[Aerobic methylobacteria as the basis for a biosensor for dichloromethane detection]

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Context:

• Dichloromethane (DChM) is a volatile organic compound with environmental and health concerns.
• Developing sensitive and selective methods for DChM detection is crucial for environmental monitoring.
• Microbial degradation offers a promising route for DChM remediation.

Purpose:

• To develop a novel biosensor for detecting dichloromethane (DChM).
• To immobilize DChM-degrading bacteria on a pH-sensitive field-effect transistor (FET) for signal transduction.
• To identify optimal bacterial strains and immobilization membranes for biosensor performance.

Summary:

• Dichloromethane (DChM) degrading bacterial cells were immobilized on pH-sensitive field-effect transistors (FETs).
• DChM presence in the medium induced a change in the FET's output signal due to H+ ion release from bacterial metabolism.
• Methylobacterium dichloromethanicum DM4 demonstrated the highest DChM degradation activity.
• Millipore nitrocellulose membranes and GF/A chromatographic fiber paper were identified as optimal immobilization carriers, providing stable signals for two weeks.

Impact:

• This research presents a novel biosensor platform for the detection of dichloromethane.
• The developed biosensor offers a sensitive and potentially cost-effective method for environmental monitoring of DChM.
• The findings contribute to the advancement of microbial biosensor technology for pollutant detection.