Electrochemical techniques for label-free and early detection of growing microbial cells and biofilms

Abstract

Over the past decades, the misuse or abuse of antimicrobial agents to prevent and/or control infections has led to increased resistance of microbes to treatments, and antimicrobial resistance is now a subject of major global concern. In some cases, microbes possess the capacity to attach to biotic or abiotic surfaces, and to produce a protective polymeric matrix, forming biofilms of higher resistance and virulence compared to planktonic forms. To avoid further excessive and inappropriate use of antimicrobials, and to propose new effective treatments, it is very important to detect planktonic microbes and microbial biofilms in their early growth stage and at the point of need. In this review, we provide an overview of currently available electrochemical techniques, in particular impedimetric and voltamperometric methods, highlighting recent advances in the field and illustrating with examples in antibiotic susceptibility testing and microbial biofilm monitoring.