biosensors - optical devices utilizing immobilized enzymes - microbial sensors and clinical uses of immobilized enzymes - flow injection analysis using enzymes - immobilized biological compounds in chemical defense detection - pharmaceutical analysis - uses in industrial analysis - enzyme reactors - air pollution detectors - immunosensors - medical uses and applications - solid state and FET sensors Goals to be achieved by the conference were - to permit an exchange of views and experience in all these areas - to review and critically assess the state-of-the-art in these fields - to set guidelines for future research and establish collaborative projects between scientists in NATO laboratories in the above areas. Thirty-seven lectures were given by 36 speakers in all of the above areas.

In Uses of Immobilized Biological Compounds the reader will find a comprehensive survey of the field written by acknowledged experts who met in Brixen, Italy, between May 9 and 14, 1993 for a NATO Advanced Research Workshop devoted to the topic. The resulting volume presents a critical review of the latest results in the area and sets guidelines for future research. The 53 reports presented here cover: (A) General Aspects of Immobilizing Biological Compounds; (B) Medical, Clinical and Pharmaceutical Applications; (e Electrochemical Biosensors; (E) Defense Applications; (F) Immunosensors and Receptors; (G) Food, Environmental, Clinical and Analytical Applications; and (H) Biotechnology and Marketing. In short, all aspects of the area are presented, in a compact format which will appeal to undergraduates, technicians, and professional scientists in the food, clinical, environmental, pharmaceutical and industrial fields.

In recent years, sensor research has undergone a quiet revolution that will have a significant impact on a broad range of applications in areas such as health care, the environment, energy, food safety, national security, and manufacturing. Sensors for Chemical and Biological Applications discusses in detail the potential of chemical and biological sensors and examines how they are meeting the challenges of chem-bio terrorism by monitoring through enhanced specificity, fast response times, and the ability to determine multiple hazardous substances. Exploring the nanotechnology approach, and carrying this theme throughout the book, the chapters cover the sensing principles for, chemical, electrical, chromatographic, magnetic, biological, fluidic, optical, and ultrasonic and mass sensing systems. They address issues associated with cost, synthesis, and testing of new low cost materials with high sensitivity, selectivity, robustness, and speed for defined sensor applications. The book extensively discusses the detailed analysis of future impact of chemical and biological sensors in day-to-day life. Successful development of improved chemical sensor and biosensor systems and manufacturing procedures will not only increase the breadth and depth of the sensor industry, but will spill over into the design and manufacture of other types of sensors and devices that use nanofabrication and microfabrication techniques. This reference not only supplies versatile, hands-on tools useful in a broad array of disciplines, but also lays the interdisciplinary groundwork required for the achievement of sentient processing.

In Uses of Immobilized Biological Compounds the reader will find a comprehensive survey of the field written by acknowledged experts who met in Brixen, Italy, between May 9 and 14, 1993 for a NATO Advanced Research Workshop devoted to the topic. The resulting volume presents a critical review of the latest results in the area and sets guidelines for future research. The 53 reports presented here cover: (A) General Aspects of Immobilizing Biological Compounds; (B) Medical, Clinical and Pharmaceutical Applications; (C) Electrochemical Biosensors; (E) Defense Applications; (F) Immunosensors and Receptors; (G) Food, Environmental, Clinical and Analytical Applications; and (H) Biotechnology and Marketing. In short, all aspects of the area are presented, in a compact format which will appeal to undergraduates, technicians, and professional scientists in the food, clinical, environmental, pharmaceutical and industrial fields.

On May 4-8, 1987, a NATO Advanced Research Workshop on the Analytical Uses of Immobilized Biological Compounds was held in Florence, Italy. The Director of the Workshop was Professor George G. Guilbault of the University of New Orleans, and the Co-Director was Professor Marco Mascini of the University of Florence It vas the purpose of this meeting to assemble scientists from all NATO Countries with an interest in immobilized biological compounds. to discuss - methods of immobilization - properties of immobilized compounds - enzyme electrodes and biosensors - optical devices utilizing immobilized enzymes - microbial sensors and clinical uses of immobilized enzymes - flow injection analysis using enzymes - immobilized biological compounds in chemical defense detection - pharmaceutical analysis - uses in industrial analysis - enzyme reactors - air pollution detectors - immunosensors - medical uses and applications - solid state and FET sensors Goals to be achieved by the conference were - to permit an exchange of views and experience in all these areas - to review and critically assess the state-of-the-art in these fields - to set guidelines for future research and establish collaborative projects between scientists in NATO laboratories in the above areas. Thirty-seven lectures were given by 36 speakers in all of the above areas.

Biosensors offer clear and distinct advantages over standard analytical methods for the direct monitoring of environmental pollutants in the field, such as real-time detection with minimum sample preparation and handling. The present book highlights recent advantages that will be of great value to a range of scientists, researchers and students dealing with analytical and environmental chemistry and biosensor technology. It presents recent trends in analytical methodology for the determination of indoor and outdoor pollutants, advances in DNA, biological and recognition-based sensors, examples of biosensors for use in field and water analysis, biosensors based on non-aqueous systems, and recent advances in the miniaturisation and micromachining of biosensors.

Nucleic acids are the fundamental building blocks of life and are found in all living things. In recent years, their functions have been shown to extend beyond the Watson-Crick base pair recognition of complementary strands. Molecules (known as aptamers) consisting of 40-50 nucleotides have been isolated that are able to bind a broad range of molecules with high affinity and specificity. The molecules recognized by aptamers range from small organic molecules to proteins, cells and even intact viral particles. Catalytic DNA molecules called NAzymes (RNAzyme or DNAzyme) have also been shown to exist and, when combined with aptamers, are known as aptazymes. These biomolecules can be used to develop smart and innovative biosensors for environmental analysis. Monitoring of contaminants in the air, water and soil is a key component in understanding and managing risks to human health and ecosystems. This, in conjunction with the time and cost involved in traditional chemical analysis, means there is a growing need for simple, rapid, cost-effective and portable screening methods. Biosensors are compact devices which complement current field screening and monitoring methods. This book demonstrates the incredible opportunities that nucleic acids can offer to environmental analytical chemistry. The chapters: show how nucleic acids have a pivotal role in the development of smart biosensors for environmental monitoring; describe the development of biosensors based on aptamers and NAzymes for the detection of organic and inorganic pollutants; deal with the use of nucleic acid based biosensors for environmental toxicity screening, and detail the use of nanomaterials, as well as miniaturization and lab-on-a-chip technologies, for nucleic acid based biosensing systems.

In recent years, sensor research has undergone a quiet revolution that will have a significant impact on a broad range of applications in areas such as health care, the environment, energy, food safety, national security, and manufacturing. Sensors for Chemical and Biological Applications discusses in detail the potential of chemical and biological sensors and examines how they are meeting the challenges of chem-bio terrorism by monitoring through enhanced specificity, fast response times, and the ability to determine multiple hazardous substances. Exploring the nanotechnology approach, and carrying this theme throughout the book, the chapters cover the sensing principles for, chemical, electrical, chromatographic, magnetic, biological, fluidic, optical, and ultrasonic and mass sensing systems. They address issues associated with cost, synthesis, and testing of new low cost materials with high sensitivity, selectivity, robustness, and speed for defined sensor applications. The book extensively discusses the detailed analysis of future impact of chemical and biological sensors in day-to-day life. Successful development of improved chemical sensor and biosensor systems and manufacturing procedures will not only increase the breadth and depth of the sensor industry, but will spill over into the design and manufacture of other types of sensors and devices that use nanofabrication and microfabrication techniques. This reference not only supplies versatile, hands-on tools useful in a broad array of disciplines, but also lays the interdisciplinary groundwork required for the achievement of sentient processing.