Landscape phage, phage display, stripped phage, biosensors, detection, affinity reagent, nanotechnology, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus anthracis

TL;DR

This study explores the use of landscape phages as bioselective probes for detecting biological threat agents, demonstrating their potential as cost-effective, robust alternatives to antibodies in biosensor applications.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel application of landscape phages and stripped fusion proteins as stable, specific biorecognition materials for biosensors targeting pathogens and toxins.

Findings

Successfully detected Bacillus anthracis spores and Salmonella typhimurium cells

Phage-derived probes showed high specificity and stability

Potential for developing field-use detectors for threat agents

Abstract

Filamentous phage, such as fd used in this study, are thread-shaped bacterial viruses. Their outer coat is a tube formed by thousands equal copies of the major coat protein pVIII. We constructed libraries of random peptides fused to all pVIII domains and selected phages that act as probes specific for a panel of test antigens and biological threat agents. Because the viral carrier is infective, phage borne bio-selective probes can be cloned individually and propagated indefinitely without needs of their chemical synthesis or reconstructing. We demonstrated the feasibility of using landscape phages and their stripped fusion proteins as new bioselective materials that combine unique characteristics of affinity reagents and self assembling membrane proteins. Biorecognition layers fabricated from phage-derived probes bind biological agents and generate detectable signals. The performance of phage-derived materials as biorecognition films was illustrated by detection of streptavidin-coated beads, Bacillus anthracis spores and Salmonella typhimurium cells. With further refinement, the phage-derived analytical platforms for detecting and monitoring of numerous threat agents may be developed, since the biodetector films may be obtained from landscape phages selected against any bacteria, virus or toxin. As elements of field-use detectors, they are superior to antibodies, since they are inexpensive, highly specific and strong binders, resistant to high temperatures and environmental stresses.