Title_Preface_Contents_List of authors_Photo of the participants

Abstract

Since the last German status seminar on biosensors was held at the GBF in May, 1989, with many participants from the German-speakingcountries (Austria, Switzerland and, at that time, the German Democratic Republic), Germany has becomeunited. This alone was reason enough to organize, for the first time, a true "All-German Biosensor Meeting" - a task undertaken jointly by the Gesellschaft fiir Biotechnologische Forschung (GBF) in Braunschweig and by the Zentralinstitut fiir Molekularbiologie (ZIM) in Berlin-Buch, with the support of the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie (BMFT) [the National Ministry of Research and Technology, Bonn]. As a format, the organizers chose not only to invite as many researchers in the field of biosensors from Germanyas possible but also to expand the perspective of the meeting by inviting top-experts from the international biosensor community. As a result, almost 150 scientists from German institutes and companies and 15 foreign experts from Austria, Bulgaria, France, Japan, the USSRandits memberstates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Sweden and Switzerland gathered from May 12 to 14 at the Bogensee Center near Berlin. The presentations included different types of biological recognition elements (e.g. enzymes, microbes, antibodies, receptors and lipid membranes), as well as a broad range of transducers (e.g. electrodes, optodes, FETs and piezoquartzes). During the second day of the meeting, international developments in the field could be overviewed thanks to the presentations of leading foreign experts. Finally, in a farewell meeting at the Walther- Nernst-Auditorium of the famous Humboldt University, a historic outline of this famous place, kindly offered by Prof. H. Bartelt of the Humboldt University, was followed by remarkable lectures from Prof. I. Karube of RCAST Tokyo andProf. P. Fromherz of Ulm University. The presentation of work during the conference wasstructured according to the regional activities in biosensor R & D throughout Germany. The editors have chosen to stick to this schedule since it allows easy identification of the projects of each individual group. Tofacilitate understanding for the non-German readers of these proceedings, the locations of the laboratories present at the meeting are indicated in Fig.1. The organizers of the meeting who are also the editors of this monograph wish to express their gratitude to the BMFT and the GBFfor their very significant financial Support, as well as to many staff members of the GBF and the ZIM, of which the names of Birgit Balster, Heidi Rabe, Silvia Schmidt, Margit Henselmann, may serve Just as examples. Their tireless help madeit possible to Prepare and managethe conference successfully. Further thanks are due to Dr.J.-H. Walsdorff as the copy editor of this monograph, and to Ms. Doris Perl for carefully editing the manuscripts.