Enzyme nanoparticles and their biosensing applications: A review

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
• Biocatalysis and Biosensing

Background:

• Enzymes are efficient biocatalysts but prone to degradation, limiting their direct application.
• Enzyme nanoparticles (ENPs) overcome these limitations by providing enhanced stability and unique properties.
• ENPs are nano-scale enzyme aggregates (10-100 nm) with improved surface-to-volume ratios and functionalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the preparation methods of enzyme nanoparticles (ENPs).
• To discuss the characterization techniques employed for ENPs.
• To highlight the application of ENPs in the development of advanced biosensors.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of ENPs using techniques such as TEM, FTIR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, AFM, SEM, and EIS.
• Synthesis of ENPs to enhance enzyme stability and performance.
• Development and optimization of ENPs-based biosensors.

Main Results:

• ENPs exhibit superior optical, thermal, and chemical properties compared to native enzymes.
• ENPs-based biosensors demonstrate optimal performance within specific pH (5.0-6.0) and temperature (3.5-45°C) ranges, with rapid response times (2-300s).
• These biosensors offer a wide linear range (0.0001-100000 μM) and low detection limits (0.0002-550 μM), with reusability up to 200 times over 240 days.

Conclusions:

• ENPs represent a significant advancement over native enzymes for biosensing applications.
• ENPs-based biosensors are effective tools for diagnosing diseases (e.g., cardiovascular, diabetes), environmental monitoring, and biochemical engineering.
• Future research should focus on understanding ENP-analyte interactions and commercializing ENP-based biosensors.