Nanomaterial-based Optical Biosensors for the Detection of Foodborne Bacteria

Foodborne bacteria (including Salmonella, Escherichia coli, etc.) can cause a number of illnesses and result in social and economic losses. However, the conventional tools used in foodborne bacteria monitoring demonstrate poor specificity, while also being insensitive, labor-intensive and time-consuming. Thus, the development of easy-to-use and efficient detection methods that utilize innovative devices to address the aforementioned issues is warranted. Nanomaterial-based optical biosensors have been widely used in monitoring foodborne bacteria. This study offers an overview of the use of nanomaterial-based optical biosensors that have been applied in foodborne bacteria detection, with an emphasis on the different molecular recognition elements and the incorporation of diverse nanomaterials in the optical biosensors. In addition, this article compares the analytical performance of nanostructured biosensors and conventional techniques. Finally, the article concludes by identifying the key challenges of nanomaterial-based optical biosensors in the future. This will provide new ideas and good application prospects for the detection of harmful foodborne bacteria.