Laser-induced carbon nanostructures

A method of producing an animal health diagnostics biosensor electrode, comprising the steps of:

• (a) using a first laser beam configured to irradiate an encapsulated, sub-surface region of a carbon pre-cursor material below a surface of the carbon pre-cursor material, the parameters of the first laser beam being selected to create carbon foam in that encapsulated, sub-surface region and a carbon-based material above the carbon foam;
• (b) using a second laser beam configured to remove or ablate the carbon-based material sitting above the carbon foam, the parameters of the second laser beam being selected to expose or alter at least some of the carbon foam, to produce a resultant carbon foam material;
• and
• (c) functionalizing the resultant carbon foam material by adding a receptor or biorecognition element that is specific to a target or analyte to the resultant carbon foam material or a linker that is attached to the resultant carbon foam material;
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• (d) providing the functionalized carbon foam material for use as a biosensor electrode in an assay device, such as an electrochemical assay device, configured for animal health diagnostics.