Work

Replacing Manual Operation with Bio-Automation II: Construction of a Biological Digestion Gene Circuit to Eliminate the Interference of Food Matrices in the Rapid Detection of Heavy Metals

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Food matrices such as phytic acid, starch, and proteins can chelate heavy metals, acting as stabilizers that significantly hinder accurately detecting heavy metal contamination. This study proposes a biological digestion strategy to overcome such interference. The gene sequences for phytase (appA) from Escherichia coli (E. coli), α-amylase (amyA) from Escherichia coli (E. coli), and protease (AO090120000474) from Aspergillus oryzae were identified via bioinformatics screening. Whole-cell biosensors were then developed to simultaneously detect mercury ions (Hg2+) and digest phytate, starch, and proteins. In the presence of 100 μM Hg2+, biosensor responses improved by 1.43-, 1.38-, and 1.11-fold, respectively. A “heavy metal pollutant bio-digestion pathway” was constructed by integrating genes for synthesizing phytic acid, starch, and protein with those for Hg2+ detection. In the presence of 100 μM Hg2+, the detection effect was improved by 1.36-fold. The detection limit of the BαAP whole-cell biosensor was 0.082 μM, while the limit of quantitation was 0.272 μM. The study effectively addresses the limitations of biosensor performance in real sample detection.

Source: Foods

DOI: 10.3390/foods14213798

Authors: Shiqi Xia, Shijing Chen, Hongfei Su, Liangshu Hu, Xiaozhe Qi, Mingzhang Guo

Institution: Beijing Technology and Business University

Language: English

Topic: bioluminescence and chemiluminescence research

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,499

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China