Improved detection of toxic chemicals using bioluminescent bacteria

摘要

A sensitive, rapid and simple bioluminescent (BL) assay using bioluminescent bacteria to detect the toxic activity of several chemicals is described. This assay is based on the measurement of inhibition of light production of a bioluminescent bacterial strain, isolated from sewater, in the presence of different toxins like heavy metls, organic chemicals, such as benzene, toluene, ethylenene, xylene (BTEX) and a wide range of pesticides in evironmental samples. The mprovement with respect to other commercial and non-commercial bioluminescent assays consists of the possibility to work at room temperature without the need to thermostat, thus allowing the use of simpler and low cost instruments, or to improve the assay using a microplate format, which makes it possible to analyse several also continuously for several hours. Using lyophilised bacteria, the assay is performed in less than an hour, without any bacteral cultivation, which makes the test suitable for raid and ensitive evaluation of chemical pollutants in environmental samples.