11. Biosensors

Biosensors appear as suitable, fast responsive, and cost-effective analytical tools that are extensively being used in monitoring programs including food quality control, agriculture, bioprocess control, environmental monitoring, military, and medical diagnostics. Biosensor is a self-contained integrated device which uses biological mechanism and provides specific quantitative and semiquantitative information about the analyte of interest. Biosensing systems and methods are being developed as environmental quality monitoring tools in the assessment of ecological/biological quality to determine the potentially harmful pollutants (organic and inorganic) and also provide information about their toxic effects. Detection of small amount of biological samples, requirement of minimal tissue damage for in vivoscreening, on-site monitoring of clinical metabolites, and increased specificity and sensitivity in the order of ng/ml or pg/ml are some of the major concerns for the increasing need to develop biosensors as fast and economic methods for analysis in medical diagnostics. Mass production of molecular recognition elements with improved selectivity, affinity, and stability, immobilization techniques, miniaturization, multisensor array determinations, and operating conditions are some of the major potential areas of development that are expected to have an impact in biosensor technology. The future research for sustainable application of biosensors should rely on more efficient structure and function specificity of the biological components, noninvasive interfacing with the target molecule through mini-reactors, and improved digitization of the generated signal. Real-time parallel monitoring of multiple species is yet another driving force toward the development and commercialization of multichannel biosensors which are required for direct analysis in high-throughput screening systems.