Optical biosensors: where next and how soon?

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Assay Development
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Labelled reporter assays are standard in drug discovery.
• Label-free assays present potential advantages over labelled methods.
• Optical label-free platforms have not achieved widespread market impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To directly compare the technical benefits of labelled reporter assays and label-free assays.
• To identify the advantages and disadvantages of each assay type for drug discovery.
• To understand the barriers to adoption for optical label-free platforms.

Main Methods:

• Direct technical comparison of labelled reporter assays and label-free assays.
• Evaluation of assay development time, data quality, and label interference.
• Assessment of throughput, application scope, and usability of optical label-free platforms.

Main Results:

• Label-free assays demonstrate significant advantages, including faster development.
• Label-free assays provide accurate, high-information content data with less interference.
• Optical label-free platforms are perceived as having poor throughput and limited applications, with a steep learning curve.

Conclusions:

• Label-free assays offer compelling technical benefits for drug discovery.
• Overcoming perceptions of poor throughput and usability is crucial for label-free technology adoption.
• Further development and training may enhance the impact of optical label-free platforms.