Construction and Evaluation of Self-Luminescent Biosensors

将建造和评价用于监测环境中的汞和甲苯以及监测生物反应器中细胞的代谢活动的生物传感器。这些生物传感器的工作原理都是相同的，即利用含有勒克斯基因的微生物根据被分析物的诱导产生光。光将被一个简单的半导体结（二极管）收集。微生物和光电二极管将被连接以产生一种生物传感器装置。我们的方法的优点包括直接的商业机会，对分析物适当的灵敏度和选择性，现有的光收集和分析的复杂性，以及生产一系列能够报告其他环境毒物，药物，药品，生物体和许多其他生物化合物的类似设备的概念的通用性。

Biosensors will be constructed and evaluated for monitoring mercury and toluene in the environment and for monitoring the metabolic activity of cells in a bioreactor. The biosensors all operate on the same principle of using microorganisms containing the lux genes to produce light in response to induction by an analyte. The light will be collected with a simple semiconductor juction (diode). The microorganisms and the photodiode will be interfaced to produce a biosensor devise. Advantages of our approach include immediate commercial opportunities, appropriate sensitivity and selectivity for the analytes, existing sophistication of light collection and analysis, and generalizability of the concept to produce a whole range of similar devices capable of reporting other environmental toxicants, drugs, pharmaceuticals, organisms and many other biological compounds.