Yeast-Based Biosensors: Current Applications and New Developments

Abstract

Biosensors are regarded as a powerful tool to detect and monitor environmental contaminants, toxins, and, more generally, organic or chemical markers of potential threats to human health. They are basically composed of a sensor part made up of either live cells or biological active molecules coupled to a transducer/reporter technological element. Whole-cells biosensors may be based on animal tissues, bacteria, or eukaryotic microorganisms such as yeasts and microalgae. Although very resistant to adverse environmental conditions, yeasts can sense and respond to a wide variety of stimuli. As eukaryotes, they also constitute excellent cellular models to detect chemicals and organic contaminants that are harmful to animals. For these reasons, combined with their ease of culture and genetic modification, yeasts have been commonly used as biological elements of biosensors since the 1970s. This review aims first at giving a survey on the different types of yeast-based biosensors developed for the environmental and medical domains. We then present the technological developments currently undertaken by academic and corporate scientists to further drive yeasts biosensors into a new era where the biological element is optimized in a tailor-made fashion by in silico design and where the output signals can be recorded or followed on a smartphone.

Stimuli-responsive engineered living materials

“…Synthetic biology enables the reprogramming of the biological functions of microorganisms to achieve desired and specific responses. [42][43][44][45] Engineered prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells can be used as stimuli-responsive elements for ELM devices, where Fig. 1 Stimuli-responsive engineered living materials.…”

Yeast Fermentation at Low Temperatures: Adaptation to Changing Environmental Conditions and Formation of Volatile Compounds

“…In the natural environment, they act as chemical signals responsible for communication between cells [ 106 ]. This feature predestines VOCs to be used as biosensors [ 107 ]. In different industrial branches, they can be obtained not only by using microorganisms but also via chemical reactions.…”

Application of a Battery of Sex Steroid-Responsive Reporter Yeasts for the Detection of Sex Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals

“…Most in vitro reporter gene assays are based on the activation of sex hormone receptors, followed by the activation and transcription of a reporter gene. A number of ERs-and AR-responsive reporter gene assays using yeast and mammalian cells have been established, [9][10][11][12][13][14] and some of them have been adopted as standard test methods by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 15,16 In contrast, a PR-responsive reporter gene assay has not been established, except for a few human cell-based and yeast-based bioassays.…”