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Whole-cell microbial biosensors for detecting persistent organic pollutants.

Chen Zhou,Shuran Yang,Zhenghui Lu,Guimin Zhang

Published 2026 in Talanta: The International Journal of Pure and Applied Analytical Chemistry

ABSTRACT

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic, posing a significant threat to the global environment and human health. The emergence of whole-cell biosensors (WCBs) offers a revolutionary alternative for low-cost and on-site monitoring of POPs, overcoming the limitations of traditional laboratory techniques. As highlighted in this review, engineered WCBs can achieve extremely low detection limits, such as 10 fM for 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 0.06-1 μM for various polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), making them comparable to, and even superior to, traditional screening methods. This article summarizes the development of WCBs for monitoring POPs, focusing on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), PCBs, and dioxin-like compounds (DLCs). We discuss research progress in improving WCBs performance and adaptability through methods such as mutation breeding of chassis cells, engineering of genetic circuits, and optimization of reporter systems. Furthermore, we highlight some transformative applications, such as smartphone-based portable devices, which underscore the potential of WCBs to bridge the critical gap between laboratory analysis and practical environmental monitoring.

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