[Advances in microbial whole-cell sensors for the detection of aromatic compounds]

The inherent stability and recalcitrance of benzene ring structures render aromatic compounds a major ecological concern and a substantial risk to human health. Hence, developing a facile and efficacious detection technique for aromatic compounds is essential. As our comprehension of aromatic compound characteristics deepens, microbial cell-based biosensors have emerged as increasingly popular tools in the detection of aromatic compounds. This article introduces the operational principles of microbial whole-cell biosensors and elucidates the construction techniques and applications of electroactive biofilm-based microbial whole-cell sensors, transcription factor-based microbial whole-cell sensors, and degradation gene promoter-dependent microbial whole-cell sensors in the detection of aromatic compounds. In addition, we review the methodologies for improving the performance of microbial whole-cell sensors based on surface display, logic gate construction, genetic circuit modification, and quorum sensing signal amplification.