TY - JOUR

T1 - A Portable Biosensor for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene Vapors

AU - Prante, Marc

AU - Ude, Christian

AU - Große, Miriam

AU - Raddatz, Lukas

AU - Krings, Ulrich

AU - John, Gernot

AU - Belkin, Shimshon

AU - Scheper, Thomas

N1 - Funding information: This research was funded by NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme project 985042. Work in the Belkin lab was partially supported by the Minerva Center for Bio-Hybrid Complex Systems. Thorleif Hentrop for constructing the electronic parts.

PY - 2018/12

Y1 - 2018/12

N2 - Buried explosive material, e.g., landmines, represent a severe issue for human safety all over the world. Most explosives consist of environmentally hazardous chemicals like 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), carcinogenic 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) and related compounds. Vapors leaking from buried landmines offer a detection marker for landmines, presenting an option to detect landmines without relying on metal detection. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (DNT), an impurity and byproduct of common TNT synthesis, is a feasible detection marker since it is extremely volatile. We report on the construction of a wireless, handy and cost effective 2,4-dinitrotoluene biosensor combining recombinant bioluminescent bacterial cells and a compact, portable optical detection device. This biosensor could serve as a potential alternative to the current detection technique. The influence of temperature, oxygen and different immobilization procedures on bioluminescence were tested. Oxygen penetration depth in agarose gels was investigated, and showed that aeration with molecular oxygen is necessary to maintain bioluminescence activity at higher cell densities. Bioluminescence was low even at high cell densities and 2,4-DNT concentrations, hence optimization of different prototypes was carried out regarding radiation surface of the gels used for immobilization. These findings were applied to sensor construction, and 50 ppb gaseous 2,4-DNT was successfully detected.

AB - Buried explosive material, e.g., landmines, represent a severe issue for human safety all over the world. Most explosives consist of environmentally hazardous chemicals like 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), carcinogenic 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) and related compounds. Vapors leaking from buried landmines offer a detection marker for landmines, presenting an option to detect landmines without relying on metal detection. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (DNT), an impurity and byproduct of common TNT synthesis, is a feasible detection marker since it is extremely volatile. We report on the construction of a wireless, handy and cost effective 2,4-dinitrotoluene biosensor combining recombinant bioluminescent bacterial cells and a compact, portable optical detection device. This biosensor could serve as a potential alternative to the current detection technique. The influence of temperature, oxygen and different immobilization procedures on bioluminescence were tested. Oxygen penetration depth in agarose gels was investigated, and showed that aeration with molecular oxygen is necessary to maintain bioluminescence activity at higher cell densities. Bioluminescence was low even at high cell densities and 2,4-DNT concentrations, hence optimization of different prototypes was carried out regarding radiation surface of the gels used for immobilization. These findings were applied to sensor construction, and 50 ppb gaseous 2,4-DNT was successfully detected.

KW - Biological sensor

KW - Bioluminescence

KW - Biosensor

KW - Chemical vapor signature

KW - Explosive material

KW - Landmine detection

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058128970&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/s18124247

DO - 10.3390/s18124247

M3 - Article

C2 - 30513956

AN - SCOPUS:85058128970

VL - 18

JO - Sensors (Switzerland)

JF - Sensors (Switzerland)

SN - 1424-8220

IS - 12

M1 - 4247

ER -