Some bacterial species are deadly disease-causing pathogens with high morbidity and mortality in humans worldwide. Key interfaces in the transmission of bacterial pathogens include food, water, dairy products, peridomestic animals, and human interplay. Early-stage detection of such bacteria is crucial in minimizing the risk of bacterial diseases and ensuring early diagnosis. Majority of the conventional microbiological and biochemical detection methods are laborious, require skilled individuals, and are not always accurate. Various molecular diagnostic tools and assays, utilizing sensitive and specific biorecognition elements, such as enzymes, antibodies, and nucleic acids, have been developed and widely used for the detection of pathogenic bacteria. An ideal biorecognition element for the detection of pathogens should be highly specific, stable, sensitive, selective, rapid, easily available, and cost-effective. Bacteriophages, which meet such prerequisites, may be used as biorecognition element alternatives to the currently available molecular probes in the development of cost-effective, specific, quick, sensitive, and reliable platforms (sensors and assays) for the detection of bacterial pathogens. This review details bacteriophage biology and various recognition sites and receptor-binding proteins on the surfaces of tailed phages, which can be used as the recognition sites for specific bacterial detection. It highlights structures and receptors on the surface of bacteria for binding and attachment of specific phages. These features of bacteria and phages provide a basis for establishing methodologies for phage-based bacterial detection, including phage-induced bacterial lysis, phages immobilized on a transducer surface, fluorescently labelled phages, phage-conjugated quantum dots, and recombinant reporter phages, particularly monitored through optical and electrochemical transducer systems.

在世界范围内，某些细菌是致命的致病性病原体，具有高发病率和高死亡率。细菌病原体传播的关键界面包括食物，水，乳制品，家畜和人类之间的相互作用。对此类细菌的早期检测对于最大程度降低细菌性疾病的风险并确保早期诊断至关重要。大多数常规的微生物和生化检测方法费力，需要熟练的人员并且并不总是准确的。利用灵敏和特异的生物识别元件，例如酶，抗体和核酸的各种分子诊断工具和测定方法已经开发出来，并广泛用于病原菌的检测。用于检测病原体的理想生物识别元件应高度特异性，稳定，灵敏，选择性，快速，易于获取且具有成本效益。满足这些先决条件的噬菌体可以在开发成本有效，特异性，快速，灵敏和可靠的平台（传感器和测定）以开发细菌病原体的过程中，用作当前可用分子探针的生物识别元件替代品。这篇综述详细介绍了噬菌体生物学以及尾巴噬菌体表面上的各种识别位点和受体结合蛋白，它们可以用作特定细菌检测的识别位点。它突出显示了细菌表面上的结构和受体，用于特定噬菌体的结合和附着。细菌和噬菌体的这些特征为建立基于噬菌体的细菌检测方法（包括噬菌体诱导的细菌裂解，