Bioactive papers are advanced cellulose-based functional materials that incorporate biomolecules with specific recognition ability for analytes. Although there is a wide range of potential applications for these papers, only a few have reached the commercial stage. There are fundamental questions that have to be addressed before they can be developed in large scale. One of the central questions in bioactive paper development is the impact of the properties of the cellulosic support on both immobilization and functionality of biomolecules. This paper presents a literature review on inkjet printing of biomolecules for bioactive paper applications and reports recent progress made in understanding factors that affect the activity of enzymes physically immobilized on cellulosic supports. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2010