Engineering Biorthogonal Phage-Based Nanobots for Ultrasensitive, In Situ Bacteria Detection.

Area of Science:

• Synthetic biology
• Nanotechnology
• Genetic engineering
• Biosensor development

Background:

• Ensuring safe drinking water is critical for public health.
• Rapid detection of fecal contamination, specifically *Escherichia coli* (E. coli), is challenging with current methods.
• Existing sensitive methods for *E. coli* detection are often time-consuming or require specialized equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and sensitive biosensor for detecting viable *E. coli* in drinking water.
• To leverage engineered bacteriophages for bacterial detection applications.
• To create a portable system for on-site water quality monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Engineered bacteriophages were developed to encode luminescent reporter enzymes.
• Bio-orthogonal functionalization enabled site-specific conjugation of phages to magnetic nanoparticles.
• A biosensor platform using magnetized, engineered phages was created.

Main Results:

• The phage-based nanobot system achieved detection of viable *E. coli* at levels below 10 colony-forming units (cfu) per 100 mL.
• Detection was accomplished within 7 hours, significantly faster than existing methods.
• The system integrates with standard, portable field equipment for accessibility.

Conclusions:

• Engineered phage-based nanobots offer a rapid, sensitive, and accessible solution for detecting *E. coli* in drinking water.
• This technology addresses the limitations of current water quality monitoring methods.
• The developed biosensor platform has significant potential for improving public health by ensuring safer drinking water.