General and specific objectives of the project

General objectives:

• The production of integrated biosensors with electric detection in the ng/L domain organophosphorus insecticide from food-staff and water, involving micro technology on silicon and microbiology related techniques available at the level of the consortium;
• The development of analysis methodologies that are highly accurate, sensitive, rapid, feasible and that are capable of detecting contaminants in food products and water;
• The production of biosensors integrated for the fast detection of toxins, that would allow the obtainment of ecological food and agricultural products that are necessary in guarding against diseases and the general health of the population;
• The rise in the competitiveness of research-development by accumulating new knowledge at an European level, with the aim of implementing new technologies and products that would contribute to solving complex issues in the field of food safety and security;
• The rise in the analytic performance of the biosensors put forward for production in the BIOMICROTECH project in order to detect organophosphorus pesticides, to gain commercial value and to be implemented on the market by economic agents, with the aim of increasing food safety and protecting the environment.

Specific objectives:

• The development of the technology to produce biosensors on semiconductor substrate (silicon);
• The development of new methods to deposit biological material on semiconductor material coupled with the functionalization of the surface for adherence;
• The development of methodologies to immobilize cholinesterase enzymes on functionalised silicon substrate and deposited biopolymer (bovine serum albumin or chitosane);
• The integration of the processing and characterization techniques related to the sensor’s substrate, the micro fluidic device and of the biological material;
• Methods for the analysis of the fast detection of organophosphorus insecticides, with increased sensitivity and specificity;
• The production of biosensors that are able to detect organophosphorus insecticides through electrical measurements;
• The development of devices capable of rapidly detecting organophosphorus compounds on silicon substrate and comparing the results from the point of view of the sensitivity and reproducible with the most commonly used analytical methods that are sensitive in order to detect organophosphorus compounds in food and water;

The prospective study and evaluation to produce a sensor based on cholinesterase enzyme for the detection of the botulinum toxin.