Recent Progress on the Sensing of Pathogenic Bacteria Using Advanced Nanostructures

Ailment related to pathogenic bacteria and toxins remains a significant threat to the human body. Specifically, pathogenic bacteria are the main source of epidemic diseases and are infectious to human beings owing to their appearance in food, water, and other biological samples. Over the past several years, advanced nanomaterials-based sensing has been considered as an efficient and unique platform for the rapid, selective, ultrasensitive, qualitative, and quantitative detection of single or multiple pathogenic bacteria. Towards this end, various emerging nanomaterials have been purposefully designed and developed to integrate them onto sensor systems for the recognition of pathogenic bacteria. The present review describes a wide range of analytical techniques such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering, electrochemistry (electrochemical and electronic), a field-effect transistor, fluorescence, calorimetry and surface-plasmon resonance etc. which incorporate nano-biosensor technology to develop a pathogenic bacterium based sensor. This review also highlights the progress, trends and strategy utilized toward the identification of harmful bacteria by focusing on the pertinent literature available on the various advanced nanomaterials (such as semiconducting, magnetic, noble metal and carbon-based nanomaterials) incorporating nano-bio sensor platforms.