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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 5, 2025

Optical Trapping of Nanoparticles
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Single-Molecule Optical Biosensing: Recent Advances and Future Challenges.

Swayandipta Dey1,2,3, Mathias Dolci1,2,3, Peter Zijlstra1,2,3

  • 1Eindhoven University of Technology, Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven 5600 MB, The Netherlands.

ACS Physical Chemistry Au
|March 27, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Optical sensors now achieve single-molecule sensitivity, revolutionizing biosensing. This advancement enables direct, label-free detection and holds promise for healthcare, environmental, and industrial applications.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Optical Physics

Background:

  • Significant advancements in biochemical functionalization and optical detection systems have dramatically improved optical sensor sensitivity and specificity.
  • Single-molecule sensitivity is now achievable in various biosensing assay formats, marking a major breakthrough in detection capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of optical sensors capable of single-molecule sensitivity in direct label-free, sandwich, and competitive assays.
  • To discuss the benefits and drawbacks of single-molecule assays.
  • To outline future challenges and opportunities in the field of optical single-molecule sensing.

Main Methods:

  • Review and summarization of existing literature on optical sensors achieving single-molecule sensitivity.

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  • Analysis of different assay formats (direct label-free, sandwich, competitive) for single-molecule detection.
  • Discussion of technological challenges and potential solutions.

    • Main Results:

    • Optical sensors have demonstrated remarkable progress, enabling single-molecule detection across diverse assay types.
    • Key advantages of single-molecule assays include enhanced sensitivity and specificity.
    • Disadvantages and limitations are also identified, paving the way for future research.

    Conclusions:

    • Optical single-molecule sensors offer transformative potential in healthcare diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial process control.
    • Future research should focus on optical miniaturization, integration, multimodal capabilities, accessible time scales, and real-life matrix compatibility.
    • The continued development of these sensors promises broader applications and improved analytical performance.