Argonaute proteins-powered biosensors and on-site analytical devices: A promising detection tool for food safety analysis

Abstract As a core issue of global public health, food safety is of great importance. With the globalization of food trade, there is an increased risk of contamination with hazardous substances at all stages in the food supply chain. Therefore, the development of accurate and on-site detection methods is crucial to ensure food safety. Notably, Argonaute protein (Ago)-based biosensing technology offers innovative solutions for food safety detection due to its high specificity and programmability. In recent years, Ago-based biosensing technologies have been successfully integrated with portable detection equipment, opening up new pathways to achieve efficient on-site food safety detection. This review provided a summary of recent advances in Ago-based biosensing technologies and their portable detection devices, highlighting their potential applications in food safety detection. Firstly, the working principle of the Ago system was introduced and compared with the CRISPR/Cas systems. Subsequently, the nucleic acid amplification strategies and the signal amplification techniques employed in Ago-based biosensors were considerately summarized. Most importantly, the progress on the applications of Ago-based biosensing technologies in food safety detection was comprehensively discussed. Notably, this review also provided an outlook on the future prospects and challenges of this emerging field. Ago-based biosensing technology showed great potential for food safety detection. Impressively, the combination of Ago-based sensing technology and portable devices made effective on-site detection possible. As research continues, Ago-based biosensing technologies and portable detection devices are expected to provide more reliable and convenient detection solutions for the food industry.