Heaptalk, Jakarta — The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), through the Center for Electronics Research (PRE), is developing several biosensors. This initiative is part of a series of breakthroughs spearheaded by BRIN to address health issues and environmental pollution.
Robeth Viktoria Manurung, a Lead Researcher at PRE BRIN, stated that he and his team are focused on electrochemical biosensor research utilizing graphene/ZnO nanoparticle composites. This device has been used to detect human SAA biomarkers for treating lung cancer patients and to assess the severity of Covid-19 patients. The biosensor uses blood serum or saliva samples from patients. Testing employs an electrochemical transducer with a measurement range between 10 to 200 milligrams per liter.
Robeth and his team are also developing electrochemical biosensors to detect the dengue virus using nickel-cobalt-based transition metal oxides. “The hope is that this device will be used as a portable tool that can be connected to a smartphone,” Robeth said, as quoted from the BRIN website recently.
In addition to medical biosensor research, Robeth and his team have also produced prototypes of sensors for detecting soil nutrient content and environmental pollution. These research results have been published in reputable global journals.
Challenges of imported raw materials
Biosensors are analytical devices that combine biological components with physicochemical detectors to detect specific chemicals, producing measurable outputs. The advantages of the devices created by the BRIN team include being portable, easy to operate, and not requiring a backup supply. The developed biosensors can also be integrated with the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning.
However, the devices developed by Robeth and his team still have a drawback: dependence on imported raw materials. He said, “The raw materials for biosensors are mostly imported. This results in high production costs.” Therefore, an interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists, engineers, and enthusiasts from various fields, such as biology, chemistry, materials science, and electronics, is necessary to reduce development costs.
Innovation in sensor design, materials, signal processing techniques, and data analysis methods is crucial to address these challenges and advance the field of biosensors. This collaboration can be conducted with both domestic and international parties. Another challenge for BRIN is achieving high sensitivity and selectivity in biosensor devices while maintaining stability and reproducibility.
Collaboration with various stakeholders
Simple medical devices, such as glucose, cholesterol, and uric acid meters, require biosensor technology to continue evolving. For this reason, BRIN researchers are opening up opportunities to implement this technology in other fields, such as animal husbandry, environmental monitoring, and food contamination detection.
BRIN has collaborated with other stakeholders, such as the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), to develop biosensor technology for early warning of dengue fever hazards. The target is to implement these detection tools in many places, including remote areas.
In 2024, BRIN will continue establishing research collaborations related to biosensor systems. So far, the developed biosensor system is divided into three main parts: the bioreceptor or biorecognition, which functions as an agent that directly interacts or reacts with the target; the transducer, which processes the interaction between the bioreceptor and the target into a signal readable by the data acquisition system; and the data acquisition system, which is the third part of the biosensor.
BRIN has conducted this biosensor system research with ITB, Padjadjaran University, Monash University, the National Institute for Materials Science, and The University of Queensland, Australia. The research program covers biosensing, biophysics, bio-photonics, microelectronics, nanomaterials, electronics, data communication, and wireless communication.
