A Portable Biosensor for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene Vapors
Buried explosive material, e.g., landmines, represent a severe issue for human safety all over the world. Most explosives consist of environmentally hazardous chemicals like 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), carcinogenic 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) and related compounds. Vapors leaking from buried landm...
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doaj-f11e8d135ae34e01a680fdc3a674188b2020-11-24T22:51:59ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202018-12-011812424710.3390/s18124247s18124247A Portable Biosensor for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene VaporsMarc Prante0Christian Ude1Miriam Große2Lukas Raddatz3Ulrich Krings4Gernot John5Shimshon Belkin6Thomas Scheper7Institute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University of Hannover, 30167 Hannover, GermanyInstitute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University of Hannover, 30167 Hannover, GermanyInstitute of Food Chemistry, Leibniz University of Hannover, 30167 Hannover, GermanyInstitute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University of Hannover, 30167 Hannover, GermanyInstitute of Food Chemistry, Leibniz University of Hannover, 30167 Hannover, GermanyPreSens Precision Sensing GmbH, 93053 Regensburg, GermanyDepartment of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401 Jerusalem, IsraelInstitute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University of Hannover, 30167 Hannover, GermanyBuried explosive material, e.g., landmines, represent a severe issue for human safety all over the world. Most explosives consist of environmentally hazardous chemicals like 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), carcinogenic 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) and related compounds. Vapors leaking from buried landmines offer a detection marker for landmines, presenting an option to detect landmines without relying on metal detection. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (DNT), an impurity and byproduct of common TNT synthesis, is a feasible detection marker since it is extremely volatile. We report on the construction of a wireless, handy and cost effective 2,4-dinitrotoluene biosensor combining recombinant bioluminescent bacterial cells and a compact, portable optical detection device. This biosensor could serve as a potential alternative to the current detection technique. The influence of temperature, oxygen and different immobilization procedures on bioluminescence were tested. Oxygen penetration depth in agarose gels was investigated, and showed that aeration with molecular oxygen is necessary to maintain bioluminescence activity at higher cell densities. Bioluminescence was low even at high cell densities and 2,4-DNT concentrations, hence optimization of different prototypes was carried out regarding radiation surface of the gels used for immobilization. These findings were applied to sensor construction, and 50 ppb gaseous 2,4-DNT was successfully detected.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/12/4247biosensorlandmine detectionchemical vapor signaturebiological sensorbioluminescenceexplosive material |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Marc Prante Christian Ude Miriam Große Lukas Raddatz Ulrich Krings Gernot John Shimshon Belkin Thomas Scheper |
spellingShingle |
Marc Prante Christian Ude Miriam Große Lukas Raddatz Ulrich Krings Gernot John Shimshon Belkin Thomas Scheper A Portable Biosensor for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene Vapors Sensors biosensor landmine detection chemical vapor signature biological sensor bioluminescence explosive material |
author_facet |
Marc Prante Christian Ude Miriam Große Lukas Raddatz Ulrich Krings Gernot John Shimshon Belkin Thomas Scheper |
author_sort |
Marc Prante |
title |
A Portable Biosensor for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene Vapors |
title_short |
A Portable Biosensor for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene Vapors |
title_full |
A Portable Biosensor for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene Vapors |
title_fullStr |
A Portable Biosensor for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene Vapors |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Portable Biosensor for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene Vapors |
title_sort |
portable biosensor for 2,4-dinitrotoluene vapors |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Sensors |
issn |
1424-8220 |
publishDate |
2018-12-01 |
description |
Buried explosive material, e.g., landmines, represent a severe issue for human safety all over the world. Most explosives consist of environmentally hazardous chemicals like 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), carcinogenic 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) and related compounds. Vapors leaking from buried landmines offer a detection marker for landmines, presenting an option to detect landmines without relying on metal detection. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (DNT), an impurity and byproduct of common TNT synthesis, is a feasible detection marker since it is extremely volatile. We report on the construction of a wireless, handy and cost effective 2,4-dinitrotoluene biosensor combining recombinant bioluminescent bacterial cells and a compact, portable optical detection device. This biosensor could serve as a potential alternative to the current detection technique. The influence of temperature, oxygen and different immobilization procedures on bioluminescence were tested. Oxygen penetration depth in agarose gels was investigated, and showed that aeration with molecular oxygen is necessary to maintain bioluminescence activity at higher cell densities. Bioluminescence was low even at high cell densities and 2,4-DNT concentrations, hence optimization of different prototypes was carried out regarding radiation surface of the gels used for immobilization. These findings were applied to sensor construction, and 50 ppb gaseous 2,4-DNT was successfully detected. |
topic |
biosensor landmine detection chemical vapor signature biological sensor bioluminescence explosive material |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/12/4247 |
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