Convenient and sensitive detection of viable Escherichia coli employing a sequential reaction between antibody-enzyme complexes

. Importantly, the signal was generated only in the presence of viable E. coli cells, indicating that the cooperative enzymatic reaction proceeds selectively on intact bacterial surface. This property allows clear discrimination between viable and dead cells, which has been difficult with conventional methods. Overall, the proposed approach provides a rapid, convenient, and viable-cell-selective platform for on-site microbial monitoring and risk assessment.