Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Produce Safety and Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #393410
Research Project: Elucidating the Factors that Determine the Ecology of Human Pathogens in Foods

Location: Produce Safety and Microbiology Research

Title: Advances, applications, and limitations of portable and rapid detection technologies for routinely encountered foodborne pathogens

Author
item Quintela, Irwin
item VASSE, TYLER - Hispanic Association Of Colleges & Universities (HACU)
item LIN, CHIH-SHENG - National Yang-Ming University
item Wu, Vivian

Submitted to: Frontiers in Microbiology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/17/2022
Publication Date: 12/5/2022
Citation: Quintela, I.A., Vasse, T., Lin, C., Wu, V.C. 2022. Advances, applications, and limitations of portable and rapid detection technologies for routinely encountered foodborne pathogens. Frontiers in Microbiology. 13. Article 1054782. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1054782.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1054782

Interpretive Summary: The conventional microbiology methods remain as the gold standards for detecting foodborne pathogens. However, the limitations of traditional methods present many challenges such as requiring abundant resources and staff to process a large volume of samples, longer turnaround time, and high operational and maintenance costs to keep the laboratory running. Recent advances in foodborne pathogen diagnostic technologies have been designed to provide rapid results with portable features allowing on-site testing without the need of trained personnel. This comprehensive review discusses recent advances, applications, and limitations of rapid biosensors through insightful analysis of different biosensing systems. The review specifically focused on the novel designs and analytical performance, compatibility, sensitivity, and costs of various biosensors. Recommendations for future diagnostic tools development specific for emerging and re-emerging foodborne pathogens and the hurdles that await in transitioning from laboratory bench to commercialization are also provided.

Technical Abstract: Traditional foodborne pathogen detection methods are highly dependent on pre-treatment of samples and selective microbiological plating to reliably screen target microorganisms. Inherent limitations of conventional methods include longer turnaround time and costs, use of bulky equipment, and the need for trained staff in centralized laboratory settings. To work around these limitations, researchers have developed stable, reliable, sensitive, and selective rapid foodborne pathogens detection assays. Recent advances in rapid diagnostic technologies have shifted to on-site testing, which offers flexibility and ease-of-use, a significant improvement from the rigid and cumbersome steps of traditional methods. This comprehensive review aims to provide a thorough discussion of the recent advances, applications, and limitations of portable and rapid biosensors for routinely encountered foodborne pathogens. It discusses the major differences between biosensing systems based on the molecular interactions of target analytes and biorecognition agents. Though detection limits and costs still need further improvement, reviewed technologies have high potential in assisting the food industry in the on-site monitoring and screening of foodborne pathogens and other hazards to maintain safe and healthy foods. Finally, it offers targeted recommendations for future development of diagnostic tools specifically for emerging and re-emerging foodborne pathogens.