Synthetic biology allows for the creation of biological sensors from preexisting natural genetic circuits. Since biosensors can link a multitude of sensor and transducer elements to a wide range of readouts, they have huge potential for use in many different industries worldwide. They can be used in both in vivo and in vitro to measure the concentration of the desired analyte. Biosensors can be used in diagnostic tests and can even be utilised in agriculture to measure the fruit ripening process (iGEM team Sydney 2016) and can detect environmental hazards (iGEM team Ionis). Biological sensors incorporate biological components in either one or both of the “sensor” and “transducer” elements. When the analyte binds downstream genes are transcribed including reporter read-out genes that allow for quantification of the analyte.
Synthetic biology allows for the creation of biological sensors from preexisting natural genetic circuits. Since biosensors can link a multitude of sensor and transducer elements to a wide range of readouts, they have huge potential for use in many different industries worldwide. They can be used in both in vivo and in vitro to measure the concentration of the desired analyte. Biosensors can be used in diagnostic tests and can even be utilised in agriculture to measure the fruit ripening process (iGEM team Sydney 2016) and can detect environmental hazards (iGEM team Ionis). Biological sensors incorporate biological components in either one or both of the “sensor” and “transducer” elements. When the analyte binds downstream genes are transcribed including reporter read-out genes that allow for quantification of the analyte.
