Fast analysis method of aspartame from foods using an amperometric enzymatic biosensor
Description
This demonstration project aims to develop and validate under laboratory conditions a rapid analytical method for the detection of aspartame in food samples based on the combination of an amperometric enzyme biosensor and a low noise potentiostat. The widespread use of aspartame in the food industry requires the development of rapid and efficient methods for its determination. The project aims to provide a low cost and easy to use analytical method for the determination of aspartame. The detection principle is based on the enzymatic oxidation of aspartame catalysed by carboxyl esterase (CAE) and alcohol oxidase (AOX), with the production of hydrogen peroxide, which is quantified electrochemically. The developed potentiostat used for the quantification of the amperometric signals of the biosensors has two blocks in construction: i) a potentiostat circuit, which provides a constant DC voltage and ii) the sensing current circuit to quantify the current ICELL solution related to the aspartate concentration. Low-pass filter will be added to the feedback loop of the current sensing circuit to mitigate the effects of induced electromagnetic noise. The consortium combines the biosensor and enzymology expertise of the National Research and Development Institute for Biological Sciences with the electronic potentiostat design expertise of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest.