Biosensors for the analysis of food- and waterborne pathogens and their toxins

Biosensors are devices which combine a biochemical recognition element with a physical transducer. There are various types of biosensors, including electrochemical, acoustical, and optical sensors. Biosensors are used for medical applications and for environmental testing. Although biosensors are not commonly used for food microbial analysis, they have great potential for the detection of microbial pathogens and their toxins in food. They enable fast or real-time detection, portability, and multipathogen detection for both field and laboratory analysis. Several applications have been developed for microbial analysis of food pathogens, including E. coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes, as well as various microbial toxins such as staphylococcal enterotoxins and mycotoxins. Biosensors have several potential advantages over other methods of analysis, including sensitivity in the range of ng/mL for microbial toxins and