Engineered Nuclear Hormone Receptor-Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring and Early Drug Discovery

Bacterial Biosensors are engineered microorganisms that can be used to detect a variety of chemicals. These chemicals can include heavy metals, toxins, hormones, hormone-like drugs and environmental endocrine-disrupting pollutants. In general, bacterial biosensors are engineered to express a biosensing protein, which can selectively bind to a target chemical (usually referred to as a “ligand”). When the target ligand is present, the biosensor protein produces an easily readable change in the cell behaviour. For example, the biosensing protein may produce a change in fluorescence or enzyme activity, or as shown in Fig. 1 & 2, may change the growth rate of the expressing cell when an appropriate ligand is present (Gillies et al, 2008; Skretas et al, 2007; Skretas & Wood, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c).