Abstract
There is a significant need for devices capable of measuring water contaminant concentrations in situ––continuously, rapidly, and without reagents, extraction, or other pretreatment. Toward this goal, we constructed and tested fiber optic biosensors for measurement of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCA) in aqueous solutions. The biocomponent was the haloalkane dehalogenase, DhlA, in whole cells of Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10. These cells were immobilized in calcium alginate on the tip of a fiber optic fluoresceinamine-based pH optode. The resulting biosensor could quantify DCA at 11 mg/l and had a linear response up to at least 65 mg/l. Total signal change was reached in 8–10 min, and measurements were reproducible (SE <9%). The sensor’s small size, potential for remote operation, and low cost make it of interest for further development.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by grants from the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station and the Colorado Institute for Research in Biotechnology. We also thank Dr. Dick B. Janssen for his generous donation of cultures of X. autotrophicus GJ10.
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Campbell, D.W., Müller, C. & Reardon, K.F. Development of a Fiber Optic Enzymatic Biosensor for 1,2-dichloroethane. Biotechnol Lett 28, 883–887 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-006-9014-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-006-9014-x