Affinity electrochemical biosensors for pollution control*
M. Mascini**
Dipartimento di Chimica, via G. Capponi, 9; 50121 Firenze,
Italy
Abstract: Disposable, electrochemical DNA-based biosensors have
been exploited for the determination of low-molecular-weight compounds
with affinity for nucleic acids. The application is related to the molecular
interaction between the surface-linked DNA obtained from calf thymus
and the target pollutants or drugs, in order to develop a simple device
for rapid screening of genotoxic or similar compounds. The determination
of such compounds was measured by their effect on the oxidation signal
of the guanine peak of the DNA immobilized on the electrode surface
and investigated by chronopotentiometric or square-wave voltammetric
analysis. The DNA biosensor is able to detect known intercalating and
groove-binding compounds such as daunomycin, polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), aflatoxin B1, and aromatic amines. Applicability to river and
waste water samples is discussed and reported.
* Lectures presented at the 11th European
Conference on Analytical Chemistry (EUROANALYSIS XI), Lisbon, Portugal,
3 —9 September 2000. Other presentations are published in this
issue, pp. 1-54.
**Tel.: 39-055-2757274; Fax: 39-055-2476972; E-mail: [email protected]
