Label-Free Sensing

<p>The implementation of label-free sensing of biological and chemical agents allows<br />one to investigate the underlying physical and chemical characteristics and<br />interactions of target analytes while reducing both sample complexity and<br />preparation time. Sensor platforms incorporating label-free detection schemes<br />avoid the potentially confounding effects of molecular labels by monitoring the<br />target species directly relying solely on the intrinsic physicochemical properties of<br />the target analyte. Because of the relatively minimal sample preparation such<br />approaches are well suited for field applications and remote diagnostics where<br />either sample preparation facilities and/or trained personnel may be limited or<br />unavailable. This special issue highlights some diverse approaches to the<br />challenge of detecting target analytes without the need for labels. These<br />approaches principally focus on optical and electrochemical techniques and offer<br />the promise of a rapid diagnostics tool that could be used in a clinical setting that<br />would minimize the time between identification and treatment. [...]</p>