Living Cell-Based Biosensor Device that Outputs Signals of Differing Types when Detecting an Analyte

Background: Advances in agriculture and foodstuff production have sustained the current rate of world population growth but have led to an enormous increase in the use of pesticides and herbicides. The impact is often greater than what is intended. Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach destination other than their target species including non-target species air water bottom sediments and food. There is a need to accurately and constantly be informed about the quality security and composition of materials of products we consume or encounter in our daily life. Accordingly devices that are capable of detecting certain analytes (chemicals) – outside the lab environment – with relatively high specificity and sensitivity are desirable for regulatory purposes as well as for advancing abilities to identify understand and remediate pollutants. Analytical tools based upon living cells (with metabolic processes) have been effective in the nonspecific detection of various cellular stresses DNA damage and general toxicity. However they suffer from numerous limitations like interfacing the living cells with transducer and high false positive/false negative response rate or a loss of viability and/or activity. Hence there is a need to develop technologies pertaining to living cell based biosensor devices with decreased false positive and false negative responses due to interference and increasing confidence in detecting the analyte. Technology Description: Researchers developed the first cell-based environmental sensing device capable of generating orthogonal fluorescent electrochemical and colorimetric signals in response to a single target analyte in complex media. Orthogonality is enabled by use of cellular communities that were engineered to provide distinct signals in response to the model analyte. Coupling these three signal transduction methods may substantially reduce the impact of interferants and increase confidence in the sensors output. The device comprises first co-entrapment of eukaryotic and bacterial cells in silica matrix demonstrating multianalyte biodetection by mixing cell lines that would not be compatible under standard culture conditions. Orthogonality is enabled by use of cellular communities that were engineered to provide distinct signals in response to the model analyte. Coupling these three signal transduction methods may substantially reduce the impact of interferants and increase confidence in the sensors output. The device comprises first co-entrapment of eukaryotic and bacterial cells in silica matrix demonstrating multianalyte biodetection by mixing cell lines that would not be compatible under standard culture conditions. Applications: 1) Pharmaceutical screening 2) Cellular physiological analysis 3) Toxin detection 4) Environmental monitoring