Cross-reactive sensors

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel cross-reactive sensor system utilizing cross-reactive recognition elements. In the inventive system, each of said one or more cross-reactive recognition elements is capable of interacting with more than one species of liquid analyte of interest, whereby each of said one or more cross-reactive recognition elements reacts in a different manner with each of said one or more species of liquid analytes of interest to produce a detectable agent of each analyte of interest, whereby said detectable agent is analyzed and the information is processed for data acquisition and interpretation. In certain preferred embodiments, the detectable agent and/or change is detected directly, while in certain other preferred embodiments, the detectable agent and/or change is detected with the help of a transducing agent capable of relaying information about each detectable agent generated for each of said species of liquid analyte of interest, whereby said information is processed for data acquisition and interpretation. The present invention also provides method for the analysis of analytes comprising contacting one or more analytes with the inventive system described above.

1 - 114 . (canceled) 
   
   
       115 . A sensor system for liquid analytes comprising:
 one or more cross-reactive recognition elements, wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements is an enzyme or a protein receptor and wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements interacts directly with more than one species of liquid analyte of interest, whereby each of said cross-reactive recognition elements interacts in a different manner with each of said more than one species of liquid analyte of interest to produce a detectable event for each analyte of interest, wherein said detectable event is a detectable agent, a detectable change or both; wherein said detectable event is analyzed to obtain information about the detectable event and said information is processed for data acquisition and interpretation.   
   
   
       116 . A sensor system for liquid analytes comprising:
 two or more cross-reactive recognition elements, wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements is an enzyme or a protein receptor and wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements interacts directly with more than one species of liquid analyte of interest, whereby each of said cross-reactive recognition elements interacts in a different manner with each of said more than one species of liquid analyte of interest to produce a detectable event for each analyte of interest, wherein said detectable event is a detectable agent, a detectable change or both; wherein said detectable event is analyzed to obtain information about the detectable event and said information is processed for data acquisition and interpretation.   
   
   
       117 . A sensor system for liquid analytes comprising:
 two to five cross-reactive recognition elements, wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements is an enzyme or a protein receptor and wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements interacts directly with more than one species of liquid analyte of interest, whereby each of said cross-reactive recognition elements interacts in a different manner with each of said more than one species of liquid analyte of interest to produce a detectable event for each analyte of interest, wherein said detectable event is a detectable agent, a detectable change, or both; wherein said detectable event is analyzed to obtain information about the detectable event and said information is processed for data acquisition and interpretation.   
   
   
       118 . A sensor system for liquid analytes comprising:
 two to ten cross-reactive recognition elements, wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements is an enzyme or a protein receptor and wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements interacts directly with more than one species of liquid analyte of interest, whereby each of said cross-reactive recognition elements interacts in a different manner with each of said more than one species of liquid analyte of interest to produce a detectable event for each analyte of interest, wherein said detectable event is a detectable agent, a detectable change, or both; wherein said detectable event is a detectable agent, a detectable change, or both; wherein said detectable event is analyzed to obtain information about the detectable event and said information is processed for data acquisition and interpretation.   
   
   
       119 . The sensor system of any one of  claims 115 - 118 , further comprising a processing unit. 
   
   
       120 . The sensor system of any one of  claims 115 - 118 , wherein said cross-reactive recognition elements are provided in array format having a plurality of addresses, wherein each address in the array contains one cross-reactive recognition element. 
   
   
       121 . The sensor system of any one of  claims 115 - 118 , wherein said cross-reactive recognition elements are provided in array format having a plurality of addresses, wherein each address in the array contains more than one cross-reactive recognition element. 
   
   
       122 . The sensor system of  claim 120 , wherein the array comprises a plurality of addresses, wherein two or more of the addresses contain the same type of cross-reactive recognition element. 
   
   
       123 . The sensor system of  claim 120 , wherein the array comprises a plurality of addresses, wherein each address contains the same cross-reactive recognition element. 
   
   
       124 . The sensor system of  claim 115 - 118 , wherein at least one cross-reactive recognition element is an enzyme selected from the group consisting of esterases, proteases, hydrolases, isomerases, lysases, transferases, oxido-reductases, and ligases. 
   
   
       125 . The sensor system of  claim 124 , wherein the cross-reactive recognition element is an esterase selected from the group consisting of esterase from rabbit liver, esterase from porcine liver, acetylcholine esterase from  electrophorous electricus , cholesterol esterase from hog pancrease, esterase from hog liver, esterase from horse liver, esterase from  mucor miehei , esterase from  bacillus  sp., and esterase from  bacillus thermoglucosidasius.    
   
   
       126 . The sensor system of  claim 124 , wherein the cross-reactive recognition element is a protease selected from the group consisting of proteinase K, chymotrypsin, papain, carboxypepsidase A, substilisin, protease ( staphylococcus ), and protease VII. 
   
   
       127 . The sensor system of any one of  claims 115 - 118 , wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements is attached to a solid support. 
   
   
       128 . The sensor system of  claim 127 , wherein the solid support is a bead, or a resin. 
   
   
       129 . The sensor system of  claim 127 , wherein the solid support is a bead, each bead is attached to one type of cross-reactive recognition element, and wherein together the beads are provided in array format having a plurality of addresses, wherein each address in the array contains one bead. 
   
   
       130 . The sensor system of  claim 127 , wherein the solid support is a bead, each bead is attached to one type of cross-reactive recognition element, and wherein together the beads are provided in array format having a plurality of addresses, wherein each address in the array contains more than one bead. 
   
   
       131 . The sensor system of  claim 129 , wherein the array comprises a plurality of addresses, wherein two or more of the addresses contain beads having the same type of cross-reactive recognition element. 
   
   
       132 . The sensor system of  claim 129 , wherein the array comprises a plurality of addresses, wherein each address contains beads having the same cross-reactive recognition element. 
   
   
       133 . A sensor system for liquid analytes comprising:
 one or more cross-reactive recognition elements, wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements is attached to a solid support, wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements is an enzyme or a protein receptor and wherein each of said cross-reactive recognition elements interacts directly with more than one species of liquid analyte of interest, whereby each of said cross-reactive recognition elements interacts in a different manner with each of said more than one species of liquid analyte of interest to produce a detectable event for each analyte of interest, wherein said detectable event is a detectable agent, a detectable change or both; wherein said detectable event is analyzed to obtain information about said detectable event and said information is processed for data acquisition and interpretation.   
   
   
       134 . The sensor system of  claim 133  further comprising a processing unit. 
   
   
       135 . The sensor system of  claim 133 , wherein said solid support is a bead. 
   
   
       136 . The sensor system of  claim 135 , wherein together the beads are provided in array format having a plurality of addresses, wherein each address in the array contains one bead. 
   
   
       137 . The sensor system of  claim 135 , wherein together the beads are provided in array format having a plurality of addresses, wherein each address in the array contains more than one bead. 
   
   
       138 . The sensor system of  claim 136 , wherein the array comprises a plurality of addresses, wherein two or more of the addresses contain a bead containing the same type of cross-reactive recognition element. 
   
   
       139 . The sensor system of  claim 136 , wherein the array comprises a plurality of addresses, wherein each address contains a bead containing the same cross-reactive recognition element. 
   
   
       140 . The sensor system of  claim 133 , wherein at least one cross-reactive recognition element is an enzyme selected from the group consisting of esterases, proteases, hydrolases, isomerases, lysases, transferases, oxido-reductases, and ligases. 
   
   
       141 . The sensor system of  claim 140 , wherein the cross-reactive recognition element is an esterase selected from the group consisting of esterase from rabbit liver, esterase from porcine liver, acetylcholine esterase from  electrophorous electricus , cholesterol esterase from  mucor miehei , esterase from  bacillus  sp., and esterase from  bacillus thermoglucosidasius.    
   
   
       142 . The sensor system of  claim 140 , wherein the cross-reactive recognition element is a protease selected from the group consisting of proteinase K, chymotrypsin, papain, carboxypeptidase A, subtilisin, protease ( staphylococcus ), and protease VII.