A versatile microbial platform as a tunable whole-cell chemical sensor

Abstract

Biosensors are used to detect and quantify chemicals produced in industrial microbiology with high specificity, sensitivity, and portability. Most biosensors, however, are limited by the need for transcription factors engineered to recognize specific molecules. In this study, we overcome the limitations typically associated with traditional biosensors by engineering Pseudomonas putida for whole-cell sensing of a variety of chemicals. Our approach integrates fluorescent reporters with synthetic auxotrophies within central metabolism that can be complemented by target analytes in growth-coupled setups. This platform enables the detection of a wide array of structurally diverse chemicals under various conditions, including co-cultures of producer cell factories and sensor strains. We also demonstrate the applicability of this versatile biosensor platform for monitoring complex biochemical processes, including plastic degradation by either purified hydrolytic enzymes or engineered bacteria. This microbial system provides a rapid, sensitive, and readily adaptable tool for monitoring cell factory performance and for environmental analyzes.