Challenges for nanomechanical sensors in biological detection

Nanomechanical biosensing relies on changes in the movement and deformation of micro- and nanoscale objects when they interact with biomolecules and other biological targets. This field of research has provided ever-increasing records in the sensitivity of label-free detection but it has not yet been established as a practical alternative for biological detection. We analyze here the latest advancements in the field, along with the challenges remaining for nanomechanical biosensors to become a commonly used tool in biology and biochemistry laboratories.We acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Science Ministry through projects ANEM! (TEC2009-14517-C02), INMUNO-swing (IPT-2011-0821-010000) and ForceForFuture (CSD2010-00024); and from European Research Council through Starting Grant NANOFORCELLS (ERC-StG-2011-278860).Peer reviewe