FEAST of Biosensors: Food, Environmental and Agricultural Sensing Technologies (FEAST) in North America

We review the challenges and opportunities for biosensor research in North America aimed to accelerate translational research. We call for platform approaches based on: i) tools that can support interoperability between food, environment and agriculture, ii) open-source tools for analytics, iii) algorithms used for data and information arbitrage, and iv) use-inspired sensor design. We summarize select mobile devices and phone-based biosensors that couple analytical systems with biosensors for improving decision support. Over 100 biosensors developed by labs in North America were analyzed, including lab-based and portable devices. The results of this literature review show that nearly one quarter of the manuscripts focused on fundamental platform development or material characterization. Among the biosensors analyzed for food (post-harvest) or environmental applications, most devices were based on optical transduction (whether a lab assay or portable device). Most biosensors for agricultural applications were based on electrochemical transduction and few utilized a mobile platform. Presently, the FEAST of biosensors has produced a wealth of opportunity but faces a famine of actionable information without a platform for analytics.