Amperometric biosensors: Harnessing photosynthetic reaction centers for herbicide detection

Amperometric biosensing, exemplified by the popular glucose biosensor, is a well-established method for transducing analyte-receptor binding events into accessible electronic outputs. Herbicide biosensors leverage natural photosynthetic reaction centers to measure directly at the site of herbicide action. Recent advancements at the biohybrid interface be-tween photosynthetic complexes and electrodes have led to substantial improvements in transduction efficiency and photoelectrode stability that are essential for herbicide bio-sensing. This review focuses on herbicide biosensors employing isolated photosynthetic reaction centers, thylakoids, and whole cells as bioreceptors which are coupled to electro-chemical transduction platforms. We critically evaluate biosensor performance metrics of sensitivity, specificity, sta-bility, ease of use, and affordability, all of which must be embodied in one biosensor device for practical implementation.