article · Discover Chemistry.
Optical biosensing enables sensitive, real-time detection of biological substances, relying heavily on aptamers and antibodies as bioreceptors. Antibodies provide high specificity and established production protocols, making them standard in clinical diagnostics. However, high costs, environmental sensitivity, and cross-reactivity drive interest in alternative recognition elements. Aptamers, which are nucleic acid-based molecules, provide chemical stability, straightforward synthesis, and flexible modification, proving advantageous in complex sample matrices despite having fewer standardised clinical protocols. Recent technical progress includes localised surface plasmon resonance platforms, hybrid sensing systems, metamaterials, and integration with Raman spectroscopy. Key technical hurdles include device surface stability, sensor reproducibility, and low-abundance analyte detection. Addressing these challenges requires better bioreceptor immobilisation, refined sensor architectures, and enhanced signal generation, especially to create affordable, portable detection tools suitable for resource-limited environments.
Detecting biological targets rapidly and accurately is vital across healthcare, environmental management, and food safety. Optical biosensors can deliver fast, real-time measurements, but their effectiveness depends on selecting the right molecular recognition element. Comparing the practical trade-offs between established antibodies and versatile, stable aptamers helps engineers design more dependable, economical diagnostic tools for clinics and field monitoring in settings with limited laboratory infrastructure.
This research informs early-stage development and selection of recognition elements for diagnostic devices, food safety testing, and environmental monitoring tools. Diagnostic manufacturers and sensor developers could apply these comparative insights to design localised surface plasmon resonance and hybrid optical platforms. While antibodies are already near-market or established in diagnostics, aptamer-based and metamaterial-enhanced optical platforms remain largely at the research and platform-development stage, requiring better surface stability, reproducibility, and field-ready portability.
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Optical biosensing has emerged as a vital tool for real-time, sensitive detection of biological analytes, with aptamers and antibodies leading as key molecular recognition elements. This review examines and compares their distinct roles, advantages, and limitations in optical biosensing. Antibodies, celebrated for their high specificity and mature production protocols, are often preferred in clinical diagnostics. However, challenges like cross-reactivity, environmental sensitivity, and production costs prompt exploration of alternative biorecognition molecules. Aptamers, nucleic acid–based recognition elements, offer several unique advantages, such as ease of synthesis, chemical stability, and amenability to modifications for improved target binding. While their relatively recent discovery means fewer standardized protocols and clinical applications compared to antibodies, aptamers show promise in complex sample matrices and emerging sensor platforms. This review also explores technological advances in both aptamer and antibody integration, surface modification strategies to enhance binding specificity and orientation, and regeneration methods to ensure biosensor reusability. Through a comprehensive comparison, the article aims to identify scenarios where one molecular recognition element holds distinct advantages over the other, paving the way for strategic applications in diagnostics, food safety, and environmental monitoring. In this review, we have explored the advancements and challenges associated with optical biosensing technologies, with a particular focus on LSPR-based sensors. Recent developments in nanoparticle fabrication, hybrid sensor platforms, and external stimulus-responsive systems have opened new avenues for biosensing applications in clinical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and food safety. The review also discussed the integration of optical biosensors with Raman spectroscopy for enhanced analytical capabilities and highlighted innovations in metamaterial-based sensors for improved sensitivity and specificity. Despite these advances, several challenges remain, including surface stability, reproducibility, and limitations in detecting low-abundance analytes. Addressing these challenges will require further improvements in device design, bioreceptor immobilization strategies, and signal enhancement techniques. Future research efforts should also focus on the development of portable and cost-effective biosensing platforms that can be applied in resource-limited settings. Ultimately, this review provides valuable insights into future trends in aptamer and antibody-based biosensors, encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation.
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DOI: 10.1007/s44371-025-00094-2
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