Advances in biological nanopore for biomolecule detection: Applications in food safety, nutritional assessment, and medical diagnostics.

Compared with traditional detection technologies like mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance, biological nanopores as an emerging single-molecule detection technology have received considerable attention in the fields of food, nutrition, and medicine owing to their label-free, real-time analysis, enhanced sensitivity and selectivity, as well as the ability to be integrated into low-cost, high-throughput, and portable devices. With the establishment of mature modification methods such as chemical functionalization, genetic engineering, unnatural amino acids incorporation, and structural truncation, protein nanopores with improved detection performance have become popular for identifying and discriminating multiple analytes. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in biological nanopore-based sensors toward biomolecules detection, including proteins, glycans, vitamins, metals, and small bioactive compounds. Moreover, their applications in food safety, nutrient assessment, and medical diagnostics are highlighted. Additionally, the remaining challenges and future development are discussed, providing a comprehensive and in-depth perspective on the applications of biological nanopores in life science.