Synthetic microbial co-cultures for modular bioelectronic sensing in diverse environments

Area of Science:

• Bioelectronic sensors
• Microbial engineering
• Environmental monitoring

Background:

• Whole-cell bioelectronic sensors offer advantages for field monitoring but lack modularity and require specialized equipment.
• Current designs are limited in microbial chassis and detection capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a modular, plug-and-play system for whole-cell bioelectronic sensor development.
• To enable versatile analyte detection in diverse environments using a simplified design.

Main Methods:

• Introduced the electroactive co-culture sensing system (e-COSENS).
• Utilized a 'sender' bacterium to produce mediators and a 'receiver' bacterium for signal generation via extracellular electron transfer.
• Employed modular swapping of sender bacteria and genetic elements for sensing.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated modular bioelectronic sensing of metals, small molecules, and peptides.
• Successfully applied the system in various environments including urban waterways, milk, and saliva.
• Developed a portable device for signal readout using a digital multimeter.

Conclusions:

• The e-COSENS system simplifies whole-cell bioelectronic sensor design.
• Expanded the application potential of bioelectronic sensors for diverse monitoring tasks.