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Agranat AJ, Kabessa Y, Shemer B, Shpigel E, Schwartsglass O, Atamneh L, Uziel Y, Ejzenberg M, Mizrachi Y, Garcia Y, Perepelitsa G, Belkin S. An autonomous bioluminescent bacterial biosensor module for outdoor sensor networks, and its application for the detection of buried explosives. Biosens Bioelectron 2021; 185:113253. [PMID: 33930754 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We describe a miniaturized field-deployable biosensor module, designed to function as an element in a sensor network for standoff monitoring and mapping of environmental hazards. The module harbors live bacterial sensor cells, genetically engineered to emit a bioluminescent signal in the presence of preselected target materials, which act as its core sensing elements. The module, which detects and processes the biological signal, composes a digital record that describes its findings, and can be transmitted to a remote receiver. The module is an autonomous self-contained unit that can function either as a standalone sensor, or as a node in a sensor network. The biosensor module can potentially be used for detecting any target material to which the sensor cells were engineered to respond. The module described herein was constructed to detect the presence of buried landmines underneath its footprint. The demonstrated detection sensitivity was 0.25 mg 2,4-dinitrotoluene per Kg soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aharon J Agranat
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Yossef Kabessa
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel.
| | - Benjamin Shemer
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Etai Shpigel
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Offer Schwartsglass
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Loay Atamneh
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Yonatan Uziel
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Meir Ejzenberg
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Yosef Mizrachi
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Yehudit Garcia
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Galina Perepelitsa
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Shimshon Belkin
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
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Kabessa Y, Eyal O, Bar-On O, Korouma V, Yagur-Kroll S, Belkin S, Agranat AJ. Standoff detection of explosives and buried landmines using fluorescent bacterial sensor cells. Biosens Bioelectron 2016; 79:784-8. [PMID: 26774094 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2016.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Revised: 01/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A standoff detection scheme for buried landmines and concealed explosive charges is presented. The detection procedure consists of the following: Live bacterial sensor strains, genetically engineered to produce a dose-dependent amount of green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the presence of explosives' vapors, are encapsulated and spread on the suspected area. The fluorescence produced by the bacteria in response to traces of the explosive material in their microenvironment is remotely detected by a phase-locked optoelectronic sampling system. This scheme enables fast direct access to a large minefield area, while obviating the need to endanger personnel and equipment. Moreover, the employment of phase locking detection efficiently isolates the bacterial sensors' fluorescent output from the background optical signals. This facilitates the application of bacterial sensors in an outdoor environment, where control of background illumination is not possible. Using this system, we demonstrate standoff detection of 2,4-DNT both in aqueous solution and when buried in soil, by sensor bacteria either in liquid culture or agar-immobilized, respectively, at a distance of 50 m in a realistic optically noisy environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yossef Kabessa
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
| | - Ori Eyal
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Ofer Bar-On
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Victor Korouma
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Sharon Yagur-Kroll
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Shimshon Belkin
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Aharon J Agranat
- Department of Applied Physics and the Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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