The Evolving Role of Proteins in Wearable Sweat Biosensors

Sweat is an increasingly popular biological medium for fitness monitoring and clinical diagnostics. It contains an abundance of biological information and is available continuously and non -invasively. Sweat-sensing devices often employ proteins in various capacities to create skin-friendly matrices that accurately extract valuable and time-sensitive information from sweat. Proteins were first used in sensors as biorecognition elements in the form of enzymes and antibodies, which are now being tuned to operate at ranges relevant for sweat. In addition, a range of structural proteins, sometimes assembled in conjunction with polymers, can provide flexible and compatible matrices for skin sensors. Other proteins also naturally possess a range of functionalities-as adhesives, charge conductors, fluorescence emitters, and power generators -that can make them useful components in wearable devices. Here, we examine the four main components of wearable sweat sensors -the biorecognition element, the transducer, the scaffold, and the adhesive -and the roles that proteins have played so far, or promise to play in the future, in each component. On a case-by-case basis, we analyze the performance characteristics of existing protein-based devices, their applicable ranges of detection, their transduction mechanism and their mechanical properties. Thereby, we review and compare proteins that can readily be used in sweat sensors and others that will require further efforts to overcome design, stability or scalability challenges. Incorporating proteins in one or multiple components of sweat sensors could lead to the development and deployment of tunable, greener, and safer biosourced devices.

Automated summary

Sweat is being increasingly used for fitness monitoring and clinical diagnostics due to its abundant biological information and non-invasive nature. Proteins are widely employed in sweat-sensing devices as biorecognition elements, structural components, and functional additives, contributing to accurate and skin-friendly sweat analysis. In this review, we discuss the roles of proteins in the four main components of wearable sweat sensors -biorecognition element, transducer, scaffold, and adhesive. We analyze the performance characteristics and potential challenges of existing protein-based devices, highlighting the potential of incorporating proteins for the development of tunable, greener, and safer biosourced devices.