Challenges in Biosensor Development--Detection limit, detection time, and specificity

Biosensors are widely used to detect the presence of biological entities (pathogens, harmful chemicals, and toxins) in a sample, but their application is subject to several limitations, including detection limit and detection time. The detection limit is the minimum amount of a biological entity that can be detected. The detection limit is especially important when the threshold limit of a pathogen--the amount that could make a person sick--is very low. A biosensor is only useful if its detection limit is lower than the threshold limit of the pathogen in question.