title: Genetically engineered pfabA pfabR bacteria: an electrochemical whole cell biosensor for detection of water toxicity.
abstract: We describe here a bacterial sensor for electrochemical detection of toxic chemicals. The sensor constitutes recombinant bacteria harboring plasmids encoding the fabA and fabR genes and has high-resolution amperometric response to membrane-damaging chemicals. For example, it can detect phenol at concentrations ranging between 1.6 and 16 ppm within 20 min. The high sensitivity is achieved by using the fabA promoter fused to a reporter gene-encoded beta-galactosidase on a low copy number plasmid, under the control of the FabR repressor. The use of electrochemical whole cell sensors enables sensitive, fast, easy to operate, and cost-effective detection of water toxicity threats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel 69978.
authors.forename: Tova
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neufeld
authors.forename: Dvora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biran
authors.forename: Rachela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Popovtzer
authors.forename: Tamir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erez
authors.forename: Eliora Z
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Ron
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rishpon
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002384:Catalysis; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006836:Hydro-Lyases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D019800:Phenol; D015202:Protein Engineering; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014157:Transcription Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D019800:Phenol; D006836:Hydro-Lyases