Detection of microbial pathogens in food is the solution to the prevention and recognition of problems related to health and safety. New biomolecular approaches for foodborne pathogen detection are being developed to improve the biosensor characteristics such as sensitivity and selectivity, also which is rapid, reliable, cost-effective, and suitable for in situ analysis. Recently, conducting polymers have drawn attention in the development of biosensors. The electrically conducting polymers have numerous features, which allow them to act as excellent materials for immobilization of biomolecules. Also, their unique properties make them appealing alternatives for specific materials currently employed for the fabrication of biosensors. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive literature review detailing the salient features of conducting polymers and their application to biosensors with an emphasis on foodborne pathogen detection.

Aims:  A PCR technique was developed as a reliable and rapid identification method for the Bacillus cereus group species, based on a unique conserved sequence of the motB gene (encoding flagellar motor protein) from B. cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus anthracis. Methods and Results:  Primer locations were identified against eight strains of the B. cereus group spp. from nucleotide sequences available in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information database. The PCR assay was applied for the identification of 117 strains of the B. cereus group spp. and 19 strains from other microbial species, with special emphasis on foodborne pathogens. Conclusion:  The designed cross‐species primers are group specific and did not react with DNA from other Bacillus and non‐Bacillus species either motile or not. The primers system enabled us to detect 103 CFU of B. cereus cells per millilitre of sample. Significance and Impact of the Study:  Bacillus cereus group spp. belongs to one of the most prevalent foodborne pathogens. Bacterial growth results in production of different toxins; therefore, consumption of food containing >106 bacteria per gram may result in emetic and diarrhoeal syndromes. A rapid and sensitive bacterial detection method is significant for food safety.

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) offers an alternative method for the detection of bacterial contamination in food. This method provides the quantitation and determination of the number of gene copies. In our study, we established an RT-PCR assay using the LightCycler system to detect and quantify the Bacillus cereus group species, which includes B. cereus, B. anthracis, B. thuringiensis, B. weihenstephanensis, B. mycoides, and B. pseudomycoides. A TaqMan assay was designed to detect a 285-bp fragment of the motB gene encoding the flagellar motor protein, which was specific for the detection of the B. cereus group species, excluding B. pseudomycoides, and the detection of a 217-bp gene fragment of a hypothetical protein specific only for B. pseudomycoides strains. Based on three hydrolysis probes (MotB-FAM-1, MotB-FAM-2, and Bpm-FAM-1), it was possible to differentiate B. weihenstephanensis from the B. cereus group species with nonrhizoid growth and B. pseudomycoides from the whole B. cereus group. The specificity of the assay was confirmed with 119 strains belonging to the Bacillus cereus group species and was performed against 27 other Bacillus and non-Bacillus bacteria. A detection limit was determined for each assay. The assays performed well not only with purified DNA but also with DNA extracted from milk samples artificially contaminated with bacteria that belong to the B. cereus group species. This technique represents an alternative approach to traditional culture methods for the differentiation of B. cereus group species and differentiates B. weihenstephanensis and B. pseudomycoides in one reaction.