Σχεδίαση βιοαισθητήρων με τεχνοοικονομικά κριτήρια για την εφαρμογή τους στον περιβαλλοντικό έλεγχο υδάτινων οικοσυστημάτων
Techno-economic design requirements for integrating biosensors in environmental monitoring of aquatic ecosystems
Doctoral Thesis
Author
Γεωργόπουλος, Κωνσταντίνος
Georgopoulos, Konstantinos
Date
2021View/ Open
Keywords
Βιοαισθητήρες ; Υδάτινα οικοσυστήματα ; Μοντελοποίηση ; Λιπιδικές μεμβράνες ; Πολυμερισμένες μεμβράνες ; Ηλεκτρόδια νανοδομών ; Ενζυμικοί βιοαισθητήρες ; Βιομηχανική παραγωγή βιοαισθητήρων ; Integrating biosensors ; Aquatic ecosystems ; Environmental monitoringAbstract
The aim of this work was to design and develop biosensors for monitoring aquatic ecosystems with built-in environmental specifications based on techno-economic criteria. The objectives of the work included (i) the design and development of a methodological framework for modelling aquatic ecosystems, with a view to identifying both, critical quality parameters (target analytes) that should be monitored and environmental constraints that should be considered when designing the biosensors, (ii) the design, development, validation and evaluation (by means of computational and physical simulation) of target- and environment-specific field biosensors, and (iii) the study of the technological frame, including the cost and the marketability aspects for these devices.
Modelling of aquatic systems utilised an ontological platform in order to identify critical interactions within the ecosystem at different scales. Biosensors have been developed on a lipid membrane platform coupled to an electrochemical transducer for detecting peroxide, phenols, and nitrates in water and sediment samples (from the zone and/or the benthos). The development of such systems on the basis of their intended use and their evaluation under real environmental conditions and samples has not been reported before in the literature. The replacement of the lipid platform with polymerized membranes and the conversion of the transducer to zink oxide nanowalls or graphene nanosheet electrodes yielded nanosensors with improved analytical characteristics, as indicated with a cholesterol-cholesterol oxidase system.
The up-to-date technological frame of biosensors is also discussed on the basis of technology adsorption and process capability, including the identification of critical barriers to industrial production and competitiveness.