Playing with biological selectivity: Antimicrobial peptides and bacteriophages-based optical biosensors for pathogenic bacteria detection

Bacteria monitoring is of paramount significance for healthcare systems worldwide and to assess food or water quality monitoring. In this review, advances during the last 10 years in optical biosensors based on antimicrobial peptides and bacteriophages for bacteria detection are described. Such probes possess high stability which allows for chemical and other modification for highly directed selectivity towards specific bacteria and strain differentiation. The main applications described ranged from clinical diagnosis to food/water quality monitoring as potential vehicles for potential bacterial infections in humans. A brief overview of the advantages and drawbacks of each biosensor for the targeted applications is also given. The high stability and potential for tailored functionalization of antimicrobial peptides and bacteriophages hold considerable promise for the development of the next generation of optical biosensors.