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 (deoxyribozymes and ribozymes) and receptors (aptamers). This chapter begins by providing a background on the field of functional nucleic acids with an emphasis on aptamer technology. One major application of aptamers is their use as recognition elements in sensors of interesting molecules and cell types. Some common designs of these sensors are profiled, explaining how the aptamer-target binding is converted into a detectable signal. The chapter concludes with a discussion of aptamer-based sensors of bacteria, including some of the relevant targets, the progress to date and the future prospects.