Biosensor-Based Diagnostic Platform Enabling Real-Time Monitoring of Existing and Emerging Pollutants

Project Information

BIOSENSEI

Grant agreement ID: 101135241

DOI

10.3030/101135241

EC signature date 21 November 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 3 998 191,99

EU contribution

€ 3 998 191,49

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
Ireland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIOSENSEI (Biosensor-Based Diagnostic Platform Enabling Real-Time Monitoring of Existing and Emerging Pollutants)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Pollution has far-reaching impacts on our soil, water, biodiversity and on human health and wellbeing. The EU has targeted Zero Pollution for 2050, targetting known pollutants, and pollutants of emerging concern, which lack deployable sensor solutions. Consequently, pollution monitoring relies on lab-based methods and periodic sampling; resulting in slow, costly measurements that can miss time-sensitive pollution events.
BioSensei is developing an integrated sensor system to bridge this “sensor gap” through novel, genetically modified, microbe-based biosensors. They will be modified to detect the pollutants of interest (Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosphate, Endocrine disruptors, PFAS and microcystins) and produce chemical signals, which will be converted to digital signals by optical and electrochemical transducers controlled by supporting electronics and interpreted by a machine learning algorithm and securely transmitted, over the internet, to the user in near-real time.
BioSensei is underpinned by Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles, employing consultation and codesign approaches to minimise potentially harmful outcomes and ensuring a preventative approach for the responsible use of the biosensors. The consortium includes industrial partners, local government, and national regulatory agencies, adding diverse perspectives on the requirements for the system, and facilitating practical assessment of its efficacy.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The development of the biosensor is central to the success of BioSensei, a modular approach for its development has been followed:
• A chassis microbe – the host bacterial species for the other units
• Sensing units– identifies the presence of target pollutants
• Processing units – produces signalling molecules upon a trigger
• Calibration units – mediates the expression of a processing unit under the control of a sensing unit
This has allowed for the simultaneous development and evaluation of sensing and processing units, using established interim units. Pseudomonas. Putida EM42, a commonly used non-motile strain of a non-pathogenic bacterium, was selected as the chassis microbe due to its documented previous success as a chassis microbe, its pollution resistance and survivability in river water.
Several approaches to develop sensing units have been trialled, including:
• implementation of established interim sensing units (salicylic acid, rhamnose)
• incorporating known systems from other bacterial species
• generating new systems based on known systems
• use of native interactions with target pollutants
• intracellular signals
So far, BioSensei has successfully implemented a Nitrate sensing unit based on an E. Coli system.
Several processing units have been developed, including:
• regulation of native production of pyoverdine (PVD) in P. Putida
• transfer of the production pathway of pyocyanin (PYO) from Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
• production of fluorescent proteins, e.g. green fluorescent protein (GFP)
• transfer of the production pathway of pyochelin (PCH) from P. Aeruginosa (under development)
These molecules are good candidates form chemical signals as they are all optically and/or electrochemically detectable.
Initial demonstrations of the biosensor were achieved in P. Putida, utilising the system modularity and well-established sensing/processing units, in conjunction with the developed systems yielding biosensors with:
• PVD induced by rhamnose
• PYO induced by salicylic acid
• GFP induced by rhamnose
• GFP induced by nitrate
• PVD induced by nitrate
The PVD production, induced by the nitrate sensing unit, demonstrates the successful BioSensei biosensor concept. BioSensei will continue to target new sensing units during its second half, to address more of its target pollutants.
Biosafety is an essential aspect of BioSensei, following all biological safety best practices. An additional hierarchical containment strategy is under development, involving:
• Use of a non-motile chassis bacterium
• Multiple layers of polymer encapsulation
• semi-porous membranes to prevent biosensor escape
The containment development has been based guided by simulations and experimental validation of their effectiveness without compromising the function of the sensor system.
Optical and electrochemical transducers have been codeveloped to convert the chemical signals into electrical signals. They have been successfully tested with the biosensor/its output with rhamnose induced GFP and salicylic acid induced PYO for the optical and electrochemical transducer respectively.
The transducers will be controlled by supporting electronics including a bespoke electrochemical analog front end, a control board, a machine learning processor, and communication equipment, which have been designed awaiting production and testing. They will collect, collate and interpret the signals and transmit them securely over the internet to the end-user virtual dashboard for interpretation in near-real time.
 

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Although BioSensei is only at its halfway point we have already:
• Successfully developed a microbial whole cell biosensor capable of detecting a pollutant of concern (nitrate) with the production of an electrochemically and optically active compound (PVD) – this represents a successful demonstration of BioSensei biosensor function, and is a positive indicator of the vast array of possible novel sensors possible through these methods.
• Developed processing units for two electrochemically and optically active signal molecules (PYO, PVD) –
• Successfully detected microbial whole cell biosensor mediated signals with optical transducers
• Developed the first reported reproducible electrochemical transducer for PCH
• Developed a dissolved oxygen-resistant electrochemical transducer for PYO
• Successfully detected microbial whole cell biosensor mediated signals with electrochemical transducer
• Designed a 10-channel multiplexable, bipotentiostatic-control electrochemical analog front end capable of addressing up to three channels per device.

Schematic overview of core sensing principle of BioSensei