Glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp, is the most widely used herbicide on the globe, and has recently been linked to an increased risk in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in exposed individuals. Therefore, detection and monitoring of glyphosate levels in water and soil is important for public safety. Here, we describe a biosensor for glyphosate based on an engineered Escherichia coli phosphonate-binding protein (PhnD). Mutations in the binding pocket were introduced to convert PhnD into a glyphosate-binding protein. A fluorescence group attached near the hinge of the protein was added to monitor binding of glyphosate and to determine its concentration in unknown samples. The resulting engineered biosensor can detect glyphosate in tap water and in soil samples treated with the herbicide at submicromolar concentrations, well below the limit for drinking water in the USA. Incorporating this biosensor in a device would allow rapid and continuous monitoring of glyphosate in water and soil samples.

中文翻译：

---

设计用于除草剂草甘膦的荧光生物传感器。

草甘膦是RoundUp中的活性成分，是全球使用最广泛的除草剂，最近与暴露个体中非霍奇金淋巴瘤的风险增加有关。因此，检测和监测水和土壤中草甘膦的含量对公共安全至关重要。在这里，我们描述了一种基于工程化大肠杆菌的草甘膦生物传感器膦酸酯结合蛋白（PhnD）。引入结合口袋中的突变以将PhnD转化为草甘膦结合蛋白。加入附着在蛋白质铰链附近的荧光基团，以监测草甘膦的结合并确定其在未知样品中的浓度。最终的工程化生物传感器可以检测自来水和经除草剂处理过的亚微摩尔浓度（远低于美国饮用水极限）的土壤样品中的草甘膦。将这种生物传感器整合到设备中，可以快速连续地监测水和土壤样品中的草甘膦。