Remote detection of buried landmines using a bacterial sensor

Belkin, Shimshon; Yagur‐Kroll, Sharon; Kabessa, Yossef; Korouma, Victor; Septon, Tali; Anati, Yonatan; Zohar‐Perez, Cheinat; Rabinovitz, Zahi; Nussinovitch, A.; Agranat, Aharon J.

doi:10.1038/nbt.3791

Cited by 95 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The synthetic DNA engineered into the cell may also mutate or be lost as cells grow and divide, preventing or distorting sensor and reporter production. Furthermore, the use of live cells inherently confers biocontainment concerns, though methods to encapsulate 61 or disable 62 whole-cell sensors are being explored to mitigate this risk.…”

Section: Reporter Partsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A primer on emerging field-deployable synthetic biology tools for global water quality monitoring

et al. 2020

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Tracking progress towards Target 6.1 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, "achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all", necessitates the development of simple, inexpensive tools to monitor water quality. The rapidly growing field of synthetic biology has the potential to address this need by isolating DNA-encoded sensing elements from nature and reassembling them to create field-deployable "biosensors" that can detect pathogenic or chemical water contaminants. Here, we describe current water quality monitoring strategies enabled by synthetic biology and compare them to previous approaches used to detect three priority water contaminants (i.e., fecal pathogens, arsenic, and fluoride), as well as explain the potential for engineered biosensors to simplify and decentralize water quality monitoring. We conclude with an outlook on the future of biosensor development, in which we discuss their adaptability to emerging contaminants (e.g., metals, agricultural products, and pharmaceuticals), outline current limitations, and propose steps to overcome the field's outstanding challenges to facilitate global water quality monitoring.

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Section: Reporter Partsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A primer on emerging field-deployable synthetic biology tools for global water quality monitoring

et al. 2020

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“…Furthermore, natural biological processes could result in plasmid loss, mutation, recombination, horizontal gene transfer, or other events that abrogate sensor function. 21 Whole-cell, one-component sensors are also not viable for the detection of cytotoxic or membrane-impermeable analytes such as organophosphates or antibiotics. Finally, genetically-modified organisms are subject to biocontainment and regulatory scrutiny, which challenges their deployment in the field.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of a transcriptional biosensor for the portable, on-demand detection of cyanuric acid

Li¹,

Silverman²,

Alam³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Rapid molecular biosensing is an emerging application area for synthetic biology. Here, we engineer a portable biosensor for cyanuric acid (CYA), an analyte of interest for human and environmental health, using a LysR-type transcription regulator (LTTR) fromPseudomonas within the context of Escherichia coli gene expression machinery. To overcome cross-host portability challenges of LTTRs, we rationally engineered hybridPseudomonas-E. coli promoters by integrating DNA elements required for transcriptional activity and ligand-dependent regulation from both hosts, which enabled E. coli to function as whole-cell biosensor for CYA. To alleviate challenges of whole-cell biosensing, we adapted these promoter designs to function within a freeze-dried E. coli cell-free system to sense CYA. This portable, on-demand system robustly detects CYA within an hour from laboratory and real-world samples and works with both fluorescent and colorimetric reporters. This work elucidates general principles to facilitate the engineering of a wider array of LTTR-based environmental sensors.

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“…AAC76136.1), encoding a predicted quinol oxidase subunit, to either the green fluorescent protein GFPmut2 gene or to the Photorhabdus luminescens bioluminescence luxCDABE genes. Remote detection of buried antipersonnel landmines by the fluorescent variant was recently demonstrated (6). Yagur-Kroll et al (4) have also shown that the yqjF gene promoter was induced neither by DNT nor by any growth medium component, but rather by one or more transformation products of DNT and TNT; these compounds, however, have not been identified.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerobic Transformation of 2,4-Dinitrotoluene by Escherichia coli and Its Implications for the Detection of Trace Explosives

Shemer

Yagur‐Kroll

Hazan

et al. 2018

Appl Environ Microbiol

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DNT (2,4-dinitrotoluene), a volatile impurity in military-grade 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT)-based explosives, is a potential tracer for the detection of buried landmines and other explosive devices. We have previously described an bioreporter strain engineered to detect traces of DNT and have demonstrated that the gene promoter, the sensing element of this bioreporter, is induced not by DNT but by at least one of its transformation products. In the present study, we have characterized the initial stages of DNT biotransformation in , have identified the key metabolic products in this reductive pathway, and demonstrate that the main DNT metabolite that induces is 2,4,5-trihydroxytoluene. We further show that cannot utilize DNT as a sole carbon or nitrogen source and propose that this compound is metabolized in order to neutralize its toxicity to the cells. The information provided in this article sheds new light both on the microbial biodegradability of nitroaromatic compounds and on the metabolic capabilities of By doing so, it also clarifies the pathway leading to the previously unexplained induction of the gene by 2,4-dinitrotoluene, an impurity that accompanies 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT)-based explosives. Our improved understanding of these processes will serve to molecularly enhance the performance of a previously described microbial bioreporter of buried landmines and other explosive devices, in which the gene promoter serves as the sensing element.

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Remote detection of buried landmines using a bacterial sensor

Cited by 95 publications

References 6 publications

A primer on emerging field-deployable synthetic biology tools for global water quality monitoring

A primer on emerging field-deployable synthetic biology tools for global water quality monitoring

Design of a transcriptional biosensor for the portable, on-demand detection of cyanuric acid

Aerobic Transformation of 2,4-Dinitrotoluene by Escherichia coli and Its Implications for the Detection of Trace Explosives

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