Intelligent detection technologies for microbes and disease biomarkers

Microbial communities play a critical role in human health, and their metabolic activities are directly implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of various diseases. Conventional detection methods for microbes and biomarkers, however, are hampered by limitations including poor real-time performance, high invasiveness, low specificity, and limited capacity for multi-parameter parallel detection, which severely restrict their application in clinical and scientific research. In recent years, the deep integration of interdisciplinary fields such as synthetic biology, nanotechnology, optical imaging, and artificial intelligence has catalyzed the rapid development of intelligent detection technologies. These innovations provide novel solutions for achieving highly sensitive, noninvasive, real-time, and multi-modal detection of microbes and disease biomarkers. This review systematically summarizes the breakthroughs in these technologies for microbial visualization and disease biomarker tracking, with a focus on four core strategies: physical information-based sensing (e.g. photoacoustic imaging, acoustic reporter genes), specific probe labeling (fluorescent, isotopic, nanomaterial-based probes), genetically engineered biosensors, and bioluminescence imaging. Collectively, these approaches not only enable real-time in vivo monitoring of microbial dynamics but also hold substantial promise for biomarker detection. Finally, we discuss the pivotal challenges confronting their clinical translation, aiming to provide a valuable reference for advancing precision medicine, personalized health monitoring, and microbiome research.