Point-of-Use Detection of Environmental Fluoride via a Cell-Free Riboswitch-Based Biosensor.

ABSTRACT: Advances in biosensor engineering have enabled the design of programmable molecular systems to detect a range of pathogens, nucleic acids, and chemicals. Here, we engineer and field-test a biosensor for fluoride, a major groundwater contaminant of global concern. The sensor consists of a cell-free system containing a DNA template that encodes a fluoride-responsive riboswitch regulating genes that produce a fluorescent or colorimetric output. Individual reactions can be lyophilized for long-term storage and detect fluoride at levels above 2 ppm, the Environmental Protection Agency's most stringent regulatory standard, in both laboratory and field conditions. Through onsite detection of fluoride in a real-world water source, this work provides a critical proof-of-principle for the future eng

SUBMITTER: Thavarajah W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7412506 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature