Artificial Biosensors: How Can Molecular Imprinting Mimic Biorecognition?

Receptors generated by natural evolution in living organisms show an astonishing capacity for specifically recognizing target molecules. If applied as recognition units of biosensors, these receptors provide very high selectivity. However, they suffer from instability under measurement conditions, and low durability. Devising alternative robust artificial receptors circumvents these deficiencies. For instance, an antibody can be successfully replaced by a corresponding molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), sometimes called a 'plastic antibody'. Therefore, MIPs used as recognition units in chemical sensors are gaining increasing interest. In this review, we survey selected examples of MIPs used for determining target bioanalytes by mimicking natural recognition. For scientists working with biosensors, MIPs might be considered as alternatives to natural receptors, such as antibodies, enzymes, or histones.