Abstract：Nucleic acid aptamers are oligonucleotide fragments consisting of more than a dozen or dozens of nucleotides that are capable of specifically binding to a target substance obtained by in vitro screening techniques. Aptamers are small molecules and are easily synthesized and modified in vitro. The chemical stability of aptamers is good and does not depend on the biological or cellular environment. Aptamers, also known as “chemical antibodies”, have the characteristics of diverse spatial structure and a wide range of target molecules and specifically recognize metal ions, organic small molecules, biological molecules, and even cells and microorganisms. This paper summarizes the recent literature regarding the binding characteristics of aptamers ligand and the existing methods for screening aptamers, and outlines the applications of aptamers in the detection of illegal additives, metal ions, pathogenic microorganisms and biological toxins in meat products. The prospects for future applications of aptamers are discussed as well.
2017, Vol. 31 
