Recent endeavoring in biosurface and biointerface analysis with kinetic electrons and ions

: Research in the field of biointerfaces is currently expanding because of continuous scientific demands stemming from different areas of biology and biomedicine. The most challenging questions require new technological advancements, often emerging from apparently distant disciplines, such as vacuum science and technology (VST). If living systems are characterized by their molecular diversity and scaled hierarchical structure, VST provides a palette of bioanalytical techniques designed to disentangle emerging complex biointerface structures. We review crucial developments in bioanalytical systems concentrating on those based on kinetic electrons and ions. Developments in these techniques are closing the vacuum gap between the conditions required for a sensitive analysis and the natural environment of the sample (near ambient pressure analysis). The biomedical field has been the focus of most of the reviewed developments, with an emphasis on recent research related to microbiological analysis. Additional examples from environmental applications, zoology or agriculture (among others) are also presented.