Smartphone-based low light detection for bioluminescence application

Abstract

We report a smartphone-based device and associated imaging-processing algorithm to maximize the sensitivity of standard smartphone cameras, that can detect the presence of single-digit pW of radiant flux intensity. The proposed hardware and software, called bioluminescent-based analyte quantitation by smartphone (BAQS), provides an opportunity for onsite analysis and quantitation of luminescent signals from biological and non-biological sensing elements which emit photons in response to an analyte. A simple cradle that houses the smartphone, sample tube, and collection lens supports the measuring platform, while noise reduction by ensemble averaging simultaneously lowers the background and enhances the signal from emitted photons. Five different types of smartphones, both Android and iOS devices, were tested, and the top two candidates were used to evaluate luminescence from the bioluminescent reporter Pseudomonas fluorescens M3A. The best results were achieved by OnePlus One (android), which was able to detect luminescence from ~106 CFU/mL of the bio-reporter, which corresponds to ~107 photons/s with 180 seconds of integration time.

Smartphone-Based Whole-Cell Biosensor Platform Utilizing an Immobilization Approach on a Filter Membrane Disk for the Monitoring of Water Toxicants

“…Generally, the smartphone-based light signal detection was obtained with lower sensitivity when compared to the light signal detected by the microplate-reader. Unlike the Synergy HTX Multi-Mode microplate reader that is coupled with a highly sensitive but expensive PMT detector, the smartphone possesses only low-cost and less sensitive CMOS sensors [ 37 , 57 ]. This was also confirmed in the screening experiment of the E. coli bioreporter strains, where the smartphone could record detectable light signal only when the bioluminescent bacterial strains had a relatively higher basal signal intensity.…”

“…Smartphone-based biosensors have been extensively applied in the fields of environmental monitoring [ 30 , 31 , 32 ], point-of-care diagnostics [ 33 , 34 ], and food safety [ 35 , 36 ]. Even so, due to the low light signal that is produced by the bioluminescent bacteria, the integration of a smartphone-based bioluminescence signal measurement in WCBs requires customized setup [ 35 , 37 ]. Therefore, in this study, the feasibility of integrating smartphone-based signal detection with WCB that utilizes a filter membrane disk with immobilized bioluminescent bacteria was examined for the monitoring of water toxicity.…”

Smartphone-based fluorescence detection of bisphenol A from water samples

“…Alternatively, multi-image sampling and stacking combined with digital noise reduction, akin to an inversion of the bioluminescent-based analyte quantitation by smartphone (BAQS) method developed by Kim et al, may be used to improve the sensitivity of smartphone uorescence detection by increasing the distinction between background and signal intensity measures between samples. 36 Perhaps most prominent, though, is the similarity in detection between the two smartphones, which both similarly initiate and receive the uorescence quenching response. Although these represent only two devices available, the observed results suggest that challenges in the uniformity of detection are predominantly external to the smartphone hardware itself.…”

Turbidimetric analysis of growth kinetics of bacteria in the laboratory environment using smartphone

“…By integrating simple, compact optical setup to the rear camera or the ambient light sensor (ALS), the phone can be converted into a reliable sensing or imaging system . Again, with the aid of custom‐designed applications, the designed smartphone sensing platform can be converted into a truly user‐friendly standalone system using which various physical, chemical and biological parameters can be monitored . The smartphone sensing tools are handy, field‐portable and relatively less expensive.…”