Use of a Luminescent Bacterial Biosensor for Biomonitoring and Characterization of Toxicity of Seawater

Rapid and continuous detection of environmental contaminants in effluents and waterways is important for protecting natural environments and public health, and for managing waster treatment systems. Although physicochemical methods have traditionally been employed for analyzing contaminants, monitoring using biological indicators has received increasing attention over the last few years for measuring toxic and bioavailable pollutants. A useful approach has been employing chemi-or bioluminescent reporter systems that involve whole bioluminescent microbes or biochemical reactions which provide rapid and visible responses to the presence of harmful chemicals, including heavy metal ions and petrcchemial industry waters. Coupling such biological detection systems with optical biosensors for environmental monitoring combines rapid response times, low costs and improved reproducibility.