Biosensors/molecular tools for detection of waterborne pathogens

Clean and safe drinking water is basic requirement of human population and the fact that consumption of contaminated drinking water leads to a number of life threatening diseases makes it vital to detect the presence of waterborne pathogens in water intended to be used for consumption. Detection of pathogens can be either carried out in a laboratory or in field. The lab methods are based on a number of molecular tools while in-field testing is carried out by biosensors which are robust and fast. This chapter reviews the various biosensors such as optical, piezoelectric, and electrochemical biosensors and their strengths and weaknesses. Further discussed are the molecular tools such as polymerase chain reaction and its various variations, detection of pathogens via sequencing strategies, microarrays, and immunological methods. While biosensors offer portability and faster detection over molecular methods, molecular methods are highly accurate and specific.