Portable E.coli Enabled Sensor Detects Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
Highlights
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found in pesticides, plastics and pharmaceuticals.
- EDCs are potentially harmful may induce the development of obesity, diabetes and cancer.
- Detecting EDCs can be tough because the classification is based on their disrupting hormone function instead of their structures. Engineered E. coli bacteria can help detect Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which are harmful.
- Matthew Francis, Using E. coli to detect hormone disruptors in the environment, ACS Central Science (2017).
-
APA
Julia Samuel. (2017, January 12). Portable E.coli Enabled Sensor Detects Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. Medindia. Retrieved on Apr 29, 2024 from https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/portable-ecoli-enabled-sensor-detects-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-166929-1.htm.
MLA
Julia Samuel. "Portable E.coli Enabled Sensor Detects Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals". Medindia. Apr 29, 2024. <https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/portable-ecoli-enabled-sensor-detects-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-166929-1.htm>.
Chicago
Julia Samuel. "Portable E.coli Enabled Sensor Detects Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/portable-ecoli-enabled-sensor-detects-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-166929-1.htm. (accessed Apr 29, 2024).
Harvard
Julia Samuel. 2017. Portable E.coli Enabled Sensor Detects Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. Medindia, viewed Apr 29, 2024, https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/portable-ecoli-enabled-sensor-detects-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-166929-1.htm.
EDCs have been implicated in the development of obesity, diabetes and cancer and are found in a wide array of products including pesticides, plastics and pharmaceuticals.
‘The device uses E. coli cells expressing a protein receptor to rapidly detect the presence of many different endocrine disrupting compounds.’
EDCs are potentially harmful, even at low concentrations, equal in some cases to mere milligrams dissolved in in a swimming pool full of water. Now researchers report in ACS Central Science that they can quickly detect environmentally relevant concentrations of EDCs using engineered E. coli bacteria.
Detecting EDCs can be tough because the classification is based on their disrupting hormone function instead of their structures. Thus the term encompasses a broad spectrum of chemicals and often, health risks arise from aggregate exposure to several different species.
Many EDCs act on the same hormone receptors on a cell's surface and so researchers have been developing tests that detect the compounds based on their ability to interfere with hormones. But these methods currently take days to produce a result or involve many complicated and expensive steps. Matthew Francis and colleagues overcame these challenges by using E. coli in their device.
Non-toxic, dead E. coli cells display an estrogen receptor on the surface of the researchers' portable sensor. A protein on the sensor surface recognizes the EDC-E. coli complex, producing an electronic read-out in minutes.
The inexpensive device can determine the concentration of many known EDCs individually and overall concentrations as mixtures. They tested the detection in water and in complex solutions like baby formula. It also can detect EDCs released into liquid from a plastic baby bottle following microwave heating.
The team notes that their test is suitable for use in the field and can be modified to test for other types of chemicals that act on human receptors.
Reference
Source: Medindia
Cite this Article ⇣⇡
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report: