Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 30, 2025

16:38
Bridging the Bio-Electronic Interface with Biofabrication
Published on: June 6, 2012
17.2K
A bio-inspired highly selective enzymatic glucose sensor using a red blood cell membrane
Insu Kim1, Chaeyeon Kim1, Dongtak Lee1
1School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea. dsyoon@korea.ac.kr.
The Analyst
|January 24, 2020
Summary
This study introduces red blood cell membrane (RBCM)-coated glucose sensors that enhance accuracy by mimicking natural glucose uptake. These novel sensors significantly reduce interference from other molecules in blood samples.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Biosensors
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Accurate glucose sensing is crucial for diabetes management but challenged by interfering blood molecules.
- Red blood cells (RBCs) utilize glucose transporter-1 for selective glucose uptake.
- Existing glucose sensors struggle with specificity in complex biological samples.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate red blood cell membrane (RBCM)-coated enzymatic glucose sensors.
- To mimic the selective glucose uptake mechanism of RBCs for improved sensing accuracy.
- To assess the performance of RBCM-coated sensors in the presence of interfering substances.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of enzymatic glucose sensors coated with RBC membranes (RBCM).
- Characterization of RBCM-coated sensors using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and ATR-FTIR.
- Optimization of RBCM filter thickness to control glucose permeability.
- Evaluation of sensor performance, including sensing range, detection limit, sensitivity, and accuracy in the presence of interferents and human serum.
Main Results:
- Optimized RBCM-coated sensors demonstrated a sensing range of 1-15 mM, a detection limit of 0.66 mM, and a sensitivity of 2.978 μA mM-1.
- The RBCM-coated sensors exhibited high accuracy and precision, with significantly reduced errors (0.8-2.3%) in the presence of interfering molecules compared to uncoated sensors (4.8-14.2 times improvement).
- Consistent sensing performance was maintained after 4 weeks of storage, and similar accuracy was observed in human serum samples.
Conclusions:
- RBCM coating effectively improves the selectivity and accuracy of enzymatic glucose sensors by mimicking natural glucose transport.
- This approach offers a promising strategy for developing next-generation glucose monitoring devices, including continuous monitoring systems.
- The RBCM-based strategy has the potential to enhance various biosensor applications requiring specific analyte detection in complex matrices.

