Nano-enabled sensing approaches for pathogenic bacterial detection

Maha Alafeef; Parikshit Moitra; Dipanjan Pan

doi:10.1016/j.bios.2020.112276

Nano-enabled sensing approaches for pathogenic bacterial detection

Biosens Bioelectron. 2020 Oct 1:165:112276. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112276. Epub 2020 May 19.

Authors

Maha Alafeef¹, Parikshit Moitra², Dipanjan Pan³

Affiliations

¹ Bioengineering Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Biomedical Engineering Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan; Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, 670 W Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States.
² Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, 670 W Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, 670 W Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States.
³ Bioengineering Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, 670 W Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, 670 W Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hiltop Circle, Baltimore, MD, 21250, United States. Electronic address: dipanjan@som.umaryland.edu.

PMID: 32729465
DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112276

Abstract

Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria, especially antibiotic-resistant bacteria, are one of the biggest threats to global health. To date, bacterial contamination is detected using conventional culturing techniques, which are highly dependent on expert users, limited by the processing time and on-site availability. Hence, real-time and continuous monitoring of pathogen levels is required to obtain valuable information that could assist health agencies in guiding prevention and containment of pathogen-related outbreaks. Nanotechnology-based smart sensors are opening new avenues for early and rapid detection of such pathogens at the patient's point-of-care. Nanomaterials can play an essential role in bacterial sensing owing to their unique optical, magnetic, and electrical properties. Carbon nanoparticles, metallic nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, and various types of nanocomposites are examples of smart nanomaterials that have drawn intense attention in the field of microbial detection. These approaches, together with the advent of modern technologies and coupled with machine learning and wireless communication, represent the future trend in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. This review provides an overview of the recent advancements in the successful harnessing of different nanoparticles for bacterial detection. In the beginning, we have introduced the fundamental concepts and mechanisms behind the design and strategies of the nanoparticles-based diagnostic platform. Representative research efforts are highlighted for in vitro and in vivo detection of bacteria. A comprehensive discussion is then presented to cover the most commonly adopted techniques for bacterial identification, including some seminal studies to detect bacteria at the single-cell level. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and a prospective outlook on the field, together with the recommended solutions.

Keywords: Bacterial sensing; Carbon dots; Infectious diseases; Machine learning; Metallic nanoparticles; Nanoparticles.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Bacteria
Biosensing Techniques*
Humans
Metal Nanoparticles*
Nanotechnology
Prospective Studies

Grants and funding

R03 EB028026/EB/NIBIB NIH HHS/United States