Theory, fabrication and applications of microfluidic and nanofluidic biosensors

Abstract

Biosensors are a broad array of devices that detect the type and amount of a biological species or biomolecule. Several different types of biosensors have been developed that rely on changes to mechanical, chemical or electrical properties of the transduction or sensing element to induce a measurable signal. Often, a biosensor will integrate several functions or unit operations such as sample extraction, manipulation and detection on a single platform. This review begins with an overview of the current state-of-the-art biosensor field. Next, the review delves into a special class of biosensors that rely on microfluidics and nanofluidics by presenting the underlying theory, fabrication and several examples and applications of microfluidic and nanofluidic sensors.