The current global market for aptamers is approximately $99 million annually and is anticipated to increase at an astonishing compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 106.3% for the next five years resulting in an estimated value of $3.7 billion by the year 2017. Sometimes referred to as a “synthetic antibody,” an aptamer is a nucleic acid or peptide molecule that binds to a target or antigen with high affinity and specificity. Aptamers have a wide range of applications including diagnostics, therapeutics, forensics, and biodefense. To date, hundreds of aptamer sequences have been identified and can now be chemically synthesized in the lab on demand, faster and less expensively, without the traditional issues associated with producing recombinant antibodies. This article will review aptamer technology, its advantages and limitations, as well as highlight a few of its many applications in the life sciences…