Optical Sensors Based on Inducible Bacterial Bioluminescence

这项由分析和表面化学计划支持的学院早期职业发展(CAEREAR)项目专注于开发使用基因设计细菌作为传感元件的高选择性和高灵敏度光纤生物传感器。在这项为期三年的持续资助期间，肯塔基大学的Daunert教授和她的学生将开发在铬、砷和镍等有毒重金属存在时发光的重组细菌，将这些细菌作为活性元素整合到光纤传感器中，并优化由此产生的设备。具体目标包括(A)将细菌对铬酸盐、砷或镍的抗药性机制与荧光素酶生物发光系统相结合；(B)制备在目标金属存在下生物发光的细菌系统；以及(C)使用这些工程菌开发生物传感器，并用真实样品验证其性能。同样在这一资助期间，丹纳特教授将推行一项教育发展计划，其中包括让本科生广泛参与研究，提高公众对化学的欣赏，以及吸引、指导和留住来自人口统计数字偏低群体的本科生。开发更快速、更准确的监测低水平有毒化学品浓度的技术对环境保护的进步非常重要。通过将现代分子生物学工具与光纤传感器技术相结合，这一职业研究项目将导致新的高选择性和高灵敏度的低浓度有毒重金属探测器。这一职业项目的教育方面将扩大研究在培训肯塔基大学本科生方面的作用，并应增加妇女和在该机构任职人数不足的少数群体对科学的参与。

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project, supported in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, focusses on the development of highly selective and sensitive fiber optic biosensors that employ genetically designed bacteria as the sensing element. During the tenure of this three-year continuing grant, Professor Daunert and her students at the University of Kentucky will develop recombinant bacteria that luminesce in the presence of toxic heavy metals such as chromium, arsenic, and nickel, incorporate these bacteria as the active elements in fiber optic sensors, and optimize the resulting devices. Specific targets include (a) coupling the mechanism of resistance of bacteria to chromate, arsenic, or nickel with the luciferase bioluminescence system; (b) preparing bacterial systems that will bioluminesce in the presence of the targeted metal; and (c) developing biosensors using these engineered bacteria and validating their performance with real samples. Also during this grant period, Professor Daunert will pursue an educational development plan that includes broad involvement of undergraduates in research, increased public appreciation of chemistry, and the attraction, mentoring, and retention of undergraduate students from underrepresented demographic groups. The development of more rapid and accurate techniques for monitoring low-level concentrations of toxic chemicals is important to progress in environmental protection. By combining the tools of modern molecular biology with fiber optic sensor technology, this CAREER research project should lead to new highly selective and sensitive probes for low concentrations of toxic heavy metals. The educational aspects of this CAREER project will expand the role of research in the training of undergraduates at the University of Kentucky and should increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in science at that institution.