Alyssa Zhou

EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley

Technical Report No. UCB/EECS-2017-42

May 10, 2017

http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2017/EECS-2017-42.pdf

Current technologies are lacking in the area of deployable, <i>in situ</i> monitoring of complex chemicals in environmental applications. Microorganisms metabolize various chemical compounds and can be engineered to be analyte-specific, making them naturally suited for robust chemical sensing. However, current electrochemical microbial biosensors use large and expensive electrochemistry equipment not suitable for on-site, real-time environmental analysis. Here we demonstrate a miniaturized, autonomous bioelectronic sensing system (BESSY) suitable for deployment in instantaneous and continuous sensing applications. We developed a 2x2 cm² footprint, low power, two-channel, three-electrode electrochemical potentiostat which wirelessly transmits data for on-site microbial sensing. Furthermore, we designed a new way of fabricating self-contained, submersible, miniaturized reactors (m-reactors) to encapsulate the bacteria, working, and counter electrodes. We have validated the BESSY’s ability to specifically detect a chemical amongst environmental perturbations using differential current measurements. This work paves the way for <i>in situ</i> microbial sensing outside of a controlled laboratory environment.

Advisors: Michel Maharbiz

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BibTeX citation:

@mastersthesis{Zhou:EECS-2017-42,
    Author= {Zhou, Alyssa},
    Title= {A miniaturized bioelectronic sensing system featuring portable microbial reactors for environmental deployment},
    School= {EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley},
    Year= {2017},
    Month= {May},
    Url= {http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2017/EECS-2017-42.html},
    Number= {UCB/EECS-2017-42},
    Abstract= {Current technologies are lacking in the area of deployable, <i>in situ</i> monitoring of complex chemicals in environmental applications. Microorganisms metabolize various chemical compounds and can be engineered to be analyte-specific, making them naturally suited for robust chemical sensing. However, current electrochemical microbial biosensors use large and expensive electrochemistry equipment not suitable for on-site, real-time environmental analysis. Here we demonstrate a miniaturized, autonomous bioelectronic sensing system (BESSY) suitable for deployment in instantaneous and continuous sensing applications. We developed a 2x2 cm<sup>2</sup> footprint, low power, two-channel, three-electrode electrochemical potentiostat which wirelessly transmits data for on-site microbial sensing. Furthermore, we designed a new way of fabricating self-contained, submersible, miniaturized reactors (m-reactors) to encapsulate the bacteria, working, and counter electrodes. We have validated the BESSY’s ability to specifically detect a chemical amongst environmental perturbations using differential current measurements. This work paves the way for <i>in situ</i> microbial sensing outside of a controlled laboratory environment.},
}

EndNote citation:

%0 Thesis
%A Zhou, Alyssa 
%T A miniaturized bioelectronic sensing system featuring portable microbial reactors for environmental deployment
%I EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley
%D 2017
%8 May 10
%@ UCB/EECS-2017-42
%U http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2017/EECS-2017-42.html
%F Zhou:EECS-2017-42