Biosensors for airborne pathogenic fungal spores detection: a review

Abstract

The excessive presence of airborne fungal spores presents major concerns with potential adverse impacts on public health, food safety and contamination. These spores are recognized as pathogens and allergens prevalent in both outdoor and indoor environments, particularly in public spaces such as hospitals, schools, offices and hotels. Indoor environments pose a heightened risk of pulmonary diseases due to continuous exposure to airborne fungal spore particles through constant inhalation, especially in those individuals with weakened immunity who are immunocompromised. Detection methods for airborne fungal spores are often expensive, time-consuming, and lack sensitivity, making them unsuitable for indoor/outdoor monitoring. However, the emergence of micro-nano biosensor systems offers promising solutions with miniaturized designs, nanomaterial integration, and microfluidic systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in bio-nano sensor system technology for detecting airborne fungal spores, while also discussing future trends in biosensor device development aimed at achieving rapid and selective identification of pathogenic airborne fungi.