Pain-Free Glucose Detection Through Sweat Sensors

Millions of people with diabetes regularly check their glucose levels using finger-stick devices that extract and analyze blood. But what if they could do this with just a sweat sensor (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Revolutionary self-powered transducing mechanism for long-lasting and stable glucose monitoring: achieving selective and sensitive bacterial endospore germination in microengineered paper-based platforms

Go to source)? This concept is the focus of new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York, which could transform diabetes management by eliminating the discomfort and inconvenience. The findings are published in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering.

Adapting the knowledge that Professor Seokheun “Sean” Choi’s Bioelectronics and Microsystems Lab has gained about biobatteries over the past 15 years, the new paper-based biosensor system uses Bacillus subtilis bacterial spores that germinate in response to glucose in potassium-rich bodily fluids, such as sweat. The amount of power generated would determine the glucose level.

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Limitations of Current Glucose Monitoring Systems

Current glucose monitoring systems rely on enzymatic reactions to blood droplets, but those methods are not shelf-stable for easy shipment or storage. The self-replicating nature of the bacteria also ensures longevity.

“The problem with using enzymes is that they denature and deactivate,” Choi said. “You need to store it in a refrigerator, but even then, their potency goes down over time. Our spore-based system can endure very harsh environments and activates only when the right conditions are met.”

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Cost-Effective and Eco-Friendly Power Generation

“I know the energy crisis is a major problem right now, so it’s fascinating that we can use bacteria to generate power. It’s clean and sustainable, and because it’s paper-based and disposable, it’s very easy and very cheap.”

With this research paper now published, the Binghamton team will work on improving the detection process.

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Pioneering a New Method for Glucose Detection

“Everyone has a different potassium concentration in their sweat, and I don’t know how this concentration affects the glucose,” Choi said. “The sensitivity also is lower than conventional enzymatic biosensors. But from this work, we created a new sensing mechanism to detect glucose. No one has done that yet.”

Reference:

1. Revolutionary self-powered transducing mechanism for long-lasting and stable glucose monitoring: achieving selective and sensitive bacterial endospore germination in microengineered paper-based platforms - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41378-024-00836-9)

Source-Eurekalert