Bacteriophage Based Biosensors: Trends, Outcomes and Challenges

Abstract

Foodborne pathogens are one of the main concerns in public health, which can have a serious impact on community health and health care systems. Contamination of foods by bacterial pathogens (such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococci, Legionella pneumophila, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella typhimurium) results in human infection. A typical example is the current issue with Coronavirus, which has the potential for foodborne transmission and ruling out such concerns is often difficult. Although, the possible dissemination of such viruses via the food chain has been raised. Standard bacterial detection methods require several hours or even days to obtain the results, and the delay may result in food poisoning to eventuate. Conventional biochemical and microbiological tests are expensive, complex, time-consuming and not always reliable. Therefore, there are urgent demands to develop simple, cheap, quick, sensitive, specific and reliable tests for the detection of these pathogens in foods. Recent advances in smart materials, nanomaterials and biomolecular modeling have been a quantum leap in the development of biosensors in overcoming the limitations of a conventional standard laboratory assay. This research aimed to critically review bacteriophage-based biosensors, used for the detection of foodborne pathogens, as well as their trends, outcomes and challenges are discussed. The future perspective in the use of simple and cheap biosensors is in the development of lab-on-chips, and its availability in every household to test the quality of their food.

Current State of Development of Biosensors and Their Application in Foodborne Pathogen Detection

“…Phage-based biosensors employ bacteriophage as the recognition element (5,34,66,88). The advantage of this approach owes to the unique characteristics of phages.…”

Recent Advancements in Receptor Layer Engineering for Applications in SPR-Based Immunodiagnostics

“…Phage-derived biorecognition elements, such asphage-display peptides (the most recent) and elder, phage receptor-binding proteins or whole viral cells, are becoming more and more popular due their easy production, simple immobilization, rigidness, and ability to withstand very harsh conditions, such as high temperatures [ 132 ]. It is possible to insert the gene encoding the protein of interest into the phage’s genome, and then this particle is displayed as a fusion protein in the coating of the bacteriophage.…”

Modernization of Control of Pathogenic Micro-Organisms in the Food-Chain Requires a Durable Role for Immunoaffinity-Based Detection Methodology—A Review

“…Bacteriophages have several intrinsic and desirable characteristics which make them very suitable for the detection and identification of bacteria [212,213]. Their natural specificity and ease of production and use make them very attractive for food bacteriology and promise some solutions for current analytical challenges.…”