ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the comprehensive knowledge and information on the use of hydrogel in biosensing. Several intrinsic and predetermined properties of the hydrogel such as high water content, thus similarity to extravascular tissues and hence biocompatibility, chemical diversity, and easy surface functionalisation make them suitable for biosensor application. These properties enable the functionalisation of the hydrogel with biological molecule (antibodies, enzymes, nucleic acid, cells or cellular structures, etc.) and several moieties like dyes (fluorescence), luminescent compounds that act as sensor as well as stimuli-responsive (temperature, pH, etc.) hydrogel themselves act as biosensors. This chapter discusses nanoparticles (metal nanoparticles, carbon nanostructure) incorporated, conducting polymer-based, biomolecules (enzyme, receptor, cells or cellular structure, and nucleic acid) incorporated hydrogel biosensor and recent advancement in biomedical application.
