A Fluorogenic Biosensor for Direct Detection of Vibrio vulnificus, a Climate Change Biomarker.

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Biosensor technology
• One Health initiatives

Background:

• Vibrio vulnificus is a marine pathogen and climate change biomarker, posing risks to human and animal health via seafood and water exposure.
• Rapid detection methods are crucial for vibriosis diagnosis and monitoring in warming coastal environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel fluorogenic biosensor for the rapid and sensitive detection of Vibrio vulnificus.
• To assess the biosensor's performance across various sample types and compare it to existing methods.

Main Methods:

• A fluorogenic biosensor was engineered using nanoporous anodic alumina loaded with rhodamine B and an oligonucleotide probe targeting the vvhA gene of V. vulnificus.
• The biosensor operates by probe displacement, pore opening, and fluorophore release upon target DNA binding, generating a measurable signal.
• Performance was evaluated in diverse matrices including fish mucus, human serum, and unprocessed natural water samples.

Main Results:

• The biosensor demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity for V. vulnificus detection.
• Detection limits were as low as 10² CFU/mL, comparable to quantitative PCR (qPCR).
• The biosensor successfully detected the pathogen in complex, unprocessed samples without prior DNA extraction or amplification.

Conclusions:

• The developed biosensor offers a rapid, simple, cost-effective, and accurate method for V. vulnificus detection.
• This platform holds significant potential for integrated One Health applications, linking environmental monitoring with clinical diagnostics.
• The technology advances surveillance capabilities for this important marine pathogen in a changing climate.