Aptamers and Their Potential as Recognition Elements for the Detection of Bacteria

DNA and RNA are well-known polymers that are central to the existence of every known form of life. Once thought to be strictly passive templates containing genetic information, it has since become clear that these nucleic acids are capable of much more. Synthetic biologists are working to exploit this potential, creating a wide spectrum of “functional nucleic acids”. These molecules can be divided into two broad categories: catalysts …