Cellulose-based biogenic supports, remarkably friendly biomaterials for proteins and biomolecules

Cellulose has a long history dating back to ancient times in the evolution of humanity. It was a key material for basic needs, especially for the construction of shelters, paper making, which allowed our ancestors to perpetuate the valuable literary, philosophical or artistic works. In modern era, cellulose has acquired new dimensions of knowledge and scientific interest. This increased interest in cellulose is due to the need to exploit the still unknown resources that cellulose provides us, possibly due to the remarkable progress made lately in the field of fine characterization of the structure using sophisticated electron microscopes and other characterization techniques that have recently emerged. The growing demands of modern society in the direction of computerization and technology, have led the general interest to move from the classical writing paper to other types of “papers” that incorporates a high degree of ingenuity and intelligence, the so-called special papers, ranging from sensors, chips, motherboards, papers with a high degree of security, and many others. Among these, paper-based biosensors are of special interest, due to their high selectivity, simplicity, low price, and fast response. In this article we will review the new trends in the immobilization of biomolecules on various cellulose-based supports. In the first part, we will discuss the stages prior to the manufacture of a such support by specific chemical modification of the cellulosic substrate, followed by an overview of the most studied proteins, but also the most commonly used methods in monitoring protein adsorption on cellulosic substrates.