Teacher: Prof. Giancarla Alberti
When: February - July

The research and development activity in the field of sensors has been overgrown in the last decades, and the applications of these devices in everyday life, industry and research increase progressively from year to year.
The basis of modern chemosensor and biosensor technology is the interaction between a target analyte and a suitable receptor; this interaction causes the variation of a parameter that produces a measurable and quantifiable signal. In chemosensors, the receptors can be supramolecular systems or ligands forming colored or fluorescent adducts with the target analyte or else.
Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIP), i.e., biomimetic receptors composed of synthetic material containing recognition cavities selective for the molecule of interest. In biosensors, the receptors are of biological origins, such as proteins (antibodies, enzymes) and nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, aptamers). Chemosensors and biosensors will be described by classifying them according to the signal transduction type, in particular electrochemical and optical.
It is often necessary to analyze complex matrices that require the determination of multiple components. The use of sensor arrays that respond to a wide variety of substances coupled to a chemometric signal processing system is increasing to meet this need. The so-called “electronic noses” are used to identify mixtures of volatile organic substances while the “electronic languages” are aimed at determining analytes in solution. Some examples of these devices will be described.

Final exam: presentation and discussion of a recent research paper concerning the issues of the course.