A Portable Fluorometer for the Detection of Glyphosate

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide, necessitating effective detection methods.
• Current lab-based chromatography techniques are expensive and require expert operation.
• There is a need for accessible, field-deployable glyphosate detection solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-cost, field-deployable fluorescence biosensing platform for glyphosate detection.
• To engineer a robust biosensor with high sensitivity and specificity.
• To create a user-friendly device for non-expert environmental monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Engineered an *Escherichia coli* periplasmic binding protein (PhnD) variant for glyphosate binding and fluorescence signaling.
• Integrated the biosensor into a 3D-printed, self-contained miniature fluorometer.
• Developed a dual-sensor strategy with multi-wavelength detection to address phosphate interference.

Main Results:

• The biosensor demonstrated nanomolar fluorescence sensitivity for glyphosate.
• Results from the device were comparable to benchtop fluorometer measurements.
• Glyphosate was successfully detected in various real-world samples, including water and soil extracts.
• The dual-sensor strategy effectively mitigated false positives from phosphate.

Conclusions:

• An affordable and versatile fluorescence biosensing platform for glyphosate detection was successfully developed.
• The 3D-printed device offers a user-friendly solution for field-based environmental monitoring.
• This technology has significant potential for widespread application in environmental safety assessments.