8th International Conference on microbiome Engineering
The theme of the 2025 International Conference on Microbiome Engineering is microbiome engineering across different environments. The conference covered topics ranging from the human gut, skin, vagina, as well as animal systems, marine ecosystems, and soil. Over three days, there were six sessions, each focusing on different approaches to microbiome engineering.
Session 6: From Bench to Product: navigating the path to microbiome innovation
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Detecting Risk Where It Lives: Biosensor Challenges in Healthcare Plumbing
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Plumbing systems in healthcare facilities are increasingly recognized as reservoirs for biofilm-forming pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae. Yet current infection prevention frameworks rarely incorporate real-time diagnostics, leaving interventions reactive rather than proactive. To assess the readiness of existing tools, we evaluated the performance of commercially available biosensors under simulated plumbing conditions, benchmarking their sensitivity and specificity across clinically relevant concentration ranges. Results revealed that while these sensors are accessible and low-cost, they consistently underperformed in discriminating strain-specific pathogens and maintaining accuracy under variable water chemistries.
Complementing this empirical work, a review of current literature highlights the broader performance gaps of biosensors deployed in complex built environments. While culture- and indicator-based methods remain the norm, they are slow and nonspecific, limiting their utility for infection prevention. Drawing from recent advances in agricultural diagnostics, we theorize that aptamer-based lateral flow assays represent a promising next-generation platform. With their adaptability, high specificity, and compatibility with complex matrices, such tools could shift environmental monitoring from passive surveillance to active intervention, enabling facilities to act before outbreaks occur rather than cleaning up after them.
This dual approach of experimental benchmarking and translational review underscores the gap between current biosensor performance and the demands of healthcare infrastructure. Bridging this divide is essential for developing scalable, cost-effective diagnostics that align with infection control needs across both high-resource and under-resourced healthcare systems.
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