Abstract
Bioelectronics embodies the exploitation of biological or biologically-inspired molecules as an integral part of an electronic devices and biosensors are the analytical embodiment of this art. The world market for biosensors, in 2009, was just under US$13 billion, with nearly nine tenths of that still accounted for by glucose measurement. This extraordinary dominance by a single biosensor type is driven by the exceptional needs of people with diabetes combined with the success of biosensors in meeting their demands for an appropriate product. The overall in vitro diagnostics market is currently considered to be worth around $40 billion, while recent estimates suggest that the theranostics (companion diagnostics) market is potentially worth a staggering $72 billion. Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic disease in the World, with Asia now home to four of the five largest diabetic populations and 2% of the World‘s population afflicted. Heart disease and stroke kill around 17 million people each year, accounting for one-third of all deaths globally.
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