Biomolecules capturing live bacteria from clinical samples.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Rapid phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is crucial for treating bloodstream infections (BSIs).
• Low bacterial titers in BSIs pose significant challenges for live bacterial enrichment and subsequent testing.
• Diverse pathogen-specific biomolecules have been explored for bacterial capture over the past two decades.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review identified biomolecules used for capturing live bacteria from patient samples.
• To summarize the identification methods and reported capture assays for various biomolecules.
• To evaluate the potential of nanobodies as promising biomolecules for pathogen capture in AST.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of biomolecules identified for bacterial capture.
• Analysis of different biomolecule classes including immune proteins, antibodies, aptamers, phage proteins, and antimicrobial peptides.
• Examination of reported bacterial capture assay examples and their specificities.

Main Results:

• A wide range of biomolecules have been identified, varying in specificity from strains to broad-spectrum bacterial targets.
• Immune proteins, antibodies, aptamers, phage proteins, and antimicrobial peptides are among the commonly used capture agents.
• Nanobodies targeting conserved surface proteins show potential for effective pathogen capture.

Conclusions:

• Various biomolecules have been developed for bacterial capture, but specificity and efficiency remain key considerations.
• Nanobodies represent a promising avenue for developing robust and specific capture assays for BSIs.
• Further development of nanobody-based assays could significantly advance rapid AST for bloodstream infections.