Table 5.

Challenges for electrochemical biosensor design and detection of inner ear specific biomarkers

	Challenge	Potential solutions
Sample	Blood: Complex mix of proteins from many organs and tissues, not specific to inner ear	Identify biomarkers in blood that are inner ear specific
	CSF: Highly invasive to collect	Utilize blood biomarkers
	Inner Ear Fluid: Highly invasive to collect, likely to cause damage during collection	Utilize blood biomarkers
Target Capture	Low sample quantity or stability	– Design biosensors capable of rapid sample assessment[ 53a ] – Utilize microfluidic devices in biosensor design to improve sample‐accessibility[ 53b ] – Utilize nanostructure technologies to increase target recognition and binding[ 86 ]
	Identifying a specific protein in a complex sample.	Design recognition elements with high specificity target detection[ 49a ]
	Identifying point mutations	Detection based on charge transport through DNA recognition molecule[ 87 ]
Electrode Design	Nanostructuring can impact sensitivity	Design high‐curvature nanostructures[ 88 ]
	Limited immobilization efficacy of the capture element	Immobilize biomolecules on surfaces using ligands such as thiol[ 89 ]
	Poor sensitivity of the readout strategy when using whole blood	Utilize redox active molecules that are stable in blood