A flow-injection impedimetric immunosensor for the sensitive, direct and label-free detection of cholera toxin is reported. Alimit of detection smaller than 10 pM was achieved, a value thousands of times lower than the lethal dose. The developed chips fulfil the requirement of low cost and quick reply of the assay and are expected to enable field screening, prompt diagnosis and medical intervention without the need of specialized personnel and expensive equipment, a perspective of special relevance for use in developing countries. Since the chip layout includes two sensing areas each one with a 2 x 2 sensor array, our biochips can allow statistical or (alternatively) multiplex analysis of biorecognition events between antibodies immobilized on each working electrode and different antigens flowing into the chamber.

An important goal of biomedical research is the development of tools for high-throughput evaluation of drug effects and cytotoxicity tests. Here we demonstrate EIS cell chips able to monitor cell growth, morphology, adhesion and their changes as a consequence of treatment with drugs or toxic compounds. As a case study, we investigate the uptake of copper ions and its effect on two cell lines: B104 and HeLa cells. For further understanding, we also carried out in parallel with EIS studies, a complete characterization of cell morphology and changes induced by copper ions through complementary methodologies (including state-of-the-art AFM, viability test and Western blot). Our results reveal a strong correlation between EIS data and both MTT test and AFM characterization so our chip can be used as powerful tools in all biology lab in combination with other standard methods giving additional information that can be useful in a complete and deep investigation of a biological process. This chip can be used even alone replacing in vitro drug tests based on conventional biochemical methods, being very cheap and reusable and allowing to perform cytotoxicity tests without using any expensive reagent or equipment.