An Overview of Recent Developments on Electrodes Modified with Bacteriophages

Abstract

Viruses are small replicators. To survive, they need a host that can be any form of life, from simple microorganisms like bacteria to more sophisticated organisms like plants, animals and humans. They are responsible for various infectious diseases, causing health, economic and social problems. Nonetheless, there are some species of viruses, such as bacteriophages (phages for short), from which we can benefit. Phages are viruses of bacteria. Their application is undergoing a renaissance, as they can be applied in medicine as an alternative to antibiotics (phage therapy) or diagnostics as an alternative to antibodies. Due to the latter, the phages have caught the attention of electroanalysts for being used as biorecognition elements on electrode surfaces. Thus, the intrinsic properties of phages for recognition of specific species of bacteria are utilised for sensing microorganisms, while the possibility of phages’ genetic modification has enabled them to be used to detect disease markers or for the preparation of new biomaterials. This mini-review presents an overview of the latest achievements in this field, demonstrating the broad application of phages for developing new biosensing platforms and energy storage devices.