Biosensors: recent advances

This review discusses recent advances in biosensor technology which draw on the disciplines of physics, chemistry, biochemistry and electronics. We first show that a biosensor consists of three components, a biological detection system, a transducer and an output system. Biological receptors are briefly reviewed, followed by a detailed discussion of immobilization procedures for the efficacious attachment of receptor molecules to a transducer surface. Two classes of transducers, optical and piezoelectric, which involve interesting physics and show particular promise for commercial biosensors, are discussed thoroughly. We comment briefly on practical factors affecting the commercialization of various biosensors.