The field of biosensor research has had a significant impact in both laboratory research and the commercial sector. Biosensors have revolutionized the care and management of diabetes and have had important impacts in several other areas of clinical diagnostics. Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific have all seen the rise of small and medium-sized companies seeking technical and application niches in the manufacture or use of biosensors. The current activity in both gene and protein "biochips" can be seen as the latest set of tools that allow users who are not analytical science practitioners to make technically complex and reliable measurements with the minimum of intervention. Similarly, the concern about the dissemination of chemical or biological weapons and the need for their rapid and reliable detection will need to be met by devices that have many characteristics in common with biosensors. This book provides a practical introduction to the many skills needed in the highly interdisciplinary field of biosensor technology.