Cell-free biosensors for contaminant detection and real-time monitoring

Overview

This platform leverages cell-free synthetic biology to transform natural microbial sensing machinery into practical, low-cost tools for detecting molecular contaminants. Microbial sensors have evolved to recognize a wide range of targets, including heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, small molecules, and pesticides. By rewiring these biological components to control reporter gene expression, the platform produces fluorescence, color, or electrical signals in response to specific analytes. The result is a flexible detection technology that can be deployed outside of traditional laboratory settings, making it well suited for environmental monitoring, water safety, agriculture, biomanufacturing, and human health diagnostics.

Technical specifications

• Cell-free sensing system: Biological sensors are operated outside of living cells, reducing complexity and enabling shelf-stable, field-ready tests.
• Validated contaminant targets: Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, zinc, copper), pharmaceuticals (tetracyclines, macrolides, salicylate), small molecules (urate, cyanuric acid), disinfection byproducts (quaternary ammonium compounds), and pesticides (atrazine).
• Detection outputs: Fluorescent and colorimetric readouts demonstrated in real-world samples.
• Design tool stack: Synthetic biology methods and bioinformatics are used to identify and characterize responsive sensors, such as the RclR protein from E. coli for chloramine detection.
• Integration pathway: Sensors are being adapted for miniaturized continuous monitoring devices that combine biological recognition with electronic readouts for real-time quantitation.
• User experience: Single-use tests designed to require only the addition of a sample, enabling use by non-specialists.

Technology readiness level

The core cell-free biosensing platform has been validated across multiple contaminant classes and has demonstrated functionality in real-world samples. Paper-based, cell-free tests such as the lead-in-water assay have been deployed as field-ready products. Current development efforts focus on extending the platform to chloramine detection through a two-phase plan: first, identifying and characterizing chloramine-responsive sensors using bioinformatics and cell-free testing; second, adapting the sensor into a miniaturized continuous monitoring device with electronic integration. These efforts position the technology at a stage ready for pilot deployment and collaborative refinement toward continuous monitoring applications.