Development of a Pigment-Based Whole-Cell Zinc Biosensor for Human Serum.

ABSTRACT: Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) are a critical global health concern, in part due to logistical difficulties in assessing population micronutrient status. Whole-cell biosensors offer a unique opportunity to address this issue, with the potential to move sample analysis from centralized, resource-intensive clinics to minimal-resource, on-site measurement. Here, we present a proof-of-concept whole-cell biosensor in Escherichia coli for detecting zinc, a micronutrient for which deficiencies are a significant public health burden. Importantly, the whole-cell biosensor produces readouts (pigments) that are visible to the naked eye, mitigating the need for measurement equipment and thus increasing feasibility for sensor field-friendliness and affordability at a global scal

SUBMITTER: Watstein DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5778388 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature