Research and Development of Third-generation Biosensors

Electrochemical biosensors are devices that detect chemical substances using biological recognition elements and electrodes as signal transducers. Amperometric electrochemical biosensors with redox enzymes have been widely used in applications such as blood glucose monitoring. Among them, the third-generation biosensor is a simple and ideal system consisting only of a direct electron transfer (DET)-type enzyme and an electrode. Since the system does not require a mediator, which is necessary in conventional technologies, it has the advantages of low cost, low risk of side reactions, and high biocompatibility. In this paper, we introduce examples of research and development of DET-type enzymes and third-generation biosensors, and describe their characteristics and future prospects.