Electrochemical sensor devices to aid understanding of ageing and disease mechanisms

Electrochemical sensors have a wide range of benefits for detection of key biomarkers. Such devices can be made to varying geometries that allows for application in a host of environments and offer exceptional sensitivity. Varying methodologies allow for the scope to monitor an array of key biomarkers associated with stress, ageing and disease in real-time, such as reactive oxygen species. Electrochemical sensors also have the scope to be modified either chemically and biologically to offer enhanced specificity. Such chemical biosensors have been widely used to understand and unravel how key metabolic markers such as glucose and adenosine triphosphate alter in varying disease states. Finally electrochemical sensors are very robust and allow for long-term stable monitoring in complex biological environments. Such devices provide the potential to give insight into how levels of key biomarkers of interest in stress, ageing and disease are altered.

Project timeframes

This project began in 2010 and is ongoing.

 

Project aims

This project aims to develop and apply novel electrochemical sensor devices that can be utilised for the detection of key biological markers associated with stress, ageing and disease.

Project findings and impact

We have developed a novel series of sensor devices that are capable for detection of key biological markers such as serotonin, melatonin, adenosine triphosphate and reactive oxygen species

Following funding from BBSRC, we have developed a reactive oxygen/nitrogen species electrochemical sensor that can be utilised for detection from single cells and supernatants. These sensors were presented to delegates attending the British Society for Research in Ageing conference as a tool they could utilise to enhance the impact of their studies to aid our understanding of the role of free radicals in ageing.

The project is still working to generate and utilise sensors for use to monitoring important biomarkers in other biological areas such as cancer, ageing CNS and bladder dysfunction in order to provide more insight into the mechanisms of these diseases.

STRAND-electrochemical-sensors

Electrochemical sensors utilised for monitoring how neurotransmitters alter during the formation of an isolated neuronal network

Project team

Dr Bhavik Anil Patel

Dr Peter Cragg

Raghuram Reddy Kothur (PhD Student)

Outputs

A. Fagan-Murphy, M. C. Allen and B. A. Patel*, Chemically modified multiwall carbon nanotube composite electrodes: An assessment of fabrication strategies, Electrochimica Acta,  2015, 152, 249 – 254

R. R. Kothur, B. A. Patel and P. J. Cragg Pillar[5]arene-based chemical sensors, Science Letters, 2015, 4:72

A.Fagan-Murphy and B. A. Patel*, Compressed multiwall carbon nanotube composite electrodes provide enhanced electroanalytical performance for determination of serotonin, Electrochimica Acta, 2014, 138, 392 – 399

R. R. Kothar, J. Hall, B. A. Patel, C. L. Leong, M. G. Boutelle, P. G. Cragg, A low pH sensor from an esterified pillar[5]arene, Chem. Comm., 2014, 50, 852 – 854

Fagan-Murphy, R. L. D. Whitby and B. A. Patel*, Buckycolumn electrodes: a practical and improved alternative to conventional materials utilised for biological electrochemical monitoring, J. Mat. Chem. B, 2013,  1(35) 4359 - 4363

B. A. Patel*, C. C. Luk, P. L. Leow, A. J. Lee, W. Zaidi and N. I. Syed, A planar microelectrode array for simultaneous detection of electrically evoked dopamine release from distinct locations of a single isolated neuron, Analyst, 2013, 138(10), 2833 – 2839 (front cover)

L. E. Dube, B. A. Patel, A. Fagan-Murphy, R. R. Kothur and P. J. Cragg Detection of clinically important cations by a pillar[5]arene-modified electrochemical sensor, Chemical Sensors, 2013, 3:18.

A. Fagan-Murphy, F. Watt, K. A. Morgan and B. A. Patel*, Influence of different biological environments on the stability of serotonin detection on carbon-based electrodes, J. Electroanal. Chem., 2012, 684(0), 1-5

E. Bitziou and B. A. Patel*, Simultaneous detection of gastric acid and histamine release to unravel the regulation of acid secretion from the guinea pig stomach, Am. J Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol., 2012, 303(3), G396 – 403.

B. A. Patel*, Electroanalytical approaches to study signalling mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract, Neurogastroenetrol. Motil., 2011, 23(7),  595 – 605

B. A. Patel*, M. Rogers, T. Wieder, D. O’Hare and M. G. Boutelle, ATP microelectrode biosensor for stable long-term in vitro monitoring from gastrointestinal tissue, Biosensors Bioelectron., 2011, 26(6), 2890 – 2896

B. A. Patel, M. Arundell, K. H. Parker, M. S. Yeoman and D. O’Hare, Microelectrode investigation of neuronal ageing from a single identified neurone, PCCP, 2010, 12(34), 10065 - 10072

B. A. Patel* and G. Marcelli, Understanding changes in uptake and release of serotonin from gastrointestinal tissue using a novel electroanalytical approach, Analyst, 2010, 135(9), 2340 - 2347

R. Trouillon, Z. Combs, B.A. Patel and D O’Hare, Electrochemical study of the intracellular transduction of vascular endothelial growth factor induced nitric oxide synthase activity using a multi-channel biocompatible microelectrode array, Biochimica Biophysica Acta, 2010, 1800(9), 929 – 936

Bitziou, D O’Hare and B.A. Patel*, Spatial changes in acid secretion from isolated stomach tissue using a pH-histamine sensing microarray, Analyst, 2010, 135(3), 482 – 487

Partners

Greg M. Swain (Michigan State University)

Martyn G Boutelle (Imperial College London)

Danny O’Hare (Imperial College London)