Applications of aptamers for chemistry analysis, medicine and food security

Since aptamer and its in vitro selection process called SELEX were independently described by Ellington and Gold in 1990, extensive research has been undertaken and numerous isolated aptamers for various targets have been applied. Aptamers can bind to a wide range of targets that include small organic molecules, inorganic compounds, haptens and even whole cells with high binding affinity and specificity. Aptamers for a wide range of targets have been selected currently. In addition, aptamers are thermo stable and can also be regenerated easily within a few minutes denaturation, which makes them easy to store or handle. These advantages make aptamers extremely suitable for applications based on molecular recognition as analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic tools. In this review, the recent applications of aptamers for chemistry analysis, medicine and food security, along with the future trend will be discussed.