Label-Free Sensing

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