CRISPR-Cas based molecular diagnostics for foodborne pathogens

Abstract

Foodborne pathogenic infection has brought multifaceted issues to human life, leading to an urgent demand for advanced detection technologies. CRISPR/Cas-based biosensors have the potential to address various challenges that exist in conventional assays such as insensitivity, long turnaround time and complex pretreatments. In this perspective, we review the relevant strategies of CRISPR/Cas-assisted diagnostics on foodborne pathogens, focusing on biosensing platforms for foodborne pathogens based on fluorescence, colorimetric, (electro)chemiluminescence, electrochemical, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection. It summarizes their detection principles by the clarification of foodborne pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Finally, we discuss the current challenges or technical barriers of these methods against broad application, and put forward alternative solutions to improve CRISPR/Cas potential for food safety.

Keywords:

• Foodborne pathogens
• CRISPR/Cas
• biosensors
• nucleic acid diagnosis
• food safety

Authors’ contributions

Yunhao Lu: Writing-original draft preparation; Jinrong Bai and Hao Yang: writing-review; Qiang He: supervision; Ruijie Deng: conceptualization, writing-review and editing.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This review was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22074100), Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (2022NSFSC1624), and the Scientific Research Project of Chengdu University (2081921045).