Theory 27/Sensitivity vs Specificity/Biosensors
Sensitivity Costs Selectivity
The claim
Biosensor sensitivity trades against selectivity, so a sensor tuned to detect trace concentrations binds similar molecules as well.
01Mechanism
Strong binding requires a complementary site; the same complementarity admits analogues, and pushing for lower detection limits amplifies the cross-reactivity.
02Prediction
Cross-reactivity should rise with sensitivity.
03Refutation
Selectivity preserved at higher sensitivity would remove the trade-off.