Bacteriophage Based Biosensors: Trends, Outcomes and Challenges.

Area of Science:

• Food safety and public health
• Biotechnology and biosensor development
• Microbiology and infectious diseases

Background:

• Foodborne pathogens pose significant public health risks, necessitating rapid detection methods.
• Conventional methods for pathogen detection are slow, costly, and complex.
• Emerging concerns include viral transmission through the food chain, like with Coronavirus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review bacteriophage-based biosensors for detecting foodborne pathogens.
• To discuss current trends, outcomes, and challenges in this field.
• To explore future perspectives for accessible food safety testing.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of bacteriophage-based biosensor research.
• Analysis of trends, outcomes, and challenges in pathogen detection.
• Exploration of advancements in smart materials and nanomaterials for biosensors.

Main Results:

• Bacteriophage-based biosensors show potential for overcoming limitations of conventional assays.
• Smart materials and nanomaterials are key enablers for advanced biosensor development.
• There is a clear demand for simple, cost-effective, and rapid pathogen detection tools.

Conclusions:

• Bacteriophage-based biosensors represent a significant advancement in foodborne pathogen detection.
• Future developments may lead to household lab-on-chip devices for food quality testing.
• Continued research is vital for enhancing the sensitivity, specificity, and accessibility of these biosensors.