Rice University developed a gas sensor that looks through the soil

Researchers at Rice University have developed a gas biosensor that "see through" the soil, enabling researchers to track the behavior of microbial communities in the soil.

Published in a paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, "Environmental Science and Technology," Rice research teams use genetically engineered bacteria that release methyl halide gases to monitor the gene expression of microorganisms in soil samples in the lab.

The bacteria are genetically engineered to release gas using synthetic biotechnology, and when bacteria exchange DNA for gene transfer (gene transfer has a unique role in biological evolution, through which biological processes can be shared without parentage Genetic traits), the gas can send a report. This biosensor allows researchers to monitor the process in real time, eliminating the need to keep an eye on soil samples.

Rice University researchers hope their technology will work for environmental scientists who share the same research purpose, using fluorescent reporter proteins to track protein expression and other processes in biological systems.

This work was co-authored by Caroline Marshall, a biogeochemist at Rice University's lab, Jonathan Silberger, a biochemist, and Microbiologist George Bennett and lead author at Rice University. Hsiao-Ying ( Shirley) Cheng shared the first product in the $ 1 million project funded by the WM Keck Foundation, a gas microbes sensor.

"This article introduces a new tool for studying how microbes exchange genetic material in the environment," said Geely professor Gexello.

"We are concerned with this issue because the horizontal gene transfer process controls many important things for human beings, or is it good that rhizobia exchange the genes they need to fix nitrogen and support plant growth, or is bad How bacteria exchange antibiotics in the soil, "she said. "In the past, establishing such a dynamic process model in real soil and studying how horizontal gene exchange changed in different soil types was a very challenging task, and we created a new set of tools that enabled our research aims."

Researchers expect that scientists will use gas biosensors in laboratories to study nitrogen fixation in agriculture, antibiotic exchange in sewage treatment, gene transfer in nutrient-deficient conditions, and the relationship between gene expression in soil and greenhouse gas release .

"There are other technologies that reference this technology," said Silberberg, associate professor of biochemistry and cell biology. The idea of ​​using gas has given us a deep understanding of gene coding. However, we need further improvement in some technical details. "

He said releasing and sensing methane gas represents a simple proof of concept. "Now we want to use synthetic biotechnology to get more detailed information about other types of biological phenomena by creating more complex genetic programs," says Silberberg.

They expect rapid testing of agricultural soil samples to fine-tune the crop's growth through effective irrigation and fertilization. "How can agriculture achieve efficiency gains without waste? Many people have mentioned this and there are many solutions," he said. "We are developing high-tech tools that allow us to make reliable predictions by understanding the mechanisms of biological phenomena, and improving and enhancing these tools is a time-consuming activity."

The researchers stress that these tools are used for soil research in a laboratory environment. Once the research results are obtained, these synthetic microorganisms are destroyed.

When they were transcribed into DNA with another microorganism, Rice Labs tested the soil samples at the Long-Term Ecological Research Site at the Kellogg Biological Station at the National Science Foundation in Michigan after the edited E. coli was added to the release gas. The signal from the gas is 10,000 times the limit of detection in the laboratory.

Unlike green fluorescent proteins, gas sensors are also effective in hypoxia and oxygen-depleted conditions, and GFP must be used under aerobic conditions. Predictably, the reported protein is useful in a variety of soil microorganisms, some of which are currently undergoing testing, Bennett said.

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