Silicon photomultiplier (SPM) detection of low-level bioluminescence for the development of deployable whole-cell biosensors: possibilities and limitations.

Whole-cell bacterial bioreporters await miniaturized photon counting modules with high sensitivity and robust compatible hardware to fulfill their promise of versatile, on-site biosensor functionality. In this study, we explore the photon counting readout properties of the silicon photomultiplier (SPM) with a thermoelectric cooler and the possibilities of detecting low-level bioluminescent signals. Detection performance was evaluated through a simulated LED light source and the bioluminescence produced by the genetically engineered Pseudomonas fluorescens bacterial bioreporter 5RL.

Detection of dichloromethane with a bioluminescent (lux) bacterial bioreporter.

The focus of this research effort was to develop an autonomous, inducible, lux-based bioluminescent bioreporter for the real-time detection of dichloromethane. Dichloromethane (DCM), also known as methylene chloride, is a volatile organic compound and one of the most commonly used halogenated solvents in the U.S.