Bioanalytical Application of Impedance Analysis: Transducing in Polymer-Based Biosensors and Probes for Living Tissues

Impedance measurements have been a somewhat neglected method of electrochemical transduction. This is despite the fact that these measurements are both extremely sensitive and ideally suited to interfacial phenomena. This review will highlight the work of the authors and others in the development of both biosensors and devices for bacterial and cellular monitoring which incorporate such measurements. The review will pay particular attention to the novel combination of conducting polymers and impedance measurements that has been developed to create label-free or reagentless biosensor instruments. Finally the review will examine some of the new directions of research that may ultimately make impedance measurements more accessible to the general science community.