Fig. 3: Relationship between microbial risk assessment (MRA) and detection technologies.
From: Advancing microbial risk assessment: perspectives from the evolution of detection technologies
The diagram maps the bidirectional relationship between microbial risk assessment (MRA) and detection technologies. Advanced tools such as mass spectrometry, multiomics, microfluidics/biosensors, PCR, DNA sequencing and nanotechnology generate high-quality, comprehensive data that improve hazard identification, dose–response modelling and exposure assessment, thereby strengthening MRA. Conversely, the demands of MRA—better sensitivity, recognition of unknown microbes, rapid detection and handling of data overload—drive innovation in these technologies, while traditional culture and immunological methods remain limited by cultivation bias and cost–benefit uncertainties.
