EAB sensors possess the potential to significantly advance our comprehension of metabolism, endocrinology, pharmacokinetics, and neurochemistry as valuable research tools. Specifically, these sensors offer improved resolution and more quantitative measurements of phenomena such as drug delivery, clearance, and the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. With their capability for feedback control, EAB sensors also present unprecedented opportunities to elucidate the correlation between, for instance, plasma drug levels and subsequent clinical or behavioral responses. The simultaneous measurements performed by EAB sensors in multiple body locations can enhance our understanding of drug and metabolite transport within and between bodily compartments. Beyond in-body measurements, EAB sensors could be beneficial for real-time monitoring in cell culture applications, ranging from small-scale (e.g., "organ on a chip") to industrial scale (e.g., monitoring industrial bioreactors). They have already demonstrated utility in applications such as monitoring ATP release in astrocytes and detecting serotonin in cell culture using glass nanopipettes.
Aptamers, referred to as "chemical antibodies," are used in therapeutics and biosensing due to their specific recognition and binding capabilities toward target molecules. They offer advantages over classical antibodies as they are significantly lighter, easily penetrate intracellular targets, can be synthetically produced, are non-immunogenic, and exhibit stability. Aptamers excel in discerning proteins, demonstrating precision in diagnostics and therapeutics, and have applications in laboratory assays and separations, particularly in biomolecule purification, chiral separation, and biochemical assays. The ability of aptamers to undergo conformational changes makes them ideal for developing quenching-based biosensors, showcasing flexibility that antibodies lack. Unlike antibodies, which are prone to cross-reactivity and batch variations, aptamers offer customizable selectivity and stability. This is particularly evident in biosensor applications targeting low-molecular-weight entities like small molecules