Epitope-Imprinted Polymers (EIPs) offer robust, selective synthetic recognition for next-generation bacterial diagnostics

The global rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens necessitates rapid, accurate, and selective diagnostic tools beyond conventional culture methods. Current detection techniques often struggle with sensitivity, specificity, and speed, especially in complex biological matrices. Molecular imprinting technology, particularly Epitope-Imprinted Polymers (EIPs), presents a promising solution by creating synthetic recognition sites that mimic biological receptors. EIPs utilize short, surface-exposed peptide fragments from bacterial proteins, rather than whole cells, to form highly specific and stable recognition cavities, addressing key limitations of traditional approaches.

This review provides the first dedicated and focused overview of Epitope-Imprinted Polymers (EIPs) in bacterial detection, consolidating current progress and identifying key scientific and technological gaps. The authors systematically discussed fundamental principles of epitope imprinting, including rational epitope selection, computational modeling, monomer optimization, and various imprinting strategies such as bulk, surface, nanoMIP, and electropolymerization. Representative applications targeting clinically significant pathogens like Mycobacterium leprae, Salmonella Typhi, and Neisseria meningitidis were critically examined, highlighting analytical performance parameters and integration with electrochemical and piezoelectric transducers.

Epitope-Imprinted Polymers (EIPs) demonstrate significant advancements over traditional molecular imprinting, offering improved accessibility, enhanced stability, and superior reproducibility due to their use of short peptide fragments. The review highlighted that EIPs achieve promising analytical performance, including low detection limits, high imprinting factors, and strong selectivity even in complex biological matrices. Integration with electrochemical and piezoelectric transducers has further enhanced their analytical utility. > EIPs are positioned as promising synthetic recognition elements for next-generation bacterial diagnostics across diverse fields, including clinical, food safety, and environmental monitoring, addressing the urgent need for better pathogen detection.