近日，美国西北大学Julius B. Lucks及其团队开发出快速检测水中污染物的生物探针技术。该研究于2020年7月6日在线发表于国际学术期刊《自然—生物技术》。

研究人员开发了无细胞体外转录系统的，其使用由配体诱导激活的RNA输出传感器（ROSALIND）来检测水中的污染物。高效的RNA聚合酶、变构蛋白转录因子和合成DNA转录模板的组合能够调控荧光激活RNA适配体的合成。目标污染物的存在诱导适配体的转录，并产生荧光信号。研究人员将ROSALIND用于检测多种水污染物，包括抗生素、小分子和金属。

研究人员还表明，增加RNA回路可以在不进行蛋白质工程的情况下倒转响应、减少串扰并提高灵敏度。ROSALIND系统可以冷冻干燥，以便于存储和运输，研究人员将其应用于实地测试市政供水，并证明了其在监测水质方面的潜在用途。

据介绍，安全饮用水匮乏是一个全球性问题，轻松可靠地检测污染物的方法可能会为之带来变革。

附：英文原文

Title: Cell-free biosensors for rapid detection of water contaminants

Author: Jaeyoung K. Jung, Khalid K. Alam, Matthew S. Verosloff, Daiana A. Capdevila, Morgane Desmau, Phillip R. Clauer, Jeong Wook Lee, Peter Q. Nguyen, Pablo A. Pastn, Sandrine J. Matiasek, Jean-Franois Gaillard, David P. Giedroc, James J. Collins, Julius B. Lucks

Issue&Volume: 2020-07-06

Abstract: Lack of access to safe drinking water is a global problem, and methods to reliably and easily detect contaminants could be transformative. We report the development of a cell-free in vitro transcription system that uses RNA Output Sensors Activated by Ligand Induction (ROSALIND) to detect contaminants in water. A combination of highly processive RNA polymerases, allosteric protein transcription factors and synthetic DNA transcription templates regulates the synthesis of a fluorescence-activating RNA aptamer. The presence of a target contaminant induces the transcription of the aptamer, and a fluorescent signal is produced. We apply ROSALIND to detect a range of water contaminants, including antibiotics, small molecules and metals. We also show that adding RNA circuitry can invert responses, reduce crosstalk and improve sensitivity without protein engineering. The ROSALIND system can be freeze-dried for easy storage and distribution, and we apply it in the field to test municipal water supplies, demonstrating its potential use for monitoring water quality. 

DOI: 10.1038/s41587-020-0571-7

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-020-0571-7