Microplastics have become a silent but pervasive pollutant, infiltrating oceans, rivers, soil, and even the food we consume. With millions of tons of plastic waste entering the environment every year, researchers have been racing to find cost-effective and rapid ways to detect these invisible threats. Now, scientists have engineered a living biosensor capable of spotting microplastics in just a few hours, offering a breakthrough in environmental monitoring.
Engineering a Living Detector
The innovation relies on a harmless strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium known to naturally form biofilms on plastic surfaces. By inserting two carefully selected genes, the researchers transformed the bacterium into a living sensor. One gene activates when the organism encounters plastic, while the other produces a green fluorescent protein, causing the bacteria to glow in the presence of microplastics. This approach allows detection within three hours, a significant improvement compared to conventional techniques.
Testing in the Real World
In laboratory experiments, the modified bacteria successfully detected common plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene. The researchers also tested the sensor in seawater samples collected from urban waterways. Remarkably, the biosensor not only identified traditional plastics but also biodegradable polymers, confirming its versatility. Even more promising, the engineered bacteria remained functional for three days when refrigerated, making it suitable for field applications.
A Step Toward Affordable Monitoring
Traditional detection methods like infrared or Raman spectroscopy are accurate but often expensive, slow, and require skilled operation. The new biosensor, however, offers a faster and cheaper alternative that could serve as a preliminary screening tool. By quickly identifying contaminated samples, it could help researchers and policymakers pinpoint pollution hotspots and prioritize cleanup efforts.
