Sensors for measurement of biological and chemical parameters

RISE provides expertise within development of sensors and sensor systems for applications such as medical diagnostics, healthcare, biotechnical process industry, food quality, animal care, agriculture, water and environmental monitoring. We have long experience of the whole chain from sample preparation, micro fluidic, surface functionalization to sensor technique, for development of biosensors and chemical sensors.

Specific detection of biological and chemical substances often demands specifically functionalized sensor surfaces, which we have long experience from and competence within, regarding many kinds of surfaces. This means that we have great competence concerning optimised binding of antibodies, aptamers, affibodies and bio-responsive polymers to different surfaces, but also minimization of unspecific binding to the functionalized surface. We also have competence and equipment to study the kinetics of binding.

Some examples of what we have developed sensors/sensor systems for are: detection of pharmaceutical residues in water, pH in rumen of cows, fast and cheap Point-of-care detection of tuberculosis bacteria in sputum specimens from patients, aflatoxin in milk, e-coli in drinking water and bioactive substances from different species in the sea.

We have also competence in putting together fluidic systems where everything from sample collection to results are automated and connected to wireless data transfer. That result might be anything from a value to a simple red light that shines when a set threshold is exceeded. This means that we also have competence to design suitable sample preparation for detection on the sensor.

Some examples of sensing-principles we use are based on electrochemistry such as impedance spectrometry, dynamic magnetic susceptometry, magneto elastic resonance, fluorescence and surface plasmon resonance. We also have long experience of using nano- and microparticles such as gold particles, fluorescent particles (e.g. Quantum Dots), MIP (molecular imprinted polymers) and magnetic particles.