Repetitive Detection of Aromatic Hydrocarbon Contaminants with Bioluminescent Bioreporters Attached on Tapered Optical Fiber Elements

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 20; no. 11; p. 3237
• Main Authors: Zajíc, Jakub, Ripp, Steven, Trögl, Josef, Kuncová, Gabriela, Pospíšilová, Marie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 06-06-2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Aminopropyltriethoxysilane; Aromatic hydrocarbons; Biodegradation; Bioluminescence; bioluminescent bioreporter; Biosensing Techniques; Biosensors; Chemicals; Contaminants; E coli; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli 652T7; Glucose; Hydrocarbons; Hydrocarbons, Aromatic - analysis; Luminescent Measurements; Microorganisms; optical fiber biosensor; Optical Fibers; Pollutants; Polyethyleneimine; Pseudomonas putida; Pseudomonas putida TVA8; Submerging; Toluene; Toluene - analysis; Trace elements; whole-cell biosensor; Yeast; Pseudomonas putida TVA8; Escherichia coli 652T7; bioluminescent bioreporter; optical fiber biosensor; whole-cell biosensor; toluene
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s20113237

In this study, we show the repetitive detection of toluene on a tapered optical fiber element (OFE) with an attached layer of
TVA8 bioluminescent bioreporters. The bioluminescent cell layer was attached on polished quartz modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES). The repeatability of the preparation of the optical probe and its use was demonstrated with five differently shaped OFEs. The intensity of measured bioluminescence was minimally influenced by the OFE shape, possessing transmittances between 1.41% and 5.00%. OFE probes layered with
TVA8 were used to monitor liquid toluene over a two-week period. It was demonstrated that OFE probes layered with positively induced
TVA8 bioreporters were reliable detectors of toluene. A toluene concentration of 26.5 mg/L was detected after <30 min after immersion of the probe in the toluene solution. Additional experiments also immobilized constitutively bioluminescent cells of
652T7, on OFEs with polyethyleneimine (PEI). These OFEs were repetitively induced with Lauria-Bertani (LB) nutrient medium. Bioluminescence appeared 15 minutes after immersion of the OFE in LB. A change in pH from 7 to 6 resulted in a decrease in bioluminescence that was not restored following additional nutrient inductions at pH 7. The
652T7 OFE probe was therefore sensitive to negative influences but could not be repetitively used.