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Review: advances in electrochemical genosensors-based methods for monitoring blooms of toxic algae

  • Molecular tools for monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms
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Abstract

Harmful algal blooms (HABs), which have expanded worldwide in their occurrence and frequency, are a serious menace to aquatic ecosystems and humans. The development of rapid, accurate and cost-effective detection systems for toxic algal monitoring in aquatic environments is urgently required. Although many efforts have been devoted to develop reliable tools to monitor the entire spectrum of existing toxic algae, a portable semi-automated system that enables HAB monitoring at a low cost is still not available for general purchase. This work reviews the challenges and opportunities in translating the remarkable progress of electrochemical genosensors-based methods towards practical in situ HAB monitoring applications. It is specifically focused on reviewing the optimised methods for a detection system based on a sandwich hybridisation assay (SHA) performed over transducer platforms of different materials, geometries and dimensions and presenting the diverse advantages and disadvantages among them. Probe design and specificity and optimisation of the genosensor in terms of hybridisation conditions and electrochemical signal are discussed as well as their long-term stability and storage and semi-automation attempts. With continuous innovation and attention to key challenges, we expect semi-automatic devices containing DNA-based electrochemical biosensors to have an important impact upon monitoring of serious HAB events.

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Acknowledgements

J.O. is supported by a Beatriu de Pinós Postdoctoral Fellowship from The Government of Catalonia. This work was partially supported by EU FP7 MIDTAL and BMBF TEPS. Martin Lange performed the RNA biosensor hybridisation within the context of the latter project. Figure 3 was taken from the final report of BMBF TEPS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nanoengineering, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA

    Jahir Orozco

  2. Marine Biological Association of the UK, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK

    Linda K. Medlin

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  1. Jahir Orozco
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  2. Linda K. Medlin
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Correspondence to Jahir Orozco.

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Orozco, J., Medlin, L.K. Review: advances in electrochemical genosensors-based methods for monitoring blooms of toxic algae. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 6838–6850 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1258-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1258-5

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