Development of microbial engineered whole-cell systems for environmental benzene determination

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Microbiology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Benzene contamination poses significant environmental and health risks.
• Existing methods for benzene detection can be time-consuming and require sample preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel recombinant bacterial systems for monitoring environmental benzene contamination.
• To create sensitive and rapid biosensors for benzene detection in air samples.

Main Methods:

• Engineered Escherichia coli strains expressing benzene dioxygenase and benzene dihydrodiol dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas putida MST.
• Utilized electrochemical and colorimetric detection methods to quantify enzyme activity.
• Assessed system sensitivity and performance using air samples from an oil refinery.

Main Results:

• The recombinant bacterial systems detected benzene vapor at concentrations as low as 0.01 mM within 30 minutes.
• Enzyme activities, measured by oxygen consumption and catechol production, correlated directly with benzene concentration.
• The systems demonstrated suitability for on-line monitoring without sample pretreatment.

Conclusions:

• Recombinant bacterial systems provide a sensitive, rapid, and versatile tool for environmental benzene monitoring.
• The developed biosensors offer advantages over traditional methods due to their simplicity and on-line capabilities.
• These systems hold promise for automated environmental benzene monitoring in various settings.