Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Using Coculture to Detect Chemically Mediated Interspecies Interactions
Published on: October 31, 2013
Where microbiology meets microengineering: design and applications of reporter bacteria
Jan Roelof van der Meer1, Shimshon Belkin
1University of Lausanne, Department of Fundamental Microbiology, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. janroelof.vandermeer@unil.ch
Abstract:
Bacteria have long been the targets for genetic manipulation, but more recently they have been synthetically designed to carry out specific tasks. Among the simplest of these tasks is chemical compound and toxicity detection coupled to the production of a quantifiable reporter signal. In this Review, we describe the current design of bacterial bioreporters and their use in a range of assays to measure the presence of harmful chemicals in water, air, soil, food or biological specimens. New trends for integrating synthetic biology and microengineering into the design of bacterial bioreporter platforms are also highlighted.
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Biosensors
Reporter Genes
Commonly used reporter...
Microorganisms in Medicine and Therapeutics
Bacterial Signaling
Applications of Molecular Taxonomy
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms

