Novel electrochemical sensor for endotoxin detection

Endotoxin, a component of many bacteria, is highly toxic when injected into humans or animals. Since endotoxin is widespread in the environment, any drug, fluid or device intended to be injected or in close contact with live tissues must be tested to assure that it is LPS-free. Currently, the method most extensively used for endotoxin detection (LAL; Limulus Amebocyte Lysate) is sensitive but lacks simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Therefore, a new sensitive, economical and portable method is necessary. Biosensors allow real time analysis of biological reactions and can be applied to many fields. The microdevice developed in this work was based on the electrochemical detection of LPS via cyclic voltammetry (CV) using polymyxin B (PmB) as a bioreceptor [1, 2].