New sensing devices that employ nanomaterials with dimensions smaller than 100 nanometres (1000 times smaller than the thickness or a human hair) as active sensors are now entering the marketplace. Ranging from the simple pregnancy test to complex disease diagnostics, these devices offer tremendous improvements, e.g., in sensitivity compared to current sensing technologies. For this reason, the global nanosensor market is expected to exceed $ 17.2 Billion by 2012. In this lecture, we look at (i) what nanosensors actually are, (ii) why they are so good at sensing, and (iii) what the future holds for these new emerging devices, particularly in Point-of-Care or early disease diagnosis. Alan O'Riordan is a Principal Investigator and Staff Researcher in the Nanotechnology Group at Tyndall National Institute and an Adjunct Lecturer in Nanotechnology at Cork Institute of Technology. His research focuses on fabrication and characterisation of novel nanostructures and their applications to nano-analytical science, e.g., nanoelectrochemistry and nano-biophotonics.

• published: 10 Oct 2012
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