Multiplexed photoluminescent sensors: towards improved disease diagnostics

The ability to simultaneously monitor multiple analytes in, for example, a single microplate well, is important for both basic research and clinical applications. In particular, for disease diagnosis there is a growing awareness that determination of a single disease biomarker is insufficient to pathologically confirm a disease state. Consequently, much recent literature has been directed towards the development of multiplexed photoluminescent sensors which can simultaneously detect multiple and diverse biomarkers that exist in a homogenous solution or a single cell, accelerating the progress towards precise disease diagnosis. This tutorial review highlights a selection of recent contributions towards this emerging interdisciplinary field that incorporates chemistry, chemical biology, materials sciences and medical sciences. This tutorial review highlights the development of multiplexed photoluminescent sensors which can simultaneously detect multiple and diverse biomarkers that exist in a homogenous solution or a single cell, accelerating the progress towards precise disease diagnostics.