New Year’s Eve has a special meaning for Dr. Fran Ligler- it was on that day, 26 years ago, that she received the patent for her revolutionary portable optical biosensors. Since then, the biosensors have been used in food safety applications, pollution studies, and most notably, by the U.S. military to detect hazardous materials (such as toxins and biohazards). IPWatchdog has released an article commemorating Fran and the work behind this great achievement, as well as what the future may hold for this awesome technology.