1
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Free TJ, Talley JP, Hyer CD, Miller CJ, Griffitts JS, Bundy BC. Engineering the Signal Resolution of a Paper-Based Cell-Free Glutamine Biosensor with Genetic Engineering, Metabolic Engineering, and Process Optimization. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:3073. [PMID: 38793927 PMCID: PMC11124800 DOI: 10.3390/s24103073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Specialized cancer treatments have the potential to exploit glutamine dependence to increase patient survival rates. Glutamine diagnostics capable of tracking a patient's response to treatment would enable a personalized treatment dosage to optimize the tradeoff between treatment success and dangerous side effects. Current clinical glutamine testing requires sophisticated and expensive lab-based tests, which are not broadly available on a frequent, individualized basis. To address the need for a low-cost, portable glutamine diagnostic, this work engineers a cell-free glutamine biosensor to overcome assay background and signal-to-noise limitations evident in previously reported studies. The findings from this work culminate in the development of a shelf-stable, paper-based, colorimetric glutamine test with a high signal strength and a high signal-to-background ratio for dramatically improved signal resolution. While the engineered glutamine test is important progress towards improving the management of cancer and other health conditions, this work also expands the assay development field of the promising cell-free biosensing platform, which can facilitate the low-cost detection of a broad variety of target molecules with high clinical value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J. Free
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Joseph P. Talley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Chad D. Hyer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Catherine J. Miller
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Joel S. Griffitts
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Bradley C. Bundy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
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2
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Cell-free protein synthesis system for bioanalysis: Advances in methods and applications. Trends Analyt Chem 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2023.117015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
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3
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Smith SA, Lindgren CM, Ebbert LE, Free TJ, Nelson JAD, Simonson KM, Hunt JP, Bundy BC. "Just add small molecules" cell-free protein synthesis: Combining DNA template and cell extract preparation into a single fermentation. Biotechnol Prog 2023:e3332. [PMID: 36799109 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a versatile biotechnology platform enabling a broad range of applications including clinical diagnostics, large-scale production of officinal therapeutics, small-scale on-demand production of personal magistral therapeutics, and exploratory research. The shelf stability and scalability of CFPS systems also have the potential to overcome cost and infrastructure challenges for distributing and using essential medical tests at home in both high- and low-income countries. However, CFPS systems are often more time-consuming and expensive to prepare than traditional in vivo systems, limiting their broader use. Much work has been done to lower CFPS costs by optimizing cell extract preparation, small molecule reagent recipes, and DNA template preparation. In order to further reduce reagent cost and preparation time, this work presents a CFPS system that does not require separately purified DNA template. Instead, a DNA plasmid encoding the recombinant protein is transformed into the cells used to make the extract, and the extract preparation process is modified to allow enough DNA to withstand homogenization-induced shearing. The finished extract contains sufficient levels of intact DNA plasmid for the CFPS system to operate. For a 10 mL scale CFPS system expressing recombinant sfGFP protein for a biosensor, this new system reduces reagent cost by more than half. This system is applied to a proof-of-concept glutamine sensor compatible with smartphone quantification to demonstrate its viability for further cost reduction and use in low-resource settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney A Smith
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Caleb M Lindgren
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Landon E Ebbert
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Tyler J Free
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - J Andrew D Nelson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Katelyn M Simonson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - J Porter Hunt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Bradley C Bundy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
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4
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Han J, Lim HJ, Park J, Han DH, Kim DM, Park JK. On-chip microfluidic dual detection of amino acid metabolism disorders using cell-free protein synthesis. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 222:114936. [PMID: 36455376 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Various metabolic diseases are associated with the accumulation of specific amino acids due to abnormal metabolic pathways, and thus can be diagnosed by measuring the level of amino acids in body fluids. However, present methods for amino acid analysis are not readily accessible because they require a complex experimental setup, expensive equipment, and a long processing time. Here, we present a dual sensing microfluidic device that enables fast, portable, and quantitative analysis of target amino acids, harnessing the biological mechanism of protein synthesis. In this device, the working principle of a finger-actuated pumping unit is applied, and the microchannels are designed to perform cell-free synthesis of a reporter protein in response to the target amino acids in the assay samples. Multiple steps required for the translational assay are controlled by the simple operation of two pushbuttons on the device. It is demonstrated that the developed microfluidic device provides precise quantification of two amino acids (methionine and phenylalanine) within 30 min at room temperature. We expect that the application of the presented device can be readily extended to the point-of-care testing of other metabolic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieun Han
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Jin Lim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Juhwan Park
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Hyun Han
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Myung Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
| | - Je-Kyun Park
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
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5
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Bracaglia S, Ranallo S, Ricci F. Electrochemical Cell-Free Biosensors for Antibody Detection. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202216512. [PMID: 36533529 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202216512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We report here the development of an electrochemical cell-free biosensor for antibody detection directly in complex sample matrices with high sensitivity and specificity that is particularly suitable for point-of-care applications. The approach is based on the use of programmable antigen-conjugated gene circuits that, upon recognition of a specific target antibody, trigger the cell-free transcription of an RNA sequence that can be consequently detected using a redox-modified probe strand immobilized to a disposable electrode. The platform couples the features of high sensitivity and specificity of cell-free systems and the strength of cost-effectiveness and possible miniaturization provided by the electrochemical detection. We demonstrate the sensitive, specific, selective, and multiplexed detection of three different antibodies, including the clinically-relevant Anti-HA antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Bracaglia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Ranallo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ricci
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy
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6
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Free TJ, Tucker RW, Simonson KM, Smith SA, Lindgren CM, Pitt WG, Bundy BC. Engineering At-Home Dilution and Filtration Methods to Enable Paper-Based Colorimetric Biosensing in Human Blood with Cell-Free Protein Synthesis. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:104. [PMID: 36671942 PMCID: PMC9855769 DOI: 10.3390/bios13010104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Diagnostic blood tests can guide the administration of healthcare to save and improve lives. Most clinical biosensing blood tests require a trained technician and specialized equipment to process samples and interpret results, which greatly limits test accessibility. Colorimetric paper-based diagnostics have an equipment-free readout, but raw blood obscures a colorimetric response which has motivated diverse efforts to develop blood sample processing techniques. This work uses inexpensive readily-available materials to engineer user-friendly dilution and filtration methods for blood sample collection and processing to enable a proof-of-concept colorimetric biosensor that is responsive to glutamine in 50 µL blood drop samples in less than 30 min. Paper-based user-friendly blood sample collection and processing combined with CFPS biosensing technology represents important progress towards the development of at-home biosensors that could be broadly applicable to personalized healthcare.
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7
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Lee YJ, Lee S, Kim DM. Translational Detection of Indole by Complementary Cell-free Protein Synthesis Assay. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:900162. [PMID: 35646868 PMCID: PMC9136167 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.900162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The information encoded in a single copy of DNA is processed into a plethora of protein molecules via the cascade of transcription and translation. Thus, the molecular process of gene expression can be considered an efficient biological amplifier from the viewpoint of synthetic biology. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) enables the implementation of this amplification module for in vitro analysis of important biomolecules and avoids many of the problems associated with whole cell-based approaches. Here, we developed a method to analyze indole by using a combination of enzymatic conversion of indole and amino acid-dependent CFPS. In this method, indole molecules in the assay sample are used to generate tryptophan, which is incorporated into signal-generating proteins in the subsequent cell-free synthesis reaction. The activity of cell-free synthesized proteins was successfully used to estimate the indole concentration in the assay sample. In principle, the developed method could be extended to analyses of other important bioactive compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Jin Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Soojin Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Dong-Myung Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Daejeon, Korea
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8
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Wang T, Lu Y. Advances, Challenges and Future Trends of Cell-Free Transcription-Translation Biosensors. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12050318. [PMID: 35624619 PMCID: PMC9138237 DOI: 10.3390/bios12050318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the application of cell-free protein synthesis systems in biosensing has been developing rapidly. Cell-free synthetic biology, with its advantages of high biosafety, fast material transport, and high sensitivity, has overcome many defects of cell-based biosensors and provided an abiotic substitute for biosensors. In addition, the application of freeze-drying technology has improved the stability of such systems, making it possible to realize point-of-care application of field detection and broadening the application prospects of cell-free biosensors. However, despite these advancements, challenges such as the risk of sample interference due to the lack of physical barriers, maintenance of activity during storage, and poor robustness still need to be addressed before the full potential of cell-free biosensors can be realized on a larger scale. In this review, current strategies and research results for improving the performance of cell-free biosensors are summarized, including a comprehensive discussion of the existing challenges, future trends, and potential investments needed for improvement.
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9
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Lee YJ, Lim HJ, Kim DM. Quantitative Analysis of γ-Aminobutyric Acid by Combined Cell-Free Protein Synthesis and Transamination Reactions. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1208-1212. [PMID: 35191303 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The synthetic power of cells can be harnessed for assaying important analytes, as well as for producing biomolecules. In particular, cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) can be implemented as a signal amplification module for bioassays, while avoiding many problems associated with whole cell-based microbial biosensors. Here, we developed a method for analyzing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by combining the enzymatic conversion of GABA and amino-acid-dependent CFPS. In this method, GABA molecules in the assay sample are used to generate alanine, which is incorporated into signal-generating proteins in the subsequent cell-free synthesis reaction. The activity of cell-free synthesized proteins was successfully used to estimate the GABA concentration in the assay sample. In principle, the developed method could be extended for the analyses of other important bioactive compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Jin Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Hye Jin Lim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Dong-Myung Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
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10
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Streamlining cell-free protein synthesis biosensors for use in human fluids: In situ RNase inhibitor production during extract preparation. Biochem Eng J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2021.108158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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11
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12
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Soltani M, Hunt JP, Bundy BC. Rapid RNase inhibitor production to enable low-cost, on-demand cell-free protein synthesis biosensor use in human body fluids. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:3973-3983. [PMID: 34185319 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Human body fluids contain biomarkers which are used extensively for prognostication, diagnosis, monitoring, and evaluation of different treatments for a variety of diseases and disorders. The application of biosensors based on cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) offers numerous advantages including on-demand and at-home use for fast, accurate detection of a variety of biomarkers in human fluids at an affordable price. However, current CFPS-based biosensors use commercial RNase inhibitors to inhibit different RNases present in human fluids and this reagent is approximately 90% of the expense of these biosensors. Here the flexible nature of Escherichia coli-lysate-based CFPS was used for the first time to produce murine RNase Inhibitor (m-RI) and to optimize its soluble and active production by tuning reaction temperature, reaction time, reduced potential, and addition of GroEL/ES folding chaperons. Furthermore, RNase inhibition activity of m-RI with the highest activity and stability was determined against increasing amounts of three human fluids of serum, saliva, and urine (0%-100% v/v) in lyophilized CFPS reactions. To further demonstrate the utility of the CFPS-produced m-RI, a lyophilized saliva-based glutamine biosensor was demonstrated to effectively work with saliva samples. Overall, the use of CFPS-produced m-RI reduces the total reagent costs of CFPS-based biosensors used in human body fluids approximately 90%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehran Soltani
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - J Porter Hunt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Bradley C Bundy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
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13
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Del Valle I, Fulk EM, Kalvapalle P, Silberg JJ, Masiello CA, Stadler LB. Translating New Synthetic Biology Advances for Biosensing Into the Earth and Environmental Sciences. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:618373. [PMID: 33633695 PMCID: PMC7901896 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.618373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid diversification of synthetic biology tools holds promise in making some classically hard-to-solve environmental problems tractable. Here we review longstanding problems in the Earth and environmental sciences that could be addressed using engineered microbes as micron-scale sensors (biosensors). Biosensors can offer new perspectives on open questions, including understanding microbial behaviors in heterogeneous matrices like soils, sediments, and wastewater systems, tracking cryptic element cycling in the Earth system, and establishing the dynamics of microbe-microbe, microbe-plant, and microbe-material interactions. Before these new tools can reach their potential, however, a suite of biological parts and microbial chassis appropriate for environmental conditions must be developed by the synthetic biology community. This includes diversifying sensing modules to obtain information relevant to environmental questions, creating output signals that allow dynamic reporting from hard-to-image environmental materials, and tuning these sensors so that they reliably function long enough to be useful for environmental studies. Finally, ethical questions related to the use of synthetic biosensors in environmental applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenne Del Valle
- Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Emily M. Fulk
- Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Prashant Kalvapalle
- Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jonathan J. Silberg
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Caroline A. Masiello
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Lauren B. Stadler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
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14
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Sun X, Li Q, Wang Y, Zhou W, Guo Y, Chen J, Zheng P, Sun J, Ma Y. Isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase mutant based whole-cell biosensor for high-throughput selection of isoleucine overproducers. Biosens Bioelectron 2021; 172:112783. [PMID: 33157411 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Whole-cell amino acid biosensors can sense the concentrations of certain amino acids and output easily detectable signals, which are important for construction of microbial producers. However, many reported biosensors have poor specificity because they also sense non-target amino acids. Besides, biosensors for many amino acids are still unavailable. In this study, we proposed a new strategy for constructing whole-cell biosensors based on aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), which take the advantage of their universality and intrinsically specific binding ability to corresponding amino acids. Taking isoleucine biosensor as an example, we first mutated the isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase in Escherichia coli to dramatically decrease its affinity to isoleucine. The engineered cells specifically sensed isoleucine and output isoleucine dose-dependent cell growth as an easily detectable signal. To further expand the sensing range, an isoleucine exporter was overexpressed to enhance excretion of intracellular isoleucine. Since cells equipped with the optimized whole-cell biosensor showed accelerated growth when cells produced higher concentrations of isoleucine, the biosensor was successfully applied in high-throughput selection of isoleucine overproducers from random mutation libraries. This work demonstrates the feasibility of engineering aaRSs to construct a new kind of whole-cell biosensors for amino acids. Considering all twenty proteinogenic and many non-canonical amino acids have their specific aaRSs, this strategy should be useful for developing biosensors for various amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Sun
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qinggang Li
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Wenjuan Zhou
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Yanmei Guo
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Jiuzhou Chen
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Ping Zheng
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China.
| | - Jibin Sun
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China.
| | - Yanhe Ma
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
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15
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Cho E, Lu Y. Compartmentalizing Cell-Free Systems: Toward Creating Life-Like Artificial Cells and Beyond. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:2881-2901. [PMID: 33095011 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Building an artificial cell is a research area that is rigorously studied in the field of synthetic biology. It has brought about much attention with the aim of ultimately constructing a natural cell-like structure. In particular, with the more mature cell-free platforms and various compartmentalization methods becoming available, achieving this aim seems not far away. In this review, we discuss the various types of artificial cells capable of hosting several cellular functions. Different compartmental boundaries and the mature and evolving technologies that are used for compartmentalization are examined, and exciting recent advances that overcome or have the potential to address current challenges are discussed. Ultimately, we show how compartmentalization and cell-free systems have, and will, come together to fulfill the goal to assemble a fully synthetic cell that displays functionality and complexity as advanced as that in nature. The development of such artificial cell systems will offer insight into the fundamental study of evolutionary biology and the sea of applications as a result. Although several challenges remain, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence also appear to help pave the way to address them and achieve the ultimate goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunhee Cho
- Key Lab of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuan Lu
- Key Lab of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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16
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Suea-Ngam A, Bezinge L, Mateescu B, Howes PD, deMello AJ, Richards DA. Enzyme-Assisted Nucleic Acid Detection for Infectious Disease Diagnostics: Moving toward the Point-of-Care. ACS Sens 2020; 5:2701-2723. [PMID: 32838523 PMCID: PMC7485284 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.0c01488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Driven by complex and interconnected factors, including population growth, climate change, and geopolitics, infectious diseases represent one of the greatest healthcare challenges of the 21st century. Diagnostic technologies are the first line of defense in the fight against infectious disease, providing critical information to inform epidemiological models, track diseases, decide treatment choices, and ultimately prevent epidemics. The diagnosis of infectious disease at the genomic level using nucleic acid disease biomarkers has proven to be the most effective approach to date. Such methods rely heavily on enzymes to specifically amplify or detect nucleic acids in complex samples, and significant effort has been exerted to harness the power of enzymes for in vitro nucleic acid diagnostics. Unfortunately, significant challenges limit the potential of enzyme-assisted nucleic acid diagnostics, particularly when translating diagnostic technologies from the lab toward the point-of-use or point-of-care. Herein, we discuss the current state of the field and highlight cross-disciplinary efforts to solve the challenges associated with the successful deployment of this important class of diagnostics at or near the point-of-care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akkapol Suea-Ngam
- Institute for Chemical &
Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry & Applied Biosciences,
ETH Zürich,
Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich,
Switzerland
| | - Léonard Bezinge
- Institute for Chemical &
Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry & Applied Biosciences,
ETH Zürich,
Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich,
Switzerland
| | - Bogdan Mateescu
- Institute for Chemical &
Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry & Applied Biosciences,
ETH Zürich,
Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich,
Switzerland
- Brain Research Institute,
Medical Faculty of the University of
Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057
Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Philip D. Howes
- Institute for Chemical &
Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry & Applied Biosciences,
ETH Zürich,
Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich,
Switzerland
| | - Andrew J. deMello
- Institute for Chemical &
Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry & Applied Biosciences,
ETH Zürich,
Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich,
Switzerland
| | - Daniel A. Richards
- Institute for Chemical &
Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry & Applied Biosciences,
ETH Zürich,
Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich,
Switzerland
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17
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Hunt JP, Barnett RJ, Robinson H, Soltani M, Nelson JAD, Bundy BC. Rapid sensing of clinically relevant glutamine concentrations in human serum with metabolically engineered E. coli-based cell-free protein synthesis. J Biotechnol 2020; 325:389-394. [PMID: 32961202 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2020.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Bioavailable glutamine (Gln) is critical for metabolism, intestinal health, immune function, and cell signaling. Routine measurement of serum Gln concentrations could facilitate improved diagnosis and treatment of severe infections, anorexia nervosa, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and cancer. Current methods for quantifying tissue Gln concentrations rely mainly on HPLC, which requires extensive sample preparation and expensive equipment. Consequently, patient Gln levels may be clinically underutilized. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is an emerging sensing platform with promising clinical applications, including detection of hormones, amino acids, nucleic acids, and other biomarkers. In this work, in vitro E. coli amino acid metabolism is engineered with methionine sulfoximine to inhibit glutamine synthetase and create a CFPS Gln sensor. The sensor features a strong signal-to-noise ratio and a detection range ideally suited to physiological Gln concentrations. Furthermore, it quantifies Gln concentration in the presence of human serum. This work demonstrates that CFPS reactions which harness the metabolic power of E. coli lysate may be engineered to detect clinically relevant analytes in human samples. This approach could lead to transformative point-of-care diagnostics and improved treatment regimens for a variety of diseases including cancer, diabetes, anorexia nervosa, chronic kidney disease, and severe infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Porter Hunt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - R Jordan Barnett
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Hannah Robinson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Mehran Soltani
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - J Andrew D Nelson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Bradley C Bundy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.
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18
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Lim HJ, Jang YJ, Lee KH, Kim DM. Translational Detection of Nonproteinogenic Amino Acids Using an Engineered Complementary Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Assay. Anal Chem 2020; 92:11505-11510. [PMID: 32794704 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We developed a simple and rapid method for analyzing nonproteinogenic amino acids that does not require conventional chromatographic equipment. In this technique, nonproteinogenic amino acids were first converted to a proteinogenic amino acid through in vitro metabolism in a cell extract. The proteinogenic amino acid generated from the nonproteinogenic precursors were then incorporated into a reporter protein using a cell-free protein synthesis system. The titers of the nonproteinogenic amino acids could be readily quantified by measuring the activity of reporter proteins. This method, which combines the enzymatic conversion of target amino acids with translational analysis, makes amino acid analysis more accessible while minimizing the cost and time requirements. We anticipate that the same strategy could be extended to the detection of diverse biochemical molecules with clinical and industrial implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Jin Lim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Yeon Jae Jang
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Kyung-Ho Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Dong-Myung Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
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19
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Zhang L, Guo W, Lu Y. Advances in Cell‐Free Biosensors: Principle, Mechanism, and Applications. Biotechnol J 2020; 15:e2000187. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis Ministry of Education Department of Chemical Engineering Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
- Department of Ecology Shenyang Agricultural University Shenyang Liaoning Province 110866 China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Ecology Shenyang Agricultural University Shenyang Liaoning Province 110866 China
| | - Yuan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis Ministry of Education Department of Chemical Engineering Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 China
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20
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Hunt JP, Wilding KM, Barnett RJ, Robinson H, Soltani M, Cho JE, Bundy BC. Engineering Cell‐Free Protein Synthesis for High‐Yield Production and Human Serum Activity Assessment of Asparaginase: Toward On‐Demand Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Biotechnol J 2020; 15:e1900294. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201900294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Porter Hunt
- Department of Chemical Engineering Brigham Young University Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Kristen M. Wilding
- Department of Chemical Engineering Brigham Young University Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - R. Jordan Barnett
- Department of Chemical Engineering Brigham Young University Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Hannah Robinson
- Department of Chemical Engineering Brigham Young University Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Mehran Soltani
- Department of Chemical Engineering Brigham Young University Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Jae Eun Cho
- Department of Chemical Engineering Brigham Young University Provo UT 84602 USA
| | - Bradley C. Bundy
- Department of Chemical Engineering Brigham Young University Provo UT 84602 USA
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21
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Lee KH, Kim DM. In Vitro Use of Cellular Synthetic Machinery for Biosensing Applications. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1166. [PMID: 31680954 PMCID: PMC6803485 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The application of biosensors is expanding in diverse fields due to their high selectivity and sensitivity. Biosensors employ biological components for the recognition of target analytes. In addition, the amplifying nature of biosynthetic processes can potentially be harnessed to for biological transduction of detection signals. Recent advances in the development of highly productive and cost-effective cell-free synthesis systems make it possible to use these systems as the biological transducers to generate biosensing signals. This review surveys recent developments in cell-free biosensors, focusing on the newly devised mechanisms for the biological recognition of analytes to initiate the amplification processes of transcription and translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Ho Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Dong-Myung Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea
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22
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Jang YJ, Lee KH, Yoo TH, Kim DM. Interfacing a Personal Glucose Meter with Cell-Free Protein Synthesis for Rapid Analysis of Amino Acids. Anal Chem 2019; 91:2531-2535. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b05526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yeon-Jae Jang
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Kyung-Ho Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Tae Hyeon Yoo
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, 206 Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16499, Korea
| | - Dong-Myung Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
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23
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Fang X, Zheng Y, Duan Y, Liu Y, Zhong W. Recent Advances in Design of Fluorescence-Based Assays for High-Throughput Screening. Anal Chem 2019; 91:482-504. [PMID: 30481456 PMCID: PMC7262998 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b05303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoni Fang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Yongzan Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Yaokai Duan
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Yang Liu
- Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Wenwan Zhong
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
- Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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24
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Bundy BC, Hunt JP, Jewett MC, Swartz JR, Wood DW, Frey DD, Rao G. Cell-free biomanufacturing. Curr Opin Chem Eng 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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25
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Soltani M, Davis BR, Ford H, Nelson JAD, Bundy BC. Reengineering cell-free protein synthesis as a biosensor: Biosensing with transcription, translation, and protein-folding. Biochem Eng J 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2018.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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