Abstract
Aptamers are single stranded DNA or RNA ligands, which can be selected by a method called systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX); and they can specifically recognize and bind to their targets. These unique characteristics of aptamers offer great potentials in applications such as pathogen detection and biomolecular screening. Pathogen detection is the critical means in detecting and identifying the problems related to public health and food safety; and only the rapid, sensitive and efficient detection technologies can enable the users to make the accurate assessments on the risks of infections (humans and animals) or contaminations (foods and other commodities) caused by various pathogens. This article reviews the development in the field of the aptamer-based approaches for pathogen detection, including whole-cell SELEX and Genomic SELEX. Nowadays, a variety of aptamer-based biosensors have been developed for pathogen detection. Thus, in this review, we also cover the development in aptamer-based biosensors including optical biosensors for multiple pathogen detection by multiple-labeling or label-free models such as fluorescence detection and surface plasmon resonance, electrochemical biosensors and lateral chromatography test strips, and their applications in pathogen detection and biomolecular screening. While notable progress has been made in the field in the last decade, challenges or drawbacks in their applications such as pathogen detection and biomolecular screening remain to be overcome.
Highlights
Bacteria are microorganisms that are a few micrometers in length and morphologically described as rod, sphere or spiral
We summarize the most commonly used systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) methods in selection of aptamers against bacterial foodborne pathogens and the application of aptamer-based biosensors in biomolecular screening
SELEX advanced rather slowly initially, the selection of aptamers against pathogenic bacteria has been stably progressing in the last decade and nowadays, this technology has been evolved into a useful tool in pathogen detection and biomolecular screening
Summary
Bacteria are microorganisms that are a few micrometers in length and morphologically described as rod, sphere or spiral. They can sense and respond to temperature and pH changes, nutritional starvation or new food sources, toxins, stresses, and quorum sensing signals (Salis et al, 2009). Pathogens are harmful species that cause infections and contagious diseases that result in many serious complications. Common bacterial pathogens and their complications include Escherichia coli and Salmonella (food poisoning), Helicobacter pylori (gastritis and ulcers), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (sexually transmitted disease), N. meningitides (meningitis), Staphylococcus aureus (boils, cellulitis, abscesses, wound infections, toxic shock syndromes, pneumonia, and food poisoning), and Streptococcus spp. Infectious diseases account for nearly 40% of the estimated total 50 million deaths annually (Ivnitski et al, 1999)
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