This work comprises the following articles: Hung Lam, Yordan Kostov: Optical Instrumentation for Bioprocess Monitoring.- K. Ray, M. H. Chowdhury, J. Zhang, Y. Fu, H. Szmacinski, K. Nowaczyk, J. R. Lakowicz: Plasmon-Controlled Fluorescence Towards High-Sensitivity Optical Sensing.- Joao G. Henriques, Stefan Buziol, Elena Stocker, Arthur Voogd, Jose C. Menezes: Monitoring Mammalian Cell Cultivations for Monoclonal Antibody Production Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.- Kenneth F. Reardon, Zhong Zhong, Kevin L. Lear: Environmental Applications of Photoluminescence-Based Biosensors.- Guido...

Of all things natural, light is the most sublime. From the very existential belief of the origins of the universe to its role in the evolution of life on earth, light has been inextricably woven into every aspect of our lives. I am grateful to Springer-Verlag and Thomas Scheper for this invitation to organize this volume that continues to expand the use of light to create next generation sensing applications. Indeed, the very act of expanding the frontiers of learning and knowledge are referred to in many languages and cultures as enlightenment. Early optical instruments relied largely on...