156a Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring

Ashok Mulchandani, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521

Environmental monitoring is of great importance for its protection. Biosensors based on a combination of a biological sensing element and an electronic signal-transducing element that offer high selectivity, high sensitivity, short-response time, portability and low cost, are ideal for monitoring pollutants in aquatic environments, such as rivers or drinking water. In this presentation, I will review our research work on the development of enzyme-, microbial- and antibody–based biosensors for monitoring chemical pollutants such as pesticides and heavy metals and biological pollutants such as toxins, viruses and bacteria.