Sensitive and selective detection of Staphylococcus aureus via a dual-recognition colorimetric platform based on phenylboronic acid and IgY

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) is one of the major food-borne pathogenic bacteria that causes epidemic and food poisoning. In this study, a colorimetric sensing platform was developed for the sensitive and selective detection of S. aureus based on the synergy between 3-aminophenylboronic acid-functionalized magnetic beads (APBA-MBs) and horseradish peroxidase labeled anti-protein A IgY (HRP-IgY). Target S. aureus bacteria can be captured on the APBA-MBs and then labelled by HRP-IgY through formation of a sandwich structure. Detection of the bacteria then involves oxidation of the colorimetric HRP substrate, thereby converting S. aureus concentrations into a detectable signal. The optimized method can be performed within 120 min, with a detection limit of 9.4 × 10 2 CFU/mL . The proposed strategy was successfully applied to detection of S. aureus in spring water and apple juice samples. The dual-recognition platform showed selectivity towards S. aureus , and other common foodborne pathogens yielded negative results. The incorporation of IgY into the proposed strategy can address the lack of selectivity observed in previously reported APBA-based methods. Our strategy has potential as a versatile platform for the sensitive detection of various bacteria using corresponding IgY.