Food Safety and Regulatory Measures

Biography

Jerzy Radecki obtained his M.Sc. degree at the Department of Organic Chemistry of Nicholas Copernicus University in Toruń in 1973. In 1980, he received a Ph.D. degree at the same University. Since 1980 till 1998, he was worked at the Olsztyn University of Agriculture and Technology. In 1993, he received a D.Sc. degree at this University. In 1985 he visited St. John’s College of Oxford University. He spent one year (from June 1989 to May 1990) as post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Analytical Chemistry of University of Sao Paulo. In 1990, he was granted with a fellowship in the National Institute for Environmental Studies in Tsukuba, Japan.
Since 1998, he is working as a head of Department of Biosensors in the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn.
Jerzy Radecki is the editor-in-chief of the “Polish Journal of Environmental Studies” (http://www.pjoes.com) from 1992.
He is the co-ordinator of Safety Food Network ( www.pan.olsztyn.pl/interfood/), founder and the local co-ordinator of Polish Supramolecular Chemistry Network
( http://www.gscn.org ). He was a coordinator of EU Marie Curie Host Fellowships grants for Transfer of Knowledge (ToK): “Cenexfood” and “Food-Biosens” (http://biosensors.pan.olsztyn.pl).
He was the Polish representative of COST Action CM1005 “Supramolecular Chemistry in Water”. Generally, his research interest concerns the developing of the new sensors and biosensors based on the intermolecular recognition processes occurring at the border of the aqueous and organic phase. Particularly, he is interested in functionalization of surface of solid electrodes, gold as well as carbon, with “host” molecules, which are responsible for selective and sensitive “guest” molecules (analytes) recognitions. The modified surfaces are characterized by electrochemical techniques and microscope: atomic force and scanning tunnelling. He is working on not only analytical aspects of developed sensors, but on the elaboration of the mechanism of analytical signal generation as well.
The sensors he is working on could be divided into two main groups. One is based on ion-channel mimetic mode, in which the intermolecular recognitions phenomena are traced by changes of the accessibility redox marker present in the aqueous solutions, towards the electrode surfaces. The another type of sensors are based on redox active monolayer deposited on the surface of solid electrodes. The redox centres play double role: as the recognition units as well as transductor. For sensors fabrications he has applied the synthetic receptors such as: corroles, calix[4]pyrroles, calixarenes, dipyrrometenes, oligocarbazoles macrocyclic polyamines. In biosensors, naturally occurring “host” molecules – mainly proteins and single strands of DNA are accommodated.
The developed sensors and biosensors are worked on the amperometric, voltammetric, impedimetric as well as potentiomteric mode.

Research Interest

The intensive development of science and technology has brought longevity and higher standards of living but paradoxically also generated new threats to human health. Good health is jeopardised by chemical compounds, both organic and inorganic, found in waste by-products of numerous technological processes. Moreover, pharmaceuticals and pesticides introduced into the food chain and their biological change by -products may have a negative impact on human life and the environment.
Therefore it is vital to formulate an integrated natural environment control system allowing continuous monitoring and facilitating observation of the movement of toxic and potentially toxic compounds in the environment, tracing how they are incorporated into the food chain and enabling their chemical analysis. To achieve this aim is necessary to develop new analytical methods for chemical contamination control in food, water and the natural environment in which food is produced.,br> The special attention is currently focused on the implementation of nanosystems and smart miniaturized systems in the food, natural environment and medical sectors.
Nano systems are defined as systems that provide information on the analyzed sample involves component build using micro and nano technologies. Joining in this vivid area, we are working on the development of new materials / analytical devices that could contribute to food and medical diagnosis applications.
Tools will be designed to work as sensors of electrochemical modes of operation. Low cost, quick analysis and miniaturisation of analytical equipment justify such selection.
The working mechanism of the proposed sensors is based on intermolecular (receptor – analysed compound) recognition processes occurring at organic /aqueous interfaces.
The synthetic and naturally occurring receptors are applied as the analytically active elements that decide about selectivity of analytical devices. In order to improve the analytical devices properties such as: sensitivity durability, reusability, we are working on new materials for fabrication of matrix for proper receptors immobilization as well as for new efficient transducers.
Current research:
Sensors and biosensors working based on redox active monolayers:
• Gold electrodes modified with self – assembled monolayer created with porphyrin complexes with transition metals cations – destined for fabrication of genosensors
• Gold electrodes modified with self – assembled monolayer created with ligands chelating the transition metal cations destined for oriented immobilization of His-tagged proteins
• Genosensors created based on ssDNA strand functionalized with redox active compounds destined for detection of viruses
Sensors and biosensors working based on ion-channel mimetic mode:
• Gold electrodes modified with self – assembled monolayer created with calixarenes destined for determination of neurotransmitters in human plasma
• Gold electrodes modified with self – assembled monolayer incorporated juvenile hormone binding protein for screening of its interactions with hormones or their analogs • Immunosensors for detection of Prunus Necrotic Ringspot viruses in plant extracts
• immunosensors for detection of Avian Influenza virus H5N1
Key words: sensors, biosensors, redox active monolayers, food analysis, protein- protein, proteins - small molecules interactions , DNA probes.