The following research tasks will be carried out during the project:
1) Design of regulatory cascades and funnels for the simultaneous and specific detection of metal ions.
2) Development of bifunctional reporter systems.
3) Cloning of metal responsive DNA sequences in specialised vectors and expression into A. eutrophus.
4) Overexpression, purification, characterisation of specific and non-specific metal binding proteins.
5) Construction and properties of one gene-based (multisensing) and one protein-based prototype.
6) Testing and evaluation of the biosensors properties on chemically pre-analyzed solid wastes (soils, flyashes, sludges) in lab and field conditions.
7) Comparison of the chemical data and the data generated by the biosensor devices. Inter-laboratory tests.