The development of new techniques to rapidly and accurately detect bacteria has drawn continuous attention due to the potential threats posed by bacteria to human health and safety. Recently, a novel strategy based on fluorescent probes has drawn considerable interest for the detection of bacteria due to its high selectivity, fast response, and simple operation. In this review, we summarize the recent progress on fluorescent probes for the specific recognition and discrimination of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In particular, we outline current design strategies, such as targeting of the differences in surface components, cell wall components, endogenous enzymes, surface charge, and hydrophobicity of various kinds of bacteria to develop various fluorescent sensors (organic small-molecule fluorescent probes, nanoprobes, and metal ion probes). We also emphasize the application of organic molecules in probe recognition elements. We hope that this review can stimulate this research area in bacterial detection and imaging in the future.
Keywords: bacteria; detection; fluorescent probe; imaging.