Grading the commercial optical biosensor literature—Class of 2008: ‘The Mighty Binders’

Optical biosensor technology continues to be the method of choice for label‐free, real‐time interaction analysis. But when it comes to improving the quality of the biosensor literature, education should be fundamental. Of the 1413 articles published in 2008, less than 30% would pass the requirements for high‐school chemistry. To teach by example, we spotlight 10 papers that illustrate how to implement the technology properly. Then we grade every paper published in 2008 on a scale from A to F and outline what features make a biosensor article fabulous, middling or abysmal. To help improve the quality of published data, we focus on a few experimental, analysis and presentation mistakes that are alarmingly common. With the literature as a guide, we want to ensure that no user is left behind. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.