DYNAMIC, REAL-TIME AND LONG-TERM POLLUTANT MONITORING USING BIOLUMINESCENT BIOREPORTERS AND INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

摘要

Bioreporter technology is a useful tool for measuring gene expression in the laboratory, and whole-cell bacterial bioluminescent bioreporters can be used to monitor bacterial responses in real-time. Bioluminescent bioreporters for detection of compounds such as naphthalene, toluene, and mercury demonstrated that the bioluminescence produced is directly proportional to the concentration of the contaminant. Application of bacterial bioluminescence coupled with advances in optical measurement of light signatures has moved bioreporters from the laboratory to the field. The bioluminescent bioreporter integrated circuit (BBIC) represents a significant advance in the development of living whole-cell biosensors. BBIC is a bacterial bioluminescent bioreporter that is coupled with a photodetector chip on an integrated circuit. These miniature devices allow for environmental sensing of a contaminant of interest. This paper provides a brief introduction to bioluminescent bioreporters and describes recent advances in instrumentation design.