Analytical Sciences

Fiber-Optic Biosensors-Trends and Advances

Mehrab MEHRVAR,*   Chris BIS,* Jeno M. SCHARER,** Murray Moo-YOUNG,** and John H. LUONG***

*School of Chemical Engineering, Ryerson Polytechnic University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, Canada
**Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada
***Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montreal, Quebec, H4P 2R2, Canada

A review of biosensor technology with a specific focus on fiber-optic biosensors is provided. With the advent of optical transducers, better electronics, and improved immobilization methods, fiber-optic biosensors are being increasingly applied to industrial process and environmental monitoring, food processing, and clinical applications. The vitality of the fiber-optics-based biosensing can be seen from the growing number of publications. In summary, fiber-optic biosensors will play a significant role in the development of biosensors because they can be easily miniaturized and integrated for the determination of different target compounds. Industrial collaboration is needed to speed up progress from the research bench, to the field-study stage, and finally commercialization.

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