Conjugated Polymer-Based Smart Biosensors for Pathogen Detection in Food Sector

Food industry has faced critical challenges with safety and security due to the global increase in food demand and produce trade, leading to food spoilage due to microbial infestations which affects the quality and quantity of food. This issue has been addressed with monitoring of food in the supply chain through laborious analytical techniques which have economic and technological limitations for implementing on a global scale. Thus, a need for continuous on-line or automated monitoring of food at the manufacturing, supply chain, and consumer end is essential. Here smart biosensors have been developed that enable active monitoring of food samples without the use of analytical equipment, one such approach is reviewed here, conjugated polymer (CP)-based biosensors have been used for different pathogens like Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, or Clostridium botulinum and fabricated using different techniques like Suzuki coupling reaction, Heck coupling reaction, or Sonogashira coupling reaction with customizable properties which lead to adjustable pathogen-receptor interactions, based on principles of electrochemistry, bioluminescence, mechanics, and optics. These smart biosensors have various advantages, but certain shortcomings have limited their global use. More future research in the domain of nanotechnology in the form of nanotubes, quantum dots, and nanoparticles needs to be done. With the introduction of IoT and artificial intelligence for smart biosensor applications, a more adaptive approach for pathogen detection in the food industry can be incorporated to promote live and on-line data curation.