OWLS: A versatile technique for sensing with bioarrays

Optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) is introduced as a precisio n technique capable of yielding detailed information on the structure of bi ological thin films, and on the kinetics of binding events between biopolym ers. Unlike previous methods, it can be applied in situ under conditions cl osely approximating those of a living organism, without the need to label a ny of the molecules.