Standards for reporting optical biosensor experiments (STROBE): Improving standards in the reporting of optical...

Area of Science:

• Biosensors
• Biophysical Characterization
• Scientific Publishing

Background:

• The volume of peer-reviewed publications utilizing biosensor data, including bio-layer interferometry (BLI), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and grating-coupled interferometry (GCI), has significantly increased.
• This growth necessitates improved standardization in reporting biosensor experimental details to ensure reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenge of inconsistent and incomplete reporting of biosensor data in scientific literature.
• To propose a standardized framework for reporting optical biosensor experiments to enhance data transparency and experimental replication.

Main Methods:

• Literature search of PubMed using common biosensor technique keywords (BLI, SPR, GCI).
• Analysis of publication trends and identification of common omissions in reported experimental details.
• Development of a proposed reporting standard: STROBE (standards for reporting optical biosensor experiments).

Main Results:

• Over 2500 scientific papers featuring biosensor data were published in 2022, nearly doubling since 2009.
• Commonly missing critical information in published biosensor studies includes sample preparation, method settings, data evaluation, sensor type, and instrumentation details.
• Inconsistent reporting hinders the replication of experimental findings.

Conclusions:

• Standardization of biosensor data reporting is crucial for the scientific community.
• The proposed STROBE standard aims to improve the quality and replicability of published optical biosensor experiments.