Synthetic Biology for the Rapid, Precise and Compliant Detection of Microbes

Since the turn of the millennium, an extensive range of applications spanning across science and technology have been turning to synthetic biology for inspiration and innovation in order to enhance, accelerate and permeate their specific fields. The field of microbial detection is no different. Modern synthetic biology offers pioneering approaches to accelerate and fine-tune the detection process, subsequently enabling clinicians to offer fast, targeted treatments. This, essentially, will dramatically reduce medical burden across a wide array of diseases and will provide a crucial step towards limiting the use of antibiotic treatment to completely necessary cases only. In this chapter, some of the key synthetic biology-inspired approaches that are transforming the field of microbial detection are explored, with an emphasis on what the near future holds.