**Abstract**

Nanobiosensor is one type of biosensor made up with usage of nanomaterials i.e., nanoparticles and nanostructures. Because of the nanomaterials' unique properties such as good conductivity, and physicochemical, electrochemical, optical, magnetic and mechanical properties, Nanobiosensors are highly reliable and more sensitive in biosensing approaches over conventional sensors which is having various limitation in detection. Quantum dots, nanotubes, nanowires, magnetic and other nanoparticles enhance sensitivity and lower limit of detection by amplifying signals and providing novel signal transduction mechanisms enable detection of a very low level of food contaminants, pesticides, foodborne pathogens, toxins and plant metabolites. Nanobiosensors are having a lot of scope in sustainable agriculture because of its detecting ability i.e., sensing changes occurred in molecular level. So it can be utilized to find out the variations or modification of plant metabolities, volatiles, gas exchange, hormonal and ion concentration etc. which are the indicators of various harsh environmental stresses (abiotic), biotic and physiological stress. Identification of the stress in the starting stage itself will help us to avoid intensive plant damage and prevent yield losses created by the stress. Nanosensors can be used in smart farming, in which all the environmental factors related to plant growth like temperature, water, pH, humidity, nutritional factor etc. are measured and precaution taken to control the factors which reduce the crop production with the help of IOT platform, thereby enhance the productivity. In this review, discussed about nanobiosensors for detection of food contaminants and various application and its potential in agriculture.

**Keywords:** biosensor, nano material, nano-biosensor, food contaminants, agriculture and smart farming

## **1. Introduction**

Agriculture and food industry are a main source of income and employment for major section of population. Agriculture sector plays a strategic role in the selfsustaining economic development by providing basic ingredients to mankind and raw material for industrialisation. Global estimates indicate, the people engaged in agriculture are about 2.5 billion [1]. Agriculture is much diversified field, but continuing with technological growth at brisk pace. Many advanced technologies are introduced in agriculture to increase the yield by reducing the direct and indirect factors which affect the crop yield. Major yield reduction factors are insect, pathogens and weeds which can be controlled by human beings through application of

insecticide, fungicide and herbicide respectively. In order to control these biotic factors and serious intention to increase yield heavy dosage of chemical pesticides and fertilizers are applied to the growing crops. As reciprocation of this residual pesticides and chemicals are contaminating soil food and water. When the contaminated food got consumed, it produce so many serious ill effects to the consumer [2]. Other than chemicals many bacterial pathogens and the toxin produced by the microorganism also major food contaminants and creating more health complications. One of the fine solution for avoiding contaminated food related health issues is effective detection of the food contaminants whether chemical or biological before consumption will ensure the food safety. So many conventional and advanced methods such as culture plate technique, chromatography, spectroscopy, immunology and molecular biology technique etc. are available for detection of biological and chemical contaminants in food sample, but these all are either time consuming, or more expensive and low sensitivity [3]. Agriculture is the primery food source for both human and livestock. So many biotic and abiotic factors are challenging the agriculture production and productivity. To maintain the food security for the fast growing population need to increase the food production and productivity with enormous level [4, 5]. There is need of some advance technology to increase the production in to maximum with higher quality assurance, risk identification, diagnosis and prevention to achieve goal of regional and global food security. Thus to improve consumer livelihood and optimal utilization of resources, rapid, realtime, portable, and cost effective technologies are desired in agriculture and food industry [6–8]. Recently many technologies are developed and revolutionized the agriculture sector, among that, the most promising one is the nanotechnology [9]. Eventhough its practical application is negligible at present moment, it has a lot of scope in near future to improve agricultural practices over conventional farming at various stages from crop production to post harvest, there by flourishing the agriculture sector by enhancing food production and crop productivity. Normally crop productivity or yield enhancement is possible in two ways 1. By reducing the yield loss caused by various factors at different crop stages such as insect and diseases (Biotic stress), various adverse environmental factors (Abiotic stress) i.e. water stress, high temperature stress, salt stress, cold stress, harmful radiation and nutritional deficiency during the crop production stage and avoiding losses after harvesting of farm product (Post harvest stages) 2. Enhancing the yield by adopting highly improved advance crop production techniques there by reducing the cost of inputs and increasing yield with high cost benefit ratio. Nanotechnology can be applied in both of the strategies to improve the production and productivity in agriculture and food sector [10]. Nanobiosenors i.e. biosensors with nanomaterials, is one of the major application of nanotechnology, are synthesized with the help of various departments like, bioelectronics, material science, miniaturization techniques, electrode design, fabrication technology, nanolithography and microfluidics [11–13]. Biosensor is a self contained integrated tool for sensing and characterization of biological materials. Improvement in basic characteristics of biosensors will lead to widespread application in major challenging areas in food and agriculture [14–16]. In this review, role and applications of nanobiosensors in agriculture and food industry at present are explored and also discussed the potential of nanobiosensor, possible application with brisk development and benefits in future.

## **2. Biosensor**

A **sensor** is a device, module, machine, or subsystem whose purpose is to detect events or changes in its environment like temperature, humidity, water

**199**

**Figure 1.**

*Perspectives of Nano-Materials and Nanobiosensors in Food Safety and Agriculture*

flow, intensity of light etc. and send the information to other electronic circuit or electrical instrument that can be measured and/or analyzed. Biosensor is a one type of sensing technology consisting of biological component, such as a cell, enzyme or antibody, connected to a tiny transducer, a device changing one form of signal in to another form so that it can be easily measured by other system. The biosensors enable to sense changes that happen in the cells in cells and molecules even in very low concentration of the tested material. When the substance binds with the biological component, the transducer produces a signal proportional to the quantity of the substance [17–20]. For example if there is a more number of bacteria in a particular food, the biosensor will produce a strong signal indicating that the food is unsafe to eat. With this technology, mass amounts of food can be readily checked

The biological element of a biosensor contains a biosensitive layer, which can either contain bioreceptors or be made of bioreceptors covalently attached to the transducer. The different types of biosensors are classified based on the bioreceptor and transducer present in the biosensor [24–27]. Based upon biorecepting molecules

4.Based on cellular interactions either whole cells or cell organelles,

5.Employing biomimetic materials (e.g., synthetic bioreceptors).

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95345*

for their safety of consumption [21–23].

majorly it is divided in to five categories.

2.Enzymes based,

3.DNA based.

1.Protein based mainly Antibody/antigen based,

*Various components of a typical Biosensor (a) and its classification (b) [25].*

*Perspectives of Nano-Materials and Nanobiosensors in Food Safety and Agriculture DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95345*

flow, intensity of light etc. and send the information to other electronic circuit or electrical instrument that can be measured and/or analyzed. Biosensor is a one type of sensing technology consisting of biological component, such as a cell, enzyme or antibody, connected to a tiny transducer, a device changing one form of signal in to another form so that it can be easily measured by other system. The biosensors enable to sense changes that happen in the cells in cells and molecules even in very low concentration of the tested material. When the substance binds with the biological component, the transducer produces a signal proportional to the quantity of the substance [17–20]. For example if there is a more number of bacteria in a particular food, the biosensor will produce a strong signal indicating that the food is unsafe to eat. With this technology, mass amounts of food can be readily checked for their safety of consumption [21–23].

The biological element of a biosensor contains a biosensitive layer, which can either contain bioreceptors or be made of bioreceptors covalently attached to the transducer. The different types of biosensors are classified based on the bioreceptor and transducer present in the biosensor [24–27]. Based upon biorecepting molecules majorly it is divided in to five categories.


*Novel Nanomaterials*

insecticide, fungicide and herbicide respectively. In order to control these biotic factors and serious intention to increase yield heavy dosage of chemical pesticides and fertilizers are applied to the growing crops. As reciprocation of this residual pesticides and chemicals are contaminating soil food and water. When the contaminated food got consumed, it produce so many serious ill effects to the consumer [2]. Other than chemicals many bacterial pathogens and the toxin produced by the microorganism also major food contaminants and creating more health complications. One of the fine solution for avoiding contaminated food related health issues is effective detection of the food contaminants whether chemical or biological before consumption will ensure the food safety. So many conventional and advanced methods such as culture plate technique, chromatography, spectroscopy, immunology and molecular biology technique etc. are available for detection of biological and chemical contaminants in food sample, but these all are either time consuming, or more expensive and low sensitivity [3]. Agriculture is the primery food source for both human and livestock. So many biotic and abiotic factors are challenging the agriculture production and productivity. To maintain the food security for the fast growing population need to increase the food production and productivity with enormous level [4, 5]. There is need of some advance technology to increase the production in to maximum with higher quality assurance, risk identification, diagnosis and prevention to achieve goal of regional and global food security. Thus to improve consumer livelihood and optimal utilization of resources, rapid, realtime, portable, and cost effective technologies are desired in agriculture and food industry [6–8]. Recently many technologies are developed and revolutionized the agriculture sector, among that, the most promising one is the nanotechnology [9]. Eventhough its practical application is negligible at present moment, it has a lot of scope in near future to improve agricultural practices over conventional farming at various stages from crop production to post harvest, there by flourishing the agriculture sector by enhancing food production and crop productivity. Normally crop productivity or yield enhancement is possible in two ways 1. By reducing the yield loss caused by various factors at different crop stages such as insect and diseases (Biotic stress), various adverse environmental factors (Abiotic stress) i.e. water stress, high temperature stress, salt stress, cold stress, harmful radiation and nutritional deficiency during the crop production stage and avoiding losses after harvesting of farm product (Post harvest stages) 2. Enhancing the yield by adopting highly improved advance crop production techniques there by reducing the cost of inputs and increasing yield with high cost benefit ratio. Nanotechnology can be applied in both of the strategies to improve the production and productivity in agriculture and food sector [10]. Nanobiosenors i.e. biosensors with nanomaterials, is one of the major application of nanotechnology, are synthesized with the help of various departments like, bioelectronics, material science, miniaturization techniques, electrode design, fabrication technology, nanolithography and microfluidics [11–13]. Biosensor is a self contained integrated tool for sensing and characterization of biological materials. Improvement in basic characteristics of biosensors will lead to widespread application in major challenging areas in food and agriculture [14–16]. In this review, role and applications of nanobiosensors in agriculture and food industry at present are explored and also discussed the potential of nanobiosensor, possible application with brisk development and benefits in future.

A **sensor** is a device, module, machine, or subsystem whose purpose is to detect events or changes in its environment like temperature, humidity, water

**198**

**2. Biosensor**


**Figure 1.** *Various components of a typical Biosensor (a) and its classification (b) [25].*

By using of the transducer, mainly it is divided in to three types, those are, 1. Electrochemical, 2. Mass based and 3. Optical Biosensor.

In these major types is divided in to many subtypes based upon the mechanism of signal detection (**Figure 1**).

Biosensors especially nanobiosensors can overcome all the disadvantages of conventional detection methods by offering a rapid, non-destructive and affordable methods for quality control [28, 29].
