Calorimetric Biosensors

Calorimetric biosensors are one kind of biosensor that use heat produced or absorbed during a biological reaction to detect analytes. A bioreceptor, such as an enzyme or an antibody, is usually mounted on a thermally sensitive transducer, such as a microcalorimeter or a thermistor, in these biosensors. A heat change that results from the bioreceptor attaching to the target analyte is detected by the transducer and transformed into an electrical signal. High sensitivity, selectivity, and the capacity to identify both small compounds and macromolecules are just a few benefits of calorimetric biosensors.

There are several types of calorimetric biosensors, including: -

Isothermal calorimetry: Isothermal calorimetry measures the heat produced or absorbed during a biological reaction while the environment is isothermal. It is used to evaluate the binding affinity and stoichiometry of biomolecular interactions as well as the thermodynamics and kinetics of biological reactions.

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC): As the temperature of a sample and a reference material changes, the amount of heat needed to maintain each temperature is measured. Proteins and other macromolecules' heat stability and structural changes are examined using this method.

Microcalorimetry: Microcalorimetry is the measurement of heat created or absorbed by small samples, often on the scale of microliters. This approach is utilized for studying cell metabolism, as well as the activity and stability of enzymes and other proteins.

Calorimetric biosensors can be used for a variety of purposes, including drug discovery, food analysis, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnostics. They are especially effective in applications requiring great sensitivity and selectivity, such as biomarker identification for illness diagnosis and monitoring. The fundamental drawback of calorimetric biosensors, however, is their high cost and complexity, which limits their application in field and point-of-care settings.