科學家開發出快速檢測水中汙染物的生物探針技術
作者:
小柯機器人發布時間:2020/7/9 10:36:21
近日,美國西北大學Julius B. Lucks及其團隊開發出快速檢測水中汙染物的生物探針技術。該研究於2020年7月6日在線發表於國際學術期刊《自然—生物技術》。
研究人員開發了無細胞體外轉錄系統的,其使用由配體誘導激活的RNA輸出傳感器(ROSALIND)來檢測水中的汙染物。高效的RNA聚合酶、變構蛋白轉錄因子和合成DNA轉錄模板的組合能夠調控螢光激活RNA適配體的合成。目標汙染物的存在誘導適配體的轉錄,並產生螢光信號。研究人員將ROSALIND用於檢測多種水汙染物,包括抗生素、小分子和金屬。
研究人員還表明,增加RNA迴路可以在不進行蛋白質工程的情況下倒轉響應、減少串擾並提高靈敏度。ROSALIND系統可以冷凍乾燥,以便於存儲和運輸,研究人員將其應用於實地測試市政供水,並證明了其在監測水質方面的潛在用途。
據介紹,安全飲用水匱乏是一個全球性問題,輕鬆可靠地檢測汙染物的方法可能會為之帶來變革。
附:英文原文
Title: Cell-free biosensors for rapid detection of water contaminants
Author: Jaeyoung K. Jung, Khalid K. Alam, Matthew S. Verosloff, Daiana A. Capdevila, Morgane Desmau, Phillip R. Clauer, Jeong Wook Lee, Peter Q. Nguyen, Pablo A. Pastn, Sandrine J. Matiasek, Jean-Franois Gaillard, David P. Giedroc, James J. Collins, Julius B. Lucks
Issue&Volume: 2020-07-06
Abstract: Lack of access to safe drinking water is a global problem, and methods to reliably and easily detect contaminants could be transformative. We report the development of a cell-free in vitro transcription system that uses RNA Output Sensors Activated by Ligand Induction (ROSALIND) to detect contaminants in water. A combination of highly processive RNA polymerases, allosteric protein transcription factors and synthetic DNA transcription templates regulates the synthesis of a fluorescence-activating RNA aptamer. The presence of a target contaminant induces the transcription of the aptamer, and a fluorescent signal is produced. We apply ROSALIND to detect a range of water contaminants, including antibiotics, small molecules and metals. We also show that adding RNA circuitry can invert responses, reduce crosstalk and improve sensitivity without protein engineering. The ROSALIND system can be freeze-dried for easy storage and distribution, and we apply it in the field to test municipal water supplies, demonstrating its potential use for monitoring water quality.
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-020-0571-7
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-020-0571-7