Biosensors could enable rapid monitoring of multiple waterborne pathogens

New research published in Biocontaminant suggests that integrated biosensing systems could revolutionize the monitoring of waterborne pathogens. Current methods often rely on periodic, single-target testing that is too slow to provide rapid warnings of emerging biological risks.

While traditional culture methods, PCR, and sequencing remain essential for determining microorganism viability and detailed characterization, they are limited by the need for sample collection and laboratory processing. This prevents continuous, in situ monitoring.

The proposed framework aims to transition surveillance toward rapid, online monitoring of multiple priority pathogens in near real time. Key emerging technologies include nanobody-based recognition paired with fiberoptic sensors for rapid first-line screening, functional nucleic acid probes like aptamers for specific secondary analysis, and microfluidic platforms to automate sample handling and parallel detection.