The 2012 GRC on Bioanalytical Sensors (June 17-22, Salve Regina) will present cutting-edge research in a highly multidisciplinary atmosphere by leaders in the field. This GRC will serve as a conduit for collegial discussions of unpublished data in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, engineering, medicine, and physics as they apply to the development and applications of bioanalytical sensors. This meeting will bring together a diverse group of participants ranging from technologists, who are at the forefront of developing novel sensing platforms, to engineers with cutting-edge integration concepts, to biologists/clinicians with highly impactful application areas that demand new sensing systems. Research themes that will be discussed in this GRC include: 1) novel recognition elements and reporters, 2) recent advances in optical, electrochemical, and mechanical detection, 3) real-world applications including in vivo sensing, 4) the use of nanotechnology to advance the understanding of molecular interactions and integration into sensor designs enabling novel applications, and 5) system integration technologies. Specific topical areas that will be covered include (but are not limited to), single molecule-based sensing, intracellular sensing, biomaterials with enhanced optical or electronic properties, nanomaterials, nanostructures, engineered surfaces, miniaturization and automation, and multiplexed detection in complex matrices. This GRC will also provide for informal discussions on funding opportunities in the area of bioanalytical sensors and strategies for the commercialization of new platform technologies.

The collegial atmosphere of this GRC with ample time for discussion during the oral sessions as well as opportunities for discussions during informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings provides an avenue for scientists/engineers from diverse disciplines to brainstorm and promote new cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas represented.

In addition, the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) will convene immediately preceding the GRC (15 – 16 June 2012). Organized and conducted by graduate students and postdocs, the GRS will provide an opportunity for junior scientists to present their work in a formal and oral or poster format in front of their peers. These students will participate in the subsequent Bioanalytical Sensors GRC providing a unique opportunity to promote interactions between future researchers and established ones.