Genetically engineered microorganisms for the detection of explosives' residues.

Front Microbiol

Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem, Israel.

Published: November 2015

The manufacture and use of explosives throughout the past century has resulted in the extensive pollution of soils and groundwater, and the widespread interment of landmines imposes a major humanitarian risk and prevents civil development of large areas. As most current landmine detection technologies require actual presence at the surveyed areas, thus posing a significant risk to personnel, diverse research efforts are aimed at the development of remote detection solutions. One possible means proposed to fulfill this objective is the use of microbial bioreporters: genetically engineered microorganisms "tailored" to generate an optical signal in the presence of explosives' vapors. The use of such sensor bacteria will allow to pinpoint the locations of explosive devices in a minefield. While no study has yet resulted in a commercially operational system, significant progress has been made in the design and construction of explosives-sensing bacterial strains. In this article we review the attempts to construct microbial bioreporters for the detection of explosives, and analyze the steps that need to be undertaken for this strategy to be applicable for landmine detection.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4625088PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.01175DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

genetically engineered
8
engineered microorganisms
8
landmine detection
8
microbial bioreporters
8
detection
5
microorganisms detection
4
detection explosives'
4
explosives' residues
4
residues manufacture
4
manufacture explosives
4

Similar Publications

Epigenetics in the modern era of crop improvements.

Sci China Life Sci

January 2025

State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.

Epigenetic mechanisms are integral to plant growth, development, and adaptation to environmental stimuli. Over the past two decades, our comprehension of these complex regulatory processes has expanded remarkably, producing a substantial body of knowledge on both locus-specific mechanisms and genome-wide regulatory patterns. Studies initially grounded in the model plant Arabidopsis have been broadened to encompass a diverse array of crop species, revealing the multifaceted roles of epigenetics in physiological and agronomic traits.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Identifying cancer prognosis genes through causal learning.

Brief Bioinform

November 2024

School of Artificial Intelligence, Jilin University, 3003 Qianjin Street, 130012 Changchun, China.

Accurate identification of causal genes for cancer prognosis is critical for estimating disease progression and guiding treatment interventions. In this study, we propose CPCG (Cancer Prognosis's Causal Gene), a two-stage framework identifying gene sets causally associated with patient prognosis across diverse cancer types using transcriptomic data. Initially, an ensemble approach models gene expression's impact on survival with parametric and semiparametric hazard models.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tumor development often requires cellular adaptation to a unique, high metabolic state; however, the molecular mechanisms that drive such metabolic changes in TFE3-rearranged renal cell carcinoma (TFE3-RCC) remain poorly understood. TFE3-RCC, a rare subtype of RCC, is defined by the formation of chimeric proteins involving the transcription factor TFE3. In this study, we analyzed cell lines and genetically engineered mice, demonstrating that the expression of the chimeric protein PRCC-TFE3 induced a hypoxia-related signature by transcriptionally upregulating HIF1α and HIF2α.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Preparation, characterization, and antibacterial application of cross-linked nanoparticles composite films.

Food Chem X

January 2025

Key Laboratory of Ministry of Agriculture for Germplasm Resources Conservation and Utilization of Cassava, Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China.

This study aimed to prepare a composite film by blending cross-linked tapioca starch (CLTS) with sodium alginate (SA), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and ZnO nanoparticles (ZnOs). The effects of SA, AgNPs, and ZnOs at different concentrations (1-3 wt%) on the mechanical properties, optical properties, thermal stability, and antibacterial activity of cross-linked starch films were also investigated. The structures of the films were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sabah has the highest prevalence of β-thalassemia in Malaysia, with the Filipino β-deletion as the predominant mutation. Patients with the homozygous Filipino β-deletion exhibit phenotypic heterogeneity due to various genetic modifiers, yet the effects of these modifiers on the clinical phenotype remain poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of the coinheritance of α-thalassemia, I-γ rs7482144, rs766432, and 5'HS4 rs16912979 polymorphisms on the clinical phenotype of homozygous Filipino β-deletion patients in Sabah.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!