The research presented here shows
a bridge between biochemistry
and cryptography. Enzyme-based assays were used in a new methodology
linked to ciphers and cipher systems. Three separate enzyme assays,
alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (E.C. 3.1.3.1), lysozyme (E.C. 3.2.1.17),
and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) (E.C. 1.11.1.7), were used to create
a cipher key in order to encrypt a message. By choosing certain parameters
for one’s experiment that are performed in the same way as
a person receiving the message, correct encryption and decryption
keys would be produced, resulting in a correct encryption and decryption
of a message. It is imperative that both parties perform the same
experiment under the same conditions in order to correctly interpret
the message. Bioaffinity-based assays, in particular enzymatic assays,
provide a specific, yet flexible mechanism to use for the encryption
of messages. Because of the nature of this process there are a multitude
of sets of parameters that may be chosen, each of which would result
in a different key being produced, heightening the security and the
robustness of the method. This paper shows that by using this concept
of forming encryption keys using a bioaffinity-based approach, one
is able to properly encrypt and decrypt a message, which could be
viable for other biochemically based techniques.