Exploring the Potential of Peptides and Peptidomimetics in Biosensing

Abstract

Biosensors are devices that capture the biological signal and convert it into a detectable electrical signal through transduction. Biological entities like DNA, RNA, and proteins/enzymes can be conjugated onto the biosensor surface to detect and observe certain biological analytes in environment, biomedical, and food industries. Peptides have been efficiently used in the fabrication of peptide-based biosensors due to their attractive properties like established synthesis protocols, diverse structures, and as highly enzyme-selective substrates. However, owing to their labile nature, peptidomimetics are the best alternatives at the bioreceptor interface due to their specificity and stability, relatively low cost and easy modifications, and capability to form supramolecular assemblies like nanosheets. Such bioconjugation strategies efficiently convert interaction information into a measurable signal, thus highlighting the importance in the fabrication of next-generation novel robust biosensors desirable for detection and dissemination of pathogens causing infections in the living and non-living worlds.