Bioelectric recognition assay (BERA)

A novel biosensory method has been developed for the determination of vario us chemical and biological molecules by assessing their electrophysiologica l interactions with a group of cells and cell components immobilized in a g el matrix that preserves their 'physiological' functions. The method was ap plied for the detection of (i) hepatitis C virus in human blood samples; (i i) plant viruses; and (iii) a herbicide (glyphosate) in aqueous solutions. It was able to rapidly (assay time 3-5 min) and specifically detect the mol ecules in question at a concentration lower than 100 pg/ml, among other com pounds f similar structure. The potential use of BERA biosensors for a rapi d and cost-efficient molecule determination without prior knowledge of a sp ecific receptor-molecule interaction is discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scienc e B.V. All rights reserved.