“Priority 2030”: a young scientist of Moscow Polytech to do an analysis for the ethanol content cheaper

The enzyme sensor, in the creation of which an associate professor of Moscow Polytech Egor Musin is engaged, will simplify, speed up and automatize the process of identifying the content of ethanol and acetaldehyde in blood and urine. In 2024, Egor won the grant named after P.L.Kapitsa for the development of the sensor and has become an employee of the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology of Moscow Polytech.

The research “Development of an Electrochemical Biosensor System for Determining the Concentration of Ethanol and Acetaldehyde in clinical medicine” corresponds to one of the priority areas of scientific and technical development of Moscow Polytech – “Sensor Technology”. 

Determination of ethanol levels in blood and urine – is the demanded analysis in medicine and in such its area as toxicology, as well as in expert assessments, including judicial ones. Ethanol, known to everyone as the active ingredient of alcoholic beverages, is considered a depressant, a psychoactive substance that depresses the human central nervous system. Acetaldehyde is a metabolite of ethanol, and it is its accumulation in the body that causes hangover syndrome and intoxication, requiring infusion therapy, that is, the introduction of medicinal solutions into the bloodstream using droppers. Often life of a human depends on the speed of diagnosis.

Nowadays the concentration of ethanol and acetaldehyde in blood and urine is determined by the method of gas-liquid chromatography. The expensive research equipment is required for this – a chromatograph and the specialists having the skills of preparing samples and interpreting the data obtained during the analysis. Despite the complexity of the method, it is applied now while conducting medical diagnostics, forensic examination, and at production while monitoring the quality of food products.

For simplification of diagnostics and making it cheaper Egor Musin suggests using in the work of the sensor being developed, the enzymes of alcohol oxidase and aldehyde dehydrogenase, placed into the polyelectrolyte microcapsules and mounted on a three-pin printed electrode.

“Microcapsules retain enzymes; protect them from the impact of aggressive environment, meaning, considerably increase their shelf life. Due to this a sensor may be applied several dozens of times. In addition, if to fix microcapsules with different enzymes at different electrodes of one sensor, then simultaneously it will be possible to determine a concentration of two analytes, - tells Egor Musin. – Such an enzyme electrochemical sensor may be integrated both in compact portable tele-medicine devices, and in automated biochemical laboratory complexes. It may be used also during production quality control of food, cosmetics and in chemical industry”.

This project jointly with Alexander Kim, who has also become a postdoc of Moscow Polytech, titled “Development of an Electrochemical Biosensor System for Monitoring Lactate and Glucose Concentrations in Clinical Medicine”, will allow developing a universal diagnostic sensor system, which, in perspective, will determine concentrations of 3-4 analytes at the same time. 

Reference: Egor Musin, a graduate of MSU, a candidate of Biological Sciences, possesses a 10-years’ experience of work at the Laboratories of the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. A winner of the third grant competition named after P.L.Kapitsa. The competition was held in the framework of the implementation of Federal Program for Strategic Academic Leadership “Priority 2030”, which Moscow Polytech participates in.