BIOCHEMICAL SENSORS IN INDUSTRY

In the past, industrial analytical chemists accepted and introduced novel analytical techniques, such as gas or liquid chromatography, at the very beginning of a new instrumental development. This attitude was necessary to solve their most frequent analytical problems. There was no alternative. Today, new analytical techniques, such as (bio)chemical sensors, are scarcely accepted and rarely used in industrial analytical laboratories or process control, e.g., in the field of biotechnology. Solutions for actual problems are sought by internal experts, applying sophisticated, well-established and well-known techniques. The introduction of (bio)chemical sensors in an industrial environment is only possible if they represent a well-adapted solution for a very important analytical problem. Therefore, (bio)chemical sensors must be developed together with a corresponding metrology (measurement technique) to be 'industrially fit', i.e., to solve an analytical problem, starting with sampling, sample preparation and ending with data treatment and interpretation. Recent examples fulfilling these requirements are presented.