The second day of the EACH Winter school was full of excitement: student teams performed measurements of glucose with amperometric sensors. This is a highly important measurement for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes, as enhanced blood glucose level is the key symptom of diabetes and glucose meters are possibly the most widespread amperometric sensors available.

The main measurement technology is biosensing, using either glucose oxidase or glucose dehydrogenase that is applied to the electrode system, along with auxiliary compounds. In simplified manner the operation can be viewed as: glucose oxidation by some auxiliary compound is catalysed by the enzyme, the amount of the reduced form of the auxiliary compound is then measured amperometrically and recalculated into glucose amount.

Student teams made measurements and compared results from three different instruments: two commercial (containing different enzymes) and one that has been built by the sensors group of the Åbo Akademi. The results of the measurements and comparison between instruments will be summarized at a presentation session on the last day of the Winter school.

A very pleasant feature of the practical session was that among teachers were EACH graduates Jay Pee Oña and Kenneth Arandia. Many thanks to you for joining us!

Photos: top left: Jay Pee Oña (right) showing glucose measurements; right: Ville Yrjänä explaining glucose measurements; bottom left: students discussing with Ville Yrjänä (right) and Kenneth Arandia (left)