BIOSENSORS IN INDUSTRY : WHAT DO WE EXPECT ?

Abstract

In this article possible applications of biosensors to industrial process control in the field of biotechnology, eco-biotechnology and environmental control are discussed. If some of the ideas, opinions and concepts are applicable to other fields, such as medicine or food industry is beyond of the authors experience. In spite of the fact, that biotechnological processes are in many cases not fully understood novel analytical techniques, such as biosensors, are not accepted and therefore not used in industrial analytical laboratories or for process control. Solutions for actual problems are tried to be found by internal experts, applying sophisticated, well established and well known techniques. In fact, there often does not (yet) exist a scientific and/or commercial pressure to strongly reduce batches which do not meet all specifications. In addition, improvements in product yield is considered to depend mainly on molecular biology. Therefore the introduction of biosensors in an industrial environment is only possible if they present a well adapted solution for a very important analytical problem. These facts lead to an unproven benefit of applying modern analytical techniques such as new (bio)sensors and control instrumentation. Consequently analytical instrument companies have no commercial interest to develop and sell highly sophisticated analytical systems for industrial bioprocess control.