Portable light detectors for bioluminescence biosensing applications: A comprehensive review from the analytical chemist's perspective

Bioluminescence, that is the emission of light in living organisms, has been extensively explored and applied for diverse bioanalytical applications, spanning from molecular imaging to biosensing. The unprecedented technological evolution of portable light detectors opened new possibilities to implement bioluminescence detection into miniaturized devices. We are witnessing a number of applications, including DNA sequencing, reporter gene assays, DNA amplification for point-of care and point-of need analyses relying on BL. Several photon detectors are currently available for measuring low light emission, such as photomultiplier tubes (PMT), charge-coupled devices (CCD), complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and smartphone-integrated CMOS. Each technology has pros and cons and several issues, such as temperature dependence of the instrumental specific noise, the power supply, imaging capability and ease of integration, should be considered in the selection of the most appropriate detector for the selected BL application.

Automated summary

Bioluminescence is extensively used in various bioanalytical applications, and the advancement of portable light detectors has made it possible to integrate bioluminescence detection into miniaturized devices. Different photon detectors, such as PMTs, CCDs, CMOS, SPADs, SiPMs, and smartphone-integrated CMOS, have their pros and cons, and the selection of the most suitable detector should take into account factors such as instrumental noise, power supply, imaging capability, and ease of integration.