A highly permselective electrochemical glucose sensor using red blood cell membrane

We developed an electrochemical enzymatic biosensor coated with red blood cell membrane (RBCM) for highly selective glucose measurement. The RBCM containing its membrane proteins (glucose transporter-1) was extracted from a human red blood cell (RBC), and then placed on an established enzymatic glucose sensor by the vesicle fusion method. In the newly fabricated glucose sensor, the RBCM plays the role in the diffusion barrier of preventing the penetration of interfering molecules, while in contrast making glucose molecules permeable. We employed scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy to analyze the RBCM diffusion barriers. The performance of our glucose sensors with diffusion barriers was tested regarding selectivity to glucose against other interfering molecules, such as ascorbic acid, uric acid, and galactose. Remarkably, employing the RBCM significantly improved the selectivity and accuracy of the glucose measurement, even under human serum, compared to the uncoated sensors. This result implies that the RBCM serves well as a highly permselective layer to glucose molecules, and a diffusion barrier to other molecules.