Abstract
The rapid reproduction of live foodborne pathogenic bacteria poses a significant threat to human health. In the aspect of food safety monitoring, it is crucial to develop sensitive, rapid, and specific methods for detecting foodborne pathogenic bacteria. In this study, we present a novel bacteriophage-targeted electrochemical biosensor designed for accurate and quantitative detection of live Salmonella in food samples. The biosensor is simply constructed by electrostatic immobilizing bacteriophages on the MXene-nanostructred electrodes. MXene, renowned for its high surface area, biocompatibility, and conductivity, serves as an ideal platform for bacteriophage immobilization. This allows for a high-density immobilization of bacteriophage particles, achieving approximately 71 pcs µm− 2. Remarkably, the bacteriophages immoblized MXene nanostructured electrode still maintain their viability and functionality, ensuring their effectiveness in pathogen detection. Therefore, this proposed biosensor exhibited the enhanced sensitivity with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 5 CFU mL− 1. Notably, the biosensor exhibits excellent specificity in the presence of other bacteria that commonly contaminate food, and can distinguish live Salmonella from a mixed population. Furthermore, it is applicable in detecting live Salmonella in food samples, which highlights its potential in food safety monitoring. This biosensor offers simplicity, convenience, and suitability for resource-limited environments, making it a promising tool for on-site monitoring of foodborne pathogenic bacteria.