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Despite decades of gains in biotechnology, currently much remains unknown about the molecular mechanisms of a
number of deadly diseases. New tools are needed to speed discovery at the molecular level and to mitigate the
complexity of studying the systems biology of disease. In the last decade, a number of advancements have been made
in photonic biosensing aimed at developing a new generation of technologies for the study and early detection of
disease. Label-free photonic biosensing techniques such as surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRI), nanoporous
silicon waveguides, interferometry, and optical resonators have achieved detection limits on par with conventional
techniques while decreasing the size of the biosensing element and reducing the number of steps involved in the
biosensing procedure. In addition, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been shown to detect molecules
in extremely low numbers, even single molecules.
In parallel to the development of a new generation of photonic biosensing techniques, advanced microfluidic
technologies have emerged. The last decade has seen the development of automated micro-valves and micro-pumps,
particle sorting, concentration gradient generation, and sample mixing. Also, photonic components, including
waveguides and lenses, have been fabricated from soft-lithography materials. Synthesizing advanced microfluidic
techniques with the new generation of photonic biosensing is likely to be the key to increasing throughput by increasing
automation, decreasing equipment costs, and enabling multiplexing. This report will review examples of recent work in
optofluidic biosensors and will discuss the opportunities for advancing research related to disease at the molecular level
utilizing optofluidic biosensing technologies.
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