AUTHOR=Löffler Susanne , Antypas Haris , Choong Ferdinand X. , Nilsson K. Peter R. , Richter-Dahlfors Agneta TITLE=Conjugated Oligo- and Polymers for Bacterial Sensing JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry VOLUME=7 YEAR=2019 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2019.00265 DOI=10.3389/fchem.2019.00265 ISSN=2296-2646 ABSTRACT=

Fast and accurate detection of bacteria and differentiation between pathogenic and commensal colonization are important keys in preventing the emergence and spread of bacterial resistance toward antibiotics. As bacteria undergo major lifestyle changes during colonization, bacterial sensing needs to be achieved on different levels. In this review, we describe how conjugated oligo- and polymers are used to detect bacterial colonization. We summarize how oligothiophene derivatives have been tailor-made for detection of biopolymers produced by a wide range of bacteria upon entering the biofilm lifestyle. We further describe how these findings are translated into diagnostic approaches for biofilm-related infections. Collectively, this provides an overview on how synthetic biorecognition elements can be used to produce fast and easy diagnostic tools and new methods for infection control.