Diffusion of glucose and maltose in polyacrylamide gel

Facile fabrication of shell crosslinked microcapsule by visible light induced graft polymerization for enzyme encapsulation

A strategy to encapsulate enzymes into microcapsule fabricated by visible light-induced graft polymerization using CaCO₃microparticles as template was developed.

Fed-batch operation in special microtiter plates: a new method for screening under production conditions

Batch and fed-batch operation result in completely different physiological conditions for cultivated microorganisms or cells. To close the gap between screening, which is hitherto exclusively performed in batch mode, and fed-batch production processes, a special microtiter plate was developed that allows screening in fed-batch mode. The fed-batch microtiter plate (FB-MTP) enables 44 parallel fed-batch experiments at small scale. A small channel filled with a hydrogel connects a reservoir well with a culture well. The nutrient compound diffuses from the reservoir well through the hydrogel into the culture well. Hence, the feed rate can easily be adjusted to the needs of the cultured microorganisms by changing the geometry of the hydrogel channel and the driving concentration gradient. Any desired compound including liquid nutrients like glycerol can be fed to the culture. In combination with an optical measuring device (BioLector), online monitoring of these 44 fed-batch cultures is possible. Two Escherichia coli strains and a Hansenula polymorpha strain were successfully cultivated in the new FB-MTP. As a positive impact of the fed-batch mode on the used strains, a fourfold increase in product formation was observed for E. coli. For H. polymorpha, the use of fed-batch mode resulted in a strong increase in product formation, whereas no measurable product formation was observed in batch mode. In conclusion, the newly developed fed-batch microtiter plate is a versatile, easy-to-use, disposable system to perform fed-batch cultivations at small scale. Screening cultures in high-throughput under online monitoring are possible similar to cultivations under production conditions.

Biofouling of polymer hydrogel materials and its effect on diffusion and enzyme-based luminescent glucose sensor functional characteristics

BACKGROUND

Continuous glucose monitoring is crucial to developing a successful artificial pancreas. However, biofouling and host response make in vivo sensor performance difficult to predict. We investigated changes in glucose diffusivity and sensor response of optical enzymatic glucose sensors due to biological exposure.

METHOD

Three hydrogel materials, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA), poly(acrylamide) (pAM), and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-co-poly(acrylamide) (p(HEMA-co-AM)), were tested for glucose diffusivity before and after exposure to serum or implantation in rats for 1 month. Luminescent sensors based on these materials were measured to compare the response to glucose before and after serum exposure.

RESULTS

Glucose diffusivity through the pHEMA [(8.1 ± 0.38) × 10(-8) cm(2)/s] slabs was much lower than diffusivity through pAM [(2.7 ± 0.15) × 10(-6) cm(2)/s] and p(HEMA-co-AM) [(2.5 ± 0.08) × 10(-6)]. As expected from these differences, sensor response was highly dependent on material type. The pHEMA sensors had a maximum sensitivity of 2.5%/(mg/dl) and an analytical range of 4.2-356 mg/dl, while the p(HEMA-co-AM) sensors had a higher sensitivity [14.9%/(mg/dl)] and a narrower analytical range (17.6-70.5 mg/dl). After serum exposure, the pHEMA sensors were unaffected, whereas the p(HEMA-co-AM) sensors exhibited significantly decreased sensitivity and increased analytical range.

CONCLUSIONS

Decreases in glucose diffusivity in the polymers resulting from in vitro serum exposure and residence in vivo were shown to be similar, suggesting that serum incubation was a reasonable approximation of in vivo fouling. While biofouling is expected to affect the response of flux-based sensors, we have shown that this depended on the type of sensor and matrix used. Therefore, proper design and materials selection may minimize response alterations occurring upon implantation.

Modelling carbon nanotubes-based mediatorless biosensor

This paper presents a mathematical model of carbon nanotubes-based mediatorless biosensor. The developed model is based on nonlinear non-stationary reaction-diffusion equations. The model involves four layers (compartments): a layer of enzyme solution entrapped on a terylene membrane, a layer of the single walled carbon nanotubes deposited on a perforated membrane, and an outer diffusion layer. The biosensor response and sensitivity are investigated by changing the model parameters with a special emphasis on the mediatorless transfer of the electrons in the layer of the enzyme-loaded carbon nanotubes. The numerical simulation at transient and steady state conditions was carried out using the finite difference technique. The mathematical model and the numerical solution were validated by experimental data. The obtained agreement between the simulation results and the experimental data was admissible at different concentrations of the substrate.

Determination of diffusion coefficients and diffusion characteristics for chlorferon and diethylthiophosphate in Ca-alginate gel beads

Diffusion characteristics of chlorferon and diethylthiophosphate (DETP) in Ca-alginate gel beads were studied to assist in designing and operating bioreactor systems. Diffusion coefficients for chlorferon and DETP in Ca-alginate gel beads determined at conditions suitable for biodegradation studies were 2.70 x 10(-11) m(2)/s and 4.28 x 10(-11) m(2)/s, respectively. Diffusivities of chlorferon and DETP were influenced by several factors, including viscosity of the bulk solution, agitation speed, and the concentrations of diffusing substrate and immobilized cells. Diffusion coefficients increased with increasing agitation speed, probably due to poor mixing at low speed and some attrition of beads at high speeds. Diffusion coefficients also increased with decreasing substrate concentration. Increased cell concentration in the gel beads caused lower diffusivity. Theoretical models to predict diffusivities as a function of cell weight fraction overestimated the effective diffusivities for both chlorferon and DETP, but linear relations between effective diffusivity and cell weight fraction were derived from experimental data. Calcium-alginate gel beads with radii of 1.65-1.70 mm used in this study were not subject to diffusional limitations: external mass transfer resistances were negligible based on Biot number calculations and effectiveness factors indicated that internal mass transfer resistance was negligible. Therefore, the degradation rates of chlorferon and DETP inside Ca-alginate gel beads were reaction-limited.

Direct glucose determination in blood using a reagentless optical biosensor

This paper demonstrates that glucose determination in blood can be done directly (without sample pretreatment) using a reagentless reversible biosensor based on the intrinsic spectroscopic properties of peroxidase (HRP). The biosensor, prepared by HRP and glucose oxidase entrapment in a polyacrylamide gel matrix, works in continuous mode, presents a linear response range from 1.5 x 10(-6) up to 5.5 x 10(-5)M and can be used for at least 750 measurements; in the best conditions (0.1 M pH 6 phosphate buffer, HRP and GOx amounts in the polymersation mixture for the sensor film preparation 0.0165 and 0.0010 g, respectively) the minimum samples rate is 30 h(-1). For glucose determination, blood is simply diluted in water (until haemolysis is completed) and fed into the sensor without a cleaning step between samples; the blood absorption is corrected in a simple way by working at a proper reference wavelength. The biosensor signals have been mathematically modeled in order to facilitate the design of sensors based on the same idea for other biochemical compounds.

A reagentless optical biosensor based on the intrinsic absorption properties of peroxidase

During the reversible reaction between peroxidase (HRP) and H(2)O(2), several peroxidase intermediate species, showing different molecular absorption spectra, are formed which can be used for H(2)O(2) determination; when H(2)O(2) is generated in a previous enzymatic reaction, the substrate involved in this reaction can also be determined. On this basis, a new family of fully reversible reagentless optical biosensors containing HRP is presented; glucose determination is used as a model. The biosensor (which can be used for at least 6 months and/or more than 750 measurements) is prepared by HRP and glucose oxidase entrapment in a polyacrylamide gel matrix. A mathematical model (in which optical, kinetic and transport aspects are considered) relating the measured absorbance with the substrate concentration is also presented together with a simple methodology for characterization of this kind of biosensor. Regarding the optical model, the Kubelka-Mulk theory of reflectance does not give good results and the biosensors are better described by the Rayleigh theory of polymer solutions. Under working conditions, linear response ranges from 1.5x10(-6) to 3.0x10(-4)M glucose and CV was about 4%. This biosensor has been applied for glucose determination in fruit juices and synthetic serum samples without sample pretreatment.