Aptamer-functionalized metal organic frameworks as an emerging nanoprobe in the food safety field: Promising development opportunities and translational challenges

Food analysis is of great importance in food quality and safety monitoring for risk assessment regarding human health. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as a class of crystalline porous nanomaterials have attracted immense attention in biosensing and bioanalysis. MOFs may be utilized to make high-efficiency signal probes for a variety of applications, including biochemical analysis, food safety inspection, and environmental monitoring, especially when they are combined with aptamer functionalization. Hence, the main focus of this study is to cover the current progress of aptamer-functionalized MOFs-based electrochemical sensors and their food safety applications. We first highlight the general functionalization mechanisms of MOFs with aptamers, which offer a foundation to build MOFs-based aptasensors. Then, we discuss various strategies to design high-performance MOFs-based aptamer platforms which serve as either signal probes or signal probe carriers and their applications in food contaminants. The challenges and opportunities of developing aptamer-functionalized MOFs are discussed at the end. • MOFs can be used as signal probe carriers or signal probes aptamer based sensors. • Current progress in aptamer-functionalized MOFs sensor is reviewed. • The incorporation of MOFs with microfluidic tools enhances sensors' portability. • Current challenges and prospective directions of MOFs-based aptasensors are discussed.